Tainted Bastard (Tainted Knights Book 4)

by Terri Anne Browning

  Pushing the box into her hands, I put the drinks on the coffee table in the living room and headed for Roanna’s bedroom. I hadn’t wanted to leave the night before, but the other three more or less kicked me out no sooner than we walked through the door.

  “Let her sleep,” Aubree tried to argue when I headed for her room.

  “I will,” I told her but kept walking. “Eat the bear claw and shut up.”

  The room was small, barely enough room to walk with the two twin beds and a dresser. Roanna was lying on her side, one arm tucked under her pillow, the other draped over her stomach. The covers were low on her hips, showing me that her sleep shirt was riding up, revealing a few inches of bare stomach.

  Kicking off my shoes, I pulled my keys, wallet, and phone out of my pockets and tossed them onto the floor beside them. Then I did the only thing I wanted to do and climbed into that small-ass bed behind her.

  She stirred as I put my head on her pillow. Her lashes lifted, and she smiled sleepily up at me. “Hi.”

  I kissed her forehead. “Go back to sleep,” I told her, wrapping my arms around her and pillowing her head on my arm.

  Roanna sighed, closed her eyes again, and fell right back to sleep.

  Burying my nose in her hair, I inhaled deeply. The scent of her shampoo soothed something in me, and I closed my eyes, letting the peace of having her in my arms relax me enough so I could sleep too…

  “Sin?” Roanna’s sweet voice murmured, her body squirming against me.

  My eyes squinted open. There was still sunlight coming through the thin curtains over the window, but that didn’t tell me what time it was. Looking down at Roanna, I saw that she was wide awake now, and I was holding on to her so tightly she could barely move.

  “I really have to pee,” she told me, her lips tilting up in a small smile. “I tried to hold it, but it’s been a while since I woke up.”

  “Hell, sorry, babe.” I released her, and she kissed my chin before jumping up.

  When she left, the door stayed open. From the living room, I heard London and Genesis bitching at each other. Leaning over the side of the bed, I grabbed my phone to check the time. I’d gotten there close to eleven. It was now after two. I’d slept that long with Roanna in my arms, and it had been the most restful sleep I’d had in forever.

  Lying back, I checked the few texts I had. Two from Emmie saying she had those douchebags from the night before right where she wanted them. Something about knowing the biggest rival of the judge who was the grandfather of the one whose nose I busted. She’d gotten a copy of the surveillance video from the cinema and was turning it over to the guy so he could use it as leverage in an upcoming election.

  Emmie was cold-blooded when she wanted to be.

  I liked that shit.

  She could make all three of them pay in more ways than just sending them to jail for a few hours. There were more creative methods of giving Roanna her pound of flesh where those guys were concerned than beating it out of them.

  My manager knew exactly how to do that.

  Roanna returned, flipping on the overhead light as she crossed the small room and lay down beside me. As tiny as that damn bed was, she had to lie on top of me for us both to fit, making me like her bed even more.

  Her hair spread across my chest as she rested her ear over my heart. Wrapping her arms around my middle, she snuggled closer, letting out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad you didn’t get up. I wanted to lie here for a little longer.”

  “Aubree said you didn’t sleep well last night.” I kissed the top of her head, my hands rubbing up and down her back. “You should have called me. I would have come back and slept with you.”

  “Aubree snores.”

  I laughed. “Then we could have taken the couch.”

  She lifted her head. “Really? You would have done that?”

  “For you.”

  “Because I’m so special?”

  Threading my fingers through her hair, I pulled her head down until her lips met mine. “Because you’re the best thing to ever happen to me,” I told her when I ended the kiss. “Because I want you to be happy and safe. And mine. I want you to be mine more than anything else.”

  Her lashes lifted slowly, her kiss-swollen lips curling into a smile. “Right now, I’m all three of those things.”

  “Only right now?” Her brows rose. “Maybe I want you to be mine forever. Can you promise me that?”

  “I …” She licked her lips, her gaze lowering to my chest. “I don’t know. Forever is a long time.”

  “It doesn’t feel long enough sometimes.” I pulled her head back down to my chest. “It’s definitely not long enough for what I want with you.”

  “What do you want with me?” she whispered.

  “Everything,” I answered honestly. “But right now, I’ll settle for this.”

  “I’m hungry,” she said after a quiet minute passed. Her stomach growled, and my stomach echoed the sound. Giggling, she lifted her head. “Sounds like I’m not the only one. Come on, I’ll feed you.”

  She climbed off me, pulling her nightshirt down over her panties. My hands itched to pull her back down, to roll her under me and make her come like the day before. But I didn’t want an audience listening to those goddamn little mewling sounds she made when she was coming on my fingers.

  “I brought coffee and pastries earlier,” I told her as I sat up.

  “Yummy. Knowing those three, there won’t be any coffee left, but they will have saved us one or two pastries.”

  With her tugging on my hand, I stood. Leaving my keys, wallet, and shoes on the floor, I followed her out into the living room. Aubree, Genesis, and London were all sitting on the couch watching television. They barely lifted their heads when I sat down on the end beside Aubree.

  “I checked on you guys twice,” she commented, handing me the box of pastries. “I almost thought you were dead, you were sleeping so deep. I guess kicking three guys’ asses wore you out.”

  I grunted and picked one of the cherry-filled pastries still in the box, leaving the chocolate-filled croissant for Roanna.

  “What are we doing tonight?” Genesis asked, sounding bored. “I want to go dancing.”

  “No thanks,” Roanna called from the kitchen. “You guys can go, though.”

  “Let’s at least eat dinner together, then,” Genesis complained.

  “Somewhere fun,” London suggested. “Maybe that bar and grill two blocks over.”

  “You just want to drink your dinner,” Genesis said with disgust.

  “And you just want to whore around,” London shot back. “Shut the fuck up, slut. Go suck a dick, and get out of my face.”

  Roanna appeared, holding two coffee cups. “I’m not going anywhere with either of you if you’re going to talk to each other like that.” Handing me a cup, she started to sit on the floor, but I pulled her onto my lap, careful not to spill hot coffee on either of us.

  “What’s with you two?” I asked, knowing I would probably regret it. “Can’t you get along for five minutes? You two are worse than when Kin’s stepmom and Angie are in the same room.” Which was like an explosion ready to happen. I was still surprised they hadn’t attacked each other at Kin’s high school graduation.

  “Shut up, Sin,” Genesis snapped.

  “You don’t know shit,” London growled in my direction.

  I met Roanna’s gaze, brows raised at how united they suddenly seemed. “They’re frenemies,” she explained. “More enemies than friends most days, though. But mess with one, and the other will slit your throat.”

  “You gonna let them slit my throat, sweet girl?” I asked, kissing her lips.

  “Barf,” London grumbled.

  Roanna flipped them off. “No,” she answered me. “I’ll save you from them.”

  Aubree flipped through the channels, unconcerned with the bickering of the bassist and guitarist. “Dinner or not?” she asked no one in particular. “Because I have no problem eating a bowl
of ramen and spending the night in my pajamas.”

  “I’ll cook,” I announced, not in the mood for more bitching from those three.

  Four pairs of surprised eyes gawked at me.

  “You can cook?” Roanna asked in disbelief.

  “You can’t?”

  She shrugged. “Eggs and toast. I can boil noodles for spaghetti and heat up a jar of marinara. And my ramen is pretty good.”

  “Yeah, okay. I’m definitely cooking now.” Opening an app on my phone, I ordered all the groceries needed. “Alfredo with broccoli—and chicken for those of us who like a little protein. Garlic knots. Wine. Beer.”

  “Dessert?” Roanna asked hopefully.

  “I’m no good at desserts. I’ll order you some cheesecake and have it delivered,” I promised.

  “How do you know how to cook?” Aubree inquired, her eyes still wide.

  “My mom. She figured I eventually would have to feed myself, and she taught me everything from scratch. Including the bread.” I checked out of the grocery app and paid with a swipe of my thumb. “Everything will be here in an hour.”

  “Ro, your man can make homemade garlic knots,” Genesis groaned. “I think I’m a little in love with him.”

  “Hands off!” she growled in the other girl’s direction.

  The entire room went silent, and Roanna gasped, realizing what she’d just said. Pink filled her cheeks, but she didn’t say anything else. Laughing at how adorable she looked, and the hint of jealous possessiveness in her beautiful eyes, which made me want to howl at the freaking moon, I kissed the top of her head.

  Beside me, Aubree snickered. “Keep your mitts off the merch, Genesis.”

  Genesis snorted. “He’s not my type anyway.”

  “You have a type?” London quipped.

  “Yeah, I don’t fuck around with the guys my friends are in love with.”

  Every nerve in my body was suddenly standing at attention, and I waited, practically holding my breath for Roanna to deny it.

  “Shut up, Genesis!” she hissed.

  That wasn’t a denial.

  My chest filled to capacity, splitting at the seams. Roanna didn’t know it, but in that moment, I’d never been so happy in my fucking life.

  The next few days flew by, and Thursday arrived in the blink of an eye. All week, I’d been with Roanna.

  All week, her three bandmates had tagged along. We hadn’t been alone since Monday, and I was itching to get my hands on her without being interrupted before I could get my sweet girl off again.

  I arrived at First Bass ten minutes before the Blondes were supposed to take the stage. Roanna made me rehearse with her enough times this week that I was confident in performing with her. She would have made a kick-ass music teacher if she ever wanted to change careers. Although, I hoped she didn’t. My goal was to have her band opening for mine on our next tour. Maybe performing at the same festivals in the spring. Being on the road with my girl sounded like a sweet deal to me.

  Using the back employee entrance, I walked to the green room. The door was already open when I got there, the two security guys standing at attention as the Blondes laughed inside. Stepping into the room, I was surprised to find them still not ready.

  Roanna was at the vanity in nothing but her bra and panties, finishing up her makeup, while the other three walked around in varying stages of nudity.

  “Why the hell is the door open if you’re almost naked in here?” I demanded as I slammed the door behind me. Jealousy was eating me alive as I imagined the two guards at the door seeing my girl in nothing but her fucking underwear.

  “Because it’s hot in here,” Aubree told me calmly, walking around me to open the door once again. “The AC isn’t working right. Harris said someone is coming to fix it tomorrow. No one but you comes back here anyway, and those guys out there are decent enough not to look inside the room.”

  I had to admit it was hot in there, but I couldn’t think straight with Roanna walking around nearly naked, her tits barely contained in her goddamn bra, and two fucking guys right outside the door able to look in and see what was mine and mine alone.

  “Ro, put some fucking clothes on,” I ordered.

  She turned on the little vanity chair, her brows lifted at me.

  Blowing out a heavy sigh, I gritted out, “Please, put some clothes on.”

  Smiling, she jumped to her feet and reached for the shirt draped over the back of one of the couches.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him use that word in the entire time we’ve known him,” London commented as she took Roanna’s spot at the vanity to touch up her eye makeup.

  “It’s a small miracle, that’s for sure,” Genesis said with a laugh, pulling on her boots and zipping them up.

  “No one would believe us if we told them,” Aubree said.

  I thrust my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, glaring at the three of them without saying a word. They laughed and finished getting ready.

  Roanna buttoned her jeans then slid her arms around my waist. Her hair fell back over her shoulders as she smiled shyly up at me. “Don’t be grumpy,” she murmured. “I’m all covered up now.”

  “Give me a kiss, and I’ll be less grumpy,” I bargained.

  She rolled her eyes, but she stood on tiptoes to brush her lips over mine. I pulled my hands out of my pockets to lock her against me, deepening the kiss. When I lifted my head, her lipstick was smeared, but I was in a considerably better mood.

  “Go fix your lips,” I commanded. “You go on in less than five minutes.”

  Beaming, she hurriedly fixed her makeup then pulled on her boots. “Our song isn’t until the very end,” she told me as she finished zipping up her knee-highs. “You can grab a beer or something if you want.”

  “I’m good.” I didn’t want to be far from her, and I didn’t like to drink until after I performed. I wasn’t affected by stage fright, and I didn’t need the liquid courage of booze to get me pumped up for a set. I knew what I was doing at every given moment when I was onstage. Just because my role had been changed for the night, and I was singing rather than playing the bass, didn’t mean anything. I was confident.

  When the Blondes took the stage, I stood with the security team who kept the crowd back.

  I knew my friends were all present in the audience. I hadn’t let any of them know what I was doing with Roanna tonight, yet, by chance, they were all in attendance. Even Cash was upstairs already with his best friend, Caleb. They would all probably give me shit about singing with her, but I didn’t give a damn. It was going to make her happy, and that was all that mattered to me.

  I could hear her sing a million times, and I would never get tired of it. She cast a spell over me and everyone around her when she opened her mouth. No one could look away; no one could hear her and not be moved. Not even the security guards who were supposed to be doing their job, protecting her and watching for danger, could bring themselves to take their eyes off her for more than a minute at a time.

  Roanna caught my gaze, gave me a saucy wink that she wouldn’t have dared do anywhere but onstage, the place where she thrived.

  Just that tiny, flirty little gesture and I wanted to pull her off there, carry her into the back, and kiss her until she was begging for my mouth on her pussy. I didn’t want to rush her, and I wouldn’t, but fuck I couldn’t wait to have her coming apart for me again.

  This chick was mine, and fuck, but I wanted to claim her in every way.

  Chapter 20

  Roanna

  The instant I pulled Sin onstage with me, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. The lights, the people, the noise around us—with the exception of the music. All of it was gone. All I could see was his face, that sexy as hell confidence that was so full of smugness, I wanted to kiss him until we were both desperate for more.

  The lyrics left my mouth on instinct, as if they were a physical part of me. And when it came for his verse, when his voice was filling the entire build
ing and I was falling deep into his eyes, the music possessed both our souls.

  Rehearsals the last few days told me we would be dynamite together like this. The actual experience was life-changing. His voice blended with mine when the verse called for it, almost as if we were made to harmonize together.

  Sin put just as much emotion into the song as I did, maybe more. If something happened and there was no more Tainted Knights, he could easily go solo.

  As the last verse hit, I lifted my hand. He pressed his palm to mine. His was at least twice as big as my own, his fingers swallowing mine up when he interlocked them together. My heart was racing, my soul singing just as loud as my voice had been, and I knew in that moment I was lost.

  I love him.

  I didn’t know how or when or even why, specifically.

  All I did know was that he was it. The one everyone waited a lifetime to meet, just to relinquish their heart, their soul, their entire fucking being to.

  The lights went down the second the last chord was played, just as I’d discussed with the tech team upstairs. It was the perfect way to end this show, give the crowd this song with Sin as a surprise, and then let them decide if it was as magical for them as it was for me.

  Standing there on that dark stage, my heart racing, my body trembling, I waited for them to make their decision.

  Less than a second later, the entire club erupted. The screams, the applause, the pure energy coming from the whole place shook the building on its foundation.

  Sin jerked me against him, his lips brushing over mine in one of those soft, soul-searing kisses. It was over before it even began, and then we were following the others off the darkened stage, back to the green room while the crowd was still going crazy over that last performance.

  Outside the door, he pressed his lips to my ear. “Hurry, sweet girl. I need you.”

  A shiver slid down my spine, and hunger clenched in my core. Biting my lip, I rushed to change while he stayed outside.

  “Ro, you leaving?” Genesis asked as she pulled her shirt over her head.

  “Y-Yeah,” I told her, breathless as I exchanged my sweat-dampened shirt for a clean one and my jeans for the yoga pants I wore earlier.