“That’s what the doctors said when they all came in a few minutes ago,” Marissa assured me with a beaming smile that I couldn’t help but return. “And as long as he follows doctors’ orders we might get to take him home next week.”
Before I could open my mouth, Wroth and Emmie were surrounding me. “But he’s still going to need some extra care,” Emmie told me, and I suddenly felt cornered between her little body and Wroth’s much larger one.
“And a physical therapist,” Wroth chimed in. “The doctors said that he is going to need lots of physical therapy and if he is going to get to tour with OtherWorld then they recommended a nurse as well as a private PT to travel with us.”
“Ah, hell,” I muttered. I knew what they were going to ask, and I would have been all for it except for one little problem. “I’m not spending three months trapped on a fucking bus with Axton Cage, Emmie.”
She quickly shook her head. “No, no. You won’t have to I swear. I’ll get another bus. Have it fixed up so that Liam will be as comfortable as possible. You, the PT, and Liam will be on there with Marissa.”
“And me,” Wroth rushed to inform me.
“But I’ll still have to deal with Ax for three. Fucking. Months.” I sighed and pushed past them, trying to clear my head of all the static that had filled it as soon as I realized what was going on. I would be an idiot to turn down a private nursing job like this. It was something that few nurses would ever get to even think about, let alone be offered. Plus, I wanted to do it for Liam. He deserved my help as much as my friendship.
But all of those pros weighed less than the one heavy con.
Being that close to the man who ruled my body without even really trying. A man who had tattooed his name on my heart the first night he had fucked my brains out. The only man to ever shatter me so completely when our so-called relationship ended… It would be pure torture.
“Dee?”
I turned at the almost pleading tone in Liam’s voice. He looked so small in that big hospital bed. He’d lost weight. He’d nearly died. I couldn’t say no to him. “Okay, but I have one condition.”
“Name it,” Wroth told me.
“We can discuss it,” was Emmie’s immediate reply.
“Linc is a certified physical therapist. He doesn’t use it because he makes a killing in tips alone working at Fit for Life, letting the cougars drool over him. But he’s really good. I want you to hire him as Liam’s PT.” I needed Linc with me. He was my voice of reason and I seriously needed reason if I was going to be that close to Axton, who could tempt me so easily.
“Would Linc want the job?” Emmie asked. “He seems pretty happy where he is.”
I shrugged. “I can persuade him.” We might argue about every little thing, but Linc loved me as much as I loved him. He would do this for me.
“Okay. If he can get me all the right documents, his PT license and all that, then the job is his.”
Marissa moved away from the window and wrapped her arms around my waist. For once I didn’t stiffen at the feel of soft, feminine arms around me. Marissa was just so captivating that my discomfort was forgotten. “Thanks for doing this, Dallas. This means a lot to us.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” I hugged her back. “This shit isn’t going to be easy.”
Dallas
Liam’s release the next week didn’t happen. He required another surgery to adjust the rod that were used to replace his femur in his left leg. The doctors had told him that he would have a limp for the rest of his life, but at least he was going to be able to walk. The swelling around his spine had lessened and he was even able to move.
The hospital required a full week of physical therapy before he was released under not only my care but Linc’s as well. Getting Linc on board as Liam’s PT had been harder than I had expected, but he had finally given in when Emmie had sweetened the deal with a huge-ass number money-wise. She knew I wasn’t going to leave New York without Linc, so she had little choice but to help me convince him.
We closed up our apartment for the four months we were going to be gone. With Natalie as Emmie’s assistant, handling the tour and anything else, the apartment was going to be vacant for four months at least. One month was going to be spent in Tennessee on Wroth Niall’s farm. It was where Liam was going to be recuperating, and it was Linc’s job to get him ready as much as possible before we left at the beginning of March.
Of course no one had told me about the month in Tennessee until it was too late to back out. I had nothing against Tennessee. My dad even owned stock in a few farms there; where, I had no clue, as my mother had never let me get to know that part of my dad’s business when I was growing up. And I definitely had nothing against farm life. I loved being around horses and cows, and would have still been in Texas on my father’s ranch if I’d had anything to say about where I grew up.
What I had against the whole thing was that it wasn’t going to be just Wroth, Liam, and Marissa at the farm. It was going to be the entire band. Which included Axton Cage.
Emmie and I had nearly come to blows over her keeping that little bit of news from me. I swear if that bitch hadn’t been pregnant I would have gone to town on her auburn head. I might love her, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t kick her beautiful ass. She’d known it too, and hadn’t bothered to hide her smirk as she reminded me I had signed a contract. Bitch.
If it hadn’t been for that contract I would still be in New York, maybe cuddled up on my couch with a beer and a few boxes of pizza, looking for a job online. I didn’t need the money. I had my mother’s credit cards that I maxed out on a monthly basis—but that she paid for with the money she had made off of my years as a model. I also had a trust fund from my dad, which I had gotten the day I had turned twenty-one. Money my mother couldn’t touch. Money that I didn’t want to touch because I wanted to earn my own way.
Instead, with that iron clad contract in Emmie’s hands, I was now in the back of a freaking Hummer limo with Liam, Linc, and Natalie. It was better than an ambulance, which was what the hospital had wanted us to take to transport Liam from New York to Tennessee. I’d have much rather have taken a plane, but the doctors didn’t want Liam flying at the moment.
Two days ago, Wroth and Marissa had left to get the house ready for Liam. A hospital bed was supposed to be delivered and a few other supplies that I would need since I was taking over as his nurse as of now. Liam still had bandages that needed regular attention as well as pain meds that had to be monitored. He didn’t want them at all, because he was terrified they were going to hurt his addiction recovery. Unfortunately, the pain was still too extreme for him not to take them.
The drive down wasn’t horrible, but snow made it take longer than expected. I wasn’t looking forward to getting there though. Natalie had let it slip that while Zander, Devlin, and Harris had yet to arrive, Axton had already left for the farm. For some reason everyone thought that was odd. Apparently Ax didn’t visit the farm, or Tennessee for that matter, unless he absolutely had to.
The closer we got to our destination, the more my heart raced. Why I was so anxious to see Axton I couldn’t honestly say. Over the last three weeks I’d seen plenty of Axton in passing. He always arrived at the hospital in the evenings, just as I was getting ready to leave for the day. He would bring Liam something special each time, whether it was something to eat, a book or some magazines, or even a Blu-ray and some movies to watch. What had really surprised me was that Axton had been staying all night with Liam, because he was still there every morning when I arrived. When I’d asked Liam about it he had remained tight lipped. The only thing that had kept me from pushing the issue was that Liam was obviously sleeping enough. Of course, that only left me with more questions that I knew wouldn’t get answered from Liam, and he knew I wasn’t going to ask Axton.
Seeing so much of him, even if only in passing, had woken up memories I had thought I had locked away tight. Memories of a time when I had been happy, but convinced that I was g
oing to lose Axton. Of course I had been right, but part of me couldn’t help but wonder if my continued prediction had pushed us apart just as much as my jealousy of that fucking tattoo of another girl’s name on his wrist.
“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Linc murmured as the driver slowed down to take our exit, pulling me out of my musings.
I shrugged. “I have nothin’ to say.”
He snorted. “That’s a first.”
Despite the apprehension I was feeling about spending the next month under the same roof with my ex, a grin teased at my lips. “Shut up, you.”
Linc bumped his shoulder against mine. “It’s not gonna be that bad, Dallas. He’s only one man.” It was my turn to snort. Only one man. Sure, it wouldn’t have been so bad. If he wasn’t the only man to make my body come alive just by breathing the same air. If he wasn’t the only man that still owned my heart. A heart that he had bent and broken, but still owned. The fucker.
Twenty minutes later the limo pulled to a stop in front of a huge three-story house. It looked newer than I was expecting, but I did know that once OtherWorld had taken off in a big way, Wroth had built his mother her dream house here on the farm that had been in his family for multiple generations. Liam had told me all about the farm, and how Wroth’s dad had nearly lost it to the bank. When Wroth was eighteen he became a marine simply for the sign-on bonus that had gotten his parents caught up on their mortgage and put some extra money in the bank. That, along with Liam’s part time job after school, had helped get the farm operating in the black.
The smell that was always associated with cows drifted in the air and I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for home. It felt like forever since the last time I had been in Texas, although my dad visited me often in New York. My father lived on a million-acre spread. He mostly dealt in Herefords, which were beef cattle. When I was old enough to ride a horse and showed so much interest in them, my dad had turned over the majority of the running of his cattle to his ranch foreman so that he and I could start up a hobby of collecting some of the most beautiful horses in the world. When I was seven he had flown me to the Middle East so that I could pick out my own Arabian…
My heart clenched as thoughts of Raad tried to enter my mind. It had been forever since I had allowed myself to think of the horse that had become my best friend. The horse that my mother had ultimately used against me so that I would eventually follow her on her stupid pageant tour. Raad was why I didn’t go home anymore. Because of Raad, I had learned to never trust my mother with anything that was precious to me.
“Home at last,” Liam said with a tired sigh. The long drive down from New York had taken a lot out of him even though he had spent a few hours sleeping. I gave him the best smile I could muster with my heart now aching. “Is it bad that all I want is a shower and the bed I’ve slept in since I was a kid?”
“Sounds like a good idea, actually,” Linc said as he opened the door before the driver could do so. Cold air blasted into the back of the limo, snapping me out of my melancholy. Holy shit, it felt colder here than it did back in New York. Even though I was only going from the limo into the house, I wish I had left my parka out instead of just wearing one of my old hoodies.
“How was your drive?” Marissa asked and I lifted my head to find her standing by the now open door. Her face was lit up like a Christmas tree as she stood there, practically dancing with happiness.
“Rissa,” Liam’s voice was choked with a mixture of emotion and pain as Linc helped him out. As soon as he was able, Liam wrapped his arms around his sister. A tiny sob escaped the beautiful chick as she hugged her brother back. They had only been apart for two days, but with all the drama of the last month, I could almost understand their need to hold each other. I felt the same every time I got to see Harper these days.
Linc let them hug a few more seconds before carrying Liam into the house. With one arm in a cast and his leg so unstable for the moment, Liam would be in a wheelchair for a few more weeks. The chair wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow, so Linc would be putting all his delicious muscles to good work. Liam hated it, but Linc didn’t complain. He was getting to carry around a pretty-boy rocker. He was in gay-boy heaven.
“Don’t get any ideas, big man,” I heard Liam grumble as Linc carried him up the steps of the front porch and into the house.
Linc snorted out a laugh. “Don’t worry, sexy. Your straightness is loud and clear.” He winked as he followed Marissa down a hall that obviously led to a bedroom.
“We made Wroth’s office into a bedroom for you, Li,” Marissa informed her brother. “Everyone thought that with the stairs and the chair this would be the best thing. Once you get sorted, you won’t have to rely on anyone to get you up and down the stairs.”
“Thanks, Rissa.” Linc placed him on the brand new hospital bed that was made up with an old quilt on top. There was a bathroom that connected to the room and I glanced inside, checking it out. If Liam wanted a shower, then Linc was going to have to help me with that. But looking at the size of that bathroom, I determined that wasn’t going to be easy. Three people, one of which was as big as a mountain, weren’t going to be able to fit in there unless I actually got in the shower with Liam.
“I made your favorite,” Marissa said, moving around like a little ball of energy as she straightened things that didn’t need straightening. “Beef stew with thick gravy and yeast rolls. And I made some banana bread and a few pies. But if you want cake, I can make one.”
“Chill out, Rissa.” Liam shifted on the bed, trying to find the most comfortable position. “I’m not really hungry.”
“But…” Her face fell and she turned away before he could see her tears. “You should eat, Li.”
Natalie wrapped an arm around Marissa’s shoulders. “It’s been a long drive, and he’s just tired. Once he’s had his shower and settled in a little more, he will be starving. I know I am, and the smells coming from your kitchen are making my stomach ache with how badly I want to eat. Can I have a bowl of stew?”
“Oh. Yes, of course.” Marissa gave her a beaming smile as she led the way out of the room.
Liam breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m really not hungry,” he told me as I took stock of the room and made a mental list of the things I was missing. Everything I had asked for was present and accounted for, down to the small pharmacy of meds that Liam required being lined up on the dresser.
“It’s okay, I understand.” I turned toward Linc who was trying to slowly back out of the room. “Hey, not so fast. You’re gonna have to help with the shower.”
Both men groaned and I glared at them both. “Shut up, you big babies.” I walked back into the bathroom and turned on the water. After only a small hesitation I stripped down to my bra and panties, thankful that I had on one of my cotton sets instead of the usual lace or silk that I favored. Grabbing a towel to wrap around me for the moment, I headed back in to help get Liam ready for his shower.
His arm and leg had to be wrapped in trash bags to keep the casts from getting wet. His sweatpants were always a bitch to get on and off. Even with the stretchy material cut to get over the bulky cast, it was no easy feat to get him dressed and undressed.
It took nearly forty-five minutes to get Liam showered and back in his bed with fresh underwear—the only clothes he had on. After getting him comfortable it was time to give his next dose of meds and then I made my way upstairs. Linc had left as soon as Liam was in bed, so I had to make my way through the maze of a house until I found someone. I was wet and despite the warmth of the house, I was chilly. My soaked bra and panties were balled in my hand since I had put my clothes back on and hadn’t wanted to get them wet. My hair was still dripping a little because getting it wet had been unavoidable.
As I rounded a corner, I wasn’t really paying attention and nearly walked right into a hard chest. His scent invaded my nose before his hands even reached out to steady me. The first touch of his hands on my arms and I shivered for a reason other than being col
d. My body reacted to his closeness as my heart started to race and liquid heat dripped from my suddenly throbbing pussy.
“There you are,” Axton said, chuckling softly, his hands lingering on my arms as his thumbs rubbed circles on the inside of my elbows.
My gaze went straight to his lips. Just as I had imagined, he was sucking on his bottom lip, his teeth snapping lightly on the ring that was in the middle of his full lower lip. I’d always loved sucking on that lip, the taste of metal mingling with a taste that was more addicting than any street drug known to man. Just one taste of Axton Cage would sell for an easy grand on the streets, and people would be coming back for more in droves.
Hazel eyes were eating up the sight of me and I found myself almost swaying toward him. Fuck, I was weak. And easy. So. Damn. Easy. Two seconds of being in a hall with him and I was ready to fall to my knees and worship his dick with my tongue. I knew exactly what he liked. Knew that as soon as I ran the ball of my tongue ring over his slit he would be mine for at least a little while.
“Why is your hair wet?” Axton suddenly demanded. “Is that your fucking underwear? They’re wet… What the hell, Dallas?”
My head cleared just as quickly as it had fogged over with lust. Sighing, I took a step back. “I had to get in the shower with Liam to help him…” When hazel eyes turned more green than brown, I knew he was pissed. “I’m his nurse, Ax. Of course I have to help him shower. He’s not going to be able to do it himself for a few more weeks at the very least.”
“I thought that was Linc’s job,” he growled.
“Linc helps, but it’s my job… And why the fuck am I explaining myself to you?” Rolling my eyes at him and the situation, I pushed past him. “It’s none of your business.”
Axton
I felt like my insides were itching to get free. That was how it always felt when I was this close to the home I had grown up in. I wanted to claw at my skin, to make this feeling go away, but knew that the only cure was to get as far away as possible.
The Rocker Who Wants Me (The Rocker... Series) Page 6