Tough Luck (Hard Rock Roots) (22 page)

“Think they took you seriously?” Turner asks with a sigh, grabbing a bottle from the counter and shaking it up before testing the temperature on his finger. Honestly, I'm surprised he even knows which end is up. Just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover – or its filthy fucking mouth. I sit up fully and put my feet on the floor. My muscles are screaming that I'm a sadist for putting them through that fight. My arms hurt so damn bad, and my knuckles … Ugh. I stretch my fingers out and thank the Rock Gods there's no show tonight. Instead, today I get to take my kids to the airport. That, and I get to talk to Shannon's parents. Should be real fucking fun. Basically, what I heard from the cops is that they want Phoebe back. Not sure what to do about that.

I close my eyes and relax my head back, counting to three before I shake out my neck and shoulders and stand up.

“I'm going to shower,” I say, rubbing at my eyes. There's sweat staining my forehead and stinking up my pits. Withdrawals blow balls, man. But I can handle it. I look down at Lydia and squeeze my fists tight. I have to handle it. “I want to go find Lola before I head to the airport.”

“Lola, huh?” Naomi says, adjusting Phoebe so she's lying comfortably in her arms. Her tiny face makes my eyes water. She's so fucking beautiful, and I've missed out on so Goddamn much. If my tough luck holds, maybe I'll make it out of this okay. Maybe.

I smile.

“Yeah, Lola Saints, the drummer from Ice and Glass.” Naomi grins at me and puts the bottle to my baby's mouth. She's so Goddamn awesome. Her and Turner. Fuck, my whole band has been there for me, doing things they shouldn't have to do, helping me out in ways unimaginable. I've been so blind to it for so long, it's coming as a bit of a shock.

“Yeah, I know her. Sort of.” Naomi tilts her head to the side while Turner retreats back to the kitchen and starts going through the food Milo had ordered in for us. “She's Cohen's ex, right? They had some nasty as fuck fights in the parking lot before.” Naomi pauses and purses her lips tight. “I've seen that dumb ass pig playing around with Hayden lately. I wonder what's that about. Especially considering she just preached her love for Dax and Turner to me.”

“Ugh,” Turner groans from the kitchen. “That skinny tramp can go fuck herself. She doesn't stand a chance. Even if I wasn't fucking committed to marrying your ass making tiny Turner babies, she's a little below my usual standards.” Naomi's eyes narrow, and I can't hold back my smile.
God, I love the shit out of these stupid assholes. I hope they buy a house down the street from me, so I can watch Naomi throwing Turner's stuff out on the lawn every other Christmas.
I don't admit to myself that in that fantasy, Lola Saints is in the kitchen with nothing but an apron on.

“The night all of … this crap started, I walked in on you balls deep in her skanky pussy. You should probably go get tested. If I get herpes from you, I'll slice your dick in half and call it a statement piece.” Turner frowns for a minute before he narrows his brown eyes on her and swipes a hand through his blue-black hair.

“You're jealous, baby? Oh my god, that is so fucking hot.” Turner pulls some shades from his pocket and slips them on his face. I do my best to forget that he's also slept with Lola. Who am I kidding? He's slept with
everyone
on this tour, just like I have (minus the dudes).

“First night of the tour, Treyjan and I had a little fun against the back of your tour bus.” Naomi looks over her shoulder at Turner and smiles wickedly. “I almost forgot about it because I was piss ass drunk, and I'm pretty sure he's avoiding me. But I was trying to figure out why he seemed so … ” Naomi licks her lower lip. “Familiar.” Wish I could explain the look on Turner's face. I definitely don't envy Trey their next interaction.

A knock at the door breaks us all out of the conversation. Glances are exchanged.

“I'll get it,” Turner says, moving to the door with a frozen burrito clutched in his hand. I open my mouth to tell him to check the damn peephole, but of course, he doesn't. He wrenches the door open, and I expect we'll see cops or Milo or one of the guys. Nope. Instead, standing at the door with watering eyes and shaking hands is Lola fucking Saints.

My first instinct is to cross the room and take her in my arms. That feeling alone is enough to knock me flat with shock. I sit down hard on the bed and watch as she steps into the room. Turner closes the door behind her and immediately, she falls against it and rests there with her eyes shut tight.

“Are you okay?” Naomi asks, adjusting herself on the bed, so she's facing Lola. “Did something happen to you?” I wonder if she's thinking about Cohen. I know I am. Lola opens her eyes and the blast of emotion in them makes my hands tremble. They're so blue it's unreal, like she's wearing contacts or something. I get the strongest urge to sit her on my lap and watch her play the drums. Just the thought makes me hard as a rock, my cock straining against the fabric of my jeans like it's possessed.
Down boy.
Even I can see that now is not the appropriate time. Something's wrong; I can tell.

Lola's still wearing the same clothes from last night, minus the jacket and the shoes. She's got on flats and a frown that could crush mountains. She takes several deep breaths before speaking.

“Are we alone in here?” is her first question. Never a good precursor. She looks down at the floor and her dark hair falls across her face, shielding her eyes.

“As far the fuck as I know,” Turner says, putting his hands on his hips and taking a step back from her. I don't blame him. Neither he or Naomi really knows Lola. Fuck, I don't even know her. But it feels like I do, like we've known each other forever.
Asuka, tell me this is okay, that these feelings don't make me a bad person. That I can love you forever, but still find someone else to bring into my heart, someone to fill that hole inside of me and take away the pain.

“Put some music on,” she says quietly, removing her hand from the jacket and bringing out a knife. Immediately Turner goes for her, but Lola just drops it onto the floor by his feet. “Please?” Turner pauses and looks at Naomi then over at me. I nod at him and he tosses his phone onto the table, pulling up our playlist and starting 'Breaking Pretty'. That's how Lola looks to me right now. A broken pretty, a shattered beautiful, something that could cut a person up and leave them in pieces, something that they'd go crawling back to, bloody and begging for more.

“What's going on?” Naomi asks, her voice hard and dark, full of suspicion and unspoken threats. I watch Lola carefully and wait with my heart pounding in my chest. I fucking trust her even though I know that's irrational, that I'm being blinded by a pretty face and big tits. But then, that's not true, is it? I've had plenty of pretty girls, but none that grabbed me like this, held me so tight I could barely breathe. And from a single look, too.

Lola looks up and grabs me with her eyes, holding me in place like I've been chained. I can't look away. Something changes in the air, like it's suddenly stale and full of rotting secrets. Turner's always believed secrets kill, and now, here, without even knowing what Lola's going to say, I'd have to agree. Something isn't right. Something here is ugly. Real ugly. And totally and completely fucked.

And that's just my initial impression.

“I have to tell you something,” Lola says, her beautiful accent caressing the gray matter between my ears, seducing my soul and promising sweet things in dark places. I run my hands up and down my arms to keep myself from standing up and going over to her. “You're not gonna like it. And it's going to – ” Lola scoffs and shakes her head like she can't believe she's doing this. “Fuck me. I knew I should've gotten fried before coming over.” Lola rubs at her eyes for a moment and crosses her arms under her breasts. I focus my gaze on her tattoos, on the drum kit on her belly, the colorful birds up her arms. She's a piece of artwork, one I'd like to study the hell out of.

“I'm not going to lie,” Naomi says, checking Lydia to make sure she's still asleep. Thankfully, it looks like she's still out. “This is gettin' a little weird. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but we're going through a lot of tough shit right now. We don't have time for games.” Instead of getting angry or defensive, Lola just laughs.

“I know. That's why I'm here. I should've come a lot sooner. I … I guess I'm a bloody fucking coward. I … but I can't wait anymore. I have to do this before it's too late.” Lola sighs, but she keeps her focus on me. When she next speaks, her words are so quiet, almost drowned out by Turner's powerful vocals, rabbit-punching the shit out us, even though it's just a recording.

“
And when you're gone, I'll still be left in pieces, scattered across the face of this motherfucking, godforsaken earth.
”

“I know who killed that roadie, Marta.”

Fucking silence just shitting everywhere. Pure, unadulterated silence.

“I know because I … I did it.” Lola's chest starts heaving like she's having a panic attack. Tears bite at her eyes and stream down her cheeks. Oddly enough, she smiles. “Feels so damn good to say it!” she screams, running a hand through her hair. She keeps looking at me, straight at me. Frankly, I've got nothing. Absolutely nothing. “I mean, I don't know if I actually struck the killing blow, but I was there. It was me and my band. Every single member of Ice and Glass plus one, your brother, Eric.”

“
Foster
brother,” Naomi growls, but surprisingly, that's all she has to say. Turner's standing there with his lips in a dangerously neutral position, his fingers crawling across the table towards the cigarette.

“We were there and we did it, and we handed Naomi off to Eric.” Lola blows out a rush of air.

“Why?”

I don't realize I've spoken until Lola's eyes fill with tears again.

“I'm so sorry, Ronnie.” She looks over at my friends. “Turner, Naomi. I'm so fucking sorry. It eats me up every damn day.”

“Why?” Me again. I'm trying not to feel betrayed here, but as I think about it, the pieces start to fall into place.

“Because our sponsor told us to. His name's Tyler Rutledge. I don't know anything about him, where he's from, why he's doing this, but he wants every single member of Indecency and Amatory Riot to suffer, and then he wants you gone.”

“The fuck?” Turner growls, getting up in her face, putting a hand on her shoulder and shoving her back. I can't see Lola's expression, but my blood gets hot, and I find myself rising to my feet. “Why the fuck are you in here telling us this? What the hell is going on?” He flings a hand out towards Naomi who's doing her best to lay Phoebe carefully on the bed, putting a pillow on either side of her to make sure she doesn't roll off. “You could've gotten her killed, or worse!”

“I know, I know,” Lola says as I come up behind Turner and put my hand on his arm. He knocks me away and spins around, pulling his shades down to glare at me.

“I know you've got a hard-on for her dude, and I was happy for you. I saw something in your face that made me think it was possible, really fucking possible for you to find someone you liked as much as Asuka.” He says her name freely for what has got to be the first time in years, just throws it out there in my face. Instead of crippling pain and agony, I feel something else, a voice in my head.
Everyone makes mistakes, Ronnie. Some of us just realize it sooner than others. The important thing is that when we do, we try to make amends for the hurt we've caused. That's all any human being can really ask of another.

Asuka.

“Turner, relax. Listen to what she has to say. She didn't have to come here or tell us any of this.” I look down at Lola, and I just can't help myself. My arms slide around her waist, and before I know it, she's tucked under my chin, curled against me like she was born to be there. I kiss her hair and breathe in her scent and I know, even though it's only been days, that this is who I was looking for. This is the person I've spent years wishing was by my side. I miss Asuka, and I'll love her until the day I die, but I can't get her back. One day, in the next life, in Hades, in Hell, in Heaven, where the fuck ever, I'll see her and she'll smile. But for now, for now, I've got Lola warm and comforting, tucked in my arms like a dream, and I'm not letting her go. Of course, maybe I should ask her out on a first date first, but that can come later. I always was a little unconventional. Wonder how long it'll take Lola to realize I'm hooked.

Lola buries her face against my chest for a moment, and then turns around, still tucked in my arms, chin up and eyes proud. I rest my cheek against the back of her head and wait.

Naomi's up now, coming over to stand next to Turner, hands on her hips, eyes locked onto Lola's face. Turner's trembling with anger, and it's understandable. Those few days he thought Naomi might be dead were easily the worst of his life. If she had been gone, it'd have been a double homicide because he never would've survived it.

“My job was,” Lola begins. “
Was
– it's not anymore – to make Ronnie fall for me, and watch as he fell apart at the seams. I knew Shannon was going to die before she did. Chelsea, too. I could've stopped them, but I didn't. I cared more about my own well-being than I did theirs. Hate me for it if you want, but it's true.” She stiffens a little in my arms, but I don't let up. Why should I? Obviously, something about our interactions together changed her mind. She might've started off out to get me, but she's not right now, and that's all I give a shit about. “Everyone in my band has two targets. I was originally supposed to go after Hayden, too, but something about her caught Tyler's eye. Apparently, he's going to turn her into some sort of pop sensation.” Lola rolls her eyes, and Naomi's get huge.