Reid looked at her sharply. “Are you certain?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile.
The ice felt cold on her skin, but soon the throbbing and soreness were things of the past. Reid got ointment and a wrap from the medic. Colt took it and rubbed the ointment on, and then he wrapped it nice and tight.
She could see the surprise on Reid’s face as Colt ministered to her. He kept blinking and shaking his head. He would turn away before turning back, and the surprise was evident. It took all her will not to giggle.
Nevertheless, more than her urge to giggle was her need to feel Colt’s touch, his lips on hers. Her eyes settled on his lips. They were full and fleshy, inviting. He finished his task and raised his eyes, catching her staring at his mouth. For a second or two, their eyes locked, and she felt sucked in once more. Reid broke the spell.
“That’s pretty good, Colt. I had no idea you had those skills.”
“Cut it out.” Colt stood and walked to his door.
When he was there, he turned. Reid was still examining the wrapping. Colt winked at her, and her heart melted. What did all this mean? What was going to happen now? It was on that thought that she realized that he’d been jealous all along—with Tony, and when he heard she was with a man on the hotel terrace. He was jealous. Yes, that explained his behavior and the sudden change that he had now. The revelation caused her heart to soar, bringing a smile to her face. Maybe something good could come of this, she thought.
22. Chapter 2
Colt had been in high spirits since his little intimate moment with Chelsea. It felt strange. The dark clouds that hung over him every now and then seemed to have been lifted. He lay back on his bed thinking about Reid saying that he should talk to someone about his past. The trouble was, he only remembered bits and pieces. What would he say to the shrink? Moreover, with Chelsea around, it seemed he didn’t need it after all.
It was the day of the concert, and he made the decision to spend some time with the boys rehearsing. They deserved better than he’d been treating them. His past was not their affair, and they could have walked. It was a wonder why they stayed in the band all this time when he never made them feel like a team. Things were going to change … today.
The sounds of the team members caused him to jump from the bed. He picked up his guitar that was leaning against the wall and yanked the door open. Mike, Cory, Andrew, and Tony all turned to look at him.
“Let’s go,” he said, walking past them towards the main entrance. No one moved. They all stared at him in disbelief. “What are you all staring at? Let’s rumble!”
“Are you sick, dude?” Andrew asked.
“Yeah, what’s going on?” Tony frowned, his face betraying his suspicion.
Colt grinned. “I’m fine. Are you all coming or not?”
In silence, they followed a few feet behind. He knew the shock they must be feeling. He was feeling pretty shell-shocked himself. He was not sure if breaking down the wall he’d so carefully constructed around him was a good idea. However, something happened to him that he never thought possible. He loved someone.
His feet froze as well as his brain. His heart started drumming so hard that he thought the boys would hear it. What the hell was that? Love? He loved her? Was it possible?
“I know he couldn’t do it,” Tony’s voice brought him out of his daze.
“Let’s go, creep,” he punched his friend playfully on the shoulder.
Perhaps one of the reasons he was psyched about heading to the pre-concert concert was because she was already there. He liked to call it the pre-concert concert because it was almost as packed as the actual show, except he didn’t actually perform. All they did was play the notes of the songs to perfection.
Chelsea had gone with Reid to finalize every detail—the press, the VIP section and ticket office and everything that was needed to be done. The bus moved slowly, and when it finally rolled to a stop near the beach, he was the first to head out.
He was ahead of the pack when they reached the stage. His eyes darted around for her, but he did not immediately see her. The instruments for the concert were already set up, but he changed the guitar that was meant for him so he could play his personal instrument. He tuned the guitar while he continued to look around.
When his eyes finally caught sight of her, a stab of jealousy almost knocked the wind out of him. She was talking quite animatedly with a man he’d never seen. She was laughing while the guy was making weird gestures. Who the hell was this man? He continued to scrutinize them both while the band started their first song. He could play that song in his sleep so went through the cords quite easily, though his mind was on other matters.
The conversation finally seemed to quell, but before the guy walked away, he hugged her, and she hugged him back. His finger missed and played a wrong cord. All instruments went silent before Cory started on the keyboard again.
“You’re rusty, Colt.” He laughed.
Colt wasn’t feeling as much mirth as he was before. What was it about Chelsea that made him so damn jealous? He hated to see her with someone else. He knew she was not a possession, but God, they had a moment, and that should mean something.
The man left her standing there. She looked after the guy with such fondness that he could rip the dude apart. He began strumming the guitar chords with the passion he was feeling. When they finished the song, he excused himself and went into the dressing room Reid had prepared for him. He left instructions with one of the stagehands that no one should disturb him.
* * * *
Chelsea knew that Colt hated to be disturbed before he went on stage. When her cousin Paul left, she had tried to find him after learning they were already there, but as she neared his dressing room, one of the men who worked by the stage told her that Colt ordered not to be troubled. She was disappointed. She wanted to wish him luck. This was his home crowd, though she learned that no one actually knew he was from LA except for Reid.
“Chelsea,” Reid walked up to her, holding a suit bag. “Give this to Colt. It’s his outfit for the concert.”
“He doesn’t want to be disturbed,” she told him.
“That does not include you, I suspect.”
She was confused as to what Reid knew. Did he know what happened? Did Colt say something? She didn’t ask. Instead, she took the garment bag and went in search of the rock star. The dressing room was a tent about fifty yards behind the stage. This was the usual outdoor setting for their concerts. It was the same for the New York concert.
“Colt,” she called from outside the tent. “It’s me. I have your suit.”
She planted a smile on her lips and waited anxiously. Maybe a kiss was forthcoming? The flap opened, and he gave her a dark look. The smile faded, and she stared at him, trying to figure his mood.
“What’s the mat …” she started to asked, but he grabbed the garment bag from her and retreated before she could complete her question. “Colt? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” his voice was hard as well.
She was baffled. What could have gone wrong? She heard that he was in such a good mood that he came to rehearsal and then he changed suddenly while on the stage … on stage. Gosh, was he … no … that could not be. She pushed the flap and entered the tent. He was lounging on a beach bed with his eyes closed.
“Colt,” she said his name sternly, and his eyes flew open.
“What do you want?”
“Don’t do this,” she told him, meeting his eyes.
“What are you babbling about now?” he asked lazily.
“Pushing me away because you’re jealous,” she said, moving toward him.
He sat up and held her gaze. “Who says I’m jealous?”
“You did the same thing on the bus; you withdrew when I wouldn’t tell you about Carl. Now you are acting the same way.”
“I need to change, scoot,” was his reply.
She did not move. He stared at her and then started peeling off hi
s shirt. She stood her ground. He unbuckled his jeans, and she tried her best not to move, but her heart jumped into her mouth, and her knees got weak. She wobbled from the tent, letting out a long breath she had not realized she’d been holding.
23. Chapter 3
He looked down on the sea of faces before him, and suddenly her face popped into view. He shook his head to clear it and the people roared. They were mostly college kids on summer break. They were waving and singing along with the songs.
He could feel the energy from them, but the foremost emotion he was experiencing was the anger at his own feelings. He concluded earlier that he loved her, but what upset him was that the mere sight of her with a man sent him over the edge. He didn’t understand it, though he knew what it was.
Colt tried to keep his eyes away from the VIP section, but every so often, against his will, they strayed there. Her emerald gaze stayed on him. He could see the emotions on her face; the awe, the adoration and … he tried to block her out, so he closed his eyes.
He continued the concert with his usual act. He gyrated his hips in a sexual way, peeled his top off, throwing it into the crowd, and then he walked to the edge of the stage and pulled up a young girl.
He looked over at Chelsea, and the smile he had seen there earlier was gone. It felt great that he’d managed to make her jealous. Now they were even. He allowed the girl to rub her pelvis against his as he continued his song.
As the tune faded, she kissed him on the cheeks. The crowd roared. He assisted the girl off the stage. There were a number of outstretched hands itching for him to touch them. As he reached to make contact with his fans, he felt them grab his wrist, pulling him off the stage.
Colt was tumbling forward. The bodies came together to shield his fall, but another set of bodies swarmed him, wanting a touch … anything to get close. They closed in on him, and then he felt a pain rip through his ribcage. He was helpless, though he tried to free himself from the crush of the crowd. Soon, the guards were assisting him as they pulled away the crowd. The pain was too much for the concert to continue.
“Colt, are you alright?” Reid’s voice penetrated the din.
“I think something’s broke,” he winced.
“Chelsea, call the ambulance!” Reid shouted.
“I already did,” she replied.
Her voice was near, but he could not see her. He wanted to see her, but there were other faces looking down at him. He closed his eyes as he willed the pain in his side to go away, hoping it wasn’t anything serious. There were two more concerts in California before moving on to Florida.
It took about ten minutes for the ambulance to arrive. As they lifted him onto the stretcher, he tried to get a glimpse of her, but she wasn’t there. Did he go too far with the girl on that stage? Reid was beside him all the way, but all he wanted was Chelsea.
“Where’s Chelsea?” he finally managed to ask as he was ushered into the ambulance.
His head was also throbbing as if something had struck it. Yes, he had also felt them tumble on his head. He had been sandwiched between those trying to cushion him and those who wanted a piece of him. No matter what, they were all his fans, and he was not angry. It felt good that these college students were such fans. There were younger, newer rock stars in the making, and they loved him, The Purple Crush.
“She’s around somewhere. Do you need her?” Reid asked.
“No, no, I don’t need her,” he lied.
“Let’s go,” he said to the ambulance driver.
Within eight minutes, they were driving into the hospital and taken to the emergency section. The nurse on duty led them to a bed behind a screen and began to take his pulse. She smiled down at him brightly, her brown eyes twinkling at him.
“Can you get the doctor?” Reid said to her, hovering like a mother hen.
“He’s on his way, but there was a pile up on the interstate, and we are a little busy. So please be patient,” she kept her smile as she addressed Reid.
Reid wasn’t having that. “Look, nurse. I respect that you’re doing your job, but he was pulled off the stage and trampled. He may have broken bones. There are …”
“Reid!” Colt’s voice broke in. “It’s okay. Just make sure Chelsea is okay.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” the nurse sweetly said. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“What going on?” Reid asked when the nurse exited the curtain.
“What do you mean?” Colt asked, confused.
“Between you and Chelsea
“Excuse me,” a man said, entering the area. “I need to examine the patient. Kindly give us some privacy.”
The doctor asked exactly what happened and where he was feeling pain. When he touched the area at his rib cage, it felt quite sore. The doctor said he didn’t think anything was broken but to be certain he would have some x-rays done.
For the next thirty minutes or so, Colt was x-rayed, had his blood drawn and an ultrasound to make sure there wasn’t any organ damage. There was a small hairline fracture on a rib and a broken toe. He didn’t even realize the toe was broken until the results came back.
“How come I didn’t feel it?”
“Because of the shoes,” the doctor replied. “You haven’t moved around, so you wouldn’t really feel it. We’re going to have to reset the toe, so we’ll take you to a private room and get you settled.”
He was taken to a room as promised. They bandaged his torso first, warning him to take rest. The fracture was barely visible and would heal completely with bed rest. In order for them to set the bone in the toe, they would have to place him under a light anesthetic. He was given a drug intravenously through a drip. After a few seconds of the nurse adjusting the dosage, he began to feel its effects.
He wasn’t completely unconscious, just groggy enough not to feel anything. He could tell they were working on his foot, but he felt nothing. Something else was happening to him. He could hear screams and his own voice as a young boy, shouting, “Stop hurting her!”
Colt shook his head to rid the voices, but they became louder. Then things he’d buried in his subconscious years ago began resurfacing. He was thrashing around on the bed, and the voices of the doctor and nurse muddled the voices from the past. There were screams of pain and terror cutting through the fog. He saw his stepfather’s angry glare, the icy almost transparent gray eyes filled with hatred. Then there was Jason; he always laughed while his father tortured Colt and his mother. He could hear the laughter and see the mockery.
All the times they suffered, mother and son huddled together with bruises and cuts, busted lips and broken ribs. He could feel the heavy boot kick the wind out of him as he doubled over in pain. The pain of the past came flooding back in waves. He could feel the pain through the drug they had given him.
Strong arms held him down while he mumbled names and expletives. He could feel stronger drugs seep into his veins, and soon he was too drowsy to fight. He drifted off into the past as oblivion took over.
Colt awoke to a flood of memories, not only of what happened a few hours before but of what happened nearly twenty years ago. His toe was throbbing fiercely while his torso was tightly wrapped. He swung his feet from the bed and stood. He found that he could walk fairly well, so he moved to the closet where his clothes hung.
Upon checking the time, he saw it was 3:52 a.m. The place was quiet. He put on his clothes, picked up his sneakers, and then checked his pockets. Reid must have brought his phone because it was in his pocket along with his wallet which he’d put there before the concert.
The hall was empty, and there was one person at the nurse’s station. He took the staircase in the opposite direction to the nurse, lest he be seen. There was somewhere he needed to be, and it could not wait. His ribs felt fine, but the toe hurt like hell. He was wearing his socks only. He needed to get something that could fit his foot. Once out of the hospital, he hailed a cab and headed to his destination, only stopping once at an ATM to get some cash.
/> 24. Chapter 4
“How can you not know where he is?” Reid’s voice filled the waiting area in front of the nurse’s station.
“Mr. Richards, when I went to check on him at 4:30 this morning, he was gone. I’d checked on him at 3:30, and he was asleep.”
“Listen, Nurse … Maynor,” Reid said, reading her name tag. “You’ve got to find him!”
“I’ll call the hotel security, let them check the surveillance tapes,” she said.
“Good idea,” Reid grunted.
He was getting impatient. There were many possibilities for Colt’s disappearance. What if Jason kidnapped Colt? He dialed Chelsea’s number; perhaps Colt called her.
“Hello?” her voice answered sleepily after a few rings.
“Has Colt contacted you?” he asked, remembering that he’d brought the cell phone in case he needed to make any calls.
“No. I’ll check the hospital to make sure he’s alright,” she said.
He sighed. “No need. I’m there, and Colt isn’t.”
“What do you mean he’s not there?” she shouted into the phone.
He chuckled at her tone. Usually, he’d have to ask twice what she said, now she was shouting into the phone. “He’s not here …” he began.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” was her answer, and then there was a click.
Reid scratched his head. He needed her to help find Colt anyway, so he did not call her back. Still, he was curious about the relationship between the two. Something was definitely brewing, and if that was going to affect the band, he needed a heads-up.
He felt that Chelsea would be good for Colt. He wasn’t sure about the reverse. Colt had a past that needed resolving before he committed to anyone. In addition, he promised to protect her when she left her sheltered life to come on tour with the band.
He was still thinking about the both of them when she breezed into the waiting area of the ward. He had been trying to figure out what to do about a relationship between them, should there actually be cause for concern.
USED by Him: A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance Box Set Page 14