Jake sauntered over and adjusted my mic on the piano. “Give them hell.”
“So Kody isn’t playing the guitar with me?” Please say no… or yes. Oh, hell. I didn’t know what I wanted, although having someone else with me on stage, like my brother, would have helped calm me down.
“No. This is all you, babe.” He started to leave.
“Wait. What did you say to Kody?”
Jake gave me a devilish grin. “That you’re Mr. Robinson’s next star.”
I almost wailed in laughter. Instead, sweat beaded on my neck. “Are you a psychic?”
“I’ve been in the industry a long time. I can spot a star when I see one.”
“But you haven’t heard me sing.”
He leaned down close to my ear. “It’s always the shy ones that rise.” Then he moseyed over to Kody and Mr. Robinson, who had settled offstage and slightly to my right. That was a good place because in order to look at them, I had to turn my head a bit, and if I did, I might screw up.
Roxanne gave me a nod along with a huge smile. So I blew out a breath, or more like fire… or what could have been fire with all the wine I’d had. I pressed the piano keys as I launched into the song. Once my fingers touched the ivory keys, I got lost in the words and the melody. But the song needed a guitarist to make it more powerful.
“You come out at night. That’s when the energy comes.” Suddenly, the club narrowed to the piano and me. “And the dark side’s light. And the vampires roam.” As soon as I sang that last line, someone started playing the guitar.
I glanced up then out near the mic to find Kody strumming the guitar as he set his sights on me. I wanted to keep looking at him, but if I did, I would screw up for sure. So I lowered my head, not losing a beat as I kept singing. The sound was amazing, the crowd quiet, and their faces riveted to the stage. My earlier dizziness was now more of a high from singing rather than the liquor. Or maybe the two together were creating a sense of freedom, as though I were riding my Ducati and letting the wind breeze over my face. My world was perfect, where no vampires roamed.
After the four-minute rendition of “Building A Mystery,” I lifted my fingers from the keys, not moving or breathing.
The crowd cheered so loudly, my head began to hurt.
I shifted from the crowd to Kody, whose mouth was slightly open, his eyes full of something I couldn’t make out. I turned to Mr. Robinson, who also had his mouth open. The only one that didn’t look like a zombie out of that TV show The Walking Dead was Roxanne. She was jumping up and down, clapping.
I wanted to get up but couldn’t. I was afraid my legs would betray me because those nerves I’d had before I started had quadrupled. I swallowed hard as I planted my hands into the bench and pushed up. I hesitated for a second before I walked over to Roxanne on shaky legs.
Mr. Robinson stopped me before I reached my best friend. “Amazing. Where did you learn how to sing and play like that?”
“My mom taught me and my brother how to play the piano. I just sang when I played.”
“Well done,” he said. “Well done.” Then he headed over to Kody, where they chatted.
Roxanne rushed up to me. “You were amazing.”
I blinked several times and took in some long-needed breaths. I’d actually sung in front of a crowd. Oh my God. Not only that, Kody was an amazing guitarist. I was curious, though, why he joined in and what he was thinking about my performance. On that note, I placed my hand on my abdomen. Nausea swished around, and I almost ran to the bathroom, when I spotted a familiar face strutting toward Roxanne and me.
Before I could nudge Roxanne, she poked me. “You said he was coming home, but what is he doing in the club?”
Mack looked different, rougher than I remembered. He had more tattoos on his arms; he’d pierced his nose, eyebrow, and lip; and a scar stood out on his chin that hadn’t been there when he’d left town. Next to him was Lowell, who was smiling so big, my heart burst open.
Roxanne and I wove around the tables and up to Lowell and Mack. The minute I got close to Mack, I wanted to retreat. Liquor oozed off him, and Mack and booze didn’t go well together. He leaned down and planted a wet and slow kiss on me as I dug my hands into his rock-hard chest.
He abandoned my lips to whisper in my ear as he gripped my ass. “You know I like it when you fight me.”
“You’re drunk.” I turned my attention to Lowell. “You didn’t drive over here with him.” I would kill my brother.
“We took a cab,” Lowell said. He’d switched his powered wheelchair for his manual one. Those were easier to get into a cab since the manual ones folded.
“Get your hands off her,” Roxanne ordered in her stern motherly voice.
Mack let out a laugh as he let go of me. “Nice to see you, Roxy.” He winked at her.
She threw him the finger.
I laughed.
“Sis, you were amazing up there,” Lowell said. “Who’s the dude who was playing the guitar?”
“Kody Maxwell,” Roxanne answered.
Mack uttered some swear words under his breath, but I didn’t get a chance to probe before Kody ambled up. His features were hard, and his biceps flexed. Upon further examination of his sexy body, I noticed that he had his fists closed tightly at his sides.
Whoa! That high I’d had fizzled like quicksand. I was all for a guy protecting me, but I didn’t do possessive, where he got all jealous if I talked to other guys. I’d seen the remnants of a relationship of a friend of mine in nursing school who had dated a guy that didn’t give her room to breathe. She’d stressed so hard, she’d lost some of her hair. I’d asked her why she didn’t just break it off. Her response had been that the sex was off the charts. Sex or not, I wouldn’t have put up with a guy like that.
“Is there a problem here?” Kody asked.
Mack glared as he regarded Kody.
Kody angled his head at Mack. I sensed some bad blood between them and wondered if they knew each other. I’d known Mack since he was fifteen, and if he knew Kody, I wasn’t aware of it. Granted, I didn’t know all of Mack’s friends since I was older and hadn’t paid attention to him when we were in our teens.
“Do you two know each other?” I asked.
The two hunky men glared at one another. Kody was buff and tall like Mack, but he didn’t have that scary edge to him like Mack did. My mom had always said to watch out for the quiet boys. Those were the ones who bit.
The waitress came up and placed two beers on the table. Then she ducked away as though she knew something was about to go down. Lowell picked up his beer, his gaze shifting between Kody and Mack. Roxanne and I did the same.
Mr. Robinson’s voice came through the speakers, announcing the next person to perform.
Kody’s nostrils were flaring at a rapid rate. “I never forget a face.”
Mack used one hand to cover his fist as though he was gearing up to fight. “I never forget how my foot felt when I was kicking the lights out of you.” The loathing in his tone was thick and icy.
Lowell choked on his beer. My jaw hit the wooden floor as my attention swung to my brother, silently asking him if he knew that Kody and Mack knew each other. Then again, whether Lowell had any insight into what was transpiring between the two didn’t matter. What did was making sure they didn’t get hurt or hurt anyone else around them.
Roxanne took my hand. “We didn’t come here to see two men puff out their chests to see which one could win the girl.” She started to tug on my arm.
I held steady.
“You’re dating this asshole?” Kody asked me, his gaze never wavering from Mack.
Suddenly, the blood drained from my face. I didn’t like his snarky tone. For all Mack’s faults, he wasn’t a bad guy, or at least he hadn’t been. He’d always been sweet to me. That’s because he wants you. Still, he’d treated my mom with respect and had always lent a hand to wash dishes or cook when he was hanging out at our house.
“That’s none of your business,”
I said.
Roxanne squeezed my hand. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.” She didn’t like fights. While she was a strong woman, confident in everything she did, she had a phobia about men who fought. She’d seen a lot of patients come into the ER banged up and bloody, but the blood didn’t bother her as much as the sound of bones cracking. When we’d been in nursing school, she’d always said, “I’ll fix them, but I’m not watching anyone get hurt.”
The next singer was belting out a tune by John Mayer.
“I’ll join you,” I said.
Mack caught my arm. “We’re out of here.”
I sneered. “I’m not leaving.” The man didn’t own me, and we certainly weren’t dating.
A muscle ticked in Kody’s jaw. “Let go of her.”
Mack did let go but got in Kody’s face. “She’s my girl. So stay away from her. Or I’ll make sure I put you in a coma again.”
I gasped over the loud music. Mack put Kody in a coma? No freaking way. I dipped back in my memory, wondering if I knew Mack had put someone in a coma. But all thought was lost when Kody struck first.
He rammed his fist into Mack’s jaw, the sounding making me cringe. Roxanne took off.
Chairs toppled over as bone connected with bone. The music stopped, and the only sounds were grunts and cracks as Kody and Mack fought.
I ran to Lowell to get him out of the way. The last thing he needed was to get beaten up. We couldn’t afford more medical bills, either.
People at the nearby tables scrambled out of the way.
Just as I grabbed the back of Lowell’s wheelchair, Mack lunged at Kody. Kody fell backward, his head narrowly missing the corner of a table.
Mr. Robinson rushed over with two bouncers, who peeled Mack off Kody. “Get him out of here.” Then he extended his hand to Kody, who took the help as he climbed to his feet and licked the blood from his lip. “Get in my office.” The soft voice Mr. Robinson had had with me was now deadly.
Kody glowered at Mack as the bouncers hauled him out of the club.
“Go,” Mr. Robinson yelled at Kody. “I’ll deal with you in a minute.” Mr. Robinson’s face was red, with fury spitting out of his eyes.
Kody touched his lip as Jake rushed to his friend’s side.
I guess my night was over.
Lowell glanced up and over his shoulder at me. “I’m going with Mack.” The crowd around us parted as Lowell wheeled out after Mack.
I should have headed out with my brother to make sure he got home okay, but I shucked that idea since he was a grown man. Instead, I beelined it for the bathroom to check on my friend, not giving Kody a passing glance.
Roxanne was sitting on the counter of the far sink, near the wall. “Is it over? I just can’t deal with seeing a fight. So did Mack really put Kody in a coma? Did you know about that? Are you okay? Lowell?”
I settled against the wall in between the sink and the toilets. I couldn’t wrap my head around coma or how Mack seemed to brag and be proud that he’d put Kody in a coma. As for Kody, up until he’d launched his fist into Mack’s jaw, I would’ve never pegged him for a fighter.
A lady in her thirties entered and locked herself in a stall.
I shrugged. “It’s over, but no, I had no clue about Mack and Kody’s feud.” My voice hitched. I’d seen a side of Mack that I’d never seen before. It sure spoke volumes about his character. Sure, he was rough, badass, and had done some jail time for disorderly conduct and drugs, but never for punching someone to the point that they ended up in a coma. “I’m a little freaked out, but Lowell is fine. He went after Mack.”
My head spun, and the liquor was compounding my dizziness. My one night away from problems had turned into more problems. Why are they yours? You didn’t put Kody in a coma. You didn’t start the fight.
The toilet flushed, then the redhead came out. She washed her hands and wiped them before she walked out.
“We should get out of here,” I said. “I’m tired, anyway.” I had questions for Mack.
But my questions blew out the door when Kody lumbered in. Roxanne and I exchanged a wide-eyed look. The man didn’t belong in the ladies’ room and not because of his gender. He was too big for the small space.
“Can I speak to Jessie alone?” Kody asked Roxanne in a quiet tone.
She raised an eyebrow at me.
I flicked my head at the door. Kody wouldn’t hurt me. If anything, my fantasy of him and me in a restroom surfaced. Jeepers. You said earlier that you didn’t like possessive men. Yet here you are, lusting over him. I couldn’t exactly tell my body to calm the heck down, especially when Kody’s cologne of pine and wood trickled up my nose, making me quiver.
Roxanne left, leaving us in silence with a soft beat cutting through every now and then from the music outside the restroom.
Kody rested his big body against the door, angling his head. So many emotions shone in his eyes that I couldn’t pinpoint just one.
My chest rose and fell as we studied each other for what felt like hours but had to be only one minute.
Finally, he lowered his gaze to his boots. “I don’t know how to say this.”
I pressed my hands into the wall. “You could start by telling me what’s going on with you and Mack.” My tone came out sharper than I’d wanted it to.
His head shot up, pinning me to the wall with a look of disgust.
I gnawed on my lip. I didn’t want to fight with a man I hardly knew, especially since I knew nothing about the feud he had with Mack.
He grabbed the door handle, shaking his head. “Coming in here was a mistake.” His voice was feather-light as though he was about to break down and cry.
Suddenly, I wanted to take away the misery embedded in his eyes. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for something I didn’t do.
I popped off the wall and closed the space between us. Before I could think logically, I lifted up on my toes and planted my lips gently on his, careful not to put too much pressure on his busted lip.
He tensed as I trailed my tongue over his lips.
“Um…” he said.
In my head, I heard yum and pushed my tongue inside. I pressed my body against his, my hands sliding up his oh-so-muscled arms. He didn’t kiss back. He didn’t even move until I moaned. Then his hands got lost in my hair. His tongue was tangling with mine. In a blink of an eye, I was in another world, feeling light-headed, tingly, and so much more. He took control of the kiss as he pulled me to him, our bodies molding perfectly together. He tasted like freedom and felt like my future.
He slowed the kiss to a nibble. “I’m sorry.” He gently pushed me away. “I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t move in on other guys’ girls.” He ran a finger over the piercing in my eyebrow.
I licked my lips, wanting more of him. “I was the one who kissed you. And I don’t belong to anyone.”
Someone pushed in the door, or tried. Kody moved out of the way. A lady made a perfect O with her mouth and was ready to leave until Kody said, “No, ma’am. I was leaving.”
The lady ran into the stall. Kody had his hand on the open door, ready to walk out.
“Kody, what did you want to tell me?” I asked.
He swept his gaze over me. “Never mind.” Then he was gone.
I ran out and into Roxanne. “Where did he go?”
“You kissed him, didn’t you?” she asked with a smirk on her red lips.
I lifted a shoulder. “Maybe. He seemed so sad. I wanted to take away his pain.”
“I would encourage you to run after him, but I think you need to let things die down for now,” she said.
She was probably spot-on. The liquor was messing with my head, and tomorrow was another day. I was sure the events of that night would definitely look different in the morning, especially that kiss and the scuffle and my singing and my DNA test results. Suddenly, my life came crashing back.
Chapter Seven
Jessie
I turned onto my stomach and buried my face in my pillow
. I felt as though someone was banging a hammer against my head. I groaned then screamed, the pillow muffling my sounds. I shouldn’t have consumed so much wine yesterday. Slowly, I lifted my head, squinting at the sun’s rays spilling in through the window.
I peeked at the clock on my nightstand and almost vaulted out of bed, but then I decided that wouldn’t be a good move. I had to take things slow today. Advil first.
It was eleven in the morning, and Kody’s cookout started in an hour. I closed my eyes. Kody hadn’t said a word about the cookout when I’d been with him last night. The club. Argh! Again, I screamed into my pillow. I had kissed Kody. I’d never made the first move on any guy. Heat flushed my cheeks as I replayed how hard he’d been against me, how sweet his lips had tasted, and how he’d taken control of the kiss. Above all, I remembered how my stomach had done a salsa dance.
I couldn’t go to his house later. With no alcohol in me that morning, I was regretting what I’d done. Actually, I was embarrassed. The guys I knew didn’t like when a girl made the first move. Not only that, Kody had left the bathroom abruptly. Sure, we’d been interrupted, but when I’d gone back out into the club, he hadn’t been around. Jake had said Mr. Robinson was talking with him. Oh God. I hoped he wasn’t in trouble.
Another reason I couldn’t go to his cookout was because Kody probably wouldn’t want me there because of Mack. Not to mention, I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like an eighteen-wheeler ran over me, and seeing Kody would only remind me that I couldn’t get serious with him or anyone.
I rolled over, raised my left arm, and placed my hand behind my head. I slipped my hand under my tank top and kneaded my left breast, checking for lumps. I had a great perky set, size C cup bordering on D. I couldn’t get rid of the one awesome trait I had—the one that made me who I was and made me feel like a beautiful woman.
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