Denying Heaven (Room 103) (16 page)

We’re not gonna stop this rhythm all night.

It’s coming on a high, the way you take me down,

     It’s so good, I’m forever
gonna sail and hear this sound.’

I could feel the hatred towards me from Bulk’s female
fans as my dancing stole his attention. His eyes were dark and intense as they
perused my shifting body; his fingers remained solid on the tune as his chest
heaved and he sang the words with me.

Romeo smiled at me and nudged his head, gesturing for me
to climb the stage with them.

My grin was wider than the Pacific as I nodded manically
and made my way through the throng towards the stage. I motioned to a hefty guy
to give me a bunk up; he grinned and hoisted me straight on the stage with one
swift lift. I grinned at him as Bulk scowled at him.

The blood rush was amazing as Bulk took the main whilst
Romeo lifted his guitar strap from around his neck and passed it to me with a
faint nod.

I gave him an apprehensive smile but he nodded again.

Well that was just the fucking camel’s cock. I winked and
beamed at him in return as I scooped it over my own neck and felt the surge of
power as my fingers curled around the neck and stroked smoothly along a fret whilst
my other hand worshipped the steel of the strings. My core exploded with happy
neurons as my body and mind prepared to meet my soul.

I breathed deep and looked out at the crowd, ready to
bring them along on the ride with me, scoop up their lives for a few minutes
and rule every thought in their heads.

My eyes flicked closed then slowly opened.

My stomach died as my soul bounced in excitement at the
sight of a face I hadn’t seen for four years. My heart stumbled over a beat as
my lungs collapsed with the pressure and my veins tightened in fear whilst my
whole world ground to a stop.

Danny.

Danny.

Fuck, Danny.

Did she have stage fright? I couldn’t understand why she
had frozen solid, her eyes wide and staring out at the masses as her body
started to tremble rigorously.

“Spirit?” I urged in a whisper as I continued to play,
trying to keep the roll going as Romeo sidled up beside her.

“Spirit, what the fuck are you doing?” He hissed but she
remained motionless as he unhooked the Fender from her neck and took it from
her, swiftly coming back in with me for the fade.

I couldn’t remove my eyes from her as Romeo continued to
egg her out of whatever had put her in a trance. “Spirit, snap out of it!”

He turned and shook his head at me as Janey approached
the stage and was hoisted up by a few guys.

“What the hell is wrong with her?” I asked Janey as she
hurried over to Spirit.

“I don’t know. She’s gone into shock I think.” She
shouted above the music as she grabbed hold of Spirit’s forearms and peered
into her face, “Spirit!”

Janey frowned then followed Spirit’s line of vision.

I had never seen blood rush from someone’s face as quick
as it did then. Janey went white as she also stared out into the crowd.

“Fuck!” she spat as her whole body seemed to deflate, her
shoulders dropped and her legs wobbled as she turned to me. “Get her off…NOW!!”

My eyes widened on her but she shook her head frantically
as she tried to lift Spirit herself when I didn’t move fast enough, “Bulk,
please. We need to get her out of here now, God damn it!”

I looked out at the crowd, wondering what the hell had
terrified them both so much. Kenny came into view as I squinted against the
lights but it was the bloke next to him that grabbed my attention. He was huge
and I mean huge! His upper body resembled the build of a wrestler as his shirt
wrapped around pecs the size of boulders. But it wasn’t that what worried me,
it was the way he looked at Spirit. He was locked on her, his lips curled into
a sinister smile as his eyes iced my veins, his whole body was rigid and he
screamed trouble.

Who the fuck?

Romeo had dropped his guitar and heaved Spirit over his
shoulder, already halfway down the stage stairs when I turned back to them.
Janey was trotting behind him in nine inch heels as Boss and Jax stared at
their retreating backs.

What the hell was going on?

I followed them through the building and into the dressing
room as Romeo placed Spirit in a chair. Her face was ashen and full of fear but
her eyes were what grabbed me; she was staring at Janey, silently having a
private conversation with her, as excitement twinkled in them and her chest
lifted and fell hurriedly with her rapid breaths. She looked like she was
battling internally with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, both elation and panic running
through her expressions.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Janey warned her but Spirit
didn’t answer as the door opened behind me and her eyes widened on whoever was
stood there.

Everything seemed to happen so fast after that. Janey
screamed at Kenny then seemed to launch like a panther across the room and smash
her fist into big guys face as he appeared behind Kenny.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Danny? Get the
fuck out of here! You’re not allowed near her!”

Danny?

Where had I heard that name before? And why wasn’t he
allowed anywhere near her? Something was really shitting me up here and I
narrowed my eyes as I searched my memory banks for where I knew him from.

I stood stunned and bewildered as Kenny grabbed Janey’s
arms and pulled her off Danny. “Hello sis, nice to see you too,” Danny smirked as
he wiped the blood from his cheekbone and I curled my lip at his sarcastic
demeanour. The twat was full of himself and I growled under my breath when he
turned his attention to Spirit who was sat silent and immobile in the chair.

“Hello, River.”

What the fuck?

The room fell silent as everyone turned to Spirit; her
eyes had lost their wide startled look and had softened as she lifted them to
Danny.

She didn’t reply, just sat and gazed as her chest heaved
and her throat bobbed manically causing my gut to clench. I could see in her
eyes what this dude meant to her, and I swallowed heavily when I realised what
it was. Love.

“You’re looking good, baby.” He smiled at her, a large wide
grin lifting on his good looking face. It was easy to see why Spirit had gone
for him, and that’s what I presumed had occurred between the pair. His square
face was very masculine, his nose was crooked giving him a bad boy appearance
and stubble covered his chin but his blue eyes were mesmerising, crystal clear
but very deep. His grin was the shit and his body… fuck!

Shit!

“Get the fuck outa’ here Danny!” Janey hissed from the
doorway as Kenny let go of her.

He turned to her and gulped, planting a woeful expression
on his face. Knob!!

“I just want a word with River, Janey, that’s all.”

“Yeah, right. Just go before I call the police.”

He frowned at her, “I won’t hurt her. I just need to
discuss something with her.”

“No, Danny…”

“It’s okay, Janey.” Spirit finally spoke up and all eyes
once again turned to her.

“Like fuck!” I barked without realising I had even voiced
anything.

Danny turned to me with high brows, silently questioning
my outburst as his eyes scanned my frame and a cruel smile twisted his lips,
“And you are?”

“A friend!” Janey exclaimed quickly before I had chance
to answer as she gave me a quick flick of her eyes, telling me to back down and
keep quiet.

I frowned at her but she ventured across the room and
crouched before Spirit, “Don’t do this, Spirit, please. You know… you know,
Spirit.” She spoke quietly and I had to tilt my ear towards them to pick up the
conversation. “He’ll work you, Spirit, you know he will. Please, sweetie,
please don’t!”

I drew in a slow heavy breath as Spirit smiled slightly,
“It’s okay, Janey. I’ll be fine, just a quick word. You can stay outside, and I
promise I’ll shout you if I need you.”

I didn’t like this, something was really wrong if Janey’s
terror was anything to go by.

I glanced at Danny who was smiling softly at Spirit and I
clenched my fists, wanting to wipe the damn false smile off his face. Arrogant
bastard!

Janey shook her head and placed her face in her palms,
“God damn Spirit, you know what? Fuck it! I refuse to go there again, just… Fuck
you!” she said bitterly before she pushed off the floor, scoffed with contempt
at Danny and Kenny as she passed them and left.

Danny cleared his throat and I looked at him. He quirked
a brow and titled his head towards the door, asking me to leave.

I stared at him for a while, silently warning him that I
would rip his head off if he hurt her but his lips twitched again and Kenny
grabbed my arm, “Come on Bulk, leave them to it.”

I shrugged him off and turned to glare at him, “Yeah, me
and you need a word anyway.”

The slight flicker behind his eyes and the drop in his
expression gave me a satisfied pump in my chest and I smirked at him before I
turned to Spirit and dropped to a squat before her, taking her hand in mine.
She tried to snatch it back as she glimpsed a look at Danny but I held on
firmly. “Honey, I’ll be right outside.”

I placed a gentle lingering kiss on her forehead. Yeah,
maybe to show ownership but fuck it, she was mine, yet I hoped deep down inside
me that she was and I hadn’t left it too late. I knew I had hurt her with all
my fucked up shit, my grief building a wall between us and right now I wish I
had taken a sledgehammer to it when Spirit had tried to climb it.

She nodded and smiled tenderly, her eyes seeking mine and
locking on tightly when she focused properly, “Okay.”

I gave her an encouraging nod and another kiss, but this
time on the corner of her mouth and I pursed my lips when a tiny, near
inaudible growl skimmed the air in the room.

Fuck you, she was mine!

I stood and turned to Danny, taking a step into him, my
height giving me an advantage over him as I looked down at him. “Hurt her and
I’ll rip your dick off and shove it so far up your arse you’ll be able to give
yourself a blowjob!”

He laughed loudly with a self-assured glint in his eye,
“I’ll take that on board.”

Egotistical fuck!

I gave Spirit another glance but she smiled and then
turned her attention back to Danny, causing a pain in my chest.

Shit, why did that hurt? I didn’t love her, I couldn’t
love her. My grief wouldn’t allow it, but had she not referred to it when she
said she liked me? Had I not said it back, yes, I had and I meant it, I fucking
meant it. I loved her.

It was like a slap in the face and my chest bubbled as my
heart beat faster and faster.

God damn, I loved her more than life, more than my grief
and I spun around to tell her, the words on the tip of my tongue eager to be
voiced, fuck who else was in the room but when her eyes shifted back to me,
they evaporated from my lips and I winced. They wouldn’t come; they were stuck
in my chest now, sinking lower and lower, back deep inside me to be locked away
again.

I closed my eyes, willing it to come back, to rise up and
be strong but it just wouldn’t come as Shona wavered through my mind.

Spirit’s brow quirked at me, a slight frown marring her
beautiful face but I just gulped and gave her another smile before leaving them
to it and closing the door quietly behind me.

As soon as it was closed my hand was around Kenny’s
throat as his back hit the wall with a muffled thud. “You fucking twat!” I spat
at him, my anger surfacing with the smug expression on his face.

“Bulk!” Jen warned as she appeared beside me, placing a
hand gently on my arm but I shook my head at her and turned back towards Kenny.
“Leave her alone now, or I swear to God, I’ll get you knocked for dealing.”

He scoffed and smirked at me, “It’s not me using Bulk,
you should ask Spirit about that.”

His words and superior behaviour brought my own smug
smile, “Oh, didn’t you know, Kenny? Spirit hasn’t used for over five weeks
now.”

His face dropped as he gave me a confused frown before he
broke into a vile laugh, “Then you don’t know Spirit, Bulk.” His lips curled higher
as his body stiffened, preparing to defend him with his next words. “Spirit and
I have been fucking the shit out of each other for the past three months. After
you so ceremoniously dumped her she turned to me for comfort.” He said with a
fake doleful expression, “And I must say, my girl likes to be fuelled when she
fucks me like an animal!”

Jax , Boss and Romeo were pulling me back and I blinked
when I saw blood trickling down Kenny’s face, I couldn’t recall even punching
him as the white mist covered my vision and my heart started to pump too fast,
causing a burning sensation to course through my veins.

I couldn’t breathe properly when my vision was assaulted
by the two of them fucking. My stomach rolled and I bit my own lip in anger,
bringing a trickle of my own blood dripping down my chin.

I blew out a breath and turned to him; my mouth opened
just as Romeo stood in my way and shook his head, “Don’t!”

We all turned when the door to the dressing room opened
and Danny walked out. He sought me out, his eyes scanning the corridor for just
me, and when his gaze met mine a sharp smile covered his face before he winked,
“Pleasure.”

That was all he said prior to walking down the corridor
and disappearing.

Spirit emerged then, her eyes on the ground and I frowned
when she wouldn’t meet my eye, “Spirit?” Kenny asked. “I take that you’re
coming home with me now?”

She blinked hard and squinted at him, “Uhh…”

“No, she’ll be coming back with me so back the fuck off!”
I warned as I reached my hand out to hers. She regarded my hand with a crease
on her forehead before she lifted her eyes to mine.

“I’m going home… alone!” She murmured as she eyed me
wearily and I smirked at her with a shake of my head.

“Nope, not with He-man around, I don’t like him, Spirit.
What is it between you two?”

Kenny barked out a laugh and I curled my lip at him
before turning back to Spirit.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going home, alone Bulk. Please, I
just need some time to think.”

“Why do you need time to think?” I asked with narrow eyes
as I took a step towards her, “What did he say that you need to think about?”

She huffed but shook her head. “I’ll ring you,” she
muttered as she turned and walked off.

What the fuck?

“Spirit!” She turned back to me and I wasn’t even sure if
her attention was on us or somewhere in her head. Her eyes seemed misted and
detached but she looked at me and I rolled my lips at the pain and confusion on
her face. “Text me when you get home, okay?”

She nodded then flicked a smile to the others before she
walked slowly away.

I couldn’t grasp what was happening. Was she still in
love with him, did she still want the knob? What was their history?

I knew it was something big the way Janey had behaved,
but what concerned me was why he wasn’t allowed near Spirit. A picture of her
in the shower coiled in my stomach and I pulled in a heavy breath.

He had hurt her, and I didn’t just mean emotionally,
physically too.

But then if that was the case, why the hell had she also
looked excited to see him? It didn’t make sense, none of it, but I knew I’d
find out and if Spirit thought I would back down easily and watch her walk
away, or back to him, she was in for a shock.