Assured (Soul Serenade #2) (26 page)

“Fuck!” He looks down the hall then back at me. “Listen, you fucking whore, this didn’t happen. If I hear you breathe one word, I’ll ruin your sugar daddy. Soul Serenade will never play another venue.” He grinds his crotch against me. “Fucking answer me,” he slurs.

“Yes, please, yes. I understand. Just let me go.” The tears are coming full force.

He pushes off the wall, giving me one last menacing look before he saunters down the hall as if nothing happened.

I scramble to pick up my purse and run back into the bathroom. I check to make sure I’m alone and lock the door. I need a minute to get myself together. My heart is racing, and my entire body is shaking. Grabbing a paper towel, I run it under the warm water and wash where he licked me face. I want a shower, to wash away the feeling of his hands on me.

I splash cold water on my face and try to get myself under control. What the hell am I going to do? I’ve been gone too long for Logan not to know something’s up. Shit, the guys could even be back by now. Reaching into my purse, I see that Logan texted me.

Logan:
You okay?

Shit! My hands shake as I type back a message.

Me:
Yeah, just not feeling well all of a sudden. In the restroom. Be back in a minute.

I can’t tell them. I can’t be the reason that Cole and the band lose everything. Nothing happened, really. He stopped. I swallow hard at the thought of what could have happened.

I need to just let it go. I can’t tell him—Cole will kill him. If Wilson doesn’t follow through on his threat, he’ll be in jail anyway, so it won’t matter.

Deep breath in.
I have to do this. I can’t let this affect the band. My arms are still aching from where he grabbed me. Pulling up the sleeve of my sweater, I gasp.

Bruises.

I already have dark purple bruises all up and down my arms.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I cannot let Cole see this, but how in the fuck am I going to hide them? An all new set of tears burns my eyes. No. I need to pull it together and get out there. The longer I stand here, staring at the evidence, the more suspicious they’ll get. Pulling down my sleeves, I wipe my eyes, applying powder to cover the blotchy red spots.

I’m going with the not feeling well; it’s not a stretch, since just last month I was ill with strep throat. I’ll play it off for a few days and then I will erase it from my mind.

Time to pull up your big-girl panties, Stacy.

We’ve been talking to these guys a hell of a lot longer than what I thought we would have to. They’re pretty cool dudes; I remember Jones having us listen to a demo of them. If it weren’t for the fact that my girl is in this same building dressed to kill in that sexy little black dress, I wouldn’t mind hanging around to shoot the shit.

Not tonight, though.

Tonight, I have to get my girl. The one I just confessed my love for not ten minutes before I was dragged away from her. Not the most romantic confession, but I couldn’t fucking hold it in any longer. I was scared out of my damn mind, not knowing if she was safe.

“All right, well, these guys need to hit the road. Another show tomorrow night,” Jones finally says, and I swear I could fucking hug him.

We say our good-byes with the promise to get together and jam sometime and head back to the girls.

Logan is sitting at the table by herself. Looking around, I spot Stacy walking toward us, her face flushed. I immediately break away from the guys and, in just a few long strides, am standing in front of her.

“What’s wrong?” I cup her face in my hands.

“I don’t feel real well.” She leans her forehead against my chest, her arms crossed over her own, tucked in tight against her body.

Smoothing my hand over her shoulders and down her back, I ask, “Are you cold?”

“Yeah. How much longer before we can go?”

“Stacy, are you all right? You were gone forever.” Logan and Kacen appear beside us.

“Yeah, I just . . . didn’t feel good all of a sudden, so I went to the restroom to splash some water on my face. Just hit,” she meekly replies.

“I’m taking her to the bus,” I tell them.

“We’re coming with you. Gavin and Tristan just left to tell the driver and the crew to get ready to roll out,” Kacen explains.

“Let’s get you to the bus.” My arm goes around her shoulders and she huddles into my side.

I hate this. I hate seeing her not feel well. I have this protective instinct when it comes to her, and my mind doesn’t rationalize well. Like now, I just want to get her back to the bus and curl up with her in my arms. I want to make it better, make it go away.

“I’m gonna shower,” Stacy says as soon as we step foot on the bus.

“Okay, sweets. You need anything?”

“No, just hoping a shower will help.”

I watch her as she gathers clothes and disappears into the small bathroom.

“She’s not usually like this. Strep once a year and she’s usually good after that. Maybe it’s being on the road, and her system is just out of whack?” Logan comments.

“I don’t know, but I fucking hate it.”

“Baby, let’s get you off your feet.” Kacen takes her by the hand and leads her to the couch.

“Let’s just go to bed,” she suggests.

“We can do that. I’ll help get you settled, make sure we get on the road, and then I’ll join you.”

Six months ago, I would have thought Kacen was blinded by love. I would have rolled my eyes laughing at how whipped he sounds. Tonight, I get it. I now know why he’s so soft with her. Why he caters to her like she can’t do it herself when we all know she can. I now know how it feels to have someone else be a part of you. The other part of your heart. As fucked up as it may sound, I get it. Stacy is that person for me.

Sitting on the couch, I rest my elbows on my knees and bury my face in my hands. Tonight could not be more fucked. I confess that I’m in love with her after I overreact at a situation that is obviously nothing. Then I get pulled away from her when she’s all dressed up—for me. When I can finally get away, she’s no longer feeling well. I botched the “I love you” and now I can’t even make it better. She’s sick. Just goes to show you that life is never what you expect. There will always be obstacles to overcome.

As soon as I hear the bathroom door open, I’m on my feet. Stacy emerges with her hair still wet, hanging over her shoulder. She’s wearing a pair of those tight things she and Logan are always wearing and my sweatshirt. It’s the first time I’ve seen her in my clothes, and it damn sure won’t be the last.

Approaching her, I tug on the hem of the sweatshirt, which swallows her. “I look good on you.” I wink at her.

Her too-pale face smiles up at me. “It smells like you.” She brings the collar to her nose and sniffs.

I’m hard as a fucking rock and can’t do a damn thing about it since she doesn’t feel well. I shift to adjust and she notices, her eyes falling to my crotch.

“Cole. . . .” she trails off.

Shit. “I can’t help it that you’re so goddamn beautiful. He salutes what he likes,” I tease her.

“I don’t. . . .”

I cup her cheek. “I know, baby. I just want to hold you. He’s going to figure it out sooner or later.” Yes, my cock has a mind of his own. He needs to learn, though, that she will always come first. It’s a new concept for both of us. “Let’s go to bed.”

With a small nod, she turns toward the bunks. I place my hands on her hips and walk slowly behind her. She slides into the bottom bunk and I climb in behind her, pulling the curtain closed. Curling in a ball, she faces the wall. I slide a hand under the sweatshirt and rest my palm against her smooth skin, then bury my face in her neck, just breathing her in.

“I’m sorry about tonight,” I whisper.

Her body stiffens. “What?”

“I botched it. I should have waited for a more romantic time and place to tell you how much I love you.” I kiss her neck.

She instantly relaxes.

“I wanted the first time I told you to be special, but I just couldn’t. . . . In that moment, I needed you to know.”

“I wouldn’t change it, Cole. It’s you. You’re confident and cocky, but you’re also my sweet Cole. It wasn’t botched. It was honest.”

I kiss her temple then place my lips next to her ear. “I want to be your lover and your best friend.” I nip at her ear.

This gets her attention. Turning her head, she looks at me. “You remember,” she whispers.

“Every fucking word you’ve ever said, sweets,” I assure her.

Turning her head back to face the wall, it’s quiet until I hear her sniff. “I love you, too.”

“Stacy?”

“I’m fine. I just don’t feel good, but my heart is full. Full of you, full of us. I need you to know that.”

I scoot in as close as I can get to her. “I know, baby. Mine too.” I hold her close until we both eventually drift off to sleep.

I’ve been awake for hours. Long enough to know we reached our destination. I’ve been lying here trying to figure out how I’m going to explain the bruises, or better yet how to hide them.

One thing I do know is that I can’t tell him. I can’t tell anyone. I will not have the demise of Soul Serenade on my hands. Those four men have worked hard to get where they are, and I’m not going to ruin it for them. Besides, nothing happened. I just need to be more aware of my surroundings, make sure I’m not alone. It’s a solid plan. Now if I could just decide on what to do with the bruises.

Cole shifts behind me and I know I’m running out of time. Luckily, it’s been cooling off, so I could get away with a long-sleeve T-shirt. I’ll make sure it’s my Soul Serenade shirt. I can use the “I don’t feel well” card and the excuse that I’m cold. I can pull that off.

What I’m really struggling with is Cole. How am I going to keep him from seeing them? I run through the tour schedule in my mind, and luckily, we don’t have any breaks where we can get a room for the night. That will help. No way could I get away with staying covered if we had a room to ourselves. He would know without a doubt that I’m hiding something.