Face the Music (A Brothers of Rock - GONE BY AUTUMN - Novel) (14 page)

“Can you play that?” he asked Asher.

“Damn,” Tanner said. “That’s bold.”

Asher flexed his left hand and grinned. “Soon, my man. Soon.”

They all laughed again and Blake hurried to pour shots. Six full shot glasses on the table and they all took a glass. They lifted them in the air.

“This is for all of us,” Ryan said. “That includes JT. We keep going and writing and playing. I love it. I love this damn band.”

“Cheers,” Asher said.

“
Salut
,” Gabe called out.

“Just drink,” Tanner said.

“Then I’ll pour another,” Blake said.

They drank, they laughed, and Blake poured another round. One more little bit of celebration and then everyone seemed to just crash and hang out.

Asher was in the same chair, feet back on the table.

Tanner came over and knocked his feet off the table. “You’re distant. Ten miles from here.”

“I am,” Asher said. “Something is running through my mind.”

“Like what?”

“I saw something,” Asher said. “Saw someone get hurt and helped out. Now I’m just… stuck.”

“What are you talking about?” Tanner asked.

“The reason why I left last night.” Asher ran through the PG version of what happened with Jocelyn. Right down to her coming over right before the guys showed up.

“Wow,” Tanner said. He grabbed a chair and sat down across from Asher. “I mean, she was… hit?”

“Yeah. No lie there.”

“You didn’t call the cops?”

“She didn’t want to. The whole thing is a freaking mess. And I barely know her, you know? It’s like it’s Maya or something.”

“I’d kill someone if they hurt Maya.”

“That’s how I felt. I just felt this fire, man. And I punched the guy. I kicked him. And then I took his girl and left.”

“That’s definitely as Asher move,” Tanner said.

“But it was more. It wasn’t about stealing someone or sleeping with her.”

“Which I’m sure you did.”

Asher looked away, giving it away without saying a word.

“Jesus, man,” Tanner said. “She’s…”

“I don’t know what she is,” Asher said. “And I’m not letting her slip away. That’s what has my mind going wild. I don’t want her to slip away. I don’t want to not see her.”

Tanner punched Asher in the leg. “Dude, you actually like someone. You have a heart.”

“Of course I have a heart,” Asher said. “But it usually resets the next morning. You know? Sun up, sun down, new love. This is weird though. I can’t stop thinking where she is right now. What she’s doing. If she’s… okay.”

“You’re afraid something will happen again?”

“Yeah. It wasn’t the first time. I’m nervous it won’t be the last.”

Tanner rubbed his chin. “It’s a tough one, Asher. Only you would spend years sleeping around like a man whore only to find someone insanely complicated.”

“The Asher way,” Asher said with a laugh.

“What is?” Ryan asked.

“Don’t worry about,” Asher said.

He stood up and walked to the door. He needed to get out of the loft. Get some air. Collect his thoughts. Figure out a way to stop these feelings for Jocelyn.

*

The knock at the door left Jocelyn biting her lip. She stopped at the mirror in the living and checked her hair. Like it really mattered. Asher seemed like the kind of guy that would never judge her. No matter what. He accepted her. He touched with passion. Whether it was real or just some rockstar act, it was nice to have the attention.

Jocelyn looked down and saw the t-shirt she was wearing came up showing a little sliver of skin. Her jeans were comfortable, a hole in the knee. It was nice to just feel relaxed. And she had been working on something that would drive Chad up a wall.

The knocking came again, turning into pounding.

“Coming,” Jocelyn yelled.

She opened the door with a smile, but it faded as soon as she saw it was Chad. She hadn’t seen Chad since the restaurant for lunch. Behind him stood two big men, looking like they were part of a security team or something.

“Chad,” she said. “What’s… wrong…”

“I can’t some see you?” he asked.

“I didn’t say that. You usually call…”

“She’s got someone in there,” Chad said.

Before Jocelyn could defend herself, she was pushed aside. Chad and the two hulks entered her apartment. She pointed and wanted to tell Chad to get the hell out, but then she saw Chad’s eyes. He’d been drinking. Sober Chad was scary enough, but drunk Chad could not be reasoned with.

“Find the guy,” Chad said.

The two men stalked through the apartment to Jocelyn’s shock.

“What is this?” Jocelyn asked.

“You father wants me to make sure you’re on course with things,” Chad said. “Like I said, I don’t want to be a babysitter, but I guess I’m getting screwed into it.” He then set his eyes on Jocelyn. “Speaking of screwed…”

He moved toward Jocelyn, pinning her against a wall. He was her height, his dark eyes calculated and evil. Not that sexy bad boy look that Asher had. This was a manipulative look.

“There’s nobody here,” Jocelyn whispered. “I’m alone.”

“Look at you,” Chad said. “Dressed like a moron. What is this? Showing skin? Trying to be a groupie?”

“I’m alone…”

“No, you’re not alone,” Chad said. “I’m here. And my guys are here. This is a fair warning to you, to anyone. I’m not playing games. And I’m not babysitting anyone.” Chad put a hand to Jocelyn’s stomach. His fingers cut under her shirt. “But I am here for another reason.”

“Chad…”

“You were supposed to stay the other night,” Chad said. “But you left me. So I came to visit you. If there’s someone in this apartment, my two guys are going to break his fucking arms and legs. Either way, we’re going to the bedroom.”

Jocelyn needed an out. Of course, she could just lift her leg. A knee right to Chad’s balls would take him down and shut him the hell up. But that would come with repercussions that Jocelyn didn’t want to face. So Chad’s lips kissed her chin and then slid down her neck. They were dry, prickly, gross. He kissed at her neck, pressing, leaving with her the sensation that she was being choked.

Definitely not the way to kiss a woman’s neck…

“Chad, wait,” Jocelyn said.

She took a chance and pushed at his sides.

He backed up just an inch and looked at her. “What?”

“I want to talk about what happened to today. I think I have the right…”

“No, you don’t. You have no
right
, Jocelyn. You do what I say. I have your father’s respect. You don’t listen, you know what happens. I’ll either go to him or take matters into my own hands… understand?”

The way he said it -
my own hands -
scared the hell out of Jocelyn.

Jocelyn caught herself nodding, unable to stop herself. Chad then went right back to work. He kissed Jocelyn’s neck. Not with the gentle care that Asher had done. And, not with the roughness that sent tingles throughout Jocelyn’s body. No way. As Chad attempted to kiss her, Jocelyn felt like she was on the receiving end of a vampire bite.

But she had to endure. Standing frozen and numb, she waited for it to end. Chad kissed to her chin and worked his way up to her lips. With just a centimeter separating his lips from Jocelyn’s, she braced herself. It wasn’t so much the kiss she worried about right now, but what Chad wanted after the kiss. Him touching her. Undressing her. Climbing on top of her. As crazy as it sounded, it almost felt like that Jocelyn was cheating on Asher.

She readied herself to take the chance and try to stop it when a voice said, “There’s nobody here, sir.”

It was one of the two hulk men. The second appeared and elbowed the other. “Hey, he’s busy.”

“Sorry,” the first said.

Chad backed away and licked his lips. “You two goddamn fools wait outside.”

The giant men left. Chad looked at Jocelyn again. He didn't come close though. He kept backing up until he hit the arm of the couch, where he sat.

“Listen, everything aside, I have business to tend to.”

“Okay,” Jocelyn said. “I’m glad your friends didn’t find anything here.”

“Smart mouth over there,” Chad said. “You think I want it this way?”

“I don’t know.”

“This is your fault. You want to runaway and act tough. You want to dive into a car like a fool. You want your picture taken, like some tabloid whore.”

“Please don’t call me a whore.”

“That’s what you are,” Chad snapped. He then sucked in a breath and fixed his tie. “But that’s what this is about. I’m going out of town. Headed to New York.”

“That call you had?”

“Yeah.”

“Am I supposed to be there?”

“Nope.”

“Should I be there?”

“Why? You’ll fuck it up.”

“Chad, what are you doing with the company? I’m not sure the direction…”

“The direction?” Chad asked with a grin. “I’m in control of that. Draw your pictures. I sell them. The world goes round. This is about building value through investments. It’s going to be huge when we sign… or sell.”

“Or sell?”

Chad stood. “Don’t worry about it. This does not concern you.”

“It’s my company,” Jocelyn said. “I started…”

“You had a fucking idea,” Chad said. “I created the company. I’ll be back. Don’t mess anything else up. My guys are everywhere. Watching. Waiting. Don’t make me get your father involved. That would just be sad.”

Chad walked to the door. He opened it and looked back. He shook his head, his lip curling.

“What?” Jocelyn whispered.

“You could have been something important to me,” he said. “You were always way out there though. I liked it at first. But look at you now.”

Chad left the apartment.

Jocelyn desperately told herself to take it for what it was worth. Chad admitting he didn’t like her, want her, need her, whatever. She could survive without him. Without the damn company. She would just need to talk to her father, get a lawyer involved, and get out.

But it all came crashing down on Jocelyn. She slid down the wall as tears streamed down her cheeks. She started to let out cries, but then she found herself on the verge of laughter.

Soon she’d be with Asher again. And everything would be right.

(12)

Asher stepped off the tour bus and opened his arms. He opened and closed his hands, each time making the fans get louder and louder. The chain linked fence rocked back and forth, looking close to collapsing. He looked to the swarm and shook his head. When he pointed, they screamed louder.

He approached the gate with caution and did his best to sign all he could as he kept walking. There was a security guy on his ass, making sure he kept walking. Fans cheered his name, cheered for the band. A few people catcalled about the accident, wanting to get a rise out of Asher. He ignored any negative comments and only accepted the cheers as some kind of fuel for his soul.

The rest of the band had already gone inside the arena to start the long day of press. The bands were all going to be signing items that would be auctioned off for charity. The same for pictures and even some of the instruments to be used for the concert. Three local radio stations and all the usual magazines were there too. Asher made it clear to Sam he wasn’t talking. He had one thing to do and prove. To get on stage and play guitar.

As he closed in on the door, he spotted someone from the corner of his eye. Some guy with a guitar case in his hands, holding it over his head, shaking it.

“Asher!”

When Asher looked, he realized it was freaking JT. In the mix of the crowd.

“Hey,” Asher said to one of the security guys. “That guy with the guitar case needs to be in here. He’s the third guitarist. Get him in here, safe.”

The security guy waved to JT and then opened the side of the gate. The crowd rushed forward, creating a hellish scene. Asher jumped into gear and walked along the gate, bringing the crowd toward him, keeping a small path for JT.

Asher signed autographs and talked to fans for a minute or so. He loved talking to fans. Hearing what they had to say about the band, the members, but most of all, the music. Fans yelling out their favorite songs, their favorite lines, and sometimes even daring enough to try to sing to the band.

JT made it through the crowd and gate. The security guard then grabbed at Asher and pulled. Asher gave one last wave and then went for the door for a final time. He bumped into JT and laughed.

“What?” JT asked.

“What the hell are you doing out there?” Asher asked. “You’re not a fan anymore, man.”

“Yeah, tell that to the arena. I tried coming around back but had no credentials.”

“No, shit.”

“Yeah. So I had to turn around, pay to park, and then walk in this way.”

Asher laughed even harder. They walked into the Gone by Autumn dressing room. The rest of the band was already in there, drinks in hand, with Sam, some press, and Ryan, Tanner, and Gabe brought their love interests along. For a split second, when Asher saw that, it made him a little jealous.

He wouldn’t see Jocelyn until the show started. If she came. She promised she was coming to the show. Asher had it arranged for her to have a front row experience, plus the backstage experience. Hell, Asher wanted that experience to start right now.

“There you are,” Sam said when he saw JT. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Parking. Fighting the crowd.”

“You should have been on the bus.”

“I thought the same damn thing,” Ryan said.

“I didn’t know I was allowed on the bus,” JT said.

Now even Sam laughed. “Of course you are. You’re in the band.”

Asher patted JT on the shoulder. “Don’t sweat it. Just know you’re expected to travel with us. Wherever we go, you’re there, man. Now come with me so we can give Chucky your guitar and he can get it all strung up and tuned.”

“Seriously?” JT asked.

“This is the big time,” Asher said. “They need to get everything set up.”

Asher appreciated how shocked JT looked by the entire process.

Sam held his phone out and shook it for a second. “Guys, let’s do something real quick. We need a press photo.”