by Bella Jewel
She studies me, long, intensely. “If I agree to that, will you agree that you won’t disappear again, like you did tonight?”
I nod. “I promise.”
“Okay, well, tomorrow we’ll watch you play. For now, I need some rest and so do you. You have a show tomorrow night in San Francisco.”
I nod, she nods, and then she disappears from my room.
I go over to the window and stare out at the bright lights of the city.
Will he follow me to San Francisco?
I hope so.
-6-
MAVERICK
“Any news?” I ask Mal as I kick back in my motel bed later that night.
“Nope. We can’t track the fucker. He’s well hidden. And he’s smart. He’s got everyone else doin’ his dirty work. I’m sure he’s linked to the attack on the club. I just can’t fuckin’ find him.”
I exhale, pushing the fucking god-awful memory of that day out of my head.
“I’ll come home soon. I’ll help. Send me anythin’ you have. I can still help when I’m on the road. You got Koda onto it?”
“Yeah, he’s trackin’, but like I said, the man is fuckin’ smart.”
“We’ll find him, Prez, and when we do, we’ll gut him throat to navel.”
Mal laughs. “Like the way your twisted mind thinks, brother.”
“Yeah,” I grunt. “Me too.”
“I’ll leave you to it, we got work to do around here. Home soon, Mav. Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Later.”
I hang up just as a knock sounds at my motel room door. I get up, shirtless, jeans unbuttoned, and walk over, opening it to find an attractive, busty blond wearing next to nothing standing in the entrance. I look her up and down. She’ll do. I’m not fussy. “Make it quick, I need to sleep.”
She walks in, batting her eyelashes, and I toss some money at her. She counts it, tucks it into her purse and then looks at me with sultry eyes. “What do you want, big boy?”
“A fuck, bitch. Isn’t that what you get paid for?”
She smiles, showing surprisingly white teeth. She saunters over, and I’m not in the mood for her show. I could have gone out and done this the quicker and easier way at the bar, but tonight I didn’t have the energy. And after sitting with Scarlett all night, feeling her body heat next to mine, smelling that perfume, I’m so fucking horny I could burst. I stand up, dropping my jeans, but not before pulling a condom from my wallet and tearing the packet open with my teeth. I pull it out, roll it on, and then growl, “Panties off.”
“No foreplay.” She giggles. “I like it.”
I wish she’d shut up.
I grab her by the hips, turn and fling her onto the bed on her knees, jerking her panties down for her. She’s wet already, and she wiggles her ass in anticipation. I get onto my knees, take my cock in my hand, and shove it into her, not being at all gentle. She makes a wheezing sound, then puts on her little show as I start fucking her, hard.
I close my eyes and drown out her moans of pleasure.
I think about Scarlett.
I think about how sweet her pussy would taste.
How tight it would be around my cock.
How hot her skin would get against mine.
And I cum. I cum with a ragged grunt, spilling myself into the condom, and the random woman.
Wishing like fuck it wasn’t her.
For the first time, wishing I felt something other than release when I fucked.
Wishing for that familiar feeling of home I haven’t felt ...
Since her.
Fuck.
~*~*~*~
SCARLETT
I stare out the back of my bus as we make our way to San Francisco. I just stare at the horizon, praying to see his bike appear in my line of sight, praying to see that gorgeous grin as he follows my bus. But so far, I’ve seen nothing but cars and traffic. No bike. No him. My heart sinks, and I reach for my guitar, humming a tune as I keep forming a song in my head. The song that, every time I think of it, reminds me of him.
The stranger who picked me up from the darkness.
“Darkness,” I sing softly. “It has a way of taking a piece of your soul. And Darkness, oh oh, it can haunt you, if you’ll let it, until you’re grey and old ...”
A rumble snaps me from my song and I eagerly look out the window to see Maverick rolling in behind the bus. My heart expands and I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face as I watch him near. He holds up his hand in a peace symbol and I do the same back, knowing I look goofy I’m smiling so big. My heart does a strange little flip and my stomach feels like it’s full of butterflies.
It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything like it.
And over a perfect stranger?
He grins, big and beautiful, and I wish I could just stop the bus, get off it, and climb onto his bike, riding with him. But I can’t, all I can do is stare at him and smile. I wave lamely and I can almost hear his chuckle. I get an idea, and my smile gets bigger. I hurry off, looking around the room until I find a blank piece of paper. I find a marker on my desk and scribble the words, “I’m playing tonight, in San Francisco. Will you be there?”
I hold the sign up to the back of the window and he leans forward a little, then brings his bike closer. After a few minutes, he nods and gives me a thumbs up. My heart races, an anticipation I haven’t felt for so long. I decide to take it a step further. I’m tired of hotel rooms, so I requested Susan book a holiday house for me as I’ll be staying a couple of days. I need something that feels a little homely. She agreed and booked a quaint little house in the city.
I write down the address on a clean piece of paper. Then I write, “I’m staying here.” I don’t know what I’m expecting. Hell, I don’t even know what I want. I don’t know Maverick, not really, but he’s bringing me life for the first time in so long, and that’s something I am tired of living without. Just having someone to talk to is amazing. It makes everything feel better. So, with shaky fingers, I press the paper to the window and watch his reaction.
He reads the words, and I hold them up for longer than usual, in case he needs to memorize it. He nods, and flashes me another killer grin. I bite my lip and lower the paper, giving him two thumbs up. His grin gets bigger, until it’s a full-blown smile that squeezes the breath right out of my lungs. God. He’s beautiful. And scary. But the vibe he gives out is genuine.
I wish I had paid more attention to vibes before ... Maybe I would have never ended up in so much trouble.
A knock on my door distracts me, and I turn to see another member from my team, Isaac, coming into the room. He’s a talented guitar player, and I wouldn’t be able to do any of my sets without him. Tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome, with the greyest eyes I’ve ever seen on a man, he certainly captures the ladies’ attention. Occasionally, we will jam together and come up with songs. He’s been my friend for a long time.
“Heya, girlfriend,” he says, walking in and flopping down onto the spot by the window beside me.
He glances out and raises his brows. “Holy shit, that dude looks scary.”
I flush but say nothing.
“Can he see us in here?”
I look at Isaac and I can’t hide the stupid smile that spreads across my face. “We’ve been playing together a long time; can I trust you with a secret?”
His eyes light up and he grins, crossing his legs and facing me. “Spill it, sister. Leave nothing out.”
I giggle. “I know him.”
His brows go up and he jabs a thumb in Maverick’s direction. “Biker dude?”
“Yeah. He kind of ... helped me out once and now he follows me and comes to all of my shows. He’s really great.”
“He follows you?” Isaac frowns.
I shake my head and roll my eyes. “Not like that. I ask him to come.”
A semi lie but it’ll make Isaac feel better.
“And he doesn’t freak you out at all? Look at the size of him, Scar. He’s huge
. What if he abducts you and takes you away on the back of that bike?”
I smile. “Would that really be so bad?”
Isaac frowns, and scoots a little closer. “C’mon, life here isn’t that bad, right? Being the most famous singer in the country can’t be too hard?”
I raise my brows, and he grins. “Okay, I take it back.” He laughs. “I would never want to be in your shoes.”
“I love singing, don’t get me wrong. I’m just tired, I guess. I want to know how it feels to be free again, you know?”
“The tour will be over soon, and you’ll be back on your ranch in Denver, with your horses, and you’ll not have to worry about any of this for a while.”
“We both know that’s not true, I have an album due out. I’ll be spending every day recording until we go on tour again. It never stops for me.”
He exhales. “No. I guess it doesn’t. Anyway, enough doom and gloom. I’m here to talk to you about Amalie. I hear you requested her in the band.”
My brows knit together. “You know Amalie?”
His cheeks go a little red and my eyes pop wide open. “Oh, my gosh, Isaac. Do you two have a thing or something?”
“No!” he says, shaking his head. “She just ... I’ve seen her play, and well, just seen her ... she’s—”
“Breathtaking.”
He nods and looks to me. “I wouldn’t mind being able to spend a little more time with her, watch her play some more.”
“You must like her, considering you could have any girl you ever wanted at the drop of a hat.”
“But not you, my sweet Scar. Not you.”
He dramatically falls on top of me, pushing me back. I laugh hysterically and slap his chest. “You’re a douche, Isaac. Get off me!”
He chuckles and kisses my cheek. “I’ll leave you to keep perving on your little biker.”
He winks and gets off me, standing and looking out the window. Then, very dramatically, he waves like a mad man. I giggle and stand, shoving him out of the room.
Then, I get right on back to what I was doing.
Perving on that gorgeous biker.
-7-
SCARLETT
“Don’t be nervous,” I say to Amalie as we wait for Susan to come and watch. I only have a few hours before my show, so it has to be a quick performance, but I’m glad she’s even giving me the chance to show her how amazing Amalie is.
Amalie shifts in her seat and looks over to me. “I don’t think Susan likes me very much.”
Her voice is soft, and slightly off tone, but it only makes her more beautiful.
“She does like you,” I say, looking directly at her so she can read my lips.
She exhales and we both wait for Susan to arrive. She does, about ten minutes later. When she enters the room, her eyes go to Amalie, and she stares at her for a moment, then she looks to me. “I’m really very busy, Scarlett. Make it quick.”
I don’t like the way she’s talking to us, but she is here and I’m not going to start an argument now. I look to Amalie and nod. She looks like she’s about to pass out from worry, but she nods and we start playing. I start the song, one we both picked. It’s a single of mine called “Dreamin’ blues”. It’s a beautiful song, and one that has a great chorus for Amalie to play. I strum my guitar and watch as Amalie closes her eyes.
She told me she can hear, very slightly. She explained she struggles with words, but music tones she can make out a little more clearly. Just enough to know where her cues are. I’m sitting right near her, so she is able to join in on the song at the right time. I start singing and watch as Amalie runs her fingers over the piano keys, eyes closed, body relaxed.
When her part comes, she starts playing as I sing, and once again my breath is nearly knocked out of my body. The way she plays ... It’s incredible. So incredible I can hardly make sense of it. Her fingers move over the keys at a gentle, yet quick pace, keeping up with me. She’s memorized my songs, learned them, mastered them. She must have done that before I knew her to be this good.
If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is.
I glance over at Susan, expecting a scowl, but instead I see awe on her face as she watches Amalie play. The music that fills the room and the passion behind it makes even the hardest person stop and listen. It captivates you. There is no way you can walk by and not hear it, not feel it, not breathe it. I notice people stopping outside in the hall, a few of them stepping into the room to watch Amalie play.
When the song is over, she lifts her head and opens her eyes, cheeks instantly going red when she sees how many people are here, watching her. I swing my gaze to Susan, and she looks to me. “A word?”
My heart sinks a little, but I look to Amalie and say, “I’ll be right back.”
She nods and I stand, following Susan out of the room. When we’re in a quiet location, she looks to me, her eyes holding mine. “She’s incredible, Scarlett. You’re right. You want her in your band?”
I nod. “More than anything. I’d like to discuss doing some songs with just her and me on the album, too.”
Susan ponders that. “It can be discussed, but one thing at a time. For now, we’ll have a contract drawn up to get her on the last leg of the tour. We can talk about the album when we return home. Does that sound fair?”
I scream and throw my arms around Susan, which is something I rarely do. She’s stiff for a few moments, then carefully pats my back.
“Thank you, Susan!”
“It’ll take me a few days to get the contract drawn, so she won’t be able to play with you until our next stop. Is that okay?”
I nod. “That’s fine. It’ll give her time to get familiar with my song lists.”
Susan nods. “Go and tell her the good news.”
I beam and rush out of the room and into where Amalie is waiting. I run over and throw my arms around her, taking her off guard. I start to tell her she’s in, but realize I’m yelling it over her shoulder, so I pull back and look at her. “She said yes. You’re in!”
Amalie’s face lights up, and she starts jumping up and down. “Really?” she cries.
“Really! She’ll have a contract drawn up tonight, so you won’t be able to play my two shows here in San Francisco, but you will for all my next ones.”
“That’s okay. Thank you so much, Scarlett.”
“I’ll also have a word with her after the show about you travelling on my bus with us. If you like?”
Her face gets even brighter. “Really?”
“Really! I could use a new roomie!”
She beams and hugs me again.
“I’m so happy,” I tell her. “Welcome to my team. I have to go get ready for tonight’s show, but please, make sure you find me after and we can talk about anything you might want to know.”
She nods, smiling happily.
I return that smile and leave the room, feeling absolutely incredible.
And wondering if Maverick will be in the crowd tonight.
My heart swells with anticipation.
~*~*~*~
My show is insane.
By the time I’m finished, I’m exhausted. I’m going to be playing again tomorrow night, because the first night was such a major sell out they decided to do two shows. Maverick stood and watched, front and center. I don’t know how he manages to get that close, my guess is people move out of his way when he bustles through. He’s that massive—anyone in the right frame of mind wouldn’t take him on unless they had a death wish. He watched the whole time I sang with a depth to his gaze that made my heart flutter. It felt good to know I was the one making him stare like that. To feel whatever it is he was feeling when he was watching me.
I just arrived at my holiday house and found my room at the very back, with a big set of double doors opening out onto a wooden deck. Just for me. Peace and serenity, just what I need. I spoke to Susan after the show about Amalie coming on the tour bus with me, she was happy to let her. So, I gave Amalie the good news over tex
t. I couldn’t find her after the show, although I got hustled out pretty quickly once we were done.
Exhaustion pulls at my body and I take a long, hot shower and get into a comfortable pair of cotton shorts and a tank, then I sit on the little deck with a cup of tea, staring out at the city lights. I feel relaxed for the first time ever after a show. That’s a first for me. Usually, I struggle to unwind. Maybe it’s because of Amalie, or Maverick, or both.
I wonder if Maverick will come by.
Did the hint in my message come through clearly enough? I did write my address, but was that too forward? What if he comes here thinking I want to sleep with him? My heart starts hammering against my rib cage. Would I honestly care if he thought that? Probably not. It’s been so long since I’ve felt any kind of passion, let alone romance.
My body heats at the thought of it.
A low rumble that sounds an awful lot like a motorcycle fills the night, traveling into my senses and putting my whole body on alert. I can’t see much, due to the angle of my deck, but I do hear the bike quiet down to a stop on the street outside. Will he go to the front door? Will he figure out where my room is? God. What if he does knock. Susan will lose her mind. She’s gone to bed but the woman has people on duty in the living area for this very reason.
So nobody can come in without going past them.
Safety.
If they saw Maverick. They’d flip.
“Penny for your thoughts, darlin’.”
My head whips around to see Maverick leaning against the railing, arms and elbows over it, facing me. My cheeks flush and I stammer out, “I-I-I-I didn’t even hear you get closer.”
He chuckles. Then, like the night at the restaurant, he just launches his big body over the railing and lands on the deck, boots thumping against the wood. I locked my bedroom door, but that doesn’t stop me from looking over to make sure security isn’t busting in at the sound of the big biker landing on the wood.
Maverick strides over to the other chair beside me and sits down, looking over at me. A piece of dark hair falls over his forehead and those eyes make my insides feel funny things. He’s wearing his jacket over a tight black tee and a pair of old denim jeans and those sexy boots he doesn’t seem to like lacing up. My heart does a little flutter and I try to smile so he doesn’t see how nervous he’s suddenly made me.