Evanescent Ink (Copperline #4) (28 page)

I shot up in bed, and realized that part of my dream was a reality.

Maggie had kissed me.

She was in my bed. Clothed, thank fuck, but she was there in the flesh, looking up at me with just a little distaste before she wiped it from her features with a smug smile.

“Morning,” she said.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked, making no attempt to hide my alarm, triggered by her presence. “How did you get in?”

“Justin let me in, of course. I should probably get my key back, though.”

“Your key?”

“Yes, but first things first. We need to find out what the other Mofos want to do,” she replied matter-of-factly. “Obviously, Justin is game, but Denny and Cody… we need to get them on board.”

“We?” I dumbly repeated, still trying to shake the sleep that filtered my consciousness.

“Well, yeah. I’m not going to let you go through this alone, but we can’t sit on this. We need to get an answer to Steve and Bob right away.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I scowled. Her presumption was grating my nerves. “You dumped me. Rather harshly, might I add.”

“I was hurt,” she sat up, reaching out to place her hand on my bare chest. “I was lashing out.”

“Lashing out? You told me I was such a shit boyfriend that it turned you into a lesbian. Are you suddenly straight again?”

“I was upset because you gave up on us.”

“What in the
actual
fuck are you talking about? When did I ever—”

“You gave up on our dream, Drew.”

I was flabbergasted. Gobsmacked, as Denny would say. “What was
our
dream?”

“You were going to be famous. You were going somewhere when I met you. You had drive and dedication. You pushed so hard to get the Bangin’ Mofos out there.” She shifted closer to me, rising up to her knees to frame my face in her hands and leaning closer even as I angled away. “So I did everything I could to give you that. I gave you a taste of the life. I showed you how accommodating I could be. I brought girls into our bed to worship you. To show you what it could be like.”

“That’s insane,” I whispered, trying to ease away on my back.

“And I never complained when you had to practice. I pushed you to be better. I helped
make
you.”

As she talked, my mind began to whirl.

Maggie had always been about rising to the top. About getting noticed and famous. She had pulled me in, seizing on my childish dreams and my desire to be loved, promising me pure adoration as a celebrity.

And I ate that shit up. I saw the picture she painted and felt like it could fill in the holes that made my soul feel empty.

But it was a false front. It was a foundation built on sand. It might look pretty, but a single wave of Maggie’s hard reality had swept it away, leaving me broken and battered. She was pushing new sand back in, building me up again, but it wouldn't last. It had never been about me. She had never cared.

And for all I thought I loved her, I had only loved the picture she painted. I hadn’t taken a close look to see the lack of depth. It was one dimensional. It was a hollow life spread across a canvas.

After the true depth of what I had with Raven, it made me feel ill to even think of going back to that.

I began to ease away, but she came forward, straddling me and pressing her hips into mine. “You know you want me back, Drew.” She flicked one of my nipple barbells and writhed against me.

Jesus fucking fuck… no. Just… no. Never again.

“I’m not so sure about that, Maggie.”

“Oh, please,” she said, lifting her head to sneer down at me. She reached one hand down to grab my dick through my boxers, squeezing almost painfully. “You'll never find another girl who will give you what I can. Remember? Think about the taste of pussy on my lips. How much you loved when I sucked your cock, wet from some girl’s squirt. You know you want that. And you know that little freak you’ve been running around with wouldn’t do the same.”

I had gone from a little ill to revolted, even as my dick hardened some under her hand. The self-loathing at my biological response pissed me off.

“I want that?” I said with a shake of my head. “When did I ever say that’s what I wanted?”

“You wanted to live like a rockstar. Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. I gave you that. I prepped you for it. And now you’ve got the shot to live it… with me.”

She worked my cock as she spoke, but I caught her hand just before she slipped it underneath the waistband of my shorts. “With you?” I asked dumbly.

“I’m back, Drew.”

With more force than I probably needed, I shoved hard at her body, pushing her away so hard that she almost fell off the bed. I lurched up, grabbing my jeans and tugging them on quickly, and headed for the door.

“Get the fuck out of my room, Maggie,” I snarled as I swung it open. “This conversation is done.”

“Drew,” she scathed, “don’t be an idiot.”

“Maggie,” I warned, “I’m not fucking around.”

She crawled across the bed on her hands and knees, smooth like a cat. Venomous like a snake. When she reached the end, she slowly walked the few more steps towards me until she stood only inches away. Thinking she was leaving, that I had maybe gotten through to her, I jerked back when she dropped to her knees.

“Drew,” she purred. Her hand slid up my leg towards my open fly. “Really, I mean it.”

“Get. The. Fuck. Out.” Every word was spoken with a forced calm.

She sat back on her knees and frowned up at me with glittering eyes. “I got you this opportunity. You can’t do this without me.”

“I don’t need you for shit, Maggie,” I retorted. “I just need you gone.”

I stepped into the hall and headed down the stairs, furious that she would even
think
we were getting back together. Her footsteps trailed down after me, but I stopped short when I hit the kitchen.

Justin was standing by the island. A small box in front of him. He was holding what looked like a flannel shirt of mine.

“Justin,” I asked, “what the fuck is this?”

“Trouble in paradise?” he asked warily, his eyes going back and forth between Maggie and I.

“Drew’s just being stubborn,” Maggie smiled, trying to slip her arms around my middle.

“Woman, get the fuck away from me,” I shouted as I jerked away and turned to Justin, pointing at him accusingly. “And you… what the fuck did you let her in for?”

Justin’s initial amusement began to fade. “Dude, she was all over you at the Oxbow. I thought you’d gotten back together.”

“Fuck no, you fucker!” I shot back. “I’m with Raven now. Or I was…
fuck
.”

“Oh please,” Maggie laughed. The shrill sound grated down my spine. “She’s so not your type.”

Justin began to look rather sheepish. “Oh, shit… that’s not good.”

A wave of queasiness fluttered through my gut. “What’s not good?”

He looked back down into the box, seeming rather contrite. It was almost shocking coming from Justin. “I think I may have fucked something up a little bit.”

I walked back over to him and glanced into the box. There weren’t many things in there, just a couple odds and ends.

All things of mine that I had left it Raven’s.

Oh, fuck.

I felt weak. “Justin, what did you do?”

“Well…” he began with a fake laugh, “funny story. Raven stopped by to drop this off. She, um… well, she was acting kind of off, and she asked how you were doing. If we were excited about the tour. I didn’t mean to, but I kinda slipped and told her Maggie was here… in your room.”

Fuck. God, no…. fuck no…

“Fuck,” I breathed. “What did she say?”

He grimaced. “She said she wasn’t surprised.”

I turned to Maggie with the dark scowl on my face. “How in the hell do you always do this to me? How in the fucking hell do you keep managing to ruin my life?”

“If she loved you, she would’ve been here with you,” Maggie spat back. “But I am here, Drew. I’m here and I will stay with you through all of this.”

“The fuck you will!” I roared. “Get out of my fucking house! Get out of my fucking life! I don’t EVER want to see your fucking face again as long as I live!”

“Drew—” she began, but Justin stepped forward and started pushing her towards the door.

“Maggie, I think he’s serious,” he murmured.

“Justin, you can’t let him do this,” Maggie began to plead. “
I
got those promoters to come here.
I
got them to come for you guys. Drew needs me. You
all
need me.”

Right about that point, Denny walked through the door with Eoghan in his arms, followed by Felicity and Cody.

“Feckin’ hell,” Denny muttered at the first sight of Maggie.

“Maggie?” Felicity gaped. She turned to glare at me. “What the fuck!?”

“A fuck! A fuck!” Eoghan began to squeal.

Justin shot a wry smirk at Denny. “I told you he got it from her.”

“Feck off, ya eejit,” Denny replied.

“Denny,” Felicity rounded on her husband, “you didn’t tell me she was back.”

“I didn’t really know she was,” Denny shrugged. “She was at the meeting yesterday, but I didn’t really—”

But Felicity had already spun around to face me. “Why is she here?” she demanded. “Where’s Raven?”

Suddenly, I remembered the rest of the shit that was falling apart around me. “Raven’s leaving.”

Felicity gasped, jolting back. “Leaving? Why? What did you do?”

“I didn't do shit, but why should she stay? Her mom’s gone, and that’s the only reason she was even here in the first place.”

“You stupid fucker,” Felicity shot back.

“Fuckoo?” Eoghan parroted in an adorably innocent voice.

“Oh, Jaysus,” Denny muttered. “He’s got another one.”

Felicity stepped towards me and began stabbing at my chest with her finger. “She cares about you, you stupid son-of-a-bitch.”

“What the fuck ever,” I grated back. “If she cared about me, she wouldn’t be leaving.”

“Exactly,” Maggie piped in.

I shot her a murderous glance. “Maggie, shut the fuck up and GET THE FUCK OUT!”

Cody glanced at Maggie and nodded towards the door. “You should probably leave.”

But Maggie only scowled back at him.

Felicity had barely taken a breath as she continued to rant. “You stupid, idiotic bastard! I can’t believe you! Of all the brainless—”

Denny managed to get his free hand over Felicity’s mouth, wrangling her and Eoghan out to the door. “Fliss, relax yer cacks,” he began in a calming voice. “Why don’t ya take Eoghan out to the truck and wait for me while I help get rid of the scrubber. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Maggie glared at Denny. “I’m not sure what you just called me, but speak English you fucker.”

Justin rounded on Maggie. “You do
NOT
get to say that to my friend!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Maggie huffed. “Fine, I’ll go… for now.” She turned and gave me a pointed look. “I’ll arrange for another meeting with the promoters. Let me know when you’ve talked these guys into taking this offer, Drew. You know it’s your only shot.”

With an exasperated sigh, she ripped open the door and slammed out.

“Well,” Cody murmured, “that was rather dramatic.”

Denny finally uncovered Felicity’s mouth and stared at me thoughtfully. “That manky hoor is right about one thing. We do need to make a decision about this.”

Cody nodded. “What do you want to do, Drew?”

“We want to do this,” Justin said decisively.

“Feck off, Justin,” Denny coarsely grated out. “I want to know what Drew wants to do.”

I looked up to see all eyes on me, even little Eoghan who had finally stopped spouting little baby F-bombs, but only because his thumb was stuck firmly in his mouth.

“You fuckers,” I muttered. “You bastard motherfuckers. You can’t make this
my
decision.”

“This is your dream, Drew,” Cody said. “We can’t keep you from your dream.”

“Right,” Denny added, “even if we don’t finish it with you, we have to help you get started.”

Justin turned to me and grabbed me by the shoulders, looking at me earnestly. “Think about the pussy, Drew. Think about all that wild groupie pussy.”

“Justin…” Felicity warned.

He turned to look at her, a pleading glimmer in his eyes. “But the pussy…”

I looked at my bandmates. “What do you guys want to do?”

“We want to support you,” Denny replied.

“Don’t you guys want this?” I asked him. “Isn’t this what we’ve been working towards?”