Bad Day (Hard Rock Roots)

by Stunich, C. M.

  “Damn straight,” I tell her, brushing some blonde hair back from her forehead. “Impenetrable to anyone but Mr. Campbell and his Mini-Me.” Naomi rolls her eyes and flicks me gently in the crotch, making my throat squeeze tight and my fists clench by my sides.

  “Mini is the only thing right about that sentence. Now get out of here and be safe. And hurry back. You're going to want to see me after I kick Hayden's ass in more ways than one.” Naomi smiles tightly, and I kiss her face again. Once, twice, three times for good measure before turning on my heel and striding out into the hallway.

  Ronnie brings Lola along which honestly just makes me miss Naomi's presence as we rattle through the darkness in our rented van. One day soon, Milo promises we're getting the buses back. He better be right about that. Not that it matters, I guess, since we have to fly to LA to make it in time for the biggest fucking show the rock world has seen in years. I shiver and clench my arms across my chest.

  Nobody talks; we're all too wrapped up in our emotions. All excited to see Trey, but scared, too, like maybe he won't be the same person anymore or something. I can't even imagine what I'd do if my best friend survived only to become somebody else. Nobody ever mentioned anything about brain damage or whatever to me, but it's always there in the back of my mind, those extra fears. Like leaving Naomi back at the venue for example. I pop a piece of gum in my mouth and chew quick and fast, letting my anxiety out in the grind of teeth. That Brayden dude better be worth his weight in gold because I'm trusting him with my one woman.

  “Fuck,” I sigh, putting my boot against the seat and waiting. Ronnie and Lola sit behind me with Josh. And to my right, Jesse and the bald bodyguard dude. I wonder if I should ask him his name at some point? I turn my head out the window and rest my chin in my palm, wishing away the next five or so hours of my life until we get back to the hospital. I pull my phone out, shooting off a text to Sydney, and then looking up the live feed from the concert. But while I wait for Amatory Riot to take the stage, I end up nodding off, and I don't wake up until we get there. One minute, I'm holding my phone in my palm, and the next we're pulling underneath the white awning with its bright white lights.

  You can always tell a good performance by how fucking wiped you are afterwards. Based on the evidence, I'd have to say that was one of my best. I check my phone again, but don't see any response from Sydney. Kind of makes me nervous.

  “Be polite, calm, and understanding. Trey is not going to be in any state for practical jokes or scuffles of any kind,” Milo says, playing the pretend father figure, as usual. We all ignore him, descending on the hospital disheveled and dirty, makeup bleeding down our faces, clothes crusted with dried sweat, wild hair. The stares are endless and the looks on the staff's faces are priceless as we make our way down the hall to the reception area. As we're standing there waiting for Sydney, I turn around and rest my elbows on the counter, eyes skimming across the flow of traffic that's passing down the hall. A pair of girls with matching Get Well balloons in their hands, a woman pushing an empty wheelchair, a tall dude with dark hair and a bouquet of black roses in his hand.

  I don't pay attention to any of them; they mean nothing. The only person I'm here for is Treyjan.

  In the midst of the supposed normalcy, Lola Saints turns around and copies my pose, catching sight of the dark haired man and his flowers, his vampire pale skin, and the rancid gator smile stretching across his too white teeth. One word escapes her lips, just one little word, at the same moment the man pulls a pistol from underneath his coat.

  “Tyler?”

  To be continued...

  Dear Reader,

  Hello again. I'm sure you probably hate me right now. I'm sure you've probably hated me for the last three endings in this series, huh?

  But that's okay, because I like your face. Love it, even. You've got the guts to read real ugly words wrapped in music and sex and blood. That takes a lot. So thank you. Thank you for staying on tour with us, for hating Hayden, for loving Turner, for understanding Naomi.

  And thanks for letting me write from the heart and soul.

  I won't make you wait long for the next book, Born Wrong. So stay tuned for the fifth installment and get ready to have your face rocked off.

  Dance to the beat of your own drum; live to the rhythm of your pulsing heart.

  Happy reading and big fat rocker smooches.

  C.M.

  If you enjoyed this try Rock My Heart(Scarlet Fever Series #1) By Selene Chardou

  “This is about what happens after the happily ever after…”

  Syd and Kaz survived getting together in the most unusual of ways, a rigorous world tour and his crazy ex-wife but their relationship will be tested more than they ever thought was possible. Now that Sydney is expecting their first child and they are engaged, demons from Kaz’s past rear their ugly head and cause a catalyst that will spin their world completely out of control.

  Can two people—who have gone through the fires of lust and love—reconnect with what brought them together in the first place and make peace not only with themselves and each other or will the pressure prove too great and tear them apart for good?

  Chapter One

  Morning Sickness

  I COULD THINK of nothing better than to wake up deliriously happy and in love.

  That was what my life had become at the tender age of twenty-three with the man I loved by my side and his band on top of the world.

  There were no other words to describe how content I was with my new life.

  I loved the friends I’d made, the people in my life I’d grown closer to and now that Kaz and I were expecting a baby, our life together finally seemed complete.

  It had been a wild ride, that was for sure.

  What had started out so innocent, Scarlet Fever playing at my twenty-third birthday party and me wanting Kasper “Kaz” Gillian, rock god and lead singer not to mention a drop dead sexy, gorgeous man to take my virginity, had turned into something else entirely.

  Who knew all it took was a grueling schedule which consisted of studio time after he’d flown me to L.A., virginity still intact, insane studio hours, and can’t-get-enough-of-one-another sex would blossom into something beyond my wildest dreams?

  Kaz invited me on the Gods of Rock Tour Scarlet Fever was performing with Winter’s Regret and we just clicked. I assumed it would be easy because at the beginning, the small gigs were. They were too easy.

  We were flown everywhere and top of the line hotels were the norm. We were living the luxurious lives of rock star and me, his ultimate groupie and perfect girlfriend.

  When the actual tour began, it wasn’t nearly as easy as I thought it would be.

  We crisscrossed the United States in a top of the line tour bus but still it was grueling hours on the road followed by luxury hotels and insane working hours.

  I became one of the photographers and covered just about every angle of the tour.

  The European and Asian leg was even worse.

  The constant traveling led to me having a miscarriage and the strain it put on our relationship was insane but we did find out something beautiful and remarkable about one another. If we could live with each other in such harsh circumstances and our lust for each other turned into a genuine like, which blossomed into full-on respect and being in love, then we could survive anything.

  My life had changed. The tour made me grow up and become a better person. I couldn’t be the shallow Sydney who only thought of name brands and vacuous shopping expeditions. I came back with a feeling of renewal. I wasn’t just me anymore, I was someone else and I had taken on adult responsibilities especially when Kaz asked me to marry him.

  I couldn’t afford to let him down and failure was not an option.

  My name is Sydney “Syd” Landvik and the following is what happened after my happily ever after.

  I SAT UP in bed and tried to swallow the acidic bile in my mouth but it refused to leave me. Kaz was gone. He and the rest of his bandmates
were recording their sixth studio album at the Introspect recording studios in Culver City. I was alone, which was not unusual, and suffering from another rough bout of morning sickness.

  That wasn’t unusual either.

  I tried the breathing exercises Talia had recommended but it was no use.

  The acid burned in my throat and I quickly stood before I sprinted to the bathroom and made it just in time to vomit into the toilet. Afterwards, I leaned my head against the cold porcelain and tried to breathe.

  It was only something that happened to women all the time, even women who were past their first trimester like I was and pregnant with a little boy.

  Kaz loved the idea of having another son; he already had Xander with Damira, his ex-wife. I also wanted us to have a daughter with his dark hair and my blue-gray eyes but we would see what the future held and take it one day at a time.

  “Hey, we have all the time in the world. It’s not like this is going to be the first and last time you give birth,” he said before he’d kissed me, made love to me and everything seemed great between us.

  How could it not be when all I could think about was how lucky I was and how fortunate I’d ended up with the man of my dreams?

  After a twenty minute rest, I dragged myself from the floor, took a hot shower and dressed in a floral babydoll dress and padded around the house barefoot. We didn’t have twenty-four help and Kaz preferred for them to be there as little as possible. I couldn’t agree more. I’d grown up in a privileged lifestyle and respected the privacy I was now given.

  My cell phone rang and I looked down at my Ulysse Nardin before I answered it with a curt, “Hello?”

  “How are you doing?”

  It was Sasha: PR extraordinaire for both Scarlet Fever and Winter’s Regret not to mention my own personal den mother. She knew how hard the miscarriage had been on both me and Kaz during the tour and started checking up on me each morning. I know I should have been annoyed but it was only because she cared so much and it was part of her job. How could she tell Society Magazine I was progressing beautifully if we never spoke?

  “Good, I think. I just puked my guts out and had a shower but nothing earth shattering going on around here. Dr. Redford said I am healthy and so is the baby. I’ve had no spotting and to be honest, other than the few bad episodes of morning sickness, I feel great,” I explained as I made myself two slices of sourdough toast.

  “Good. I just wanted to check to make sure you were all right. If there is anything I can do, please let me know. It’s my job and what I am here for.”

  “Of course, I understand. Thanks for checking up on me. I have started to look forward to your daily calls.”

  “Have a good day.”

  I smiled. “You too.”

  We ended our conversation and I couldn’t help but smile again. Lunch was with the girls and that was bound to lift my spirit and my mood. I couldn’t wait.

  “WHERE THE HELL is Faith?”

  I looked around the table before I settled my eyes on Laurel.

  Sometimes I didn’t know whether she was an airhead or too far involved with Will to keep up with current events.

  “Why would I invite her when I asked Talia to come to our luncheon,” I looked down at my phone. “Speaking of, she’s running late but she said she was coming from the studio.”

  Laurel sipped from an apple martini. “Sorry, I forgot about the animosity between those two.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It isn’t animosity as much as it is a sense of betrayal. Jaden promised he would leave Faith for her but now that she’s acting all fragile, he can’t seem to separate himself from her. Tal is pregnant with his child for God’s sake. It seems like a no-brainer to me.”

  “Really?” my best friend glared at me with determined hazel-green eyes. “Jaden and Faith have a history together and she lost their baby while he was on tour. I think Talia took advantage. Perhaps he doesn’t need her now he’s clean and Faith is working on her own…demons.”

  “That’s bullshit and we both know it.” I waved Talia our way as the waiter brought her to our table. “He knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t fucking Talia out of spite or for any other reason than he was in love with her and he still he is. He’s just too much of a fucking coward to admit and I hate men like him who become bitch boys as soon as a woman is involved. He doesn’t even love Faith but he’s scared of his feelings for Tal so he’s taken the coward’s way out. I think his actions are deplorable and if I were her, I wouldn’t even acknowledge that fucker as my kid’s father.”

  “Hello, ladies!” Talia greeted before she sat down and sipped from the San Pellegrino I’d already ordered for her. “I am thirsty and going crazy right now but I definitely needed this lunch so I thank you for inviting me.”

  We all knew what she was talking about in terms of her life being “crazy”.

  “How’s Trista adjusting?” Sasha finally inquired reluctantly before she sipped from her mojito.

  “Not good.” Talia shook her head before her watery eyes gave away how much stress she was under. “I don’t know how to help her. I mean, she’s lost her parents and her brother. What am I supposed to say? Her only surviving close relative is a gang member and in the Demon’s Bastards motorcycle club. He’s dangerous and her life, as she’s known it, is over.”

  “Is she truly helping you out as a PA?” Sasha wondered before she stared at me.

  We pretty much were all on either the bands’ or Introspect Records’ payroll.

  Laurel and I were the bands’ photographers. We were also in charge of putting together a coffee table book, which would focus around the tour and it was hard work.

  Sasha was PR for both Scarlet Fever and Winter’s Regret. She coordinated with all of us what was released to the press regarding what we did in our personal and professional lives. Her job may have sounded easy but it was hard to keep rock stars in line and make sure most of the press about them was positive when a few had had issues with drugs and alcohol.

  Talia was the official lead singer of Winter’s Regret after her ex-boyfriend, Seth Delvecchio, had overdosed in Copenhagen and had to be rushed back to the States to start a six week detox program at Promises. He’d lost his job though she fought hard to keep him as a co-lead guitarist with Kris Nieminen.

  Despite everything she’d done for him, Seth still resented her and the power status she now had. He didn’t do well trying to hide it either.

  She also had the issue of being pregnant with Jaden Cox’s baby and despite his promise he would stand by her, he went between her and my former best friend, Faith. She was still emotionally fragile and scared she might attempt suicide, he still considered her his girlfriend—albeit reluctantly—and was frequently caught out together with her by all the various weekly magazines and tabloid rags.

  If that wasn’t bad enough, Talia had also taken in her cousin who had issues galore. Trista Lennon’s family had recently been murdered and although she was an adult, she was only eighteen. Her response to the deaths had been on par with what anyone else would be going through but Trista truly didn’t have the strength or the patience to put up with someone who needed so much help. She’d hired two former Navy SEALs as Trista’s bodyguards and made her their issue.

  Talia sipped from her sparkling water. “Actually, every task I have given her has been returned to me on time. She’s keeping busy with various projects and I think she will be all right. Her problem is she doesn’t want to talk to anyone about what happened to her, including a shrink , and I think it would be good for her to discuss what she’s been through and how she’s feeling about her current situation.”

  What the hell did I know? I’d been raised by my grandfather and mother—the product of an affair my mother had had with a very wealthy businessman who never acknowledged my existence. I had two half-brothers I never communicated with and my fiancé came from a family that was just as dysfunctional as my own.

  It was like the blind leading the blind.


  “She’ll come around when she’s ready, Tal.” I grabbed her free hand and squeezed it. “Sometimes, we help the people we love the most by giving them the space they need to come to terms with what they are going through. You can’t imagine your cousin’s heartache but you can be there for her when she needs someone to talk to and that is all you can do.”

  “You mean like Jaden?”

  Shit. He wasn’t someone I wanted to talk about. It was a sticky subject for me because he and Kaz were best friends while I used to be best friends with Faith.

  Although I could blame the tour for the demise of my friendship with a woman I’d known my whole life, that wouldn’t quite be fair. From the time I’d moved to L.A. and started to live with Kaz, I could feel a separation coming between us.

  Add the fact that she’d been having threesomes with my soon-to-husband along with her on-again/off-again boyfriend and it was a recipe for disaster.

  According to Faith, Kaz and I were never supposed to happen, at least not a long term relationship. He was supposed to bust my cherry, fuck me a few times and leave me while she would be there to nurse his wounds and pick up the pieces. When everything didn’t go according to her plan, all hell broke loose. She never really forgave me and she hated we were in a relationship. The closer I became to Talia, the less of a friendship we seemed to have and although it should have bothered me, it didn’t.