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“You have two seconds to tell me the truth. If you don’t, I’m going to put this car in gear, and we are going to drive, speeding down these roads until you give me the answers that I want. I won’t take my eyes off of you until you do.” To prove my point, I rev the engine once, twice, and then a third time. My hand is on the gear shaft ready to do exactly what I said.
“Fuck, no don’t” she shouts, reaching her hand out, placing it on my bicep closest to her. “Please, Gunner. You don’t understand what you’re asking of me.”
“If you think anything you tell me is going to put me in danger I can promise you that’s a lie. I can take care of myself. I can take care of you. We all would have kept you safe but you didn’t get us a damn choice in this.” My anger is reaching its peak. I know if she doesn’t cave soon I may end up doing something we both may regret. My body is vibrating with how angry I am. She sees it too when she lets out a small whimper and then nods.
“Fine, someone was stalking me. They left me little notes, demanding I do what they say or they would find a way to hurt you guys. It was just small things so I listened. None of us was something that would set off all of your radars to catch on. But when you three started talking about proposing to me, well it set my stalker off. They told me to leave without saying a word or they would kill each of you. There was more to it than just that but it’s the jist of it.”
Her voice is barely a whisper as the words spill out of her mouth. The tears follow, each of them streaming down her face, turning her makeup to ruin. She’s broken, a shell of the girl I loved.
“Skylar,” I prompt, reaching out to touch her cheek. She flinches at the move and pulls back out of reach until she’s plastered against the car door. “Demon Queen,” I call out softly, holding my hand out to her. Her eyes snap to me. She sniffles and then eases her hand in mine. “I will find out who’s stalking you and when I do they will pay. Creed, Sebastian, and I will make sure of it.”
“No!” she shouts, clenching my hand tightly. “You can’t! None of you can do anything. This person is fucking crazy!”
“Sky, we have to. I won’t sit by and let someone hurt you!” I roar.
“You don’t have a choice. This guy has already killed someone. I won’t let your deaths be on me!” she pleads, her voice breaking.
“Already killed someone?” My voice becomes deadly with my question. “What the fuck do you mean?”
“Ezra, he killed him and left a calling card on the body. The same calling card he always left for me,” she answers calmly, almost too calmly for my liking.
“So, that’s why you returned?” I ask, my voice cold. I’m finally putting the pieces together. She’s not here because the label asked her to be, or at least not completely. She’s here because of her stalker.
“Yes,” she answers, pulling her hand from mine.
Right in front of my eyes, she’s putting her walls back up. Fuck that. I won’t let her.
“No,” I snarl. “You don’t get to do that. Don’t put your fucking walls up. You came back to catch this asshole fine. I’ll help you do it. Here’s the deal though,” I start already formulating a plan in my mind. If she didn’t come back here for us then I won’t push her. I’ll help her but I won’t let her near my brothers. She put us all through hell enough without them needing to know the truth.
“What deal?” she hesitantly questions.
“Creed and Sebastion don’t get to know anything. I’ll help you solve Ezra’s murder and stop this stalker but I won’t let you hurt my brothers.” I will do anything to protect them. Even if it means lying to them I won’t let her destroy us all once again.
“Gun,” she mumbles, shaking her head. “I’ll agree to not telling them but you can’t help. You need to stay out of this. Just play your music and leave the rest to me. I won’t let anything happen to you all because of me. Not again.”
“You don’t get a choice in this anymore. You lost that option when you chose to lie to our faces for who knows how long before you just up and disappeared. Take the offer or get the fuck out and never come back. Those are your only options.”
I’m pissed and she’s about to take the brunt of it. I can’t believe I almost fell for her games again and actually cared about her. She’s a fucking poison that we all need out of our damn systems. The sooner the better before she kills each of us.
“Fine, I’ll accept your help. Now, can we please return? I’m sure everyone is wondering where we are.” She turns in her seat and starts to look out the passenger window effectively signaling our conversation is done.
I’ll agree with that for now. Revving the engine, I flip the car around easily and head back to the city. We have band practice to get through. Later I’ll corner her again and make her spill every fucking secret. For now, I’ll let us call a truce.
Chapter Twelve
~ Four Years Ago
It feels like forever since we were last home. Don’t get me wrong, I love every part of being in a popular band, touring on the road, and getting to see a new city every other night. It’s amazing, a high unlike any other. Well, almost any other. I can think of one that surpasses it and one that comes close to it. Our road crew has become an extended family to all of us. Making sure we feel a little bit a home no matter where we are.
It helps I have the guys. The three boys I love with all my heart, who have seen me through thick and thin. With them by my side, home doesn’t feel so far away. That saying that boys will pick on and bully girls that they like was definitely true when it came to us. Our families spent so much time trying to force us all together and get along when we were younger. I doubt they had expected it to turn into something like this. A relationship between all of us. I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Each boy gives me something that I need to make me feel whole. Just like I give something to each of them. Not once have our families judged us or tried to change us. I’ll forever be grateful for their support.
Tonight we have one more show before a week off back home. It’s one thing we have always requested when doing tours. Every month and a half we take a week off to go home, see our families, and destress. I think the break is nice for everyone in our crew as well. Sure, we allow a lot of them to have their families come visit when they wish but this way they can go home for a small break instead of missing out on months of family events and milestones. I know our crew members with kids love the breaks we give everyone.
The energy of everyone on the tour was reaching new heights tonight. Even from my dressing room, I could feel just how buzzed everyone was. It was like an electric current running along my skin waiting, begging for me to dive right in and let it guide me to its desires. Before I could let it consume me three quick knocks rang out on my dressing room door.
“Princess, it’s almost our turn to hit the stage. Are you ready?” Sebastian’s deep voice questions from the other side.
With one quick glance in the mirror to ensure my make-up is in place I rush to the door and burst it open. The boy I love is standing on the other side and the second our eyes connect it feels like our hearts are beating in tandem. I don’t waste another second before jumping forward into his strong arms, making him catch me. His hands grasp me under my ass holding me up and against him as my legs wrap around his waist and my arms around his neck. Leaning forward, I close that few inches between us and press my lips against his, kissing him. Sliding my tongue along his lips before giving him a soft nip to his bottom lip, urging him to open and deepen the kiss, letting me slide my tongue inside. His kiss is intoxicating. I get lost in his taste and touch. Groaning against his lips when his hands tighten on my ass. When a throat clears behind us, only then do we break apart.
