“Welcome, ladies. Get settled in, we’re just a few minutes from starting.”
Nerves hit, but they’re not as bad as they were before. Sky’s here with me and if I falter she’ll step in to shut down any personal questions. We’ve been interviewed together before. If she doesn’t like something, she’ll let them know. If I don’t like something, she turns into a fire-breathing dragon.
“All ready,” Sky says as she gets settled in her seat.
I nod that I am too. The guy is known for throwing out risqué questions and I’m nervous he’s going to go straight for the jugular. I’m the easy target here. Why the hell did I agree to this?
“Welcome back, rock hard listeners,” Jimmy starts, making my stomach twist into knots. “I’ve just been joined by two of the hottest names in rock. Skyler of the Hellcats and Eden Rose Masterson, the Goddess of Rock her damn self. Good afternoon, Ladies.”
“Hi, Jimmy, it’s good to be here.” Skyler starts.
“It’s good,” I echo, already wishing the interview over.
His blue eyes seem to sparkle as they land on me, a hint of a smirk starting to come out. I stiffen in my chair. This is it, he’s going to rip me to shreds. I swallow quietly, hoping I can come up with a response when he inevitably takes his shot.
“So, you ladies are doing this joint tour thing that’s super awesome and all, but I just have one burning question on my mind right now, and it’s for the lovely Eden.” He gazes right at me. “Is there any room in that bed of yours for a fifth lover?”
Skyler laughs loudly and shakes her head. “Oh, Jimmy. There’s no way you could handle Eden.”
I feel my face flush and I know it must be as red as my top right now.
He moves back in his seat, laughing a little. “Well, I had to try.”
And that’s it. That’s the only reference that he makes to my comment on that late night show. The rest of the interview is playful and flirty but he never crosses the line. I blow out a relieved breath when it’s over and Sky glances at me. “You okay?”
I nod. The interview was fine. Have I just been lucky so far, or does the world really not care that I’m seeing more than one guy? Fingers crossed for the former, but I know that’s probably wishful thinking.
Jimmy stands up and leads us out and another guy goes into the booth.
“In case you decide to change your mind about my offer,” Jimmy says, slipping a card into my hand.
I’m too shocked to do anything with it, and he disappears down the corridor before I can speak, besides. I glance up at Logan and find him frowning at me.
“Was that for real?” I ask Skyler.
“He’s such a womanizer.” She shakes her head.
“What was that about?” Logan asks.
“Oh, nothing,” Sky says. “Jimmy just wants to be one of Eden’s guys.”
I don’t know what to do with the card. I’m not going to call him, but it feels mean to just drop it on the floor. I slip it into my purse, just as Logan catches my eye with his stare. It’s a familiar expression he’s wearing. Disbelief, with an undercurrent of anger.
I don’t bother to explain myself, I just say goodbye to Skyler and walk out. My own bodyguard hurries alongside me. We rush to the car, narrowly avoiding a paparazzi coming our way from behind the building. I breathe out a sigh of relief when we’re moving, heading back to the hotel. I hope Eli’s still in the suite. I want to know what’s going on, and I need a distraction from the war of emotions that’s waging inside of me over Logan.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Eli
He’s working for Skyler. When I find this out, I wonder why Eden didn’t tell us, ignoring the obvious. I know she wants to find a fourth that we’re all happy with. I’m just not sure that’s going to be how things end up. I weigh up the consequences of what I’m about to do before I take action.
This needs to be done. There’s no other option.
I leave the suite and get a cab to Skyler’s apartment building. Going by Eden’s schedule, the joint radio interview should be over. Eden has a third appointment today, but Sky doesn’t.
Logan answers her door. He gives me a tight smile.
“Sheriff Ramirez. What do you want?”
“I want to talk to you about Eden.”
He narrows his eyes. “I’m on the clock, so you’re out of luck.”
He starts to close the door. I block it.
“Tell me you don’t love her and I’ll leave.”
This is when Skyler comes up behind him, a warm smile on her devious face. “Oh, he loves her. There’s no doubt about that.”
I stare at him and I know. He might not want to face it now, but he does love her. It’s the only way she could have taken him as her fourth. “You mind if I come inside and talk to him for a bit?”
Skyler pulls the door open wider, ripping the wood from Logan’s fingers. “Take as long as you want. I’ll be in my room, picking an outfit for tomorrow’s shoot.”
I walk inside when Logan backs up enough to let me enter. The apartment is nice, underneath the mess Skyler is living in. Logan closes the door and moves toward the kitchen, before turning and leaning back against the counter. He folds his arms and stares me down.
“What exactly do you want?”
Good question. I’m operating on instinct right now. The end goal is Eden’s happiness, but I’m not sure what that means. Not yet. “I want a confession.”
“What if I don’t feel like talking?”
I shrug. “If I leave you lose any chance you have of a relationship with Eden.”
He shifts, standing straighter. “What are you talking about?”
“I need to know why you tried to kill Asher.” I need to know if you’re truly psychotic, or if you’re redeemable. I trust Eden, but her judgement was pushed by Lawson when it came to picking a fourth. So I’m here to find out if you’re worthy of my Goddess.
“That’s ancient history now,” he snaps. “I’ve spoken to Asher since it happened.”
“I need to know why.” I’ll persist until his lips loosen. I know Sky will let me stay as long as I want to.
“I went crazy,” he says, shrugging, though his eyes darken. “I can’t explain it.”
“Try.” If my original theory was on point, this is a lost cause. I hope to hell it’s not for Eden’s sake.
He sighs. “Why are you here, Elias? Eden wants nothing to do with me. She fucking hates me.”
“She loves you.” I look him over. “I don’t know if that’s justified.”
He laughs sharply. “Well, you would say that. But she loves you, and you’re a killer.”
“That’s why I’m giving you a chance to explain yourself.”
He frowns at me. “She doesn’t even know you’re here, does she?”
“Are we going to dance around this all night, or are you going to explain yourself?” My voice strains. I don’t like to let my anger out but this guy seems to know just what to do to provoke it.
He gazes through me, his expression slackening. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
There’s more to this than I’m seeing here. There has to be. Wait. There is one other woman that links him to Asher. He fell for that woman and she was a Dark Forces Goddess. “Did Diana use you to kill him?”
He locks gazes with me and I see the struggle in his eyes. “I loved her. She was fucked up and twisted and I loved the hell out of her.”
Is that it? He can’t blame her because he’s grieving her. He loved her. I don’t think I’m going to get a confession here, but it makes sense if she pushed him to kill Asher. It would hurt Eden. Dark Forces Goddesses are always trying to destroy Goddesses of Love. If he was being used, can I really hold that against him?
“She used you to hurt Eden. Killing Asher would have destroyed her.”
He just stares through me again. “Falling for her fixed the broken parts inside me. She needed me. I was the only one who could save her. I failed her.”
“You didn’t,” I tell him, shaking my head. “You did everything you could. More than a mortal should have been able to do. There was nothing you could have done about her mother.”
He shrugs loosely. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s done.”
I realise it doesn’t matter if he gives me the truth. Even if he did try to kill Asher out of jealousy, he’s not that same person. If he was, he wouldn’t have been able to walk away when he did.
“I think we should start over,” I tell him. “Clean slate.”
He snorts. “Forget you killed me and forget I killed Asher?”
I smile. “Exactly.”
He nods slowly. “Okay. So where do we go from here?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Eden
I get back to the suite and Eli is nowhere to be found. I call him and he doesn’t answer. My stomach starts to flutter. I’ve barely eaten all day and I have less than an hour until I need to leave for my final interview. I call room service and nearly drop the phone when my cell rings in my other hand.
My excitement fades when I realise it’s my manager, not Eli. Ugh. I was wondering when she’d call. She must have just seen last night’s show. I finish placing my food order and then pick up with a weary sigh.
“Hi, Amy.”
“Have you seen the buzz online? Everyone is guessing who your lovers are. The tour just sold out so we’re going to find out what extra venues we can book at the end.”
“Um what?” The tour sold out? In a day? Holy hell.
“Can you do another month, or two?”
“I guess, whatever we need.” I can hardly believe it. That has to be a new record. I know some concerts sell out in minutes, but an entire tour? Twelve arenas and twenty-four dates. That’s a lot of tickets.
“Okay, I’ll call you when it’s arranged. Tell that v-logger more dates will be announced soon. Keep watching your website for that. Katrina’s adding the info as soon as we get it.”
“Sure.” Stunned, I put the phone down when she hangs up.
She’s actually happy about my reveal. It’s only done good things for the tour. My nervous butterflies start to feel like the good kind. I’ve haven’t had immediate blow back. I’m sure some will sling their mud, that’s inevitable, but so far, so good.
I go look out a new outfit for the interview with the video blogger. A two piece tank and skirt in leather with stud detailing down the sides. I re-do my hair with a pair of straighteners and decide to leave fixing my make-up until I’ve had something to eat.
The chicken salad and coke arrive a few minutes later. I take my time with it, letting the soda perk me back up. Nothing like a long day of interviews to make exhaustion kick in.
I head out after I freshen my makeup and change my lipstick for a deep shade of purple. It’s a little outside of the norm for me, considering reds and nudes are my go to shades, but I’ve worn it on-stage a few times and I’m in the mood for something a little different.
It feels weird that I haven’t seen Eli since this morning, but I shake off the feeling. He’ll speak to me later. He wanted the night alone with me, after all.
Katy C works from home, in a rich neighbourhood not far from the hotel. She’s set up in the guest house out back, past the pool and huge patio area. This house was made for parties, that’s for sure.
The pink haired girl who greets me is Asian and talks like a valley girl. She’s wearing a green shimmery dress and her make-up looks expertly applied. She greets me warmly, and steps in for a hug as if we’re old pals.
“Eden Rose! I’m like so totally amped to be talking to you today,” she starts, leading me inside by taking my hand.
“I’m happy to be here,” I tell her, taking in the decor and wondering how the hell she got the place to look like an under the sea hideaway. Seriously. It’s all greens and blues with hints of purple and pink. There are shell-shaped chairs and fabric arranged like seaweed that actually sways around on the walls. The camera set up is professional, and someone is working it as we sit down.
A woman in a purple dress with hair that matches. My jaw drops when she stands up properly and sends a smile my way. What the hell is Arianna Frost doing here? Working a camera for a v-logger. What the hell?
“Hi, Eden,” she says. “Long time.”
“Arianna. What are you doing here?”
“Katy is a friend and neighbour. I’m over here a lot. Had to come when I heard you’d be around.”
Her eyes are almost the same shade as her ensemble. She’s just as gorgeous as ever and my body flushes with heat as I remember what Cupid said about her. She could be my fourth.
Maybe this is fate. Wait a second. Remember what else Cupid said, Eden. She’s a Dark Forces Goddess. Suddenly I’m on high alert.
“How are you?” I don’t know what else to say. The last time I saw her she kissed me, and I don’t mean a little bump on the lips. She had her tongue in my mouth, her body pressed against mine, her fingers stroking their way through my hair. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. It wasn’t all on her. She pulled away, uncertainty in her eyes. That moment our gazes locked was make or break. I breathed in a shocked gasp of air and pulled her back to me, saying yes to the embrace, begging for more. We locked together in that kiss for what felt like hours.
“Oh, I’m good. You know, the life of a rock star is never dull.” She seems just as open as ever.
I can’t reconcile the woman I knew with one that might be out to get me now. There’s nothing dark about her. Things change, I guess. Not always for the better.
“You?”
“Things are looking up,” I tell her, wondering if she knows.
“Well, I’ll let you get set for the interview. If you want to catch up more after, I’d love to take you for a drink.” She smiles as she goes behind the camera.
My heart is racing a little just having her in the room. The one and only woman I’ve ever been attracted to, the only one who might possess the potential to own a little piece of my heart. She’d just have to be Dark Forces. Nothing’s ever simple.
“Ready?” Katy C asks as she fluffs her hair.
I sit up straight and nod. “When you are.”
The camera starts rolling and we’re off. Every question is predictable. She doesn’t ask about my men. I’m starting to feel weird that it’s a topic that’s being avoided. Every interviewer has asked about Hunter. Besides Jimmy’s flirty joke, I haven’t been getting bombarded with probing questions.
“Thanks for the show!” Katy C hugs me at the end.
I murmur thanks in return and get up. Arianna’s looking me over when it’s done.
“I’ll walk Eden out.”
I shiver as she gazes at me. The heat in that look reminds me of the night she kissed me. She takes my arm as if we’re old friends. I guess we are.
“I’m glad to see you bounced back from the whole Hunter debacle.” She rolls her eyes. “What a fucking sleaze of man that asshole is.”
“We were over long before we actually broke up,” I say, wondering why I’m telling her this. Though I suppose I did tell Zura so the world will know soon enough. If Hunter hadn’t been so callous I might have been more protective of the details. It’ll probably piss him off. That’ll give him some semblance of how I felt when I found out he’d been sleeping around. I’m sure he’ll take it worse than I did. He always blew things out of proportion, blamed me for everything.
“You guys were together a long time.”
“I guess.” It kills me how long, when I look back. What a damn waste of time.
“Listen, I’m sorry I ran out on you the last time we saw each other,” she says, as we stop at the gates.
My security team are waiting, by the car, where I asked them to remain. We’re out of earshot, but they can see us here. I turn to her, hoping my make-up is hiding the blood that’s rushing to my face.
“It’s okay,” I tell her, feeling my Goddess light sink into her skin.
She smiles down at it. “I guess we’ve both been through some changes.”
Shock floods me as I see I’m the only woman she’s ever been attracted to as well. I guess I’d just assumed, the way she’d acted so boldly, that she was into girls or maybe that she was bi. I also see that she loved me then, and she could still love me now. She really is a potential for my fourth.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to destroy you,” she tells me, her voice low. “I know if I kissed you again you’d give up your men for me. I wouldn’t do that to a Goddess of Love.”
I let her arm go and she shivers. The expression of bliss that courses over her makes me wish she’d just kiss me. Consequences be damned. Then sense comes flooding back and I wonder. Was she joking, or does she have some way to make me hers and hers alone? Monogamy means my destruction after all. I’d cease to be a Goddess. I’d be mortal. But then, so would she.
And I am going to have to find a way to make her mortal. Dark Forces Goddesses don’t run around spraying rainbows and unicorns everywhere. She’s bad news, even if she doesn’t seem to be.
She’s even more deadly than the others I’ve met. She knows my heart, and she’s a temptation to me. I need to stay the hell away from her.
“I hope I’ll see you around, Eden.”
I hope not. “Goodbye, Arianna.”
I walk away, resisting the temptation to pick up my pace. She’s not a killer or a psycho. She’s not going to come running after me to tackle me with her lips. That doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous though. Strike that name off my list of potentials. I get into the car and wonder if it would be weird to seek out Xander. I’m starting to feel desperate now, as if I need to claim my fourth before Arianna does whatever she’s going to do to destroy me.
Bad Blood (Rock Goddess Reverse Harem Book 5) Page 10