Play Softly (The Devil's Share Book 4) (9 page)

“
We sing about beauty, we sing about truth, at ten thousand dollars a show.
”

I rolled my eyes when I heard another voice join in. “Wonderful. Now you have Smith singing it too, y’all are—”

“
We take all kinds of pills that give us all kinds of thrills, but the thrill we’ve never known
…”

I stomped my ankle boot when Luke came down the stairs belting out the words I now knew by heart. “It’s been two days of this damn song. It was funny the first time but now—”

“
Is the thrill that’ll getcha when you get your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone
.” All three of them sang it together.

I let out a sigh of relief. They usually stopped after that first verse. Dash came around the island and grabbed me by the hand, twirling me around and starting up the chorus. “
Wanna see my picture on the cover, wanna buy five copies for my mother. Wanna see my smilin’ face on the cover of the Rolling Stone
.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as he dipped me down and placed a scorching kiss on my lips. “You boys are something else.”

With her hands over her ears, Bryan came walking down the stairs wearing a Bob Dylan concert shirt and some white skinny jeans, her long hair down and wild. “They done?” When I nodded she took her hands away. “I woke up humming that song.”

Luke shook his head. “You girls just don’t appreciate the classics.”

Dylan came in and went straight to Smith’s side. “Oh yes we do. We’ve just been listening to you four sing that song for two days now.” She looked amazing too; wearing a loose-fitting plaid shirt, with the sleeves rolled up over some distressed jeans. Seemed like we’d all gone for rock-and-roll casual.

Landry came in and Jacks helped her hop up on the counter. “Uncle Luke taught me to play it on the drums.”

Jacks reached over and high-fived Luke, laughing. “Nice.”

Dash went into the living room and grabbed Halen from her little bassinet. “They should be here any minute. Is there anything anyone wants to say? Maybe anything you guys want strictly off limits or not mentioned? Anyone do anything wicked lately?”

The group all just kind of looked around at each other and the air. Trying to remember if anyone had any dirty little secrets.

Smith shrugged. “I got nothing, man.”

Jacks let out a quick breath. “Yeah, me neither. The only wicked things I do these day are with B and—”

Bryan elbowed him in the stomach to make him shut up. All eyes turned to Luke. And he rolled his. “Really? No. I’m good.”

I clapped him on the back, hard. “Other than letting small children watch movies full of foul language and dead bodies, you mean?”

The
Rolling Stone
photographer took about a million pictures. He shot Dash, Halen, and I in our bed, standing in the kitchen, and out in the backyard. He did Jacks, Bryan, and Landry in her girly little room and then did a bunch of her on the drums. He finished up with the band down in the studio, taking shots of them goofing around. In reality, I probably could have given them tons of really great pictures to use of the band and of all of us as a family. Goodness knows I had a whole computer full. And we’d discussed it. But for some reason none of us were willing to share those pictures, willing to share those special moments. At some point, the pictures I took of the band had turned from work into a family photo album. And they were sacred.

Dash and I were sitting on the couch in the living room, side by side, with a sleeping Halen on Dash’s shoulder. The person interviewing us was on the other side of the ottoman sitting in a chair we brought in from the kitchen.

He turned his tape recorder on and placed it down in front of him, then took out a pen and paper as well. “In this day and age, it’s hard to keep anything a secret. How did you manage to keep Halen’s birth quiet for what…five weeks now?”

“Five weeks and six days,” Dash corrected.

The reporter chuckled. “But who’s counting, right?”

Dash raised his hand. “I am.”

I took his hand and lowered it then clasped our fingers together. “To be honest, we just got lucky. Not many people here in Seaside cared who we were. Most people are just here for vacation and to relax with their families. And as far as the hospital in Destin, they never really had a chance to leak anything to the press. Halen came early, I hadn’t even registered there yet.”

The reporter leaned forward. “So the baby was born prematurely?”

“Yes, she was born about four weeks early.” Dash looked down at our daughter as he spoke. “But she is healthy and strong and didn’t have to spend any time in the NICU.”

“Lexi, I can’t help but notice the beautiful ring on your finger. Is there a Devil’s Share wedding in the near future?”

We’d decided we might as well get it all out there at once, so I’d worn my ring. “We are engaged and there will be a wedding. Eventually. There is no rush, and Halen keeps us pretty busy.”

“Speaking of being busy, word on the street is there is a new Devil’s Share album on the horizon. Any truth to that?”

Dash nodded. “A lot of truth. Our newest album should drop sometime in the fall.” Dash shifted in his seat, adjusting Halen. “This album is different than anything we’ve ever put out before, and we are really excited about it.”

“Different how?” The reporter was jotting notes down a mile a minute.

“Let’s be honest here, for the last decade the Devil’s Share has been one hard-core party after another. Nonstop rock and roll and everything that comes with it. But in the last year, three of our members have settled down and two of us have kids.” Dash rubbed his hand lovingly on our daughter’s back. “We write our own songs, always have. You write what you know, and what we know has changed. We know love and we know sacrifice and we know family.”

“Rebranding a rock band is tricky. Are you nervous at all about how the new softer version of the Devil’s Share will be perceived?”

“Nervous? No.” Dash took a deep breath. “This is our life now. We’re growing up and our priorities are changing. And if I had to place a bet? It’d be that a lot of our fans are going through the same life changes we are. We get to share this new journey together, and that’s pretty amazing.”

The reporter smiled. “Well said.” He was quiet for a few minutes, then looked right at me. “Lexi, a million hearts broke the night Dash announced that he was not only in love but also going to be a father. What does it feel like to be the girl who tamed the ultimate bad boy?”

I chuckled. “The ultimate bad boy? If you want that answer, you’ll need to go talk to Dylan.” Dash’s laughter startled Halen, but she quickly fell back asleep. She was milk drunk. “I never set out to tame Dash. I never once wanted to change him. I instantly loved him, just the way he was.”

The reporter shook his head. “I find it hard to believe you were okay with all the groupies and the partying. Are you telling me you didn’t make him stop all that?”

I looked over at Dash, and he winked. He was so damn sexy with his dark eyes shining with love. “I didn’t have to make him stop doing anything. From the second Dash and I met…I never knew the bad boy. All I’ve ever known is the good man sitting next to me. I didn’t set out to tame anyone.”

Dash put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple. “I think it’s a misconception these days that men can be tamed, trained, and harnessed. That’s not the way it works, that’s not the way love works. From the moment I laid eyes on Lexi, I was done. She was it for me. I wanted to treat her right. I wanted to be the guy she deserved. Everything else, the drugs, the party, the booze, the groupies…it all just faded into nothingness. Because she was all that mattered to me. Still is.”

Chapter Fifteen

Dash

Today was the motherfucking day. Hahaha, get it? It was a crude joke to make about the love of my life and the mother of my precious perfect baby girl. But holy hell, I had never been so ready to bang that woman as I was right then. Lexi’s six-week checkup was today and I couldn’t even sit still because she should be home any second.

“Dude. You’re making me feel all antsy. Relax.” Smith looked up from the sheet of music he was making notes on.

We were all down in the studio; our producer had just left and our final track was down. Not only did I get to slip my dick inside Lex today, but our newest album was now complete. Today was a great day. “I can’t. Do you have any idea how long it’s been? Six. Weeks. I can barely walk my balls hurt so badly.”

Luke made a face. “Wait. Are you saying you haven’t nut in six weeks? Not even in the shower?”

I shook my head. “Nope.” I resumed my pacing. “At first it was just because I was so damn exhausted all the time. And then, I don’t know, it didn’t seem right.”

Jacks jumped to his feet and placed his guitar in its case. “Why the hell would whacking it in the shower not be right? It’s not like you were asking Lex to stop feeding the baby so she could blow you.”

I finally collapsed on the leather couch. “I wasn’t the only one having to go without and Lexi had stitches in her…you know. It didn’t seem fair, I guess fair is the right word.”

When the door at the top of the stairs opened, my heart skipped a beat. I jumped up, ready to take those stairs two at a time.

“Smith, baby, you ready to go?” Dylan stuck her head inside the door.

He smirked when he saw the disappointment on my face. “Yeah,
cher
.”

Luke stood and stretched his arms over his blond head. “Where are y’all off to?”

“Dylan wants to hit the shops around here one more time before we head out next week. Something about this being the first place we lived together. She wants to bring a lot of Seaside home with us.” Smith ruffled my hair on the way out. “Don’t break her, man.”

“I think B and I are coming with.” Jacks stood and followed Smith up the stairs. “Landry wants to go stock up on books at Happy Place before we move. She loves that store.”

Luke smirked. “I love the
owner
of that store, she’s hot as shit.”

I shot up in my seat. “Wait. What? Y’all are
all
leaving? Who’s going to watch Halen for us? You can’t do this to me. Please.” I dropped to my knees on the floor. “Please. I’m begging you. I’ll pay you. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

Smith and Jacks laughed the whole way up the stairs, leaving me in a puddle on the floor. I was seriously two seconds away from bursting into tears when I heard Luke clear his throat. “I can watch Halen.”

I sat up mid-tantrum and looked at him. “Really?”

He nodded then shrugged one shoulder like it was no big deal. “Yeah. I don’t have any plans the rest of the day.” He looked pointedly at me. “I’ll take her on a walk.”

I got it, loud and clear. He’d watch her for me. But he sure as fuck wasn’t going to stay around while I made love to Lexi. I hung my head, suddenly disappointed in myself. “Dude. No, it’s fine. We’ll just wait until everyone gets home. I can’t ask you to do that. I know, uh, I just won’t do that to you.” It was just mean, it was rubbing salt in his wounds. And I hated myself for even considering it.

“I helped you plan your engagement. I lit the candles on the beach and pressed play on a song that I have danced with her to a dozen times. I held her in the back of the car on the way to the hospital so she could have your baby. I held her hand through contractions. I made her laugh while she was in tears with the pain of trying to nurse your daughter. Day in and day out I live this life. This life of watching the girl I love fall deeper in love with one of my closest friends.” He stood and headed up the stairs. “Taking my goddaughter on a walk so you can make love to your fiancée for the first time in six weeks won’t break me…it’s too late. I’m already broken.”

I had no words. I had no idea how I should be feeling, or what I should be thinking. Guilt? No. I won’t ever feel guilty for loving Lexi. Shame? That one wasn’t right either. Pity? Luke would punch me if he knew I pitied him, even for a second. I was at a loss. And when I heard the front door open and the sound of Lexi laughing, every other thought left my brain. All the blood headed south and it was all I could do to run up those stairs without breaking my neck in the process.

When I reached the top, Lexi was helping Luke get Halen’s jogging stroller out of the hall closet. I hadn’t even noticed he’d left. She lit up when she saw me. “Hey, babe. Luke offered to take Halen with him on his run. You good with that?” Her eyes held humor.

I smiled. “Yep. Sounds good to me.” Lexi always looked amazing, and today was no exception. She was wearing a coral sheath dress and flip-flops—the embodiment of a late summer afternoon. I watched with fascination as she bent down to clasp the battery-operated fan to the stroller to ensure Halen didn’t get too hot in the Florida sun. My God, I’d never be able to get enough of her.

She gave Luke a peck on his cheek and then the front door clicked shut. She spun around to look at me, fire in her eyes. “Well, that worked out perfectly.”

“How was your appointment?” I knew it sounded silly, but there was a small part of me that was terrified her doctor would tell her she needed to wait another few weeks or something. Like actually terrified me. I’d had nightmares for the last two nights.