Bad & Bold - A 7 Book Bad Boy Romance Collection!

by Rhodes, Ashley

  “I-I just wanted to talk to him about work stuff.”

  The girl scoffed. “Don’t lie to me. I know exactly why you want to speak with him.” The more she spoke, the angrier she got and the harder she gripped her gun. If she lost the slightest bit of control, her finger would twitch on the trigger and I’d be dead.

  I had an idea, but I had no idea if it would work. “Jayce and I are just friends. In fact, I could introduce you. I’m sure Jayce would like to meet one of his fans. Would you like that? I could introduce you to the whole band.”

  She took a sharp gasp of breath and her attention wandered off for a moment, eyes going hazy, no doubt imagining her wildest dreams coming true. Then her face hardened.

  “I don’t need any help from you. Once you’re out of the way, I know they’ll pick me to replace you. I’m just as good as you. Better, even.”

  “You can’t just kill me. Do you think they’ll hire a murderer?”

  “No one will find out.”

  “And how you do think you’ll get away with this?”

  The girl seemed confused, as if she hadn’t thought that part of her plan through. I doubted someone so insane had planned anything beyond a confrontation.

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said, dismissing my concerns. “Once you’re out of the way, Jayce will see how much better I am than you.”

  My heart clenched. Jayce had been right this whole time. There were crazy fans everywhere. If the two of us weren’t together, would this girl be here trying to kill me? Losing out on an internship couldn’t possibly be enough to cause a psychotic break. Finding out your idol was with another woman, though? I could imagine a hundred different scenarios where that could push someone over the edge. Obsessions could be dangerous, and even more so when love and emotions were involved.

  Maybe Jayce had been right to try resisting our attraction in the first place. I should have listened to him back then. I shouldn’t have tried to push the issue. Look at the situation I had gotten myself into. If only I had believed him when he told me the fans would be upset.

  A flicker of motion out of the corner of my eye brought my attention to the front of the bus. The top of a dark head was approaching.

  Jayce.

  He had no idea what was going on in here. What if he startled this girl and she shot him by accident? I wanted to shout and warn him, but the bus door opened before I could and Jayce walked up.

  “Ailey, are you okay? Why did you need to see—”

  “Jayce!” the girl cried.

  He froze as he walked up the steps and saw a strange girl with a gun in her hand.

  “Who are you?” he said slowly. “What’s going on?” He enunciated each word carefully, not making any sudden movement.

  “I was hoping I’d get to meet you.” The girl broke out into a grin and lowered the gun an inch. I darted forward, trying to tackle her, but she was too fast, or I was too slow, and she brought her gun back up, pointing it at my head.

  “I don’t think so. You just stay there.”

  “What are you doing with that gun?” Jayce asked, still speaking in a low, soothing voice.

  “I’m just taking care of a small piece of business,” she said.

  “Why don’t you hand that over to me before someone gets hurt?”

  “But I want someone to get hurt.” Her voice was almost gleeful.

  “Ailey, are you alright?” Jayce’s eyes flicked to me for a split second before returning to the girl, not wanting to take his eyes off her.

  “I-I’m okay.” I couldn’t hide the tremor in my voice.

  The girl’s face twisted into a horrible expression of hatred and disgust.

  “Why do you even care about her?” she growled. “She’s just some stupid fangirl. I’m just as good as her.”

  “She’s right. She’s better than me. She’s even got more followers,” I said, trying to sound encouraging, hoping I could stay on her good side.

  “Really?” Jayce aimed the question at the girl with the gun, giving her his full attention “What’s your name? Maybe I’ve heard of you.” He narrowed his eyes in that cocky way of his, giving the girl a full blast of the rock star god he played on stage. I’d fallen prey to it many times. This girl didn’t stand a chance. She loosened her grip on the gun even further, letting it rest at her side.

  “I’m Melissa. Online, I’m Melissa Melody Reviews.” Her voice was breathless.

  Jayce hummed in interest. “I’ve seen your stuff before. You’re good, a very talented writer.”

  “Really?” She looked at him with hope in her eyes.

  Jayce nodded, keeping that gaze trained on her. I saw him tense his muscles, getting ready to move.

  “I’m so glad to hear you say that. I love your music, Jayce, I really do. Do you think you could—”

  Before she could finish her sentence, Jayce lunged forward and grabbed at the gun, trying to wrestle it from the girl’s hands. She moved faster than him and ducked, whirling her hand up and around before aiming the gun at his chest.

  “Why would you do that?” she cried. “I’m just trying to help! Once that girl is out of the way we can be together!”

  “Give me the gun,” he ordered, not sounding the least bit afraid of having a bullet tear through his body.

  “No!” she shouted. “You go stand over there. Next to her.”

  Jayce slowly backed up until he stood next to me at the far end of the bus, as far from the doors, as far from escape as we could be. The girl, Melissa, stood between us and freedom.

  “What do you think you’re going to accomplish?” Jayce asked, voice hard, no longer trying to trap her with his seduction.

  “Once that girl is out of the way, I’ll be the one to work with you. I’ll get the internship and we can be together.”

  This girl was absolutely crazy.

  My phone buzzed in my hand. I was still gripping it hard, knuckles turning white. I froze. Had she heard?

  It didn’t seem so. She was still ranting about how she and Jayce belonged together, too involved in her own ranting monologue to pay attention to me.

  Jayce bumped against me lightly, and I knew he’d heard it.

  “There’s no reason you have to do this, Melissa.” Jayce kept his voice loud and clear. A distraction. I snuck a quick glance at the screen.

  Neil.

  He was on his way.

  I couldn’t warn him. Melissa would definitely notice if I started texting. I could do one thing, though.

  I slowly moved my hand inch by inch behind my back to hide it from view and trained my eyes on the gun. I swiped across the screen without looking, bringing up the message.

  Everyone always said I was addicted to my smartphone, and now it was going to pay off.

  I tapped on the keyboard with my thumb, hitting the exact same key over and over again. I didn’t even have to look to know where I was typing.

  !!!!!!!

  It was the same message I’d sent Neil the last time I hadn’t been able to speak, right after he’d gotten me off with only his words on a screen. I hoped he’d see the message and realize I couldn’t talk, would realize something was wrong.

  Either that or he’d think I was in the midst of another orgasm.

  My phone buzzed four more times after that, all within seconds of each other. Neil must have figured out something wasn’t right.

  While I had my phone hidden, I hit the Call button and dialed 911, turning down the volume and placing my thumb over the speaker so Melissa wouldn’t hear the operator’s voice.

  She was still ranting and Jayce was trying to talk her down when I saw Neil approach from the front window of the bus. He stopped when he was within a few feet, no doubt confused by the scene in the window before him. He resumed approaching cautiously, ducking low to avoid being seen.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized Jayce had left the bus door open. Neil would be able to sneak in without Melissa hearing him. I just hoped he was quiet enough to come up
behind her and grab the gun.

  And I hoped she didn’t see him and shoot him first.

  “I don’t understand why it had to be her.” Melissa was still whining. I’d tuned her out, just glad that she was being loud enough to conceal the voice coming from my phone and the sound of Neil’s approach.

  The top of a head up popped up behind Melissa, hair messy and sticking up in all directions. I held my breath. Jayce tensed up.

  Neil didn’t bother shouting, didn’t bother to get her attention. He simply snuck up behind her, grabbed her in a tight grip, and pinned her arms to her sides.

  The gun went off.

  “What-!” Melissa yelped, craning her neck around, astonished. “You fucker, let me go!”

  The bullet missed, ending up in the floor at our feet. I sank to my knees, legs giving out, no longer able to keep myself up. Jayce ran forward and picked up the gun, immediately opening the chamber and letting all the bullets fall out.

  Melissa kicked out with her heels and wriggled viciously, trying to escape. Neil put an arm around her neck and squeezed tight, cutting off her air. Her eyes bugged out, and she clawed at his arms.

  Jayce ran to Neil, capturing Melissa’s flailing legs, grabbing her ankles in both hands to stop her from kicking.

  “Thanks,” Neil grunted, squeezing her neck tighter.

  After a few long moments of bucking wildly and growling, she finally stopped fighting and went limp. Neil lowered her to the floor, but didn’t let her go.

  “You got anything to bind her wrists?”

  Jayce looked around the tour bus, but didn’t see anything.

  “Your tie?” he suggested, wry and breathless.

  “That’ll do.” Neil pulled at his tie and loosened it from around his neck. He tied Melissa’s hands together behind her back, securing it with a tight knot.

  “The gun?” Neil asked.

  “I took out the bullets.”

  “Good.”

  They both turned to look at me at the same time, concern in their eyes. I gathered myself together, wanting to reassure them even though my voice was weak and breathless.

  “Glad to see you guys got my message.”

  CHAPTER 22

  THE PARAMEDICS HAD wrapped me in a blanket and settled me into the back of an ambulance. I think they were worried I was in shock. I might have been, a little bit, but mostly I was angry. Some insane fangirl tried to kill me because she wanted my job and she wanted my man? How dare she! How messed up did you have to be to try something like that?

  Even worse, she’d put Jayce and Neil in danger. That’s what made me angry the most.

  I had wanted to see her in the back of a cop car with handcuffs, but instead they loaded her up on a stretcher and took her to a hospital. I guess Neil choking her unconscious meant she couldn’t be taken straight to jail. Damn.

  As soon as the police sirens had sounded, the entire staff and crew flooded to the back parking lot to see what happened, pouring out of the emergency exit doors just in time to watch the police pull the unconscious girl from the tour bus. Deena had been frantic, wanting to know just what in the hell was going on, but the police made everyone stand back. Kell and the others had waited behind a line of police tape, looking worried and distraught.

  After I had given my statement from the back of the ambulance, I told the police they were my friends. They crowded around me as soon as they were allowed in, forming a protective circle. Their expressions ranged from anger to concern to disbelief.

  “How did she even get in?” Deena asked for the tenth time. “Why didn’t someone realize she wasn’t a staff member?”

  “I want to know how she got the gun,” Kell growled. “Aren’t crazy people banned from owning weapons?” Kell was pissed, taking it personally that someone had threatened his friends.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Morris asked quietly.

  “I’m fine.” I gave him a small smile. “It was scary, yeah, but everything turned out okay.”

  Ren put a protective arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze.

  Jayce and Neil were both still talking with the police. For some reason, the paramedics didn’t think they needed to be coddled and treated like they were glass. I scowled at the double standard and shrugged my blanket off.

  “Don’t get up yet,” Ren said, alarmed.

  “Stay here for a little while longer,” Kell wheedled. “Let us mother-hen you a bit, okay?”

  I grumbled but allowed Ren to pull the blanket back over my shoulders. “I just want to get back to the hotel room and get a good night’s sleep.”

  It was a lie, really. I was buzzing with nerves and couldn’t stop fidgeting, a bundle of energy unable to sit still. The adrenaline, most likely.

  “Jayce!”

  Kell called out the guitarist’s name as he approached, finished giving his statement. He took his place in the circle of people hovering over me. Morris gave him a slap on the shoulder and Ren gave him a one-armed half-hug. Kell pulled Jayce in for a tight squeeze and thumped him on the back several times before letting go.

  “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” Kell admonished.

  “I’ll try not to get attacked by scary fangirls from now on, I promise.”

  “Are you finished with the police?” Deena asked.

  “For now. There’s going to be some follow-up, but they said they were done with me for the night.”

  I saw Neil out of the corner of my eye, standing awkwardly outside the circle, looking like he wanted to intrude but didn’t dare.

  “Neil, you finished, too?” I asked, prompting him to come forward.

  He nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets. “They told me to go to the station to give a more formal statement in the morning.”

  “Me, too,” I said. Jayce nodded.

  “Ailey…” Neil trailed off, glancing hesitantly at Jayce. “You doing okay?”

  “I must be doing better than I look, because everyone’s treating me like I’m going to fall apart any second. I’m feeling fine. Yeah, it was scary, but we’re safe now.”

  In fact, I was feeling more than fine. My body was awash with adrenaline. I felt like I could get up and run a marathon. They said that experiencing a near death experience gave people a kind of high, a rush of excitement.

  Wasn’t there a cliché about people getting the urge to fuck after a brush with death? I supposed all clichés had a grain of truth, because I was feeling that familiar tingle right then.

  ”I just want to go back to my hotel room.” And take care that itch.

  “You’re right,” Kell spoke up, almost too loud. “You should go get some rest. Jayce, Neil,” Kell gave them each a pointed look, “Ailey shouldn’t go alone. Why don’t the two of you take her to her hotel room?”

  My mouth popped open and I stared wide-eyed at Kell. Neil looked taken aback while Jayce gave Kell an amused look.

  “The both of you better make sure she gets there safe and sound,” Kell added with a grin.

  Jayce wrapped an arm around my shoulder and Ren let him pull me up and off the back of the ambulance. My knees were a little shaky, but aside from that, I was fine.

  “You coming?” Jayce tossed the question to Neil, who looked befuddled but took my hand anyway.

  Kell gave me a smug look. I wanted to be peeved at him. Could he be more obvious? Another part of me, though, couldn’t help but squirm inwardly in excitement.

  I hadn’t been able to have that conversation with the two of them like I’d planned.

  It looked like I was getting my chance.

  CHAPTER 23

  THE TWO OF them guided me to a taxi and piled in next to me, one on either side. The taxi ride to the hotel was quiet, as was the elevator ride to my room. Neil tried to speak a few times but always fell silent.

  I tried not to be impatient as the lights on the elevator lit up floor by floor, but Neil must have sensed it. He snuck his hand around my waist and pressed it against the small of my back,
lending me a comforting touch. I leaned into him and took in a deep breath. I could smell his aftershave along with a woodsy scent that sent warmth flooding through me.

  Jayce noticed and brushed his hand against mine, not wanting to be left out. I wondered if Kell had spoken to him. Did he know what was going to happen tonight?

  When the elevator doors opened, I took both of them by the hand and led them to my hotel room. I pulled them through the door and shut it behind me. When I turned to face them, I saw two very different expressions.

  Jayce’s was fierce, hot. Neil’s was confused, apprehensive. I felt the need to go to him first. I cupped his face in my hands and leaned against him so close my breasts were pressed against his chest. Those bright blue eyes searched mine for a moment before flicking over to Jayce briefly.

  “Ailey, what—”

  I cut him off with a kiss, lowering his head with a light pull. I pressed a soft kiss on his mouth, then ran my tongue between my lips. He groaned and parted them for me, letting my tongue stroke leisurely against his until he pulled away sharply, expression almost scared as he glanced at Jayce again.

  “Ailey, what are you—”

  “There’s been too much confusion,” I interrupted him. “Too many misunderstandings between me and you, between you and Jayce. Between all three of us really.” I shook my head. “It doesn’t have to be confusing anymore. It can be simple.”

  I took both their hands in mine. I leaned up to press a quick kiss to Neil’s mouth before leaning over and doing the same to Jayce.

  “Ailey, I don’t understand.” Neil sounded so lost.

  “Do you want me?”

  “I—” He stopped and snuck another glance at Jayce, who looked both relaxed and tense at the same time, like a languid tiger considering whether to pounce on his prey. Jayce gave Neil a sharp nod, as if in answer to an unspoken question. I knew he was just waiting for Neil’s response.

  “Forget about your job. Forget about me and Jayce. Just answer. Do you want me?”

  “Yes,” he replied quietly.

  “And I want you. Both of you.”