Cross (Courting Chaos Book 1)

by Heather Young-Nichols

  I crawled underneath the table to grab it and saw something white poking out from under the bench, so I pulled it out. Then I turned it over and found one of my pictures.

  One Eric hadn’t torn up—because it had fallen either in his flurry or when I’d printed it.

  In my hand was the one picture out of all the others I would’ve wished to be saved. The one with Eric and the girl accusing him.

  I really needed to go find Cross.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Cross

  I rolled over on the bed on the bus and tried to pull Indie closer to me. Only Indie wasn’t there. I sprung up and looked around, but the entire room was empty. Where the hell could she be?

  After swinging my legs off the bed, I grabbed my jeans from yesterday and pulled them on so I could go looking for her. There weren’t many places she could be on a tour bus. I stepped out of the bedroom, took four steps, and knocked on the bathroom door.

  “She’s not in there,” Ransom called from up front. So I headed that way.

  “Why do you know that?”

  “Because I witnessed her walk of shame escape this morning. She left like an hour ago.”

  “Why would she do that?” Not really asking him, more just thinking out loud.

  “Maybe you’re not as good as you think, Sleeping Beauty.”

  “Fuck you,” I muttered, but Ransom just laughed.

  “I’m just messing with you. From the sounds of it, you’re just as good as you think you are.”

  “Oh, man… Please don’t say that to her.”

  “I wouldn’t.” He swung his legs over to sit up. “I know you too well.”

  “And that means?”

  “I know who the hookups are and who the hookups aren’t. I usually know before you do and I called you and Indie the day you tried to kick her out of the arena.”

  Unfortunately, he was telling the truth. He did know when I really liked someone usually before I’d admitted it to myself.

  “And this one’s a keeper?” he asked.

  I nodded as I sat on a chair facing him. “If she’ll let me. I don’t know, but she’s got me. I’m like crazy about her.” I could barely believe it myself. I’d had girlfriends, thought I’d been in love before, but Indie was already so much more than any of them had been.

  “She have special sex tricks or something?”

  I lifted a middle finger his way. “It started before that.”

  If I thought about it really hard, I could pinpoint the moment. I’d known she was different the day she’d outed me in the coffee shop. Once a girl found out I was part of Courting Chaos, they usually fell all over themselves to do anything and everything I could want. And I do mean anything. Indie didn’t give a fuck who I was. Benefit of growing up around this life, I supposed.

  “Have you sent her a text?” Ransom asked.

  I shook my head because I thought she was still here.

  “Why the fuck not, asshole?”

  “Good question.”

  I pushed off the chair and went back to the bedroom for my phone. After bringing up her name, I paused. What was I supposed to say? There was a lot I wanted to say but wasn’t sure this was the time.

  Missed you this morning, I typed out instead.

  Then I sat there for who-knew-how-long waiting for an answer. When none came, I went and took a shower. I stood there and let the water rain down on me, but I couldn’t keep my thoughts off Indie. The way her hands had felt running over my skin, the way her body had felt under mine, and the little sounds that had come from her mouth when I’d done something she’d really liked. Noises I now knew Ransom had heard.

  Next time, we go to her bus, where we can be alone.

  Once out of the shower, I saw that Indie still hadn’t answered my text. So I sent another. Everything all right? Then I tossed my phone onto the bed. If I let myself, her not answering would drive me crazy. Yeah, I’d noticed she normally had it completely silenced but she still didn’t usually miss calls or texts. I needed something else to focus on.

  Music. That had always been something I could get lost in. I didn’t feel like writing, so I went inside the arena, where my kit should have already been set up. A little bit of banging against the drums should ease some tension.

  An hour later, my muscles were tired and I needed something to drink. I’d headed backstage, grabbed a water, and checked my phone again.

  Nothing.

  Damn it.

  That was it. Time to go search for Indie and find out what the fuck was wrong.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Indie

  Finding Cross shouldn’t have been that hard. There weren’t that many places to go around here. Even inside the arena—while it was empty anyway.

  I shoved the picture I’d found in my back pocket as I crossed the parking lot to his bus. Yet when I pounded on the door, no one answered. OK, time to head inside. Right then I really wished I had my phone to help locate him. But the only place I could think it would be was in his bedroom. I’d looked everywhere else that came to mind. Hopefully, Cross had found it and had it with him in the arena.

  Once inside, I went straight for their dressing room and banged on that. This time someone yelled out, “Yeah,” so I pushed forward, letting the door shut behind me.

  “Cross, I found a… ” And that was where I let my words die off.

  It wasn’t Cross who’d spoken. It was Eric Drinkswine.

  “You found a what?” he asked.

  “I’m looking for Cross. Is he here?” I glanced at the door to measure how far in I’d gotten before noticing him. A quick dash and I should be able to make it to the door before he could get to me if I needed to.

  “Just me.”

  “OK.” I turned toward the door.

  “Hold on.” He began stalking toward me like he was the predator and I was the prey. “Maybe we should discuss some things.”

  “I have nothing to talk to you about.”

  “But I think we do. I want the rest of your pictures.” He was getting too close to me.

  “I don’t have any pictures of you, Eric.”

  “I should be the judge of that. See, the band used to be about playing gigs and getting women. For some reason now the women part is actually frowned upon. This tour specifically and I think you and your dad have a hand in that.”

  “Nobody cares who you fuck. They only care that they’re actually women and not young girls.”

  Eric lunged at me. Right as he got close, I lifted a knee hard into his balls. He groaned, cupped dick, and staggered back, giving me the chance to bolt. I turned the handle and got it open an inch before he slammed his big hand against the wood and slammed it shut.

  “Let me go, Eric.” I stepped away because I couldn’t take the alcohol on his breath blowing in my face.

  His face was etched with pure hatred. Instead of letting me out, he slowly staggered my way. And there wasn’t a fucking back exit to this room that I knew of. Yet still he came closer and closer. Right when I was about to knee him again, another set of hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Cross raged at Eric. “You don’t fucking touch her.”

  “Oh, so you’ve got rock princess pussy now and you think you can tell me what to do?” Eric sneered at me, his eyes narrowing, and his chest puffing out.

  “Fuck you, Eric.” Cross waved his hands in front of him like a broom. “You’re done.”

  Eric cocked his head to the side and a hard smile spread across his face. “You don’t get to decide that.”

  “The hell I don’t,” Cross shot back with confidence.

  As they yelled at each other, they took steps closer and closer, getting in each other’s faces.

  Eric drew back and punched Cross. Cross reacted and all hell broke loose. I needed to find a way around them to get to the door. To get help.

  There was an opening and I took a chance. They scuffled right into me. An elbow h
it my face and pain exploded around my eye. I slammed into the wall and slid down onto my ass. Fuck, that hurt.

  “Shit, Indie. Come here.” That wasn’t Cross’ voice. Strong hands lifted me off the ground and helped guide me as I stumbled out of the room. “Sit.” My savior lowered me onto a step.

  There was only one staircase in the area that lead up to the rafters, so I could visualize where I was without looking around.

  “You all right?” Ransom asked. He was the one who had gotten me out of the dressing room.

  “I think so.” I carefully pushed against my cheekbone. “I think it’s just bruised, not broken.”

  “I’m gonna get you an ice pack.”

  Lawson yelled from the other room, then Cross stomped out and came right for me.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. There was blood smeared under his nose and sweat dotting his forehead.

  “Are you?”

  “Yeah,” he said, pulling up the hem of his shirt and wiping the blood away.

  “Here ya go.” Ransom stood back in front of me offer an ice pack.

  “Thanks,” I said, taking it from him and gently touching it to my cheek which made me wince. The coldness was soothing but any pressure on the injured area was uncomfortable.

  “Thanks, man,” Cross said, looking at Ransom.

  “Yeah. I’m going to go see what we’re doing next.” He began to walk away but then looked back at us. “Where’s Drink?”

  Cross shook his head but kept his eyes on me. “Last I saw he was still in there with Lawson.”

  Ransom walked away, leaving us as alone as we could be in an arena full of backstage people.

  “What happened?” Cross asked. He brushed a thumb over the non-ice-packed cheek.

  “I was looking for you. I thought you were in the dressing room. You weren’t.”

  Cross sighed. “I was looking for you. I sent a few texts this morning and you never answered.”

  “I think my phone fell out of my pocket in your room. I couldn’t find it this morning. Then I went shopping with Dean.”

  “Shopping?”

  “Yeah.” I shifted myself on the stair. “New camera, computer, printer. Everything that asshole broke.”

  “I said I’d take you shopping.”

  “I know,” I said with a nod. “But when I got back to my bus this morning my dad was waiting for me.”

  His eyes grew wide. It would’ve been funny if my cheek weren’t throbbing so intently.

  “He knows you stayed on my bus last night?”

  “Yeah. It’s fine. He isn’t mad.”

  “I don’t care if he’s mad or not. I just thought maybe I’d talk to you about last night before you talked to your dad about it.”

  I giggled at his concern. “No worries. I gave you good marks.”

  “Christ.” He sighed and scrubbed a hand on the back of his head.

  “I’m kidding. He knows that’s all. But he insisted I go replace everything today. You can still take me shopping some other time.”

  “Plan on it.”

  “Oh!” My eyes popped open wide as I remembered why I’d been looking for him in the first place. “I found a copy of the picture wedged under the table. It’s the one of Eric and that girl.”

  I pulled the picture out of my pocket and handed it to him. He’d already been angry when he’d sat down, but pure rage burned in his eyes. To soothe that, I placed a hand on his cheek and turned him back to face me. Then I leaned in and pressed my lips to his.

  This. This is what I’d needed today.

  “What the actual fuck?” Dad’s voice echoed against the walls.

  “You said he knew,” Cross said to me.

  “He does.” I stood up and waited for him to get closer.

  “Did you do this to her?” Dad pointed at my cheek.

  Cross sprung to his feet. “Fuck no.” But Dad wasn’t stopping.

  “Woah, there.” I slid in between them before this misunderstanding got out of hand. “Of course he didn’t do this.” I pointed at my cheek. “There was a thing with Eric and Cross jumped in. I caught an elbow as I was trying to get out of the room. Then Ransom brought me out here.”

  It took a good thirty seconds of Dad staring at me, his nostrils flaring with anger, before he looked over to Cross and said, “Did you kick his ass?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dad nodded. As he turned away, he motioned for me to follow.

  “Should I tell him it was your elbow?” I whispered to Cross.

  “Fuck,” he muttered and stopped dead. When I turned back he asked, “Was it?”

  I snorted. “I don’t know. I wasn’t watching the body parts. Come on.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Cross

  “Cross, get in here,” Lawson called from the dressing room. I’d rather have gone with Indie, but the band had shit to figure out.

  “Hey.” I tugged on her arm to get her attention. “I have to go deal with this. See you after?”

  “Absolutely. Text me.”

  “You don’t have your phone, remember?”

  “Oh shoot. Right. Well, come find me then.” Before she continued to follow Vince, she pushed on her toes and kissed me on the lips like she didn’t care who saw her. I know I didn’t.

  Lawson shut the door behind me after I got into the dressing room, where Ransom and Dixon stood, leaning against a wall, on one side of the room and Drink was on the other. I chose to sit on the table because I didn’t want to be anywhere near that asshole.

  “Obviously, things have escalated,” Lawson said. “Some decisions have to be made.”

  “Does that include him not being in my sight?” I asked while glaring at Drink.

  “When did you turn into such a whiny bitch?” Drink said back.

  It took all of my willpower to keep my ass on that table and not spring forward to choke him to death. If karma was a thing, he was going to be getting his soon enough and I hoped like hell the court system would be the one to deliver it.

  “Anybody want to tell me what happened?” Lawson asked, ignoring him.

  “These guys have turned into whiny bitches who’ve forgotten how to have fun.”

  “Or,” I said, “he’s sleeping with underage girls and threatening anyone who might know.”

  “That’s bullshit.”

  “You put your fucking hands on Indie. And I happen to have a picture of you with the girl accusing you. So don’t tell me it’s bullshit.”

  “Fuck,” he roared. “I knew that bitch had something.”

  “Enough.” Lawson’s voice commanded the room, but anger still burned in my veins. “What do you guys want to do now?”

  “I want Drink out,” Dixon said first. This surprised me because he was pretty quiet on the Drink front.

  “Same,” Ransom agreed.

  I took another minute. It was one thing to say I wanted him gone. But this was bigger than just that. Lawson knew we wanted him gone. This was the time for me to make my stand. So instead I said, “I won’t play with him again.”

  “That’s a big statement,” Lawson said.

  I nodded. “It is. But that fucker put his hands on my girlfriend. I won’t play with him again.” I had no idea if Indie thought she was my girlfriend, but for me, I didn’t need a statement between us to feel it. And with her, I fucking felt it everywhere.

  Lawson nodded, then turned his focus on Drink. “You’ve got to go, Eric.”

  “What?” Eric stepped back with wide eyes then scratched at his right eyebrow.

  “You’ve got to go. You’re constantly late, mostly drunk, now the accusations of sex with underage girls… Not to mention Vince won’t let you stay on tour once Indie fills him in on everything. You’ve got to go. We need to make a statement that this was your choice. But you’ve got to go. Now.”

  “We have a show tonight.”

  “If you stay, we don’t have a drummer,” Lawson countered. “I’ve organized sets without a bassist. I once even got i
t done without the lead singer. But a show doesn’t exist without the drummer. We’ll have to cancel tonight.”

  “What about Kissing Cinder?” I asked, hating the idea of canceling at all, but I really hated the idea of letting them down when they’d given us this opportunity. Especially now that I was with Indie. I didn’t want to let her down.

  “They’ll either get a stand-in for tonight or they’ll cancel, too. Once we figure this shit out, we can schedule a makeup for your fans if they still play tonight. Shit happens. We’ll figure it out.”

  “You’ll all regret this,” Drink said as he grabbed his bag and began stuffing shit into it. “I didn’t want to be here in the first fucking place.”

  Ransom, Dixon, and I kept our mouths shut and let Lawson handle him. Plus, I was pretty sure if I got involved, I’d put my fist through Drink’s face again. I didn’t need the headache. Right then I just wanted to get back to Indie. Make sure she was OK.

  “Aw, man,” Dixon said as were about to leave the room. “Does this mean we’ll go down to one bus?”

  I chuckled. “Doubt it. We do still need a bassist. Besides, even if we went down to one, I don’t think I’ll be on it much, so you’ll be back to two-per-bus.”

  “You’re leaving us for Indie Cinderstone?” Ransom asked, pretending to be outraged.

  “Not leave, Ran.” I gave his cheek three light taps. “Just growing the family.”

  Ransom snapped his head back from my hand. “Touch me like that again and I’m going to start calling her ‘Mommy.’”

  I shuddered. “That’s disturbing.”

  Leaving that room that night, a weight lifted from my shoulders. We wouldn’t be playing that night, which sucked. But I wouldn’t have to look at Drink’s face anymore. All in all, I called that a win.

  “Hey,” I called out to Indie as she exited Kissing Cinder’s dressing room.

  “How’d it go?” she asked as she pulled me over to the side, where hopefully no one would overhear.

  Sometimes privacy wasn’t easy to come by, but we did our best.

  “How’s this?” I pushed at her much more purple bruise causing her to recoil. Just seeing it made the rage surge again.