Rock Star's Angel

by Lydia Cole

  Rock Star’s Angel

  Lydia Cole

  Chapter One

  The freezing LA air stung, but I didn’t let that stop me from hanging over the rail of my balcony. I was on top of the world and no one could bring me down. It was late afternoon the day after the best awards show of my life. Not some local rock awards show. This was the big shit. The Grammys. Record of the Year. Song of the Year. Album of the Year. Triple whammy. On top of that: Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and Best Solo Rock Performance.

  I, Lucy Gold, owned the freaking world.

  “Lucy!” a deep voice bellowed from inside my bedroom.

  I threw the doors to the balcony open and smiled widely. My father stood in my room; hand on his hips in mock irritation. His wide smile gave him away, though. And the twinkling of his bright blue eyes. Johnny never was good at being mad. I stepped into the room. “Hey, old man.”

  “I feel old.” He walked toward me, his long black hair a shaggy mess. “You’re all over the television. I can’t believe I was beat out by my own flesh and blood.”

  “You were a close second, Johnny.” I couldn’t suppress it any longer. I took off toward him and launched into his arms, laughing as he twirled me around. We were almost the same height, and practically identical. I had his dark hair, his bright eyes, and his long, lean frame.

  “My time has come and gone, Lu-Lu. I knew you were going to win.” He set me down and put his hands on my head, a habit he’d had since I was little. “We should celebrate. I mean, really celebrate. I want to throw a huge party for you at the mansion.”

  I nodded. I was ready to agree to anything, at this point. “I still haven’t gone to sleep. I’ve been up all night and day writing. I’m on the most amazing high, Johnny.”

  He chuckled and turned toward the hallway. “Come down and have some breakfast with me. We’ll take a crack at that new music later.”

  “I’m going to jump in the shower. Start the coffee.” I literally did jump into the shower.

  I was a fairly confident girl. Probably over-confident most of the time. Living as the only child of rock legend, Johnny Gold, tended to do that to a girl. But I never expected to win anything last night, let alone a full sweep. I lathered on the ridiculously expensive soap and enjoyed the smell of victory. I liked the smell of victory.

  Later that day, I walked into the studio on clouds. Everyone was congratulating me. Telling me I deserved it. Promising me that it was only the beginning. I was only twenty-one, after all. I had my whole life ahead of me. I hugged every single member of my band profusely as they set up to record the music for the song we’d been working on. My goal was to put another album out before summer, then kick off the biggest tour of my life.

  I sat in the control booth and adjusted the sound as my guys pumped it through the speakers. I might have been young, but I’d grown up in the studio and I could manipulate a track just as well as any of the seasoned producers.

  “That was awesome. Let’s take it back a little bit. Jack, you were…”

  “Yeah,” my lead guitarist, Jack Stone nodded at me. “I fucked up. I know.”

  I gave him a small smile. “That’s the beauty of the studio, dear. Copy and paste.”

  He chuckled and they jumped back into the song. I had found my music going harder than usual. Johnny claimed it was a more mature sound, but I just thought it sounded better. I’d been writing and recording my own music since I was twelve, so it was obviously more mature. My first major album came out when I was sixteen. When I heard songs from that album, I winced. It was so pop sounding. I had no idea how Johnny let me put it out under his label. Gold Records was Johnny’s baby.

  He’d branched out during his years of being on top of the world, and now he pretty much owned the rock music scene. Any decent rock band wanted to sign with Gold Records.

  “All righty, guys. Let’s take ten. I think we just have one more small section to redo and then we can call it a day.” I fiddled with a few things as they set their instruments down.

  Jack walked out first, moving toward me with a small smile. “How about you and me go take a break out back,” he whispered in my ear.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I moved away and grabbed my bag, flinging it over my head. “Not today, Jack. I’ve got a meeting with Johnny.”

  He faked a pout. “Blowing me off for your dad?”

  “Get over it, Stone.” My drummer, Billie Gary came out behind him and flashed me a wide smile. “Maybe she’s over your womanizing ways.”

  I smiled and pulled her to me, bringing our small bodies as close as possible. “Yeah. Maybe I’m into girls now.”

  Billie’s eyes widened and a sly smile spread across her face. “If that day ever comes, you better call me.”

  “You’re first on my list,” I promised her.

  I followed them out of the room, heading in the opposite direction toward Johnny’s office. He’d sent me a text a few minutes before asking me to take a break as soon as I could. I wasn’t so sure what it was about, but I was hoping it wasn’t a bad thing. It was hard to detect mood through text messages.

  I knocked quickly and opened the door to his office, stopping with my mouth opened wide. “Oh. I’m sorry. I assumed…”

  “No, no, Lu-Lu. Come in.” Johnny stood up and waved to the guy sitting in front of his desk. “I want you to meet someone.”

  The guy stood up and turned around, obviously anxious. His hair was blonde and hung messily into his face, brushing into his blue eyes. He looked like he was in his early twenties. “I’m…uh…Ben Evans.” He stuck his hand out to me.

  I smiled and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lucy.”

  “Oh, I know…” He fumbled with his shirt. “I know who you are,” he said quietly.

  Poor thing was star struck. It wasn’t new for me, but usually people got like that with Johnny more than me. I glanced over his head at Johnny with an eyebrow upraised. He was wearing an amused smile.

  “So, are you looking to sign?” I asked, trying to push some conversation.

  “His band is.” Johnny stood up and hit the play button on the radio behind his desk.

  I took one of the chairs in front of Johnny’s desk and motioned for Ben to sit back down. He was starting to relax. A little. As soon as I heard the music, I sat up. They were good. Really good. Then, the sound of Ben’s voice belting out the vocals made my eyes widen. “Johnny, if you don’t sign them I’m going to personally see to it that you die a slow and painful death.”

  “Don’t worry, Lu-Lu,” he said with a smile. “It’s already done.”

  Ben’s face turned a few different shades of red. “Thanks, I guess.”

  I put my hand on his leg. “That’s adorable, believe me, but you’re gonna have to get over this whole shy thing if you wanna be big. And trust me, listening to this, you’re gonna be huge.” I sat back and enjoyed the music pumping from Johnny’s overpriced stereo system. “So, it’s a band?”

  Ben nodded. “Reluctant Angel.”

  “I like it.” I bobbed my head along with the music. “Where’s the rest of the band?”

  He smiled slightly. “At a wedding.”

  I turned to him with an upraised eyebrow. “Whose wedding are you missing?”

  “My sister’s.” He glanced up at me guiltily.

  “No! Are you kidding?” I looked over at Johnny. He looked just as surprised.

  “Where is it?” Johnny asked, picking up his cell phone.

  “Huh…um…back home in Phoenix.”

  Johnny was already on the phone making arrangements, so I took over the questioning. “What time?”

  Ben glanced at his watch. “Two hours.”

  “We don’t have much time, the
n. Let’s go.” I grabbed him by the arm and wagged my cell phone in front of Johnny as we flew out the door, letting him know to call me with details.

  “Wait, what are we doing?”

  I rolled my eyes and pulled Ben out of the building. “You are not missing your sister’s wedding. That’s just awful. Johnny would have rescheduled in a heart beat.” I stopped at the front and waited for a car, turning to him with narrowed eyes. “There’s only one rule about fame. Don’t forget the people who helped you get where you are.”

  Ben sighed. “I felt bad, but they said this was the only day they had open. Maci told me not to worry about it. She practically pushed me out the door.” He sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. “I feel like a jackass.”

  “Don’t worry. You’re about to make up for it.”

  We climbed into the limo that pulled up and I told the driver to step on it. While he drove, I dialed my assistant, Maya Miguez. She sprung into action. Johnny’s jet was waiting for us at the airport, along with a new suit for Ben and a hot dress for me. I directed him to the back room and told him to make himself beautiful, then walked toward the bathroom where I kept a stash of makeup and did the same to myself. I had to frown at the mess of black hair on my head. I was never good at taming my wavy locks. The hairdressers were so much better. I managed to pull it back in a simple sophisticated style and threw the dress over my head.

  I popped my head out of the bathroom and looked for Ben. He was fiddling with his tie. I walked over with a smile and straightened it for him. “You clean up nice,” I said, pushing his blonde hair out of his face. “Now, is this an inside thing or outside?”

  “Inside,” he answered quietly. He was still a little shocked at the whole ordeal. His eyes focused for a second, looking me up and down. “You’re coming?”

  “I said you were going to make up for it, didn’t I?” I shrugged. “We’re going to make a grand entrance.”

  “Wow.” He fell into a chair, eyes still locked on me. “Maci’s going to shit.”

  I smiled. “I hope so. I love it when I make people shit.”

  We touched down at the airport and were met on the runway by the driver. Ben spouted off the name of a church and we were speeding down the roads of Phoenix in no time. We were still a few minutes late, though. I crossed my fingers as I opened the door to the church. The bride was there, waiting to walk down the isle.

  She gave me a pair of confused eyes, then gasped. “Oh. My. God.”

  Ben walked in behind me and smiled widely. “Surprise.”

  Maci fell into his open arms. “Ben! Wait…your appointment.”

  I smiled. “It was a hassle getting him here on time, too. Sheesh.”

  She looked back at me, her blue eyes glistening. “Thank you.”

  “I aim to please.” I said, patting her arm softly. “Now, why don’t we find a seat and you can get on with the show.”

  I loved weddings. Maybe, on a bad day, I would have a different opinion. As it was, my day was pretty damn good. I had worked it out with Johnny and he was finishing up with my band. He’d had to rearrange a few meetings, but we were both determined to get that new album out. We were overachievers.

  I called to check in between the ceremony and the reception. “How’s it going?”

  Johnny beamed from the other end of the phone. “I finished up that track. All we have to do is add you.”

  “Awesome. We’re fantastic over here. Ben said the rest of the guys should be able to fly back with us tonight or tomorrow. We can start recording asap.”

  Ben was still flabbergasted. “I can’t believe you guys just jumped to like that. It was amazing.”

  I hung up my phone and smiled at him. “We’re very family oriented. And you owe me a dance.” I grabbed his arm and let him lead me through the church to the hall where everyone was starting to cut loose.

  We didn’t get very far. I signed a few autographs, then wandered over to the bride. “Maci, right?”

  She nodded, giddy smile on her face. “Nice to meet you. And thanks again.”

  “No problem. I’m sorry I’m sort of stealing your thunder. It was just easier to escort him.” I glanced around and bit my lip. “I know how brides hate to be one upped by a guest.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? People are going to be talking about my wedding for years!”

  Ben came up and gave his sister a kiss, then turned to me. “The band is insisting that you sing.”

  “What band?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Did you just ask that?”

  “Well, I mean, I figured she might have hired a band. Jeez.” I turned around and spotted three guys hanging back, watching me with wide eyes. “Introduce me,” I ordered, dragging Ben toward them.

  “All right.” He pointed at the guy on the left. “This is Grant Miller, our drummer.”

  I shook hands with Grant. He had the most adorable curly black hair and deep brown eyes. His face was still round with unshed baby fat. He was going to be very popular among the ladies. “Hi.”

  “Hayden Harris, lead guitar,” the next guy introduced himself, giving me a wide grin that revealed the most sexiest dimples any woman could not resist. The instant my eyes set upon him, I knew he’d be trouble. “You’re much hotter in person, Lucy.” Yeah. Trouble.

  I rolled my eyes, but smirked at his compliment. He was hot. His muscled arms were covered with tattoos. He had a strong jaw line, light brown hair, and brilliant green eyes. His eyelashes were thick and damn, he had the sexiest deep voice. He was one of those guys you instantly had sex images rolling through your mind. The kind you knew you’d have beautiful babies with.

  He was very confident, though, and I expected that would only get worse. He was the epitome of dangerous. “Thanks.” Keep it short so his ego doesn’t inflate. I did my best not to smile too much at him and quickly turned to the last member.

  “Nate Harris,” the last guy introduced himself with a small, uncaring smile. “Bass.”

  I looked Nate up and down. He was tall and lanky with brown hair and green eyes. I glanced back at Hayden, and smiled. “Brothers?”

  Hayden gave me a small smile. “Brother from another mother,” he laughed, patting Nate’s back. “It’s a whole, messed up story, but yeah.”

  I smiled, then got down to business. “All righty, guys. What are we playing?”

  Chapter Two

  I climbed onto stage and looked over the crowd. It wasn’t a huge wedding, but it was intimate, and I loved that. “Hey guys.” I lowered the microphone, glancing at Ben as he pulled a guitar strap over his head. “Damn tall men.” Everyone chuckled as I pulled a stool up. “Congratulations, Maci and Brad.” I nodded my head toward them. “They wanted me to sing the first dance for you guys, and I figured there wasn’t a song better for that the one my dad wrote for my mom. So, get your butts on the dance floor.”

  The guys started playing the song at a little slower pace than it had been originally recorded. Maci and Brad moved to the center of the floor, staring at each other with loving eyes. Watching them tugged at my heart a little. They were so in love, and it was so obvious. I jumped into the song, letting my eyes close as I fell into the words.

  I didn’t remember my mother. She died when I was very young in a freak plane accident. The song was about being saved by the only person who could reach him. Johnny had been launched into fame at the ripe age of seventeen and, unfortunately, fell into the wrong crowd. He had told me all about his drug addiction and how mom pulled him out of it. She’d gotten pregnant with me and she basically told him he needed to grow up and be a man. They were married within the year and, he often told me, it was the best three years of his life. Despite the rehab, intense cravings, and struggling with his career.

  When the song was over, Brad dipped Maci and kissed her hungrily. I giggled, moved the stool away and leaned toward Ben. “Let’s pick it up. Do you guys know any of my songs?”

  Hayden chuckled from
beside him. “Lu-Lu, we know all your music.”

  I rolled my eyes. “How does that ego of yours fit in this hall?”

  He shrugged. “It’s hard sometimes, but I can make sure there’s room for you, baby.”

  “Forever?” I offered, glancing around at them, ignoring Hayden’s advances. They all smiled widely. They liked that one. I went back to the microphone. “All right, we’re kicking it up a notch!” The music started, heavy guitar and loud drums, and I found myself bouncing. It was as close to a love song as I got.

  For never having met them before, we meshed together easily. Hayden was giving Jack a run for his money, and I didn’t admit that easily. I’d searched long and hard for my guitarist. He was the best. Or, so I thought. Watching Hayden play the guitar was making me very hot. When a man is a master of something, it really is irresistible. Hayden was commanding and it was making me want to go over to him and play with his strings.

  Nate was kicking ass on the base line and Grant was killing the drum solo.

  We sang a few more songs, then turned it over to the DJ and headed for the dance floor. I wanted to dance with Hayden, to be up and close to his firm strong body, but I didn’t want him to know I liked him. Not yet, anyhow. So I grabbed Ben by the arm and forced him to dance with me. He was resisting, but I figured the easiest way to get him past this whole awkward thing was to immerse him in a huge, hot bath of Lucy. It usually worked. The DJ had picked up where we left off, but switched genres to a dance song. It wasn’t my preference, but I appreciated music of all kinds.

  A couple hours later, I was sipping on a rum and coke and watching everyone go through the moves of a line dance. I was sweaty from dancing and exhausted since I hadn’t slept in over two days. I was used to that type of schedule by now, though. I’d sleep on the plane.

  “That was a nice thing you did for Ben.” Hayden slid into the chair next to me. God, he smelled so good…

  I shrugged. “I would have done it for anyone. No one should miss their sister’s wedding.” He was making my body temperature soar so giving the cold shoulder was the only way I could think of cooling me down. It wasn’t working.