by Frank, Ella
“Look at us,” I repeated, and when Halo’s head came up and I knew his eyes were on the two of us, I said, “This is the sexiest fucking photo I have ever seen in my life.”
As I began to move my hips and hand faster, Halo moved his hand over the top of the image and his breathing became rapid.
“The only negative I can think of,” I said against the taut skin of his shoulder, my impending orgasm making my balls tighten, “is how unlucky everyone who sees it is. Because they’re never gonna get to see you fly apart the way I’m about to.”
As I bit into Halo’s shoulder and tightened my fist around the head of his dick, Halo clutched at the cover, snatched it off the counter, and shoved it down the front of his body.
When Halo tensed, and a loud shout followed not seconds after, I knew exactly what my fallen angel had just done, and that was all I needed to push me over the edge.
“Oh my God,” Halo said on a rush of air, as he remained propped up by a seriously shaky hand on the countertop, while the other was down in front of him.
A low chuckle left me as I wrapped both arms around his waist and rubbed my body up against his, covering us both in the sticky evidence of my arousal.
“I can’t believe I just did that.” Halo brought the magazine up and looked down at the mess he’d made of our cover. “Umm…sorry?”
I reached out for the magazine and pressed a kiss to his ear. “Don’t be. I didn’t think this cover could get any better, but I think you just proved me wrong.” Halo turned his head to look at me, but I kept my eyes focused on the picture. “In fact, I just might frame it.”
“You would not,” Halo said, mortified.
I finally turned to look at him and kiss his shocked lips. “Angel, don’t you know by now? When it comes to you, I’d do just about anything.”
Twelve
Halo
JAGGER SWEPT INSIDE the private room at Salam, a Lebanese restaurant not far from Viper’s place, and looked over to where Slade, Viper, and I sat at the lone dining table.
“Am I late?” he said. “Wait, Killian’s not here. Shit, I’m on time.” Jagger straightened the collar of his suit jacket and sat in the chair beside Slade.
Killian had been on the hunt for a new band manager for the last couple of weeks, and last night he’d shot us all a text asking us to meet him here at noon, saying he had news. Whether that news would be what Viper hoped—that our old manager, Brian, had lost all his clients and had to resort to cleaning toilets at Burger Barn—was anybody’s guess, but if I had to place bets, the news would have more to do with a possible replacement than Brian’s current situation.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Could you guys sign this?” Jagger pulled a folded magazine out of his inside jacket pocket, along with a Sharpie, and when he slid it across the table toward me and Viper, I got a look at what it was.
Our Rolling Stone cover.
“Get outta here with this shit,” Viper said, shoving the magazine across the table.
“But I need a signature from Fallen Angel’s power couple. You guys are just sooo hot.” Jagger batted his lashes, and I flicked the pen in his direction. He caught it easily, laughing as he placed it back inside his jacket.
“Why’d they put baby oil all over you?” Slade asked, nose wrinkling as he looked down at the magazine.
“It wasn’t baby oil,” I said, but then looked at Viper. “Was it?”
Before Viper could respond, the door opened and Killian walked in, followed by a man I’d never seen before. My eyes shot straight down to the pink pants he wore, so bright they were practically fluorescent. He’d paired them with a white collared shirt beneath a fitted blue sports jacket and a pair of loafers, and his dark hair was buzzed short except for the front, where long, pale blond strands had been artfully arranged.
Who was this guy?
“Great, you’re all here. Shocking, Jagger,” Killian said, and then gestured to his guest. “Guys, meet Levi Walker.” He went around the table and introduced us to Levi, and when they took a seat, I noticed the frown on Viper’s face. It was the same one he had when he first saw me.
My guy doesn’t do well with new people, does he? I thought with a smirk.
“You joining us to play the triangles? Maybe a little recorder action?” Viper said. I gave him a swift kick under the table, and he gave me a look that said, “What?” I knew all too well what it was like to be on the other side of Viper’s antagonizing, and I didn’t want to run off whoever this guy was before we had a chance to learn why he was here.
With his hands folded in front of him, Levi leveled his gaze at Viper. “My special’s the tambourine, but I only play when I’m really in the mood to bang.”
Slade and Jagger both snorted out laughs, and even I had to grin. Okay, so maybe this guy wasn’t as intimidated as I’d been.
“And on that note, meet our new manager,” Killian said. “When I put out feelers, almost everyone I talked to mentioned Levi’s name. He’s one of the best in the business, well respected, and—”
“Currently unemployed,” Viper said. “Why is that? I mean, if you’re one of the best.” A smile sweet as sugar crossed Viper’s smug lips, and it was all I could do not to slap my boyfriend upside the head. Damn menace.
“Viper—” Killian started, but Levi put his hand up.
“It’s fine. To answer your question, Viper, I’m currently managing the last two Grammy winners for Best New Artist. Rayven and Skulker. Maybe you’ve heard of them?”
As I glanced around the table, I saw the recognition spark in both Slade’s and Jagger’s eyes. We’d edged Rayven out for the top spot on the hot 100 chart, and every time I turned on the radio, Skulker was playing.
“Then it would seem like your hands are full,” Viper said. “The last manager we had was spread pretty thin with all the artists he picked up after us. We’re not looking to share.”
Levi nodded. “Understood.”
“Then I guess that settles that,” Viper said, giving a pointed look to Killian, who rolled his eyes, and then Viper went to stand up.
“If I were to agree to take you on, I’d forfeit my position with the others,” Levi said, halting Viper. I tugged on his arm, forcing him back in his seat as Jagger spoke up.
“Why would you do that?”
“I go where I feel inspired, and I like a challenge. And I do believe you five would be a challenge.”
“So you’d just drop the others? Not very loyal, are you?” Viper said.
The corner of Levi’s mouth twitched, whether from annoyance or from trying not to laugh at the way Viper continued to jab, I didn’t know. Had it been my first interview, I’d probably be hiding under the damn table, but Levi seemed to be holding his own.
“While we’ve had a successful working relationship, I was brought in on a temporary basis to help build their brands. As you can see, I more than exceeded expectations. I’ll be leaving them both in good hands if I choose to work with you.”
“If you choose?” Viper scoffed. “We’re the ones interviewing you. We’ll decide whether you stay or go.”
“On the contrary, Mr. Neil, I’m the one interviewing you. And I’ll decide whether to take you up on your terms or whether I leave you to settle for someone less than me.” Levi shrugged.
Jagger pointed at Levi, a grin on his face. “I like your confidence, man. But the question is, what can you do for us that we’re not already doing for ourselves? How do you plan to—what’s the word—elevate us?”
Like he’d been waiting for the chance to tell us his plan, Levi launched into a detailed play-by-play. How he’d, as Jagger said, “elevate us,” what he saw for our future, what he’d do on a day-to-day basis, and how he’d manage the tour and upcoming album release.
“And as for you two,” Levi said, pointing at Viper and me, “you need some serious PR work. You’re in quite the situation, and I’ve got just the team to smooth things out before it overshadows all the hard work you’ve done as a b
and.”
Even if I hadn’t agreed with anything else he’d said—which I had—that alone would’ve sold me. Having to leave my place or Viper’s place every day with a horde of reporters standing outside waiting had me wanting to stay locked up inside, and that wasn’t how I wanted to live my life. If Levi could calm down the press, I was all for it.
But next to me, Viper tensed, his body rigid and his eyes narrowed to slits that looked like they could shoot daggers.
Oh shit, I thought. Here we go.
Thirteen
Viper
I WASN’T SURE where Killian had plucked this Levi guy from, but as far as I was concerned, he could go back there, right fucking now. This interview—so far—hadn’t done jack shit to convince me that he was the right manager for Fallen Angel.
Levi Walker was arrogant, opinionated, and about as subtle as a sledgehammer in both his opinions and his clothes. But none of that mattered to me. Hell, no one would ever accuse me of being subtle either. It was that final observation he’d made, the one he’d aimed in my and Halo’s direction that was really raising my hackles. He could take that comment, and any ideas he had about us, and shove it up his—
“That was actually something we wanted to talk to you about,” Killian interjected. But I didn’t take my eyes off the man who was now eyeing the angel and me as though we were a problem he was trying to decide how to fix.
“No offense, Kill,” I said in a tone that said I was completely fucking offended. “But I’m not about to talk to some stranger about my personal life.”
Halo shifted in the seat beside me, and while I knew he was more than likely wishing I’d shut my mouth, I wasn’t about to sit here and let some random guy offer up an opinion on how we should conduct our love lives.
Fuck. That.
“He’s not some stranger,” Killian said, and rubbed a hand over his mouth. “And I, for one, would really like to hear what he has to say about this. You both knew we’d have to discuss it sooner or later.”
I opened my mouth, about to tell Killian I’d rather it be later, way fucking later, but Halo put a hand on my thigh under the table, and I turned to face him.
When my eyes found his, I could see the request that I listen to what Levi had to say, clear as if he’d said the words out loud. So I covered his hand with mine and gave a nod before we both turned back to Levi.
He smirked, those dark, assessing eyes shifting between us before landing firmly on Halo. “That’s some power you have there. Are you the only one in this bunch that he takes orders from?”
Was this guy kidding with this shit? But before I could answer, Halo spoke up.
“He doesn’t take orders from anyone, and neither do I. So if you’re about to tell us we can’t be together, then you need a better strategy.”
I whipped my head to the side, my mouth all but falling open at Halo’s ballsy answer, and I felt the tension in my shoulders ease a little. It seemed the angel and I were on the same page. It also seemed like I wasn’t the only one Levi had to impress with this particular answer.
“First of all, let’s clear something up,” Levi said. “I’m not your mother or your father. I’m not about to tell you who you can and can’t date. Nor will I play matchmaker or pimp,” he said, looking to the rest of the guys. “That’s not my style. My job is to make you look good. To make the band look good. I am here to make sure the world sees the best possible version of yourselves, no matter who you’re dating. And that means getting ahead of anybody out there who wants to make you look less than perfect. Capiche?”
Well, okay then. As silence descended around the table, I looked to Killian, who arched an eyebrow as if to say, See? Told you he was good, and I had to admit, this little speech of Levi’s was the best thing that’d come out of his mouth so far.
The last thing we needed was another Brian who had not only wanted to run the band but also our private lives. I wasn’t about to hire anyone who was determined to make Halo and me hide our relationship.
“Okay,” I said, and leaned back in my chair, throwing my arm up along the back of the booth so I could finger Halo’s hair. “You’ve got my attention.”
“Oh, thank God. I was worried for a minute there that you didn’t like me,” Levi said, a glint in his eye.
“Okay, okay,” Killian said, shaking his head as he let out a sigh. “Back to what you were saying, Levi, about smoothing things over with these two and focusing on the band. How would you go about that?”
Levi nodded, but before he could say anything, Jagger interrupted. “Yeah, how about you tell us what you think will happen when this hits stands next week.”
Jagger tossed his early release of Rolling Stone on the table in front of Levi, where my and Halo’s relationship was about as in your face as it could be.
A low whistle filled the air as Levi picked up the magazine, his eyes roving over every inch of skin displayed on the cover. “Nice.”
Halo made an unintelligible sound that had Levi raising his eyes, and the cheeky smile led me to believe this guy was holding back when he said to Halo, “You don’t like it?”
“I…” Halo started, and then Levi looked to me.
“Let me guess: you love it.”
“Wouldn’t you? Halo’s fucking hot.”
“Viper,” Halo said, and rolled his eyes, as the rest of the guys groaned.
Levi dropped his gaze back to the image and nodded. “As much as I know you’re going to hate this, Viper,” he said in a totally detached voice as he studied the cover more closely, “I agree with you. Halo is hot. But so are you. And together? Well, let’s just say Rolling Stone knows when they’ve got a winner on their hands. This is going to sell like hotcakes.”
I turned to Halo to see his cheeks were flushed as he stared in disbelief at Levi, who was now flipping through the magazine. “What’d I tell you? The cover is hot, Angel. We’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Levi took a moment to read over the article and look at the rest of the images, and then he shut the magazine and looked at all of us. “Okay, so here’s what I’d do. We need to take the story back.”
“Take it back?” Slade said, frowning. “But you just said the article will sell.”
“No, no.” Levi chuckled. “Not the article. This story,” he said, pointing between me and Halo. “After the prerelease party, all anyone can talk about is Viper’s grand declaration of love, and once this hits stands, it will only fuel that fire, because they are all out there speculating about the two of you. What happened after the party? Are they still together? Has the bad boy of TBD finally been tamed? So we need to take the story back. We need to control it.”
That actually made sense. Okay, so maybe this Levi guy was smarter than I first thought…maybe.
“I think the best thing to do is set up an interview with one show, have you two set the record straight—or not so straight, in this case.” Levi winked. “Say as little or as much as you want to about the relationship; you can decide later. Then, after you tell the story, you all go on to talk about the band. Voilà. That way you’re killing two birds with one stone, and after the story is out there, you no longer need to talk about it. You grant this one interview about your personal lives, get it done and over with, and after that, you stipulate you will only do interviews about the band.”
“Do you think that would really work?” Halo said.
“I do,” I said, surprising both Killian and Levi, who nodded.
“And anytime someone comes to you after the interview wanting a comment or photograph,” Levi said, “or you see something you don’t want getting around, you tell me and I’ll put a stop to it.”
“Just like that? No questions or arguments, you’ll just deal with it?” I asked, remembering the many showdowns I’d had with Brian.
“Just like that. I’m not sure what happened with your last manager,” Levi said, his eyes locking with mine, “but from what I’ve heard, it wasn’t a pleasant ending, which leads me t
o believe there were some trust issues. I want to work with you, not against you.”
Halo shifted in his seat to face me and said, “I think this all sounds good, don’t you?”
I did, actually, and when I nodded, Halo smiled at me in a way that made my stomach flip. If the angel felt comfortable and liked Levi’s idea on how to make our lives a little less chaotic, I wasn’t about to stand in the way of his peace of mind. I turned back to see the rest of the guys staring at us, and inclined my head in Killian’s direction. He grinned. Right. Decision made.
“So, okay, Levi,” I said. “How about you meet us tomorrow at Kill’s and we can get you up to speed?”
A smug smile crossed Levi’s mouth as he looked around the table and then back to me. “I’m busy tomorrow,” he said as he stood to his full height. He then reached inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a business card, which he slid onto the table in front of me. “But I can meet you guys on Monday at the address on this card. If you have any more…personal issues in the meantime, you two, feel free to call me. And Halo,” he said, turning his eyes in the angel’s direction. “Keep him out of trouble, would you?”
Halo chuckled and agreed, and as Levi made his way out of the restaurant, I turned back to face the rest of the guys. Killian’s eyes were firmly trained on Levi, and all I could think was: Levi thinks I’m the one who’s gonna be trouble? Didn’t look that way to me.
Fourteen
Halo
A RUSH OF adrenaline shot through me as the set designers for the Corruption tour walked us through the mock-up of the stages. Killian and Viper had given them a rough idea of what they wanted, and man, the designers had run with it. I’d never seen such a massive setup before, and it was blowing my mind that it would basically be my home for months on end. Performing in front of tens of thousands of people all over the country, having to own every inch of space on both stages.