“Xavier, she’s fucking dangerous,” Nickie says as they walk by.
“Xavier Steel?” I ask.
He stops and looks at me as if he doesn’t recognize me. “If I know you from a past life—”
I see Sonya start to walk away, and I grab his hand. “Come with me.”
“Girl, I’m a married man, have a kid and shit. No can do.”
“My name is Tallia Priest. We met in Miami,” I say as I try my best to drag him, hoping Sonya doesn’t get away with my evidence and whatever else is on the damn drive.
“Tales?” He laughs. “Sorry, but—”
“Would you just shut up and come with me!”
“Nickie, get Memphis. His little lady seems to have drunk the crazy Kool-Aid.”
“Screw you,” I growl. “Don’t get him,” I snap at Nickie as Sonya walks toward the door. “Bitch, you better stop right there,” I call out to her.
“Oh, damn, a girl fight.” Xavier laughs.
I let go of his hand and run at her as she grabs the door handle. I grab a fistful of her hair and pull her back, then grab her bag as she turns to hit me. I have her bag, and Nickie now has her. Adrenaline kicks in, and I start to run toward the gravel parking lot in six-inch, thigh-high, leather boots.
I look back to see everyone is running at me. Xavier Steel is looking at me like I’m crazy. Then I run into the brick wall that is Finn Beckett.
“Tales, you stealing purses now?” Finn looks at me like I’m a lunatic and then laughs. “Or selling your body?”
“Fuck you,” I say, stepping back, and the damn heel breaks on the boot.
I am just about ready to fall on my ass when I’m swooped up into the arms of a very angry looking Memphis Black.
“I hate you!” I spit at him.
“Is that so?” he snaps at me.
“Put me down, you asshole.” I start to kick and scream.
“My purse!” Sonya comes at me.
“Bring it on, bitch!” I scream, kick, flail, and the purse slips out of my hand.
I look up at Finn who has grabbed it, telling me, “You better hope there is something in this.”
Billy has Sonya now, and River is laughing while Nickie opens the door to the stretch Hummer.
“Get them inside!”
“Put me down, or I’ll scream!”
“You are fucking screaming, you loon!” Memphis pushes me into the vehicle and to the far bench before he and everyone else follows. “Now explain what the fuck is going on, Tales, before I bend you over my knee and beat the literal shit out of POW!”
“You’ll never touch my ass again, you, you—”
“Enough!” I look up to see Xavier glaring at me. “Now what the hell—”
“She has a sex tape!” I point at Sonya, “of you and your little rocker whore, Memphis.”
I can’t take it. I hit Memphis in the chest. It feels good, so I do it again.
“Now the whole world can see what you are! How the hell did I believe a word you said to me?! I hate—”
He grabs my hands and holds them so I can’t hit him anymore. “Shut the fuck up, Tales! Just shut the—” He stops when Finn dumps her purse on the floor.
Sonya quickly snatches up something on a chain, a necklace of some sort, and Finn grabs the flash drive.
“You wanna tell me what the fuck is on this?” he asks Sonya.
“None of your business. Now give me back my belongings and let me out, or I call the cops,” she says in an oddly calm voice.
Finn doesn’t respond; he just looks at her. “What’s your name?”
“Sonya. Sonya none-of-your-damn-business,” she says as she picks up her wallet, a pocket-sized photo album, and her phone.
“Okay, let’s just calm the hell down and sort this all out,” Xavier Steel says in an authoritative, take charge, but don’t mess with me voice. “Sonya, what’s on that drive?” She looks out the window. “Sonya …”
“It’s not mine, haven’t seen it, don’t know, and really don’t give a damn.”
Nickie opens his laptop and pops it in. “Fuck me, Memphis. Oh, yeah, baby, fuck me just like that.” It’s Stevie’s voice.
“I’m gonna fuck you my way. You just lie back,” He groans. “And enjoy the show.”
I’ve had enough. I pull my hands away from Memphis and cover my face while my tears run freely.
“You sure that’s me?” Memphis says.
“If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, then fuck, it’s a duck,” River says, sitting back. “But we already knew this. Well, not all of us.”
“She knew! She saw me the next morning, all marked up.” I feel him grab my wrist. “Tales, you fucking knew.”
I pull my arm away then slap the tears off my face. “Let me out.”
“Tales, seriously?”
“You should have told me. You should have—”
“You should have told me! Here I think you are practicing for a dance tour, and you’re working for her! Yet, you won’t even consider traveling with me!”
“Let me out. You have your tape. I overheard the conversation; it was the only copy. Now let me out. And, Memphis, don’t ever talk to me again.”
“You’re fucking insane! Don’t talk to you again? You fucking lied to me. I didn’t lie to you.”
“I know you fucked her after I left Florida, and for the past two days, you’ve been with her and too busy to see me!”
“Doing press shit, Tales, not banging her. And, fuck no, I didn’t fuck her after you left without so much as a goodbye. I was fucking healing, Tales!”
“Yeah, well, it’s your story.” I get on my feet and bend as I make my way through everyone to the door. “Good luck tonight, and you’re welcome for stopping that from going viral.” I need to get away from him. Far away, so I do.
I get out and see Madison.
“Tales, what’s going on?”
I unzip my boots and hand them to her. “Can you give these to Stevie? Tell her I quit.”
“Tales, wait.” Madison grabs my hand.
“Madison, I need some time, okay?”
“Sure, but—”
“Please. I just need—”
“To listen to me for a fucking minute,” Memphis says from behind me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
* * *
SURFACE TO SOUL
Memphis
When she doesn’t respond, I take her hand. “I didn’t fuck her again.” She looks away. “Come on! You know damn well—”
“I don’t know!” She sobs, her hand trembling. “I don’t know anything.” I pick her up, and she grabs my neck and cries against my chest. “I am so mad at you.”
“Well, then you do know something,” I say, and then her scent hits me.
“Hey!” I look up to see Stevie. “I need you onstage.”
“She’s done,” I spit out. Why the fuck did she take a job with this bitch and not me?!
“She’s under contract!”
“It’s been broken. I’m breaking it!” I tell the bitch as Tales pulls away. “Tales, you don’t—”
“That’s right,” Stevie bites out. “She knows she needs this. What else does she have? A couple classes—”
“You can fucking leave. You’re done, too.” I flip shit.
“Says who!” Stevie spits at me.
“Memphis, let go of my hand,” Tally whispers. “I signed a contract.” She pulls her hand away.
“That’s right; let’s get this show on the road,” Stevie taunts.
“No, fuck that.”
“It’s not your decision, Memphis.” Tales shakes her head.
“I didn’t have sex with her after that one night.” I grab her shoulder and shake her. “You hear me.”
“I hear you,” she says as she walks away, broken, and all I can do is watch her.
“Fuck!” I scream as I fist my hair. “Tell her the fucking truth, Stevie. Tales, you know me better than that. You. Know. Me.!”
�
��Not going after her?” I look behind me to see Stevie’s drummer, Kellie, throw down a cigarette and stomp it out.
“It’s none of your damn business.”
“Right.” She shakes her head and walks away. Then she turns back. “Grow a set.”
I am shocked at her audacity, but I don’t respond.
My phone rings, and I fish it out of my pocket. “Sup?”
“All handled man,” Finn says.
“No, it is not,” I hear in the background.
“Who’s that?” I ask.
“Sonya. She’s a pain in the ass, but she’ll conform.” He forces a laugh, and I know he’s being tried right now. Finn doesn’t do confrontation well.
“You good?” I ask.
“You?” He laughs uncomfortably.
“We have a show tonight. Get your ass here.”
“On my way,” he says then, “Bitch, are you trying to bite me!”
“Where’s Billy?”
“Billy! Come take this little shit off my hands!” he yells.
“You good?” I ask as I walk toward the back door of Bader.
“Stop fucking asking me shit like that!” With that, he hangs up.
When I walk through the door, Madison is standing in front of me.
“Just leave her alone!”
“I didn’t do shit, Mads.” My voice breaks. “I didn’t do shit!”
“Well, right now she’s out there, and you’re staying here. You need to get ready, and so does she.”
***
I stand backstage where Mads tells me to. I don’t normally listen to the little queen, but Tales is up there, shaking her ass, and I know she doesn’t want to, but she’s no quitter. Sonya, the girl who, had the flash drive will vouch for me if need be, but I don’t want to owe her any favors. Besides, Tally better not doubt me.
I love watching her move, but not like this, and not for that bitch. That bitch who is going to walk off stage and be bombarded with Forever Four’s lawyers and have major fucking issues if she doesn’t back the fuck down.
Finn took off with River, and that’s not cool at all. He’s a fucking mess and doesn’t touch even a prescribed drug. When he asked River to take a walk with him, I felt sick, but I’m so fucked up right now I can’t do shit except stand and stare where she can’t see me because Mads is cock-blocking like a motherfucker.
When Stevie Danielles’ band ends, I look out at the crowd. They fucking love them and it makes me sick. I wish they were throwing tomatoes or booing that bitch.
“Memphis, go; she’ll see you.” Mads pushes me. “Go!”
I walk down the hall and find the room meant for us to chill, relax, and fucking celebrate all we’ve accomplished, and I haven’t even stepped foot inside it until now.
I open the door, seeing Finn and River sitting there, all fucking pie-eyed.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
River sighs. “Just took the edge off.”
“Where is it?” I ask.
Billy walks out of the bathroom, chillz in hand.
“No shit?”
Billy grins. “Just to take the edge off.”
“Aw, fuck, man, give me that.” I snatch up chillz and hit the bathroom. I spark him up, take two pulls, and that’s enough. It feels good, too.
When I walk out, the three of them are looking at me.
“It’s either the beginning or the end. We started this together; we end it together. Let’s fucking go rock them our way.”
“We do it for us,” Finn says as we stand in a circle.
“In the words of the great Eddie Vedder, ‘It’s a great time to be me.’ ” I throw my fist in.
“Jimmy Page once said, ‘I may not believe in myself, but I believe in what we’re doing.’ ” Finn puts his fist in.
“Kurt Cobain, “Nobody dies a virgin; life fucks us all.’ ” River fists in.
“The amazing Billy Holiday once said, ‘The difficult, I will do right now. The impossible will take a while.’ ”
“We have done the impossible. Fuck, Billy learned guitar, River has laid off the heavy shit, and Finn … not sure what to say? Best bass around, and apparently he decided today was the day to put an end to the ‘Just Say No,’ campaign, which I need the story behind, fuck-stick.”
He nods and grumbles.
“And you’ve got a steel dick.” River laughs his fool head off.
“Shit bird.” I laugh, too, because it’s funny, and I’m fucking soarin’. “All right, STD, let’s hit ’em hard”—we bump fists—“light ‘em up”—we do our own little version of an explosion with our hands—“and let’s go fucking rock ‘em our way!”
We walk out into the hallway where the entire Steel crew is, including Momma Joe, and we’re all fucked up.
Shit.
Xavier narrows his eyes at us. “You fucking kidding me right now?”
“Ready to rock, man.” I chuckle and grin.
I look at the guys. Finn’s lip is curled, and his eyes are fixed on the chick Sonya while she scowls at him. I hear him growl, and then he fucking snaps his teeth and barks at her. I shit you not. He fucking barked!
I start rolling.
“She get her fucking shots yet?” Finn asks X-man.
“You, too?” he gasps then throws his hands up in the air and walks away, calling out, “What a fucking day!”
I see Mads and Tally round the corner. Tally is looking at the ground, and Mads is basically pulling her toward me. She has her head hung down as well she should. She should know better.
“Kiss and make up,” Mads demands then walks away.
“Tales.”
“Memphis.”
“What, I’m not asshole anymore?”
“Sometimes.”
“But right now?” I tip her chin up with my finger.
“No.” She looks up, and I get Emerald City. Fucking beautiful. “Are you high?” And angry.
“Been a fucked up day, Tales. I needed to take the edge off.”
“Great. Well, good luck, break a leg, keep your dick in your pants, and—”
I grab her and pick her up, bringing her eye to eye, and she whimpers.
“You sure about that last part?”
She smiles like I knew she would.
“I mean, how am I gonna get dome when I’m done if they stay on?”
She fists my hair and pushes her forehead against mine. “I hate her.”
“Don’t blame you, Tales. I’m not a fan, either.” I inhale. “You smell good. How do you taste, Tales? Give me them lips.”
She does, and she gives them to me hard.
I pull back when I hear the crowd start chanting, “STD! STD! STD!”
“I watched you dance, Tales, the whole time. Inside, I was praying you fucking believed me ’cause, if you didn’t, I would be gone.” I set her down and step back. “Don’t you ever doubt me again. That shit hurt.” Her lip quivers, and she nods. “I love you, Tales. That doesn’t just mean something; it means everything.”
“I love you so much.” She chokes back a sob.
“I know you do.” I give her a quick kiss on the cheek then turn to walk away. I don’t want to go onstage with bitch pants on.
I step up to the rest of the band, and the four of us look at each other.
“Nickie D, X-man, and Taelyn are standing to the left like the proud parents who just gave birth to the most well-hung kid in the nursery, just like my parents must have thought.” I laugh.
“Shit, we have something in common, then.” River gives me a fist bump.
The crowd gets louder as I look at my boys. “Who’s first?”
“Let’s do it together.” Billy nods, fucking with his strings.
I look back and see Mom, Mads, and Tales hanging to the right, all smiling. Tales is the brightest. Mom? Didn’t even know she was coming.
She mouths, ‘I love you.’
I yell, “You better.”
She laughs as she wipes a tear away. I’m pretty sure it
’s a happy one.
“Let’s rock!”
We run out on stage, and I make a mental note to work on that entry. We look like a bunch of teenage, eager boys who are gonna blow their load way before it’s time.
“Hello, New Jersey!” I hold the mic out for the crowd’s roar, and they give me more than I am looking for. My head is buzzing, and so is my soul.
“I’m Memphis Black, lead singer for Steel Total Destruction!”
I let them scream. Fuck, I egg them on.
“The buzz I catch off of that is bigger than the one we caught backstage!” I laugh.
They fucking go crazy, and I am all energy.
“It’s like a spiritual erection, a transcendent orgy to my soul, a divine intervention with every cell in my body. You’re getting me hard.” I grab my dick then look off stage at Tales and wink. She covers her mouth, laughing.
“You ready for some STD? You ready to get rocked so hard you can’t walk straight for a week?”
They scream. They shout. They lust for our music … and for us.
“I like the way you sound!”
“Get ready, ladies. Get ready for it, men!” I bounce up and down on my feet because I am that fucking pumped. “Give it to them, Finn!”
The fucking condom cannons jizz all over the crowd. They scramble around, screaming and grabbing the fucking condoms like little crack whores—our little crack whores.
River spanks the drums, the crack and pop of the snare proceeding. Finn finger bangs his G and L tribute. Billy is on his new Fender; and I begin to sing our first hit song, “Going Down.”
The crowd screams. The girls in the front row dance, trying to gain our attention. They have it. For the next two and a half hours, they will get more than they paid for.
The song ends, and I look around at the guys and laugh. All of us are perma-grinning. I’m not sure if it’s the high or the high. Maybe both.
“You wanna little story?”
The crowd screams.
“Not even two years ago, we sat in this kick-ass studio, looking around and thinking the owner was just a punk ass kid who wanted to play the role of big time music producer with family money.” I look at the guys, who laugh and nod. “I still think he’s a punk sometimes, but he’s got mad respect from me.”
I lift my shirt and turn around. “Forever Steel, bro.”
Rock Star Romance Ultimate Volume 2 Page 106