Hearts Collide

by Masters, Ellie

  “I know that,” she said. “But maybe he was too positive? I don’t know, and I’m not going to speak about what may or may not have been going through his head. I wasn’t there, but what I will say is that there was no reason physical therapy shouldn’t have worked to restore function. Bent believes he’s broken, so he’s broken. Nothing I, or anyone, can do will convince him otherwise.”

  Noodles pointed at Bash. “See…mind over matter. The dude doesn’t believe…It’s all about the mind over the body. His spirit is broken. That’s why we need to let him travel his path. Dude’s got to find his way back.”

  Piper didn’t necessarily believe Noodles’s life philosophy, but she knew Bent’s spirit was broken. She also firmly believed she could help him restore it.

  “Well, that’s why I went to Forest with an idea about VR.” She cocked a hip forward, feeling more comfortable the longer she spoke. Her voice rose in volume as she explained.

  “That was the problem. You were gaming rather than doing your job.” Bash gave a snort. “We were paying for three sessions a day and the moment you two hooked up, it was all fun and games. I’ve got a right to be a little pissed.”

  “Bash,” Forest said with a growl, “tone it down or you’re going to be on your knees begging for this little lady’s forgiveness.”

  “How’s that?” Bash kicked an ankle over his knee and leaned back into the sofa.

  “Because this little lady is fucking brilliant.”

  Forest went on to describe her idea about using the glove and the distraction of the VR world to overcome Bent’s psychological block which had been preventing him from recovery. Over an hour later, the men once again turned the heavy weight of their stares upon her.

  “So he’s fixed?” Ash had his palm on Skye’s belly, rubbing gently.

  “Yes and no.” She clarified her comment. “Like I said, he has nearly restored his range of motion. The extra resistance we added to the glove has slowly been strengthening Bent’s hand. There should be no reason for him not to be able to play.”

  “So how do we make him believe?” Bash rubbed at his temple. “We can’t just shove a guitar in his hands.”

  Piper closed her eyes. Nearly two a.m., she’d past the point of fatigue hours ago.

  “Maybe that’s exactly what we need to do.” Noodles jumped from his stool and crossed the room. He pointed at Piper. “I agree, Forest, the girl is brilliant. We do an intervention.” His gaze cut to Ash. “Not like we haven’t done it before. It worked with Ash, it’ll work for Bent, too.”

  “And how exactly do we intervene?” Forest asked.

  “We set him up,” Noodles proclaimed. “We put him in a position where he can’t say no. Make him play, and voila!”

  “I don’t know if it’s that simple,” Piper warned. “He made a pretty clear statement.”

  He’d abandoned not only his bandmates, but had walked out on her. Worry over his state of mind had consumed her these past few hours, but now anger settled in.

  The man who was supposed to be her protector. Her lover. Her dominant. The man who was supposed to be in charge, had walked out on her. His actions effectively told her that she was disposable, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Except, she’d been paid to do a job. Whatever mess brewed between her and Bent wouldn’t keep her from fulfilling her contract with the band.

  “How do we get to him? He’ll probably be on the road in a few hours. We won’t make up a quarter of the distance between us.” She searched for an answer.

  Forest laughed. “Dear Piper, we’re not going to drive.”

  “Then how?”

  He shook his head. “We’re going to fly.”

  Intervention

  Bent

  Bent rolled over in the cheap hotel bed. The scratchy sheets abraded his skin and the harsh light stabbed at his eyes. He could have picked an expensive hotel, but his chances of being recognized at such a place was a thousand times higher than the quaint motel he’d chosen. The receptionist behind the desk hadn’t given him a second look. In this place, he was a nobody.

  That felt better than he thought it should.

  Whether his Porsche would still be waiting for him outside remained to be seen, not that it mattered. Driving a Porsche couldn’t compare to any other car. Well, maybe an Enzo…or one of Forest’s Daytonas, but what would it be like to drive a no-name hatchback? Not that he would. His car had to have the Man-stamp of approval. Ash loved his Jeep, and still drove the car which carried him through high school. It was the car that began the epic love story that generated not one but two mega hits. Heart’s Insanity and Hunting Waterfalls still topped the charts.

  The idea of divesting himself of everything from his old life and taking off cross country in a Jeep kind of appealed to him.

  Screw the fancy cars. Wealth dripped off every piece of him. He was sick of it.

  People said money answered all problems. He was of the opinion money brought different issues into a person’s life. To answer the age-old question, money did not buy happiness.

  He could have any woman he wanted, anytime he wanted, and he could make said woman perform any sexual act he chose. His wealth brought nothing but objects to be used. What it didn’t bring was that soul-burning connection with another human being. He was sick of his life, and like Ash found in Skye, Bent wanted something real.

  Which didn’t explain why he’d left Piper behind.

  What the hell had he been thinking? But what was he to do with Piper? In her eyes, he was a failure. Despite what she said, he knew the truth.

  She believed he could do the impossible.

  Instead, he would travel the country and find his path. He would come to terms with his disability, conquer it on his own terms, and only then would he return to the woman who had stolen his breath and made his heart ache. If Piper was still there. There was no reason for her to wait on him, but if she did he would sweep her off her feet and make her his.

  She’d already given herself to him, but truly claiming his pixie remained an unfulfilled goal in the future. Right now, he wasn’t worthy of his girl, but he would be.

  Bent stretched his arms over his head and curled his toes with a whole body stretch. Why did such a simple act bring so much pleasure?

  The sun had already risen. Not setting an alarm last night might have been a mistake. He hadn’t intended on losing any daylight on his newfound quest. Now, he found himself hours behind his schedule, not that a schedule ruled his life right now. Nevertheless, he wished he’d hit the road with the rising of the sun as he travelled eastward.

  Rolling out of bed, he walked to the small bathroom and battled a grimy shower curtain while he washed. Drying off made him snicker. The two towels provided by the staff didn’t even wrap around his waist. He patted himself dry, then sauntered out to dress and gather his things. Other than his dirty clothes, there was nothing to pack. He didn’t waste time checking out at the front desk, opting to leave the card key behind. With the entire day stretching out in front of him he looked forward to putting hundreds of miles behind him. He cracked open the door and pulled to a full stop.

  Two black Hummers parked outside his room. Ash and Bash leaned against the hood of the vehicle on the right, while Spike and Noodles did the same on the one to the left. Ash had his arms crossed and earbuds in his ears. His head rocked to whatever music he had playing, probably one of the new songs he’d been working on with Bash.

  “What the fuck?” He ran a hand through the damp mop of his long curls and stared, mouth gaping, at his friends turned brothers.

  “I might ask you the same.” Bash kicked off the bumper and took a step onto the curb. “You want to answer that question for me?”

  “No.”

  “What the fuck, Bent?” Bash bit out the words. His dark eyes glittered in the early morning light.

  Ferocious and powerful, Bash was a force to be reckoned with. Bent found himself taking a step back. Bash might be physically smaller than Bent, b
ut the dude was ferocious in a fight.

  Not sure what to think of the unexplained appearance of his friends, Bent found himself seeking someone else out. If they were here, then surely Piper would be too? Out of all the people he wanted to find him, Ash, Bash, Spike, and Noodles weren’t at the top of the list. Impenetrable tinting darkened the windows of the Hummers and obscured his view, drawing a frustrated growl from deep in his throat.

  Was she in there?

  Could it be possible Piper had chased after him? His heart lurched thinking about what that might mean, but as his heart soared, his stomach clenched in dread. No way would he ask. If Piper was there she would need to make herself known.

  Bent faced his bandmates and braced for whatever they had to say. It wasn’t going to be good, and if any of them had walked out on him, he sure as hell would beat their ass. Maybe that was the plan. He glanced at Ash, Bash, Noodles and Spike, out of them all, Bash was the only one who looked ready to swing fists.

  “You going to answer me?” Bash gave Bent a once over, his gaze cutting and his mouth twisting as if he’d tasted something sour.

  “Nothing much comes to mind.” As long as Forest hadn’t accompanied them, Bent could play his sudden departure off. It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d had a sudden bug to take a trip alone. He’d driven to San Francisco not too long ago, and hadn’t asked anyone’s damn permission for that.

  Ash kept his arms crossed and stared at his boots. He said nothing, but the veins in his neck made the spider web tattoo writhe. Ash’s silence wasn’t for lack of something to say. Their lead singer was pissed. That silence meant bad things for Bent.

  Noodles chewed at his nails. “You gotta give us an answer, bro.”

  “I don’t gotta to anything.”

  “You trashed your place. Destroyed your gear…” Bash’s biceps bunched as he made a fist. “Left without saying a word…”

  “I don’t need no damn permission to go for a drive.”

  “Is that what this is?” Ash’s voice spewed forth and filled the air with its unique multi-tonal sounds. “You’re just on a drive? Is that the shit you want us to believe? Or, is there something else at play? Something you think you need to tell us? Something we deserve to know? You don’t walk out on the band.”

  Bent rubbed the back of his neck. Aw shit!

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “I want the truth.” Ash tugged the earbuds out of his ears and focused the entire force of his being on Bent.

  The man had a strength of character, a way of centering the world around him rather than the other way around. Ash might be a force of nature, but Bent wasn’t going to let that sway his decisions.

  “Truth? You know the truth. You’ve all been watching me for months. You know what’s up.”

  “The only thing that’s up is your head shoved up your ass.” Bash shook his head. “You really thought you could leave? Without a fucking word? Who does that? We…” Bash gestured amongst all the guys. “We made a pact. Through thick or thin we stick together. Never surrender. Never give up. Or did you forget that?”

  Bent couldn’t forget the pact they’d formed years ago. Those were the very words Bent had used when Bash had been ready to walk out on Ash and Ash’s drug addiction. Bent had been the driving force in keeping the band together. Bent, Bash, Noodles and Spike united and confronted Ash over his use of drugs. They orchestrated an intervention and forced Ash into rehab.

  Shit! Shit! Shit! Was that what this was? He looked at his friends, his brothers and bandmates, and knew, with a sinking of his gut, that was exactly what was going on.

  They’d staged a damn intervention.

  “There’s nothing to say,” he said with a shrug. “I can’t play. You need a new bassist.”

  “Prove it.” Ash glared at him.

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “You want to walk out on us, then I want you to fucking prove it.”

  “What do you want me to prove? I can’t play.”

  “So you say.” Ash stood three inches shorter than Bent, but he didn’t let the difference in their size keep him from crowding Bent’s space. Nose to nose, Ash issued his challenge. “You fucking owe it to us to prove it, because I don’t fucking believe you. I think you’re running scared, and we don’t do that. We’re fucking Angel Fire.”

  “I know what we are.” Bent couldn’t help himself. He took a step back and ran his hand through his hair. The long curls twisted in his fingers. “But I’m not…”

  “Shut the fuck up.” Bash thumped the hood of the car. “Forest has a place set up. You want to dump us? Walk away from your brothers. Go right ahead, but you gotta show us how fucked up your hand really is.”

  “I can’t play.”

  “So you keep saying.”

  Spike, ever the quiet one, kicked off the bumper and walked around to the passenger door. “Get in.”

  “I’m not…”

  “Fuck him.” Bash said with a snort. He pounded on the roof of the Porsche 911. “I’ll ride with the asshat.”

  “And where are we going?” Bent glanced at his friends. They were in Redlands, not exactly the mecca of the music industry. There probably wasn’t a recording studio within an hour’s drive.

  “To prove one of us right,” Bash said with a sneer.

  Bent raised his hands in the air, surrendering to the crazy surrounding him. “You want to see how bad it is, then fine. I’ll show you just how broken I am!”

  Ash gave him a long hard look. “When exactly was the last time you played, Bent? Do you even know that you can’t? What are you afraid of? That we might be right? Is that what this is? You’re done with us?”

  Ash’s words were like a knife slicing into his chest. These were his brothers, brought together through a love of music, but bonded over a decade filled with the highs and lows that came with the music business.

  They’d survived Ash’s addiction, coming out stronger as a result, but he didn’t think they’d survive this. Bent simply wasn’t capable of playing anymore. Perhaps they needed to see how bad things were before they believed? Perhaps then they would finally set him free?

  “Where exactly are we going?”

  “Just get in the car.” Bash pounded on the top of Bent’s Porsche again.

  “Wanna stop molesting my car?” Bent ground out his words as his fingers curled into fists. Enough anger surged in his body that his right hand actually felt strong enough to clock Bash’s jaw.

  Now, wouldn’t that be fun!

  “Unlock the damn car and I’ll be happy to oblige.”

  “I don’t want you riding with me.” Bent made the decision impulsively and pointed at Spike. “He can ride with me.”

  A man of few words, Spike would keep his mouth shut. Locking himself in the tight quarters of his Porsche with Bash would ensure one of them didn’t make it out alive.

  Bash’s eyes narrowed with consideration, but he seemed to come to a decision. He lifted his palms off the immaculate black paint job and stepped away from the car.

  Spike’s lips twisted into a grin. The multiple piercing of his lips shifted with the movement. One or two piercings, Bent understood, but Spike seemed to add to his growing collection with each passing year. Each brow held a piercing, two on the left and three on the right. He had two ring piercings on his lower lip and a one through his upper lip. Spike had a dermal placed between his upper lip and the bottom of his nose, and there was a ring in his nose as well. All that gear seemed a bit much to take care of, but Spike carried his metal with pride. Not once had he explained what it all meant. If it meant anything.

  Spike wandered over to the Porsche and opened the door. He slid his lanky form inside the car while Bent and Bash exchanged sharp stares. Ash shook his head and opened the back door to the Hummer and crawled inside. Bash followed on the other side, while Noodles hopped into the passenger side of the second Hummer. Their security would be driving.

  Bent took in a de
ep breath and blew it out as he tilted his face to the sky.

  This was fucked, but at least everyone would finally understand. More importantly, he could say goodbye.

  Stage Hand

  Piper

  Piper held a stand while Forest settled one of Bash’s drums into place.

  “I’m scared, Forest.”

  “Don’t be. Everything will work out.”

  She had wanted to be the one to go to Bent, but Forest had pulled her aside and explained. Everything going on with Bent was, first and foremost, an Angel Fire issue. While she’d wanted to argue her relationship with Bent demanded her presence, she understood.

  Her relationship with Bent might be at the forefront of her mind, but it wasn’t the most important issue. For the most part, she was an interloper, and most likely a transient player when it came to Angel Fire. They’d hired her for a job, one she hoped had come to an end, and also feared because of what that might imply.

  Bent’s departure terrified her because it spoke to what he thought about a future between them. If he could walk out without a word, his commitment wasn’t real, but walking out on the band? That invoked a whole other level of importance. It was hard to measure up to something like that.

  With a sigh she glanced toward the double doors that would bring him back into her life. If the guys convinced him, that was. What then? What would she say to him?

  Hi Bent, I set you up?

  What about something worse?

  Hi Bent, I’ve been lying to you for months?

  “I don’t want to be here.” Her words rushed out, ringing soundly with the suddenness of her decision. “I don’t belong here.”

  “If that’s what you think, then you’re a fool.”

  “Maybe,” she admitted, “but I’ll be more of a distraction if I stay. The whole goal is to get him to play.”