I tore my gaze from Abby’s to glare at him. “This isn’t anything to you, man. This is between me and Angel.”
“It’s Abby,” she growled.
I arched my brows at her. “So what’s it gonna be, Angel?”
Fury flashed in her blue eyes before she whirled around. She stomped over to Brayden and snatched the phone away from him. “Gabe, there’s been a change of plans.”
CHAPTER THREE
* * *
Abby
“Are you insane?” Gabe sputtered into my ear. His voice had risen an octave since I had taken the phone from Brayden and informed him about the bet. I edged away from the guys to where I was practically back in the bedroom I had fled from not twenty minutes before.
Once I felt I was sufficiently out of earshot, I replied, “No, I’m perfectly sane, thank you very much.”
I was on speaker phone with all the boys again because Eli came at me next. “Look, Abster, we all know when your temper gets the better of you and when you’re doing the spoiled baby girl ‘I’m used to getting my way’ act. But this isn’t one of us you’re fighting with—this is a mega rockstar douchebag! Trust me, you don’t owe Jake Slater a damn thing. You won’t ever see him again after today, so I would advise you to get over this dumbass bet notion and get the hell off the bus! Now!”
“Why Matthew Elijah Renard, don’t tell me you’re cussing at me now? And with some of your infamous exploits with girls on and off tour how is that any different than with Jake? I mean, whatever would Mom and Dad say?” I chided into the phone.
“Don’t get sassy with me, Abigail Elizabeth!” he countered.
I exhaled noisily and leaned back against the wall. “Come on guys. A tour is a tour. This is all a learning experience, so in the end, I think this would be a good opportunity for me.”
Eli groaned. “An opportunity for what? To be degraded, ogled, and potentially seduced into one or more of their STD infested beds?”
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “No, I think it would be good to see the inner-workings of another band. And I think you’re being very unfair and judgmental about the guys.” Okay, so maybe he was right on the mark about all of them but Brayden thinking that way, but I wouldn’t give in and let Eli know that—I would never hear the end of it.
“Abby, you’re a twenty-one-year-old virgin who has no experience with men outside the two relationships you’ve had with youth group leaders who probably never got past first base with you.”
“Ha, I’ll have you know it was second with Paul!” The moment the words left my lips, I cringed. The last thing I needed was my brothers knowing my sexual past…or lack thereof.
“I think my eyes need bleaching with the mental image I just got,” Gabe moaned.
“Whatever,” I grumbled.
Eli snorted into the phone. “Regardless of what you’ve done or not done, since we are guys and have dicks, I think we know a little more about what Runaway Train is thinking about you right now, and all of them, but maybe the married one, wants to screw you!” he snapped.
I gasped at the same time I heard a smack on the other line. “Don’t talk like that in front of her,” Micah admonished. I was glad to finally hear his voice. He was the shyest of boys, the deep thinker, and the one with a tender heart and soul as deep as the ocean. “What about you, Mike?” I asked.
He sighed deeply. “While I share some of the boys’ apprehension, I also try to look at this through a greater scheme of events. You’re a bright light, Abby, and who knows the good you might do with those guys in the short time you have with Runaway Train.”
“Exactly. I mean, Mom and Dad brought us up to give people from all walks of life and circumstances a chance, right?”
Before Micah could reply, Eli laughed manically. “If you think for one minute that Dad is going to be okay with you on a bus with four hard-core rockers, you have lost your freakin’ mind.”
The mention of our father doused my confidence. Oh jeez, what had I done? He was going to kill me. Twenty-one or not, overprotective fathers never seem to fully realize that their daughters were grown adults.
At my silence, Micah said, “Don’t worry, Abby. I’ll talk to him and try to smooth things over. At the end of the day, we all know your true character. We know that you’re capable of doing this and not succumbing to temptation. Right?”
“Well, duh, of course.”
“Then I look forward to seeing you in a week.”
“Me too, Mike.”
He exhaled noisily into the phone. “But don’t think for a minute I won’t be calling in to check on you every day—maybe twice.”
I laughed. “I wouldn’t expect any less of you.”
“Love ya, Baby Girl.”
“Love you, too.” When the other guys were silent, I added, “And I love you too, Gabe and Eli even though you’re being jerkfaces!”
A deep chuckle came from Eli. “You know we love you, Abster. You’ve been a sweet pain in the ass since the moment Mom brought you home from the hospital.”
“Thanks a lot,” I grumbled.
“If one of those douchebags dares to lay even a finger on you, I’m totally forgetting the turn the other cheek message, and I’ll pound his ass, got it?” Gabe growled.
I grinned as I shook my head. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to pass on your message.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“Okay then. I guess this is goodbye for now.”
A deep chorus of “Byes” echoed around me before I hung up the phone. Cradling it to my chest, a tremble went through me when the enormity of what I had done finally crashed over me. I had made a bet with the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train to stay on their bus for an entire week. What the hell had I been thinking? I blew out a frustrated breath. Well, no time for worrying about it now. As my mom would say, I’d made my bed, and I had to lie in it.
I moaned at the thought of bed and sleeping arrangements. I mean, where was I going to sleep? I hoped to goodness it wasn’t going to have to be with one of the guys. I gazed around the roosts, counting them in my head. There were two extra ones if one of the guys slept in the bedroom. Phew, okay, at least I wouldn’t be sharing a bed with Mr. Octopus Arms Slater.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself off the wall and headed back down the hallway. The guys were lounging around the table when I came back up the aisle. “Is everything okay?” Brayden asked, his expression one of deep concern.
“Um, well, as good as it can be considering my brothers think I’ve lost my mind for consenting to a bet to stay on a bus with a group of absolute strangers, not to mention they’re pretty hard-core rockers.” I forced a smile to my lips. “But besides that, I’m peachy.”
Brayden nodded. “I can understand how they feel. I have two younger sisters as well as an eight-month-old daughter.”
“Aw, can I see a picture of her?”
Happily, he dug his phone out of his pocket and handed it over to me. His screen saver was of a beautiful dark haired, dark eyed grinning baby girl as well as sandy haired little boy with blue eyes. “That’s Melody Lane. And that’s Jude Paul—he’s four.”
“Let me guess. Any chance you’re an intense Beatles fan?” I questioned with a grin.
Jake groaned beside us. “More like Bray is Beatles obsessed. He likes to think he’s Paul McCartney.”
Brayden only shook his head good-naturedly at Jake’s dig. “I do a lot of song writing just like Paul, and I’m a helluva guitar player.”
I smiled at him. “Well, I adore the Beatles too. They’re my parents’ favorite, so I was raised on them.”
“Favorite song?” Brayden asked.
“Without a doubt, Let it Be.”
He clapped his hands together gleefully. “Mine too! And so written by the fabulous Paul McCartney.”
I laughed. “Exactly.” I stared down at the picture again. “Your children are absolutely adorable, Brayden. Jude’s got future heartbreaker written all over him.”
“Yeah, he takes after my wife, and Melody, well, she’s the spitting image of me.”
“She’s already gorgeous at eight months. You’re going to be in a lot of trouble in about twelve or thirteen years.”
He grimaced. “Tell me about it. I’ll be even more over-protective with her than my sisters.”
I nodded. “I can only imagine because my dad is even crazier than my brothers. Being the baby girl isn’t easy, especially with the age difference. The twins, Gabe and Eli, are twenty-six, and Micah’s twenty-eight.”
“You must be really spoiled,” Jake noted with a self-satisfied smirk.
I shook my head at him. “Yes, but not like you’re thinking.”
“We’ll see,” he murmured before winking at me.
I eased down across from the guys in one of the Captain’s chairs. “So what’s your deal, Angel?” AJ asked.
My brows creased in confusion. “My deal?”
“Why were you at Rock Nation? Were you just checking out the scene to hang out with your brothers or what?”
I opened my mouth to answer when Jake sarcastically replied, “She’s obviously in the biz. She came with a guitar, dumbass.”
“Well, yes and no on being in the business and hanging out with my brothers. I’m supposed to be headlining with them in the fall. Well, at least with Gabe and Eli. Micah’s planning on quitting after he gets married in August.”
“Wow, headlining is a pretty big deal,” Brayden declared.
I nodded. “Tell me about it. Touring with them the last half of the summer is kinda like a pretest to see if I really want to do it. If not, the boys will just recruit someone else or go on as a duo.”
Jake snorted contemptuously at me. “You’re getting the opportunity of a lifetime tossed in your lap, and you’re not sure you want to do it?”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. It’s just I’ve spent the past three years studying to be a nurse. I was just about to go through clinicals.” At his continued exasperated expression, I added, “In the long run, I think saving lives and helping people might be a little more important than entertaining.”
He quirked his pierced brow at me. “Don’t you think music saves people?”
“Well, I—”
“A certain song can mean the difference between life and death for someone who is depressed and suicidal. Music can inspire and give hope. It can show adulation and worship and praise love and people.” He gave me a pointed look. “Including God.”
I blinked several times in surprise at the passion which he delivered his words. “You’re right. Music is life-altering and changing.”
Jake motioned toward my guitar case. “So play us something.”
“Seriously?” I asked, glancing from Jake to other guys.
AJ grinned. “Si, mi amor.”
I rolled my eyes. “Enough with the Spanish.”
“But I told you how much it turns me on to hear it coming from your lips.”
With a wry smile, I replied, “But I’m not interested in turning you on.”
A chorus of “Ooohs” rang through the cabin from Jake and Rhys to which AJ only shook his head. “Burn man,” Rhys teased with a grin.
“Okay, I think now is as good a time as ever to set up a few ground rules for our bet,” I said.
“You’re not pussying out, are you?” Jake asked.
I wrinkled my nose. “Ew, I hate that word.” When he started to repeat it, I jabbed a finger in his direction. “I will stay on this bus a week and win the bet, but there are going to be a few rules, or I guess I should say some courtesies that I expect you guys to follow.”
“I agree with Abby,” Brayden said.
“You would,” Jake grumbled.
“First, you need to respect me and my boundaries. At the moment, I’m not on here to be any of your playthings or hook-ups, so I would appreciate it if you stopped hitting on me.”
AJ’s jovial expression faded. “You mean you don’t think I’m hot?”
Since he appeared almost wounded, I had to rethink my strategy. “AJ, you’re a very good-looking guy. I can already tell you have a big heart and a wonderful sense of humor. Any girl would be blind not to want you.” When he beamed and puffed out his chest at the other guys, I held up my hand. “But I think we both know at the end of the day, you’re not looking for a relationship with me, right? You’re just looking to get into my panties.”
A strangled noise came from the back of his throat at the mention of my underwear. “Yeah, I am,” he finally admitted with a sheepish grin.
I returned his smile as my gaze swept over Jake and Rhys. “So as I was saying, I would appreciate if you would show me some respect by not hitting on me as well as at least trying to tone down some of the language and sexual innuendos. Somewhere deep inside you have the potential to be gentlemen, and you’re just waiting to treat women as more than just desirable play things, right?”
With a smirk, Jake countered, “I don’t know about that.”
“Oh, if your mother was on this bus, you would act the same way you are now?”
He scowled. “No, I wouldn’t.”
“Good. Then we all agree that you’ll try to treat me like a gentleman. Anything you’d like to request from me?”
Jake stepped forward to where he was looming over me, and I had to fight the urge not to cower away from him. “If we’re going to act like gentlemen, then you also need to make sure your wardrobe isn’t…tempting.”
I peered down at my sundress. Since it came below my knees and I often wore it to church, I found his request shocking. “There’s something wrong with this?”
When I glanced up at him, Jake’s hungry gaze had honed in on my cleavage. I cleared my throat to which he replied, “You’re showing way too much skin with the thin straps and the legs, so I’d suggest jeans and t-shirts from now on—the baggier the better.”
“Fine. I’ll be happy to oblige,” I replied.
“And that goes for the sleepwear too. No camis with those booty short things.”
I chewed my lip when I thought of what pajamas I had in my suitcase. “Um, okay. I can try. But I might have to make a stop at Wal-Mart or Target before tonight to get some pajamas and shirts.
Jake’s face spread into a grin. “I’m glad to hear you’re willing to work with us. After all, what good can come out of getting a bunch of horny males all riled up?”
He licked his lips lasciviously, and I gritted my teeth before replying, “Absolutely nothing.”
“Good.” Jake then turned and brought my guitar case to me. “Now please regale us all with your vocal stylings.”
“I’d be happy to.” I leaned over and popped open the locks on my case. When I pulled out my guitar, Jake stared at it in surprise. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing. It’s just I expected—”
“I’ll have you know this is a Gibson Hummingbird that cost three grand! I worked my ass off to pay for it!”
He grinned. “Angel, it’s a helluva guitar. And what I was about to say before you interrupted me was I just expected it to be all glittery like Taylor Swift’s.”
Plucking out my pick, I waved it at him and winked. He eyed the shimmering purple before throwing his head back and laughing heartily. “Oh Angel, I’m so glad to see that. You don’t disappoint.”
Once I adjusted the guitar on my lap, I cocked my head at the guys. “Hmm, so what do you want me to play?”
“Give us what you did for the record execs. You obviously wowed them if they were going to let an unknown headline a tour,” Rhys suggested.
I nodded. “Okay, I played a guitar, rather than piano, version of Adele’s Someone Like You.
Jake’s brows shot up in surprise. “Adele?”
From his tone, I could tell he thought there was no way in hell I had a voice that would come anywhere near hers. I pursed my lips. “Yeah, Adele,” I countered.
He crossed his arms over his chest and continued giving m
e a skeptical look. “All right then. Wow us, Angel.”
I rolled my eyes before clearing my throat and strumming a few warm-up chords. Then I started the opening melody of the song. “I heard that you’re settled down…” I wanted to impress the guys, but I really wanted to knock it out of the park to put Jake’s smirking ass in his place. So I did the only thing I knew how to do when it came to performing—I tuned them out. It was about me, the guitar, the music, and the melody. As my voice echoed through the close quarters of the cabin, I closed my eyes, living and breathing the lyrics. I poured my soul into reaching the high and low notes while my fingers picked the familiar chords.
When I finished the chorus, my eyes popped open, and I stopped singing. I continue strumming the chords as I gazed around at the guys. I couldn’t help but laugh at their expressions. “So?” I prompted.
AJ grinned. “Tu cantas como un angel.”
I snorted. “I sing like an angel, huh? I guess that’s a good description since you guys keep calling me that.”
When I glanced at Rhys, he was shaking his head. “Damn, girl, no wonder you blew the execs away. You’re like a mini-Adele.”
Warmth flooded my cheeks. “Really?”
“Hell yeah! Tinier and prettier though.” Rhys thumped my back heartily like he would one of the guys. A little too hard because it caused me to yelp. His eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you’re so dainty.”
I laughed. “I’m not that fragile, but I’m not one of you guys either.”
Next I looked to Brayden who wore an expression of genuine admiration. “That was absolutely amazing. Not only do you have a powerhouse voice, but the emotion you put into it…” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Just inspiring.”
Unable to keep a beaming smile off my face, I gushed, “Aw, thank you.”
Finally, I dared myself to look at Jake. He was leaned back against the kitchen counter, arms crossed over his chest. “So?” I finally asked.
Rock Star Romance Ultimate Volume 2 Page 3