by Shari Copell
Stone and his five bouncers had gone out forty-five minutes earlier to prowl around. Her mother had stuck her head in the kitchen once and informed them that several patrons had been shown the door for alcohol-fueled rowdiness. Hopefully, that would send a message to everyone else. If it didn’t work, Tage was prepared to cancel Wild Angel and call the police. Nicks had protested that decision, but it was more productive to argue with a doorknob than try to change Tage Sorenson’s mind.
It had taken some time, but the bar had quieted down significantly. So what was the holdup?
Finally, Stone stuck his head in the kitchen. “You guys ready to go on? Dimitri’s waiting to do a sound check then you can start right away.”
“Thank God. I thought we’d never get out of this kitchen.” Nicks grabbed her guitars.
“Things calmed down once we got rid of the troublemakers. The place is now full of rabid Wild Angel fans who’re ready to rock. It’s still crowded out here, but it’s orderly. Stay behind me and I’ll escort you to the stage,” Stone instructed.
Yeah, this was a first. An escort to the stage. She lined up behind Pip and Charm. As if she’d heard her thoughts, Pip turned to her and said, “Oh, c’mon, Nicks. All the big names get an escort to the stage.”
Big names. Is this what it meant to be a big name? Loss of freedom? Cowering in a kitchen somewhere waiting for someone to lead you around by the nose? If that were the case, she didn’t want to outgrow Tapestries. It was comfortable. It was home.
Charm, who was first in line, was barely out the door when the cheering and whistling started. Nicks grinned in spite of herself, her heart thumping an excited rhythm in her chest. She loved to play to an enthusiastic crowd. Tonight was going to be awesome.
The place exploded with noise when she appeared out of the kitchen. She stopped for a moment and looked at the people that surrounded her. Three, four deep, they clapped and whistled loudly.
She cut a glance to her mother and Marybeth working behind the bar. Both of them were smiling proudly. She knew why. Wild Angel was finally getting the recognition they deserved.
The mass of people parted at Stone’s urging as they followed along behind him. No one tried to touch them or pull them out of line. That was good. The crowd was excited, but not aggressive. Here for the music and a good time, not to snatch one of them. Nicks started to relax.
Stone’s men were positioned strategically in front of Tapestries’ small stage, creating a buffer of about eight feet all around. Tiny was a human barricade standing right in the middle, his hands clasped politely in front of him. A dark-gray fedora sat atop his head. It added to the intimidation factor, making him look like a Mafioso.
I don’t know if I like this. She’d miss playing around with the guys up front, but she wasn’t going to question Stone’s judgment.
He ushered them up onto the stage, making eye contact with her only once. All business, he then looked away as if he didn’t know her. She understood perfectly. The crowd needed to see he was in control.
Nicks took the stage and quickly donned her guitar. Charm did the same. Pip took her place on her drummer’s throne. Stone went along behind them and removed the empty guitar cases to a safe place behind the stage.
“Okay?” Stone mouthed to Nicks.
She nodded. It would have to be okay. They were late as it was. Stone dipped his head in acknowledgment as he took his place near one of the speaker stacks out front.
“Ready, ladies?” Nicks focused on Pip and Charm, more to settle her own nerves than theirs.
“I don’t know. I can’t freaking breathe,” said Pip. “Did you see all those people? They’re elbow to elbow out there. You made quite an impression on them last Saturday, Nicks.”
“They came to see us,” Nicks corrected. “I love you guys. We’re a team. We’re going to rock the house tonight, and when we’re through, they’ll be talking about us all over Pittsburgh. Can you handle that?”
Charm grinned and adjusted her bass on her shoulders. “I’ll handle it.”
“Let’s go,” said Pip with a slight nod of her head.
Nicks turned, shaded her eyes against the hot lights overhead, and searched for Dimitri at the sound board at the back of the room. “Let’s get this sound check done,” she said into the mic. “We’re gonna burn this fucking place to the ground tonight.”
The ensuing roar shook the floor, the walls, and the dark hardwood beams in the ceiling.
As the girls ran through a sound check, Stone perused the crowd and tried to figure out why he felt so uneasy.
This debacle had started with the kid at the door, a part-time cook they’d called in at the last minute to check IDs and collect the cover charge. Tage usually did that job on dance nights, but he had his hands full. Though the bar was filled to capacity, the kid kept letting people in, mostly his underage friends. For free. Stone replaced him with Art.
Stone and David then moved through the crowd checking for the hand stamp indicating payment and asking to see identification. That resulted in ten or eleven people being escorted out of the building. It helped, but not enough. There was nothing he could do about the rest of them. It was bad business karma to ask someone over twenty-one who’d paid to leave simply because Tapestries was packed, even if you refunded their money.
The eight boys—Stone refused to think of them as men—sitting at a front table smashing beer bottles on the floor and molesting the waitresses were the next to go. The ringleader, a large kid with a buzz cut already drunk off his ass, started to give him shit when asked to leave. Thank God for Tiny. “Time to take out the trash,” the big man had shouted, and proceeded to do just that. Tiny was getting paid double tonight.
After that, things seemed to settle. The crowd had been reacting to the boys’ bad behavior, and once that was eliminated, they were stoked to see the girls perform. Everyone took their seats if one could be found, or stood along the wall and waited for Wild Angel to take the stage.
But Stone couldn’t tame the fear in his heart. It was ridiculous. The air of malice had gone out the door with the young punk troublemakers. He’d hesitated to allow the girls to come out into this orderly chaos.
When Phil walked up and asked if he were going to wait until next Friday night to start the show, he decided the problem was his. And if he knew Nicks, she was in the kitchen bouncing off the walls, ready to play. He couldn’t delay any longer, no matter how he felt inside.
Stone inspected the crowd one last time as the girls tuned up then took his place on the far right, in the shadows of the speakers out front.
Nicks sat at the bar during Wild Angel’s first break and watched the crowd with a satisfied smile. They were hitting all their marks tonight, feeding off the energy of their fans. The three of them were so damned good together. She simply had to find a way to get them out there. They could be huge if they could get someone—a manager or an agent— to notice them.
Marybeth set a glass of ice water with lemon up on the bar in front of her and winked. Nicks returned the wink. Lifting a gaze to the mirror behind the bar, she surveyed the people at her back.
Though a few people had left—not liking the music or the decibel level, she supposed—the bar was still packed. Stone and his guys were keeping a close eye on them, but honestly, she’d seen rowdier crowds at Tapestries. Pip had been knocked to the floor and walked on one night, and the place hadn’t had one-third of the people in it.
Stone slid into the stool beside her. She kissed him on the cheek. “How do we sound out there?”
“You guys are so freaking good, and I’m not saying that hoping for a reward later on. Though I am sort of hoping for that too...” He hugged her. “Really. You girls are great. Those harmonies kill me.”
“Your friends are doing a good job too. I’m glad you brought them with you. My dad was about to piss down his leg earlier.”
“I was hoping he wouldn’t cancel. I really wanted to play with you.”
“Me too. Hey, you might want t
o get your guitar out and tune it. And set up your mic if you’re going to use it. You’re first up after the break.”
“Gotcha.” He gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
Nicks watched him disappear into the kitchen. She suddenly felt very lucky. Though the last week had been painful, requiring an epic paradigm shift of thinking on her part, she’d landed feet-first into a loving, supportive network of friends and family.
Who could ask for more than that?
“I know some of you saw me play with Heavy Remedy at Point State Park last Saturday,” Nicks said into the mic. Someone near the back of the dining room went “Whoooooo!” She shaded her eyes, trying to see who it was. “At least one of you, anyway. Well, Stone Jensen of Heavy Remedy is here to return the favor tonight. Please give him a warm welcome!”
Stone walked out onto the stage, smiling and nodding, acknowledging the applause. Nicks heard the long, drawn out “Whooooo!” again. She found the culprit this time. A large guy sitting off to the left, dressed head-to-toe in camouflage.
Ah, yes. Hunting season in Pennsylvania made the bars an interesting experience. She pointed at him. “Dude, you’re a maniac!”
“Yeah, baby!” the guy shouted back. The crowd roared with laughter.
Nicks looked at Stone. “You ready?”
“Yep.” He nodded at Pip. “Do you start or does Pip count off?”
“I start,” said Nicks.
“Ready when you are then.” Stone took a deep breath and made some last minute adjustments to the volume controls of his guitar.
“A little Journey for you. Stone in Love,” Nicks said into the mic. She stared at the floor, tapping her right foot in time with the song playing in her head. When she got the groove, she relaxed her shoulders and let fly with the intro.
Stone joined in on guitar then stepped to the mic to sing. Nicks nodded her approval. She’d had a great time playing this in the sunroom with him, but the addition of Charm and Pip were going to take this to a whole new level of awesome.
Listen. Wait for it. One, two, three, four...
Pip clutched a drumstick in each hand, raised them high over her head, and slammed them down into the snare drum in front of her. Charm slid her fingers down the fretboard of her bass at the same time.
Perfect. Flawless. It wouldn’t have gone any better if they’d practiced the song for days. They all knew what was expected of them and made it happen. It was great to be onstage with that level of talent.
Nicks was actually able to interact with the crowd of people standing in front of the stage during the song. She wandered out past Tiny and played in their faces. They loved it. She loved it. Everyone was on their best behavior.
When the song ended, Nicks stepped to the mic. “Yeah! Was that fucking great, or what? Give it up for Stone Jensen of Heavy Remedy!”
“Thank you so much!” Stone raised his left arm into the air. “How about Wild Angel? These girls rock the house!”
The crowd went wild cheering and hooting.
“You rock.” Nicks poked him in the side.
His eyes shone with pride. “We rock.”
Most of the crowd had cleared out by the time they finished the last set at one-thirty in the morning. Tapestries didn’t close until two, so there were still a few regulars present.
She sat at the bar with Charm and Pip as Stone and his crew made sure the patrons exited in an orderly fashion. He finally joined her, pulling up a stool behind the three of them.
“You girls are, hands down, some of the best musicians I’ve ever played with,“ Stone said. “Thanks for giving me the opportunity.”
Charm turned to him with a grin. “Not bad for a couple of vaginas, right?”
Even in the half-light, Nicks could see Stone’s cheeks redden. He raised his right hand into the air. “I swear I will never again allow something so stupid to cross my lips. Forgive me?”
“Forgiven. That sounded amazing. Check out our set list and let us know what other songs you play. I would totally do that again.” Pip bobbed back and forth as she searched behind them. “Anyone seen Dimitri?”
“He’s in the dining room talking to Tiny.”
“S’cuse me. I want to catch him before he leaves.” Pip slipped off the chair. “Think I’m gonna ask him out.”
Nicks raised her right hand for a high five. “’Bout time. You’ve been crushing on him for three months.”
“I’m going to the kitchen and see if Marybeth will make me a burger,” said Charm. “Catch you two later.”
Stone moved to the seat recently vacated by Charm and took Nicks’s hands in his. “You are amazing.” He gave her a flirtatious smile. “It’s your birthday next Thursday. You have plans?”
“Aw, you remembered. That’s sweet.” She put a hand to his cheek. “And no, I don’t have any plans.”
“Do you think your parents would let you come to my house for dinner and a movie?”
“I don’t see why not. There’s only one day left to the school week, and birthdays are special. I’ll ask.”
He lifted the back of her right hand to his lips. “I promise you, it will be a momentous occasion.”
“Oh?” She arched her eyebrows. “How so?”
“I intend to clean my apartment for you. It’s been years since I’ve drawn a bucket of soapy water for anything.”
“So what’s for supper?”
“Lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. I already went shopping, so if your parents say no, I may steal you anyway.”
Bless his little man heart, he was the sweetest thing ever. “I can’t wait. Hey, I have to pee. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
It was always warmer in Tapestries’ ladies’ room than it was out in the bar or dining room. Still chilled from sweating, she thought maybe she’d stay there all night.
She gave herself the once-over in the bathroom mirror, not that it mattered after being under the hot lights all night Eyeliner had smeared all around her eyes, making her look like a raccoon. Her hair was a damp, tangled mess. Oh, well. Being a musician was not a beauty contest. She unlocked the door and stepped out into the foyer.
She came to a halt with furrowed brow. The large crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling had been turned off. The door to the dining room had been pulled shut. Though it was dark, she could see shadows moving around her.
“Are you playing games with me, Mr. Jensen?” She put her hands on her hips.
“Hello, Nicks. It’s nice to see you again. I’d have talked to you earlier, but your boyfriend threw us all out.”
Christ on a cracker! Seth Garrett!
Nicks exhaled sharply. Why did this stuff always happen when she went to the bathroom?
“There was a reason he threw you out. You assholes aren’t welcome here.”
“Tough shit. I came back for you,” Seth growled. “I rescheduled the party I was having for tonight. There’s just one problem. You aren’t there.”
Ohh, shit!
She hurled herself toward the dining room door, using the scant bit of light in the room to adjust her trajectory. She just wasn’t fast enough. He snagged her around the waist before she’d taken two steps. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Half his posse was blocking the door.
Before she could form a coherent thought, he tossed her like a rag doll over his shoulder. Arms flailing, she tried to get her bearings as the world spun circles in the dark. She somehow managed to inhale and split the air with a piercing shriek just before his shoulder slammed into her diaphragm.
She pounded on Seth’s back. “Put me down, you crazy bastard! Let me go!”
“Not a chance.” He chuckled as he turned toward the front door of Tapestries. “Tonight, you’re mine. I’m gonna strip you naked as the day you were born and make you squeal like a pig.”
Her blows were ineffectual. It was like beating on a rock. She went limp, dangling upside down the length of his spine. The front door opened, throwing light from outside onto the floor be
tween his feet. Fucking hell, he really was going to take her!
Half-sick from being tossed around, she ramped up the noise and the attack on his back. If he managed to get her into a car—or its trunk— she was fucked.
“Stone! Tiny! Daddy! Anybody! Help! Help me!”
A rocker’s lungs and vocal chords. You had to love ‘em. The dining room door burst open just as Seth took a step outside. Someone turned the chandelier light on. She briefly saw Stone’s face, twisted with fury, before a dozen or so pissed-off men flooded into the foyer and followed them outside.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Stone stiffened and spun around on the bar stool, his eyes wide. He could’ve sworn he’d heard Nicks scream.
He went still and cocked his head. Yes, there it was again. With the same note of terror he’d heard as she ran toward the stage after escaping from Emily.
“Mr. Sorenson!” He leaped off the chair and turned toward Tage behind the bar. “Something’s happened to Nicks!”
There was no time to wait and see if her father was behind him. Stone sprinted through the archway of the bar and across the dining room.
Nicks screamed again then swore at someone. What the hell was going on out there?
“Tiny! Guys! Help me!” He motioned for his DJs to follow him with his left hand, pulling open the foyer door with his right.
It was dark, but he could see movement out there. He hit the light switch just in time to watch Nicks being carried out the front door, thrown over some big dude’s shoulder. Bracing her hands against the small of the guy’s back, she lifted her head. Stone’s body nearly dissolved in chills. She didn’t even have terror in her eyes like that after Emily tried to kill her.
He raced forward and clamped a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Put her down, you son-of-a-bitch.”
The guy turned around, bouncing Nicks’s head off the door frame in the process.
“Ouch! You fucking asshole!” she hissed and drove her fist into his back. It was quite a punch. Stone got a bad feeling when the man didn’t react.