Wild Renegade

by Andria Large

  I clap him on the shoulder. "It's okay, man."

  Lizette is next to give me a hug. Dennis is hanging back with Nicole, so I go to him. I grab him and pull him into a fierce hug, fuck my ribs. Dennis grunts in surprise but hugs me back.

  "I'm sorry that I ever doubted your ability. You saved our lives and I don't know how I will ever repay you," I whisper to him.

  I feel Dennis nod but he doesn't say anything. I pat the back of his head before letting him go. Dennis gives me a tight smile. I can see that he's a little choked up, so I decide to lighten the mood.

  "You totally owe me for the cost of cleanup, though." I snicker.

  Dennis grins and shrugs. "I'll have to work it off because I don't have that kind of money," he teases.

  "Deal." I chuckle.

  "You are all free to go," Detective Brice says.

  I didn't even know he was still standing there. I go and shake his hand one more time and thank him, as does Nicole and Dennis. Beau and Lizette insist that we stay with them, and I'm too tired to argue, so we all pile into Beau's car. First stop is to drop Dennis off at his condo, and then we go to Beau and Lizette's place. Lizette rescheduled the next two concert stops, tacking them onto the end of the tour instead, so we have about a week before we have to get back on the road, giving us some time to recover.

  As soon as we walk into the condo, Lizette's phone starts blowing up. She answers call after call. She gives us an apologetic look before walking down the hall and shutting herself in the office. Beau goes into the kitchen and opens the fridge.

  "You guys have to be starving," he says and starts rattling off what they have to eat.

  I opt for a sandwich while Nicole just wants to go lie down. Beau shows her to the guest room then comes back and pulls out everything to make a sandwich. I sit at the island counter, head resting against my fist, and watch him make me a turkey and cheese sandwich.

  "You doing okay?" Beau asks quietly.

  "I guess." I sigh.

  Beau eyes flick to mine. "You don't look okay. You look like you're about to lose your shit."

  "The past couple of days have been the worst I've ever had," I croak. Damn, Beau, why did he have to go and say something like that?

  "Who knew being in love with a woman would be so hard," he mutters, shaking his head.

  I try to swallow past the lump in my throat. He could say that again. I never had these kinds of problems when I was single. I stare at the ring on Beau's left hand. They haven't gotten married yet, but it's all planned for when we have our break between the U.S. and European tours. Nicole's father would never approve of us getting married. I don't give a shit about that, though. I want to marry her and I will, with or without his blessing.

  Beau slides the plate with my sandwich across the table. I lift the sandwich and take a bite, forgetting about the stitches in my mouth. I grunt and groan and force the food onto the good side of my mouth. It still hurts to chew, though.

  "Ugh...sandwich was a bad idea," I grunt in pain, placing a hand over my bad cheek.

  Beau winces. "Shit, I forgot. Let me see if we got some canned soup or something," he says, turning to look through some cabinets for soup.

  He found some Campbell's chicken noodle, so he heats that up for me and takes the sandwich for himself. I thank him. The soup is much easier to eat. We eat in comfortable silence. As Beau is cleaning up, someone pounds on the front door. Beau moves to get it, but I stop him.

  "I got it," I say.

  Beau nods and goes back to cleaning up. I shuffle to the door and take a look out the peep hole. It's a frantic looking Dean so I open the door. He sees me and immediately sags in relief, then wraps me up in his arms. I can feel his body trembling.

  "Jesus Christ, man, there are all kinds of rumors going around. I thought you were fucking dead," he breathes.

  "I'm okay," I whisper.

  He lets me go after a moment, but only to grab my shoulders and look me over. "How's Nicole?"

  "She's okay." I nod.

  He frowns hard. "I heard something about her throat getting slit, please tell me that's not true," he croaks.

  I motion for him to come inside, and then I shut the door behind him. Dean is staring at me, waiting anxiously for an answer. I know he has a soft spot for Nicole, as they have become really good friends, so I know he's going to freak out over this.

  "It's true," I say.

  Dean visibly pales. "Where is she? Can I see her?"

  "I think she's sleeping."

  He nods fervently. "Okay, okay, I don't want to disturb her. Was it bad?"

  I walk over to the couch and sit down. Dean follows, sitting down next to me. "She needed thirty stitches."

  "Fuck," Dean breathes as he leans forward and drops his face into his hands.

  Beau joins us. He sits on the love seat adjacent to us.

  "I can't believe this happened. Is Hillary really dead? I heard Dennis shot her," Dean asks, looking at me over his shoulder.

  I nod. "Yes, Dennis shot and killed her."

  His lip curls in disgust. "Good. That bitch deserved it," he snarls.

  "Agreed," Beau chimes in.

  Dean looks at Beau. "Where's Lizette?"

  "Her phone won't stop ringing."

  Dean snorts. "I'm sure. This shit is running rampant all over every news station."

  I drop my head to the back of the couch. "Fan-fucking-tastic," I groan. "I wish I had a smoke right about now."

  "You couldn't smoke anyway with stitches in your mouth," Beau offers, like that's supposed to make me feel better.

  I close my eyes and immediately see red. Dammit, I need to go lie with Nicole, hold her in my arms. I stand and look back at Dean. "Sorry man, I gotta go lie down, too. I'm exhausted."

  "No, don't be sorry. Do what you gotta do. I'll be here when you get up," Dean says.

  "Okay," I murmur and head for the bedroom.

  I walk in as quietly as possible in case Nicole is sleeping. It's still fairly light in the room because it's only five pm. Nicole is lying on her back with the covers up to her chest. Her dark hair is spread out on the pillow that's under her head and one hand is resting next to her head. For a moment, I think that she's sleeping, but her eyes open and she looks at me as I climb into the bed.

  "Did I wake you?" I ask quietly.

  I lie down on my back and she immediately drapes herself over my body. "No," she says, her voice sounding like a frightened little girl.

  I wrap my arms around her. "Shit, Nikki, why didn't you come get me?"

  She makes a strangled noise and I know she's trying not to cry. "I don't know," she finally sobs.

  I move her so that I can sit up against the headboard, then gather her up and put her in my lap. I hold her as she falls completely apart. Her face is tucked into the side of my neck and she's clutching my shirt as she bawls her eyes out. Oh god, it hurts my heart to hear her cry like this, but I know that she needs it. I let my own tears just roll down my face. I'm not a crier but after such a traumatic event, I think I deserve to let some tears go.

  I rock her slowly and rub her back, letting her cry for as long as she needs. After fifteen minutes, she finally quiets and she slowly gets heavier until she finally goes slack - she's fallen asleep. I kiss her forehead and gently lay her down on the bed. My shoulder is soaked, so I pull my shirt off, wipe her eyes and nose, and then toss the shirt on the floor. I lie down next to her and wrap my arms around her, pulling her back against my front. I tuck my face into the back of her neck and take a deep breath. We're alive. We're safe. That's all that matters.

  ~Nicole~

  I wake with a gasp. My eyes dart around the darkened room as I try to figure out where I am. I slowly remember that I'm at Beau and Lizette's. Then the rest of the day hits me and I groan. I roll over and realize that I'm alone. I know Ace was here because he held me while I fell apart then fell asleep on him. I wonder if he got any sleep. I stretch, being careful not to stretch my neck too much. It doesn't even fee
l right to turn my head from side to side; I can feel the stitches pull under the bandage and it freaks me out. I get out of bed and quietly open the door, needing to find the bathroom before coming into contact with anyone. I quickly make my way down the hall to the bathroom and close myself in. I turn on the light then have to squint against the brightness of it. I have no idea what time it is, but it sounds pretty quiet in the rest of the condo.

  I go to the sink and wash the smudged makeup off my face. I stare into the mirror after drying off my face, gingerly touching the bandage that is taped to my neck. The skin around the bandage is starting to bruise. I swallow hard and try not to think about how close I came to dying. I make my way out into the main living area of the condo and into the great room/kitchen combo. The lights are on and it seems like everyone and their mother are sitting in the living room, talking softly. Every member of Renegade is here, including a few bodyguards - Dennis and another guy that I've never met. Luckily, Ace spots me first. He gets up and comes over to me.

  I'm met with a tender kiss. "Hey, baby, did you sleep good?" he asks with a soft smile.

  I nod. "I did, actually. Did you sleep at all?"

  I already know the answer just by how ragged he looks. His hair is a mess and his normally bright eyes are dull and have dark circles under them. He looks absolutely exhausted.

  "Maybe an hour." He sighs heavily, shaking his head.

  I frown and brush the backs of my fingers over his stubbled jaw. "Bad dreams?" I whisper.

  He swallows hard and gives me a curt nod. He takes my hand that's on his face and kisses my palm before turning and leading me into the living room. Everyone is up out of their seats and giving me hugs and kisses. Dennis introduces me to the guy standing next to him.

  "Nicole, this is my roommate and best friend, Tucker," he says to me, then turns his head to talk to Tucker. "Tucker, this is Nicole," he says.

  I tilt my head in curiosity as I notice that Tucker watches Dennis' mouth when he talks. Tucker turns toward me with a bright smile and holds out his hand. "Hi, nice to meet you," he says.

  I shake his hand. "You, too."

  "Wish we could have met under better circumstances," he says sincerely.

  I nod in agreement. Tucker is a really good-looking guy with his dark mass of wavy hair and his shockingly crystal blue eyes. He has a naturally cocky yet sexy grin and is built like you wouldn't believe. He's wearing a black wife beater and gray sweatpants and his biceps are probably about the size of my head. Well, maybe not that big, but close.

  "I see the look on your face and if you're wondering, yes, I am deaf and I was reading Dennis' lips," he says with a good-natured smile.

  I blush. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude."

  "Please, it's fine, don't worry about it," he says dismissively.

  I nod and go back over to Ace, who pulls me down onto his lap. Everyone starts talking again but I don't really listen to any of it. I lay my head on Ace's shoulder and lace my fingers with his. Ace is running his fingers from his other hand up and down my arm. It's very soothing actually. All of the talking is interrupted by a knock on the front door. Everyone kinda frowns because everyone is here and we have no idea who could possibly be at the door. Beau gets up and answers it.

  "Where the fuck is Nicole?" I hear Raelynn's voice say.

  Ace and I glance at each other before I jump up and start for the door. My little blonde bombshell of a friend shoves Beau aside and storms into the condo with Sebastian on her heels.

  "Oh my god, Rae, what are you doing here? How did you even know where I was?" I ask in confusion.

  "Bitch, I'm a detective. You don't think I have connections? What the fuck is going on and when were you going to call me?" she shrieks.

  "Raelynn, relax, she's been through a lot today," Ace says as he comes up and puts his arm around my shoulders.

  "Fuck you, Ace! Don't tell me to relax! My best friend almost dies and I can't get a fucking phone call?" she shouts furiously.

  "I'm sorry, Rae, I didn't even call my mom yet." I sigh.

  "Oh, don't I know it. She's been calling me nonstop trying to find out what’s going on because you're not answering your phone," she snaps.

  I frown. "I don't even know where my phone is."

  "You still could have called your mother; she's worried sick about you, and so am I. That's why I'm here - I have been dying to find out if you are even still alive or not because every report on the news is different."

  "I'm sorry," I say again.

  It's then that Raelynn really looks at me. Her eyes zero in on the bandage on my neck and her eyes well up.

  "Oh my god, your neck," she squeaks before pressing her fingers to her mouth.

  I go to her and give her a hug. She clings to me and starts apologizing for her outburst. I brush it off, knowing that she is just worried and upset. As I'm hugging Rae, I hear Sebastian say to Ace, "I'd like a word with you in private." Oh great, here we go, Sebastian is probably going to give Ace shit about the whole cheating thing.

  Dennis stands and moves toward Ace and Sebastian. “I’m not comfortable with that. Who are you?” Dennis asks Sebastian warily.

  “I’m Sebastian Beck, Nicole and my wife Raelynn as best friends,” he says, holding out his hand to Dennis.

  “It’s cool Dennis, they are friends,” Ace assures him.

  Dennis shakes Sebastian’s hand. “I’m Dennis Parrish, Ace’s bodyguard until Alex gets better.”

  “Nice to meet you, my man,” Sebastian replies.

  “You, too,” Dennis murmurs.

  Ace gives Dennis a clap on the shoulder before he leads Sebastian down the hall and into the guest room where we are staying, shutting the door behind them. After Raelynn calms down, I introduce her to everyone and wait for Ace and Sebastian to come back.

  ~Ace~

  I shut the door behind us and wait for Sebastian to rail into me. I'm ninety percent sure that he's going to hit me, so I'm shocked when he sits down on the end of the bed and laces his fingers together, placing them in his lap. I blink curiously at him and wonder what he wants to talk to me about.

  "I heard about what happened at Nicole's parents’ house with her father," he says.

  I hum in acknowledgement. "Yeah, that was pretty bad. I really felt horrible for Nikki," I say.

  "Fuck her dad man, you don't need his approval. All you need is mine and you got it, so don't worry about it," he says seriously.

  I bark out a laugh. "You are one cocky sonofabitch, you know that?"

  Sebastian grins. "Yes, I do."

  I chuckle. "I thought you were gonna rail on me about the whole cheating debacle."

  "Yeah, well, I was, but Rae and I had a cheating misunderstanding early in our relationship, so I can commiserate." He sighs.

  "Thanks, man," I say sincerely.

  Sebastian nods. "So are you planning on marrying Nikki?"

  I smirk. "No beating around the bush for you, huh? Just throwing out the big guns."

  Sebastian snickers. "Always, my friend."

  I shake my head and roll my eyes at him. This guy is nuts.

  "Well?"

  "I haven't asked her yet, but I was planning on marrying her when we make our stop in Las Vegas. Just elope. We all know having a regular wedding will never work with her father being the way he is; it would only hurt Nicole, so I thought this would be better."

  "You just gonna spring it on her when you get to Las Vegas? Like "Hey, baby, while we're here, let’s get married?" he asks.

  I laugh. "Yeah, kinda. You think that's stupid?"

  Sebastian shakes his head. "No, I think it's awesome. And Nicole is definitely the kind of woman that you can do something like that with."

  "You don't think she'll say no, do you?" I ask hesitantly.

  "Man, not with the way she talks to Rae about you. You are her world. There is no way in hell that she's going to say no," Sebastian assures me.

  I blow out the breath I didn't even realize I was holding.
"Okay, good."

  "I only have one request," Sebastian says.

  "What's that?"

  "You at least have to have Rae and me there. She is going to need her best friend," he says.

  I nod. "You are absolutely right. I'll fly you guys out; you can come to the concert, too."

  Sebastian throws his arms up and whoops. "Yes! It's been my dream in life to see one of your concerts! Oh my gawd!" he says in his valley girl voice.