Loyalty: A Salvation Society Novel

by Heather Dahlgren

  “That’s a promise I can fucking keep,” he says, walking out the door.

  I get my boots on and a knock on the door has me groaning. They all need advice before we get on stage. “What?”

  “Can I open the door?” Lorelei asks.

  “Oh shit, yeah,” I say, surprised it’s her.

  She pushes open the door and it’s a good fucking thing I’m sitting because I think this chick might have brought me to my knees. She’s got on red fuck me heels, a tight black leather skirt that hits right above her knees, and a white sleeveless shirt showing way too much cleavage. Her lips are as red as her heels, her makeup is dark and sexy as hell making her blue eyes pop, and her hair is a mess of curls. Fuck. Me.

  “I just wanted to make sure you were almost ready. We need to head out in ten minutes,” she says.

  I clear my throat as I stand up. “Yeah, I’m ready.” I walk toward her and stop right in front of her. She sucks in a breath and I grin. “You look fucking amazing,” I whisper, walking past her.

  I move toward the edge of the stage and the crowd goes crazy. My body is running on pure adrenaline as I grin. The bright lights are beating down on me, making me sweat even more. I wipe my face with the shirt I took off, looking around and know I wouldn’t change a damn thing.

  “We have one more song,” I yell.

  The crowd goes wild, just like they have all night. It’s been incredible. The volume of yelling, cheering, and singing is deafening. Watching them sing along to our lyrics still has my heart pounding. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe other than saying it’s humbling.

  The guys have killed it, like I knew they would. I would be nothing without them and this is just further proof. The crowd loves them as much as me and I’m thankful for it. They deserve the attention.

  My shirt has been off for the last half hour and it hangs from the waist of my jeans. I’m sweating from the lights and moving around the entire stage. It’s the best kind of workout, next to sex.

  I put the microphone back into the stand and tap my thigh to the beat of Loyalty.

  “I know you know this one,” I say, laughing. “Sing it with me.”

  They do not disappoint. They belt out every single word with me. It causes me to laugh a few times and they go wild when I do. The feeling of being center stage will never get old.

  When the song ends, they erupt screaming. I look back at the guys and they are all smiling.

  We did this.

  “Thank you, Vegas! You’ve been fucking amazing,” I say, waving as I head off the stage.

  Lorelei meets me with a clipboard, and keeps up as I walk quickly toward the room we will chill in before ending our night.

  “That was incredible, Kegan. I wish I had the words to describe it,” she rushes out. “So, you’ll be in the VIP room now and the fans with VIP tickets will get a chance to come meet you. You all have about fifteen minutes before they start coming back.”

  I nod as we walk into the room. It’s huge, bigger than the room we waited in before we got on stage.

  “Holy shit!” Lane yells, jumping on my back. “That was fucking insane!”

  I laugh as he jumps off. “I know. I’m still walking around on that high.”

  “Kegan, you killed it man. That crowd couldn’t get enough,” Remi says, moving to get a water.

  “I’m never fucking sleeping. I’m so wound up,” Everett says, laughing.

  “You guys were incredible. They fucking loved you,” I say, smiling.

  “What’s not to love?” Everett asks, grabbing his cock through his jeans.

  We are all drinking down a water when Lorelei stands in front of us. “You guys are all more talented than I ever gave you credit for. That was brilliant and something I will never forget,” she says smiling. “After this VIP hangout, we are heading right back to the bus. The label wants us on the road tonight. So, drink up, have fun, but please.” She looks at me. “Be respectful and professional.”

  Sounds like a dare, angel.

  Chapter Seven

  Lorelei

  I can’t sleep. I’ve been tossing and turning for over an hour now. I don’t know if it’s the excitement from watching the concert from side stage or the annoyance I felt watching Kegan morph into the arrogant, playboy, asshole. I didn’t say anything because none of it is headline worthy, but still it was frustrating.

  I sigh, slamming my arms down.

  “Fuck, stop. I need sleep,” Everett groans.

  I close my eyes, embarrassed I am annoying him. I wait a few minutes before I hop down off my bunk and pad out into the main area of the bus. Maybe a drink and some social media scrolling will help. I stop short when I see Kegan sitting at the table with his head in his hands. I take a step back, but he lifts his eyes spotting me.

  “Why the hell are you awake?” he asks.

  I shrug and grab a water out of the fridge, sitting across from him. “Couldn’t sleep. Why are you awake?”

  He rests his arms on the table and grins. “Too much pent-up energy from tonight. We usually go out after and work it all out.”

  I nod as I sip my water. “Drinking and screwing?”

  He laughs as he leans back in his seat. “Yeah.”

  I stare at him for a minute and contemplate saying something, but I decide against it for now. “You want a drink?” I ask.

  “Nah, I had two shots earlier,” he says, grinning.

  I laugh as I pull my legs up to rest my chin on them. “I’m not trying to sound like a fangirl or anything, but seriously, watching you guys live on stage like that was unreal. You owned that stage, Kegan.” I bite my lip as my eyes bounce between his. “What you told me about being center stage, I saw it and it was incredible. You really do belong there.”

  “Thanks,” he says, giving a wink. “Fangirl, huh?”

  I groan, dropping my face to my knees. “No, I said not like a fangirl.”

  His large hand wraps around my leg and I lift my head, leaving my chin on my knees. His hand is every bit as strong as his personality. It gives me goosebumps as a chill runs through me.

  “Being a fangirl isn’t the same as being a groupie, don’t worry,” he says.

  We both laugh, but I quickly stop when his hand trails down my leg before he pulls it away. I clear my throat and force a smile. We sit in silence for a few minutes. My eyes roam over him. He’s shirtless again and I can’t help but stare at his muscular form and vibrant tattoos. His hair is a perfect wild mess, like he’s been running his hands through it out of frustration, and this is how it ended up. His strong jaw ticks as I notice he is taking me in just the same.

  I want to hide. I want the bus to swallow me whole. I’m a mess. My hair is in a messy bun on top of my head, I have no makeup on, and I’m wearing sleep shorts and a thin tank top with no bra. Today I felt sexy as hell, and even more so after he told me I looked good, but right now, I don’t compare to the women he’s used to seeing. Not that I’m trying to impress him, but still his eyes are on me.

  “You did good today, Lorelei. You kept us on track and handled the VIP with ease. You should be proud,” he whispers.

  I feel myself blush and I’m thankful for the little light provided. “Thank you, Kegan. That means a lot.”

  I think back to before the concert when I was ready to knock on the door to tell him it was almost time. I overheard him and Lane talking. He was so incredibly sweet with his brother. He knew exactly what to say to stop his fears and get him hyped up for the show. It was heartwarming and I could hear the love they have for each other and their mother. I’ve noticed this a lot with him. He’s so different with the guys than he is in the public eye. He’s funny, caring, sweet, and laid back with them. In public he only shows that arrogant asshole. I mean, he’s even doing it with me right now. This tender, caring side that the world doesn’t see. He’s showing me and I decide I’m going to say what I held back earlier.

  “Can I tell you something?” I ask.

  “Of cou
rse,” he says, tapping his fingers on the table to the beat of one of their songs.

  I swallow my nerves and just go for it. I’m their publicist, it’s my job. I drop my knees and fold my hands on the table, appearing more professional.

  “So, I’ve noticed something with you,” I begin.

  He lifts an eyebrow and gives me that sexy smirk. “Oh yeah?”

  I lightly laugh and reach over to smack his hand. “Not like that.” I clear my throat and he folds his arms, causing his muscles to flex in response. “The guy you are when you are with your friends and even with me the last few days, that’s the guy you should let the world see. It would be so much better for the appearance of the band and for you.”

  There I said it, and I didn’t burst into flames and die. He stares at me a minute before I physically see his defenses go up. His eyes harden, his jaw ticks and his hands tighten into fists. Shit.

  “You’re here because the label put you here, but I will never fucking change. Not for them, not for my appearance, and sure as hell not for you. Your job is to keep our private lives out of the headlines, that’s it. We aren’t friends, don’t go confusing things.”

  Ouch. He really is such an asshole. The nice guy only slips out on accident and he hates it. I think back to how inappropriate he was at the VIP event and my anger starts to take over. “You’re out of control around the public. The way you were nearly fucking those girls in front of everyone tonight was uncalled for. If you want to keep gaining success, you’ll listen to me. You’ll do what I say. I can’t keep your private life out of the headlines when it’s out there for everyone to see.”

  The smirk I love to hate creeps into place. He stands up and rests one hand on the table and the other on the back of the bench I’m sitting in. He leans down, getting much too close to my face. My breathing picks up and I want to pull my gaze away from his, but I can’t. I’m sucked in.

  “Jealousy is not a flattering trait, angel. But I’ll tell you what. If you want me to be more accommodating, I’m gonna need some convincing.” His eyes bounce between mine and he moves his lips to my ear. “Let me fuck you,” he whispers.

  My body reacts to his words without my permission. My nipples harden and my panties get wet. I’ve never been this turned on without even being touched. His deep, raspy voice and tantalizing words are more than enough.

  He straightens and the spell he had me under is broken. I push past him, being sure to knock into his shoulder as I do. I grab my phone and lock myself in the bathroom.

  Couldn’t take my judgement could you, big guy?

  I know it’s late, but I dial Blair and hope she’s up working.

  “Lei, what’s wrong?” she rushes out.

  “I need you both, get Haven,” I say.

  I hear her curse as she puts me on speaker phone. “What happened?”

  I tell them everything that happened, ending with him telling me to let him fuck me.

  “Holy shit,” Haven says.

  “Don’t take that crap,” Blair yells.

  “Every time I feel like I’ve turned a corner, he reminds me that I need to take two steps back. He’s frustrating, cocky, and…”

  “A turn on,” Haven says, laughing.

  Blair joins her, but I groan in annoyance. “That isn’t helping,” I say.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. Listen, you stand your ground. You are a strong, independent, successful woman. You excel at your job. Show him that you are not going to be intimidated,” Blair says.

  “And no judgement from us if you wanna give in to his offer,” Haven says, laughing.

  “Yeah, thanks a lot guys,” I say.

  “No one said anything about not mixing business with pleasure,” Blair chimes in.

  I close my eyes, aggravated with them both. I need real advice, not this. I know they are kidding, well mostly, but right now I’m not in the mood. I’m pissed at Kegan and they aren’t helping.

  “Thanks for the pep talk. I’ll call you guys later.”

  I hang up to the sounds of them protesting, but I don’t care. I leave the bathroom and climb back into my uncomfortable bunk. One thing is right that Blair said, I’m strong, independent, and excel at my job. I refuse to let Kegan Donovan get the best of me.

  The next morning, I shower and get dressed. I’ve decided to not even acknowledge what he said last night. I will act as if we didn’t stay up half the night talking until it turned bad.

  “Morning,” I say, pouring my coffee.

  “Morning.”

  “Hey.”

  “Ugh.”

  I laugh at their responses as I put the sugar into my coffee.

  “Morning, angel,” Kegan whispers, leaning much too close to me.

  I straighten my back and step away. “Good morning.”

  I move to the table and pull up the emails on my phone. As I read through them, I listen to the guys talk about the show again. They are all still floating on a high and it’s pretty cool to witness. Just as I am about to put my phone away, I get an email from Jennifer. I open it and she explains that we are stopping at a hotel tonight. She tells me to keep them in line because they are going to want to hang out at the bar. She says I need to stay with them and intervene if necessary.

  Shit.

  I send back a quick reply letting her know I’ve got it handled. I absolutely do not, but I will never let her know that.

  I clear my throat as I put my phone down and they all look at me. “I just got an email from Jennifer,” I say.

  “Great, does she want us to bend over so you can fuck us?” Everett asks.

  They all laugh and start with comment after comment about what Jennifer wants me to do to them.

  “I’m more than willing to bend you over and do the fucking,” Kegan says.

  The guys nearly fall off the couch laughing, but Kegan keeps his eyes locked on mine. There is no sign of joking in his serious face. He sips his coffee, never breaking eye contact.

  I sigh and look away. “We are stopping tonight.” That gets their attention, and they get a hold of themselves long enough to listen to me. “We’ll be stopping at a hotel tonight. She figured we could all use a real shower and bed. We’ll have dinner and a few drinks at the bar, but as your publicist, I am going to ask nicely. Please, keep it professional.”

  “What’s that mean?” Lane asks.

  “Yeah, explain,” Remi says.

  I sip my coffee wishing it was a shot. “It means, don’t get shit faced, bang strangers in the bathroom, jump up on the bar and yell shots. Be the guys you are on the bus. Have fun without acting like damn fools or horny teenagers.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s not gonna work for me,” Everett says.

  They all laugh, including Kegan. I want to scream. I want to stomp my feet and tell them they are acting like damn children. But I won’t. I will be the professional I am being paid to be.

  “Well, how about you all tell me what it is you want tonight, and I’ll see how I can work with it,” I say.

  Kegan gets up and sits next to me, causing me to press against the window. He winks as he picks up my phone.

  “I want to get drunk and bang,” Lane says.

  Everett says, “I want to get shit faced and fuck.”

  They are laughing and I sigh.

  “I want to fucking dance,” Remi says. We all stop what we are doing and look at him. “What?”

  “You want to dance, like grind against some sexy chick?” Everett asks.

  He shrugs and Kegan peeks over at me. I shrug and look between him and Remi. Maybe what I said really did get into his head. I only did it because the guys seemed so sure that he wasn’t happy, and I guess they were right. If he was truly happy with Olivia, he wouldn’t want to be grinding on anyone but her. The thing is, from a publicist standpoint, I can’t allow that. Not unless he breaks up with her. The last thing they need is a headline about cheating. It would be suicide for their name.

  “Have you talked to Olivia?” I ask.

>   “This has nothing to do with her,” he says.

  “Man, come on. This has everything to do with her. I don’t even need Lorelei to say it because I’m saying it first. You can’t go out there in public and cheat on her. It would destroy your reputation and ours,” Kegan says.

  I’m so thankful he gets it, because I know now the rest of them will agree. He’s the boss, the big guy. They do as he says without question.

  “You’re one to talk about not doing shit in public, Kegan. I’m not taking advice from a guy that dips his dick in every pussy that comes within a foot of him. A guy that has no moral compass or ethical standards,” Remi hisses.

  Kegan laughs and squeezes my phone in his hand. I know I should be more focused on what’s happening, but I’m worried he’s going to crush my phone. What the hell is he doing with my phone anyway?

  “That’s some funny shit coming from the guy who told me on more than one drunk occasion that he’s jealous I can fuck anyone, anytime. That he’s tired of feeling trapped to a woman that he no longer loves.” He crosses his arms, my phone now tucked under one, and lifts an eyebrow. “Everyone knows I’m single and that I screw around. Judge me all you want, but that’s how they see me. They see you as the committed one. So yeah, you fucking around with someone that isn’t Olivia, is worse than me fucking around with someone.”

  I know I’m new here, but this is the first time I’ve seen them get angry with each other. It’s actually making me nervous. I feel like at any minute one of them is going to throw a punch. I look over at Lane and Everett, widening my eyes in hopes they understand what I’m saying.

  Lane nods and stands between where they are both sitting. “Chill the fuck out, both of you. Remi, if you want to break up with Olivia, do it. If you want to stay with her, do it. Either way we’ll support you, but you know you can’t cheat. You wouldn’t do that shit even if we weren’t traveling the country on tour. We’ve all been raised to respect women, so stop acting like you would do anything but.” He turns to look at Kegan and grabs onto the back of his neck. He’s nervous facing off with his brother. “You’re right, but don’t go at him like that. He’s obviously trying to work through some shit. Stop being such an asshole.”