After a few minutes, I stand up and then move into the shower. I quickly turn the water on and then adjust the temperature before scrubbing every inch of my body until my skin turns a deep shade of pink.
As soon as I’m satisfied with how clean that I am, I get out of the shower and then rush around the room to gather clothes for the day and then brush my hair.
Just as I finish, Marshal knocks on the door, joining our rooms, before walking in abruptly.
“You’re ready…” He states, surprised.
“Almost; I still need to find my shoes,” I reply while leaning down to look under the bed.
“Where did you take them off?” Marshal questions as he begins helping me.
“I don’t know. Things with Shiloh got heated pretty quickly…” I trail off as I glance towards Marshal.
His jaw ticks with anger as he turns slightly so that I couldn’t see his full expression.
“Marshal…” I whisper.
Instead of saying a word, he picks up my shoes and then tosses them onto the bed before moving towards the main door. He pauses and takes a deep breath with his hand on the doorknob.
I watch his back as he bows his head for a moment before glancing back at me.
“I’ll see you on the bus. Mitch is waiting for you on the other side of this door.” Marshal states before leaving without another word.
Once again, I sigh and then grab my shoes before slipping them on.
Moments later, I exit my room and then jog to the bus with Mitch following close behind.
The second I step into the bus, Mickie releases a breath of relief.
“Thank god, now we can get this bus on the road. We’ve got a lot to do before the show tonight. The stagehands have been working nonstop to get things set up, but there are some things that they can’t do.” Mickie stresses.
“What do you need from us, Mickie?” Marshal questions.
“We’re going to need you four for sound checks.” He answers.
We groan in unison. If there was one thing that we hated more than continually being stuck on a bus, it was sound checks. They took forever to do and were as dull as they sounded.
“Don’t be like that.” Mickie scolds. “If we’re going to pull this off, we all need to do what needs to be done whether we like it or not.”
“So, what do you have to do?” Micah asks with a smirk.
Mickie always grouped himself with us while speaking about tasks, but he rarely helped.
“I’ve got to rearrange all of our tour dates, refund tickets, and cancel reservations. My plate is full at the moment.” Mickie replies.
As if on cue his phone rings and he answers it while moving to the front of the bus.
“Well, this is going to suck.” Russell breathes out.
Marshal, Micah, and I nod in agreement while the bus begins moving forward.
Chapter 17
“Testing…testing…this is Micah, rock god extraordinaire…” Micah states into the microphone at the front of the stage.
Russell and I shake our heads while Marshal rolls his eyes.
Micah had taken it upon himself to do the soundcheck for us. Of course, it was only because a cute blonde woman was on the other end adjusting the equipment.
We were way too close to the show starting, so we were working hard to get the last pieces in place before it was too late. Right now, we couldn’t seem to get my guitar to work correctly with the amp beside me.
“Damn it; I don’t know what’s going on with this stupid thing,” Russell growls out after a few moments.
He stands and then kicks it before turning to walk a few steps away.
Shiloh steps onto the stage with us seconds later with a questioning look. “What’s going on?”
“My amp isn’t working with my guitar,” I explain.
“You could use Max’s amp. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” Shiloh insists. “I’ll go talk to him now to be sure, okay.”
Without waiting for a response from me, Shiloh leaves as quickly as he had come.
“Well, I guess he’s giving you no other choice…” Marshal grumbles.
I open my mouth to say something, but Mickie joins us on stage. “I’ve got a new amp coming. It should be here within twenty minutes.”
“That’s not going to be enough time to get it adjusted, Mickie,” Russell stresses.
“It’s the best that I can do.” Mickie huffs out.
Shiloh returns with Max following close behind.
“I had one of these monsters when I first started,” Max states as he kneels next to the amp. “The trick was to strip and reconnect the wires when it decided to have a fit.”
He glances up at me with a grin. “I can have this fixed and working in ten.”
“Thank you. If you can get it working, I will owe you big time.” I reply gratefully.
“You won’t owe me a thing.” Max insists while Shiloh wraps his arm around my waist. “Just keep that guy happy.”
I grin and nod while looking towards Shiloh. “I can do that.”
“Yes, you can,” Shiloh replies before he leans in for a kiss.
I pull away from Shiloh when Marshal clears his throat. “Do you mind giving us space to finish up our soundcheck?”
“Of course…” Shiloh replies before pulling me close for one more kiss.
He releases me and then shares a look with Marshal before walking away.
I release the breath that I hadn’t realized that I had been holding as I glance towards Russell and Micah, who had been quiet.
The tension that had built between Shiloh and Marshal with that stare had been suffocating.
Part of me had almost expected them to trade punches.
Marshal motions towards the front of the stage. “Chloe, why don’t you take over the microphone for Micah so he can get his drums in order?”
“Why can’t you do it? You are the singer in this band, aren’t you?” I reply.
“I thought that some practice would help you build confidence, so one day we might actually be able to sing that duet that you sang on the bus,” Marshal replies.
“Don’t push her, Marshal,” Russell replies sternly. “Just do the soundcheck on your own. Let Chloe worry about her amp and getting things figured out so she can play without any issues later.”
Thankfully, Marshal remains quiet as he turns and then walks away.
I sigh and then focus my attention on Max as he skillfully uses Russell’s tools to work on my amp. Hopefully, he could get it working so that I wouldn’t be forced to use unfamiliar equipment.
The last thing I needed was to make mistakes tonight.
I didn’t want to prove what those girls had said right.
****
“Chloe, are you ready to go? We’re on in five.” Russell calls out from the other side of my dressing room door.
I stare at my reflection in front of me instead of answering him.
For the first time since we had gone on the road, I didn’t want to play. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this, and the fear of messing up was weighing heavily on my shoulders.
Russell opens the door before stepping inside. “Chloe…?”
He moves to stand behind me before looking at me through the mirror. “What’s going on, Sweetheart?”
“I…” I whisper and then pause while closing my eyes. “I don’t think that I can do this, Russ.”
Sighing softly, Russell moves to my side before kneeling. He then grabs my chin to turn my face to look at him as I reopen my eyes.
“Why don’t you think that you can do this?” He asks softly.
“Look at me, Russell. I’m a mess.” I whimper.
“All I see is a beautiful and strong woman who has gotten back up from being punched in the face. I see a rock goddess. I don’t see these bruises; I see battle scars that show what a badass you are.” He replies.
Smiling, I close my eyes as a few tears escape. “I needed to hear that.”
�
�You are a badass,” Russell replies with a smirk. “…A sexy little badass.”
Opening my eyes, I snort. “You’re terrible.”
“But you love me,” Russell replies.
I nod. “I do, Russell. I really do.”
He pats my knee before standing up. “Come on, let’s kick some ass and make some awesome music together.”
With renewed energy, I stand up and then wipe my cheeks with the back of my hands before moving with Russell to the door. We walk into the hallway side by side.
As we move towards the stage Marshal and Micah join us.
Once we reach the side of the stage, I turn my attention towards Shiloh, who was standing with the microphone in his hand singing.
The intense energy that he had during all of his shows was nowhere to be seen.
Actually, he looked like he was in a lot of pain.
“Someone get the syringe,” Andy calls out. “Shiloh is going to need it the second he leaves that stage.”
After a moment, he grumbles to himself. “He should have listened to me from the start.”
I share a look with Russell and Marshal.
They shrug in response before I turn my attention back towards Shiloh as he ends his song. He takes in short breaths while wrapping his arm around his stomach and waist.
He manages to thank the crowd before walking towards me.
The second he is out of sight from fans, his smile disappears. He groans and nearly crumbles before Dante is forced to catch him.
I quickly run to him. “What’s wrong?”
“My side hurts.” He answers. “I didn’t take anything for the pain before the show, and I’m regretting it.”
“I’ll be fine, Babe.” He then insists while reaching up to touch my cheek.
“Are you sure?” I press.
He nods. “I will be. Now, go out there and kill it. I’ll see you as soon as you’re done.”
I nod and then let Dante guide him past me while Russell grabs my arm to pull me towards the stage while handing me my guitar.
I quickly pull the strap over my head before preparing myself.
“Now, for the band you’ve all been waiting for, here’s Cyclone Lies.” A man announces from the front of the stage.
The crowd cheers loudly as he rushes off of the stage while Marshal, Micah, Russell, and I run out onto the stage to take our places.
“How’s everyone doing tonight?” Marshal questions loudly as he reaches the front of the stage.
The crowd responds with more cheering.
“Before we get things started, we have a special guest with us down in the audience.” Marshal states before motioning towards someone in front of him.
I glance towards Russell in question, but he shrugs in response.
My confusion is quickly cleared up when the girl from the hospital is lifted onto the stage by one of the large bouncers standing at the front.
Marshal kneels next to her with his microphone. “How are you doing tonight?”
“I can’t believe I’m here.” She replies, excitedly.
“That’s how I feel every time I get on stage too.” Marshal chuckles.
The crowd chuckles along with him.
Once they quiet down, Marshal speaks again. “I have a little favor to ask…Do you think that you could help me start our first song.”
The girl nods enthusiastically.
Marshal glances towards me and then Micah and Russell.
Moments later, Micah begins the beat.
I watch as Marshal holds the microphone between him and the girl as they begin to sing together. The crowd remains quiet as they give the girl a chance to share the spotlight.
After a few moments, Russell and I begin to dance around.
The girl begins dancing with Marshal before she runs straight for me. I smile brightly as she dances with me, just like Russell usually did.
I laugh as she leans her back against mine while strumming her own air-guitar.
Once the song ends, she quickly hugs me and then Russell before running back to hug Micah. Micah hands her a set of his sticks before pushing her towards Marshal.
She clutches them tightly while Marshal lifts her up and then hands her back to the bouncer below. The brightest smile that I had ever seen was plastered on her face.
What she had just experienced was what most only dreamt of doing.
Moving back to the microphone, Marshal glances back at Micah as he retrieves another set of sticks from the bucket of sticks sitting next to him. He always kept a bucket of extras because most nights Micah would either break or drop at least half of them while he played.
Once he’s ready, he nods towards Marshal before he begins the beat for our next song.
All of my fears and insecurities disappear as the music flows through my body and down to my fingertips as they pick at my guitar strings.
Chapter 18
The roar of the cheering fans surrounds us on the stage as Marshal finishes the last song. Russell, Micah, Marshal, and I pant for our next breath as we glance at each other with grins.
As the crowd quiets down, Marshal looks towards me while speaking into the microphone. “Let’s give it up for our rock goddess, and kick-ass guitarist, Chloe.”
Once again, the crowd cheers before they begin chanting my name.
I laugh happily before stepping forward next to Marshal. I then strum a few chords on my guitar that cause the crowd to roar even louder.
Leaning close, Marshal whispers into my ear. “Now would be a great time to sing that duet.”
“We haven’t even practiced it,” I reply.
“Then next time…” Marshal replies before raising his hands.
I step back while the crowd grows quiet.
“Thank you, everyone; you’ve all been wonderful tonight. We can’t wait to play for you again soon.” Marshal shouts. “Goodnight, everybody…”
With that, he turns and then walks off stage with the rest of us.
As soon as I walk down the steps, Shiloh lifts me into his arms with a bright smile.
“You were amazing out there.” He exclaims before placing me down on my feet.
“How are you picking me up?” I question while searching his eyes.
They held a certain glaze to them that I hadn’t seen before.
“That’s the power of the strong painkillers that Andy gave me. I don’t feel a single ounce of pain.” Shiloh replies.
“He’s as high as a kite right now,” Dante announces as he appears beside us.
“Oh…” I breathe out.
“I’m fine,” Shiloh replies while rolling his eyes dramatically.
Pulling me close, Shiloh nuzzles his face against my neck before trailing his lips across my skin while his warm breath sends shivers down my spine.
“I need you.” He whispers into my ear.
Before I can respond, he grabs my hand and begins leading me down a hallway and then into a darkened room. He shuts the door and then pulls me snuggly against his body before pressing his lips firmly against mine.
As his hands begin tugging at my clothes, I push my hands against his chest. “Shiloh, stop…”
“I don’t want to.” He replies while trying to kiss me again.
“I’m not having sex in some random room, Shiloh,” I state sternly.
He groans. “It’s not like anyone is going to walk in on us. I’ve done this lots of times and never had a problem.”
That was a cold dose of reality.
Until now, I hadn’t thought of all the other girls that Shiloh had been with. It really made me not want to be with him at all. The thought of him with other girls in rooms like this one disgusted me.
“Just don’t think about it.” Shiloh tries. “Enjoy being with me.”
“Shiloh…I can’t do this here.” I argue.
“Seriously…?” He snaps.
My anger grows. “I’m not some groupie whore, Shiloh. If we’re going to be together, it’s not going to
be in a dark room like this.”
“Don’t I know that…?” Shiloh snorts. “You have been the most difficult woman that I’ve ever been with. It was fun at first, but this is getting ridiculous.”
Before I can respond, someone knocks on the door loudly.
I quickly push Shiloh back before opening it.
Russell’s eyes narrow as he glances from me to Shiloh. “Is something wrong?”
“Oh, of course, run to him when there’s an issue.” Shiloh bites out. “I bet you never made him work this hard to get in your pants.”
“What the hell is your problem?” Russell growls out.
“You’re my problem,” Shiloh replies while taking a step forward.
Instead of letting them get into a fight, I step into Shiloh’s path before placing my hands against his chest. “Why don’t we go to the bus or the hotel? At least there we can enjoy ourselves all night without anyone interrupting us. We can sleep together naked again.”
“We can’t.” Shiloh breathes out. “I have to leave tonight.”
“Then let’s go to the bus and enjoy ourselves before you have to leave,” I reply.
He nods and then grins before grabbing my hand. Without a word, he pushes past Russell before pulling me down the hallway towards the exit.
I glance back once towards Russell as he watches us leave.
My stomach twists as he disappears from view.
Before I know it, Shiloh is pulling me onto the bus and then back to his room at the back of the bus. The second that the door is shut, he begins haphazardly tugging at my clothes.
“Shiloh…” I laugh.
“Don’t tell me to stop again, Chloe.” He grumbles.
“I was just going to help you,” I reply.
He grins. “That would be helpful because this corset thing is killing me.”
A cocky smirk spreads across my lips as I grab the zipper that was resting just between my breasts. I pull it down slowly, causing Shiloh to laugh and then groan before he presses his lips to mine again.
Within minutes we get tangled together in his blankets.
I try and fail to ignore all of the little things that Shiloh doesn’t do.
To be honest, though, I missed those special things. Russell had spoiled me when it came to being intimate with someone.
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