Rockin' the Heart (Hot Wired) (28 page)

“You’re the spoiled kid sister. That’s how the media sees you, brat.” Fang eyed her over the rim of the
mug. “Until you started dating me, no one really cared for the most part. Be glad we have the clout to make it all disappear.”

“That’s not fair to those without the influence.”

“Life’s not fair.” Jase notched hair behind his ear.

“Yeah…
.” Sam licked her lips. “The point is, Jase, you shouldn’t be the one bailing me out of everything. You can’t micromanage my life. I know you think Heath is going to eventually break my heart.”

It’s inevitable, little sister
.

He let her go on and even managed not to glare at Fang.

“You control my freedom to a degree with your ‘clout’, but you can’t control my relationships. You hated Omega and—”

“He’s a goddamn punk. And he hurt you. Yeah, I hate the motherfucker.” He’d started a fight with the fucker in the club they were members of. He’d suspected criminal charges for assault to be levied against him, but Omega had shrugged off the incident with sarcasm. Jase hated him more
for not pressing charges.

“He’s my friend.” That she defended the man who’d smeared her name irritated him
further.

“He’s an asshole.”

“That asshole’s not entirely guilty like we thought.” Whose side was Fang on?

“Whatever. You still can’t control my relationship with Omega—”

“There
is
no relationship with Omega,” Fang added.

“—Heath
, or anyone else. For good or bad that’s
my
choice. You don’t have the right to demand my happiness for the sake of yours.”

The lopsided smile that curled Fang’s lips detailed his pride. She stood proud before Jase, demanding her independence.

The liberation was a long time coming, years after he’d demanded the same for himself. And he almost—
almost
—didn’t catch himself before he kicked the table over and informed her she’d do as she was fucking told!

“Right
.” Maybe she was a tad correct—he’d never admit it—because he wanted to yell and demand she comply with his commands. Making the transition from being her big-brother-slash-parent was proving harder than he’d suspected. Best to change the subject. “The trust fund is yours. Deal. With. It. You fuck with me on this, and I’ll divide the money into a hundred different accounts just to piss you and my attorney off.” Enough that his counsel would probably quit before he’d continue to transfer the money back and forth.

“I won’t use it.”

“I don’t care what you do with it.” He glanced between his sister and former best friend. Yeah…
former
because no true friend fucked with blood relatives.

Without a goodbye he strode to the door, intending to make a calm departure. Maintaining civility for the band’s sake wouldn’t be easy, but he’d make an effort for Keys and Derringer. In the end he couldn’t make a quiet exit, over his shoulder he tossed out, “Don’t come to me crying when your heart is broken, sis.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
She’ll come. Guaran-fucking-teed.
“Derringer has the better shoulder to cry on anyway.”

Jaw locked and grinding his teeth before he said
anything derogatory, Jase slammed the door behind him. He breezed past the groupie he’d fucked the night before. She worked her fingers through the long length of her red hair. The untidiness of those glossy strands reminded him how many times he’d shoved his digits through the silky tresses. The black eyeliner smudged beneath her green eyes should’ve given her a drab appearance, but he found her sexier in her disarrayed state.

He punched the down button
for the elevator.

The girl
used a compact mirror to remove the makeup with her fingertips. He tried not to watch, but the more she eliminated the younger she appeared, less jaded too, and much more appealing. Resisting the urge to invite her back to his bedroom and wash the cosmetics away in a joint shower, he submitted another impatient jab to the button.

“You going down?” With a sharp click, she snapped the mirror closed.

“Yep.” He had gone down last night too, which wasn’t something he normally participated in with a groupie. But she’d seemed so sweet and innocent, and he’d been eager to wreck the falsity.

Like strangers they stood side-by-side staring at the elevator doors.
Awkward
. He’d been inside this woman
twice
—for the love of God he could
not
recall her name and probably hadn’t inquired about it—less than six hours ago. Shouldn’t they be more familiar than this? He normally kicked the women out of his bed before any conversation could be brokered. Today he’d fondled her hair, fascinated with the natural crimson hue, while uncomfortable with his interest in her. He’d ultimately left her asleep when he went to confront Sam.

Sam
. A mixture of frustration and anger slammed through him.

He didn’t want to think of her and Fang.
If only he could turn back time and withdraw his support of the charade Tab desired. Maybe then they wouldn’t be where they were now. Headed straight for heartache.

This is the awkwardness Sam and Heath will endure
when they break up. The awkwardness I’ll stomach when they’re in one another’s company afterward.

The doors slid open
, and they both entered the cage. He almost requested she wait for the next ride, but his Southern upbringing blocked the rudeness from leaving his lips. And a big part of him wasn’t ready for her to depart his presence yet. So, he suffered through his discomfort and interest in stony silence.

“Sorry.”

The insecurity in her voice triggered his inquiry. “For?”

“
I don’t know.” She finger-combed her hair. Without a brush, there was no hope in making her appear anything but well fucked. “I shouldn’t have done this.”

Regret for screwing him? That was a novelty and a blow to his ego.
Pride chafed by her remorse, he leaned against the wall, hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans, and crossed his ankles in a casual stance. She wasn’t even dressed like a normal groupie in her jeans and
Jesus Loves You
pink T-shirt. Interesting choice of attire for a woman intent on getting laid at a rock concert. But she’d come through the typical groupie lines.

Captivated
, he forged onward. “You didn’t enjoy yourself?”

A
nervous glance before she lowered her head and dug into her purse. Jase thought he detected a blush tinge her cheeks.

“You know I did
,” softly spoken words he almost missed.

Most groupies faked their orgasms, but not this one. And he was skilled enough to know the difference. She’d been bashful at first, which had intrigued him more. Once they’d gotten started, she’d loosened up.
When she came the first time, he’d watched her, fascinated by the feel of her griping his cock. Until then he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed genuine passion from a partner. He’d worked to get her off the second time, using his thumb against her clit. She’d screamed and arched beneath him, trembling as he pumped the last few times inside her before he spilled his seed.

Fuck, did I use a condom?

He couldn’t remember. He always did, so certainly he had with her. He hadn’t been
that
drunk, just intoxicated by her.

“I like
that you enjoyed yourself. Most don’t.” Most just wanted to brag about their conquest to their friends. Not like he cared. With groupies it was a using relationship. They provided him physical relief, and they gained bragging rights.

Green
eyes leveled on him. Sadness creased the corners in sharp lines. He thought she’d say something, but if she’d planned to, she ultimately changed her mind and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail instead.

“What’s your name?”

“Why?”

“You know mine.”

“Do you normally ask the names of your one-night-stands?”

No
. He shrugged. “Sometimes.”

After a brief introspection, Jase was shocked to discover he wanted to know more about her.

“My name doesn’t matter. After today you won’t ever see me again.”

Displeased by that thought
, he grunted and contemplated his feet. “Why the secrecy surrounding your name?”

Okay. He hadn’t planned to utter the thought. But there it was, thrown out there. He felt her tense and a sharp inhalation of air filled her lungs.

“I—I don’t do this sort of stuff, Mr. Collins.”

“Jase.”
The formal salutation amused him. “I was inside you for Christ’s sake. My name is Jase.”

She flinched as if he struck her. She regretted their dalliance, on that she hadn’t lied.

“One-night-stands aren’t my style.” She wet her lips and became enamored of the flashing red floor numbers. “I’d prefer to wallow in my guilt with a little discretion.”

Guilt? What an odd choice of words.

“You were a virgin.” Why’d he just recall that fact? He’d never had a novice come at him. She gasped, but didn’t favor him with her attention. “Do you know how many virgins come to my bed?” After a heartbeat he answered his own question. “You’re the first.”

She
shuffled her feet. “How’d you know?”

He grinned. Aside from the blood that probably stained his sheets, he’d felt the membrane give when he plunged hard and deep. She’d gasped at his abrupt penetration and loss of innocence. Eyes going wide, she’d gone rigid beneath him. He’d soothed her with kisses, a trifle annoyed she’d
withheld the information. He wasn’t so much of a gentleman he’d have turned her aside. Once he made a choice, he followed through and that included bed partners. If he’d known her circumstances, he could’ve entered her slower, given her more time to adjust, rather than given her all he had in one rough drive.

Instead of answering her question, he asked, “What’s your name?”

“None of your business,” she shot back as the elevators doors opened and she bolted.

He watched her go, admiring the sway of her ass. Someone had her name. Photo I.D. was required to prove their age.
Never hurt to be too careful. The last thing any of them needed was a sex scandal with a minor involved. That was known as a career killer.

Jase rapped his knuckles on the front desk’s counter. “I require a vehicle
,” he said as he lost sight of the girl.

The hunt is on,
my sweet virgin
.

Sam peeked at her watch. Jase was just over an hour late for the jet. And so was Tab. They could leave without Hot Wired’s agent, but Jase set the beat for the entire concert. Her brother might be vocal about how she lived her life, but he’d never let the band down.

“Where’s Jase?”
Something’s wrong.

She drummed her fingers on the arm of
her seat, and her foot tapped against the floor.

“He’s pissed
off at us.” Heath tangled their fingers together, halting one anxious movement.
It’s more than that
, but she held her tongue, her worry too focused to argue. “I’m not surprised he’s running a bit late.”

“You think his tardiness is a power play?” She didn’t have to look at Keys to hear the disagreement in his voice.
Big Al purred as he wove in between Keys’ legs.

Derringer braced his hands on either side of the door and regarded the runway.
“Much longer and we’ll be tardy for the concert.”

“If push came to shove, we could borrow Tone Deaf’s drummer.” Keys popped the lid on a can of soda. “Maybe not since he doesn’t know our songs.
They can extend their performance enough to give us some time.” He set the untouched soda aside.

“When he arrives, I’m going to kick his ass for being an asshole.” The frown gouging Derr’s smooth forehead confirmed his unease, which served to increase hers.

“He’s not responded to my texts and my calls go straight to voice mail.” She stared out the window.
I’m worried
. Thinking it and saying it were two different things. Superstition vouched spoken fears could jinx any outcome. Just thinking the thought had her knuckles itching to knock on wood.

“He’s throwing a tantrum, he’ll show
,” Heath repeated, but the rapid swish of his thumb against her wrist suggested he wasn’t buying his explanation.

“He doesn’t let the band down.”

“Sam’s right. We’ve had our share of arguments over the years”—as much time as they spent together, it would be impossible not to have controversies—“and he’s not once ditched the band.” Keys pinched the bridge of his nose, his blond hair in disarray over his forehead, and his blue eyes displayed his concern.

“Maybe he got drunk and passed out.” Sam hoped Heath’s option was a possibility.
“The way he’s been drinking lately….”

Thanks to them her brother had
dialed up his liquor consumption.

“Here’s Tab. Maybe she’ll know something.” Derringer stepped away from the door
so she could enter the jet.

Tension drenched the cabin
, and suddenly Sam wanted to bolt.

Something is
wrong. She couldn’t shake the feeling. Felt it in her bones, as her granny would say.

Footsteps hit the stairs, the metallic ring of each step
struck Sam like a cane intent on dishing out punishment. Sam vaulted to her feet and lost contact with Heath. She wrapped her arms around her waist and waited. Waited for the worst to happen. Waited for her life to be altered forever again.

Chill out
! She wasn’t a pessimist, so why the sudden doom mentality?

All eyes centered on Tab when she
stepped into view. The outside light silhouetted her in a halo. If anything, she could be likened to a fallen angel. Their agent looked haggard. Her hair mussed, her nose red, and her eyes were blotchy.

I don’t want to hear this!
Temptation to stuff her fingers in her ears overwhelmed her. Experience taught her even the bad stuff couldn’t be denied by the childish act.

“Sam,” Tab sought her out
, and the moment their gazes locked she thought the other woman would break down. “There’s been an accident.”

No
! Sam hugged herself tighter.
Not again
.
Please, dear Lord, not again
. Heath locked his arm around her shoulders, his tension evident in the hard line of his frame. Apprehension swept through the cabin.

“Jase was involved in a car wreck.
”

Dizziness slammed her as another memory
surfaced.
The police officers at her door… “I’m sorry, but your parents have been involved in an automobile accident. You need to come with us to the station.” In the back seat of the cruiser, she’d wept in fear, uncertain of the severity of her parents’ condition.

Then their friends had come to pick her up and imparted the terrible news…
“I’m sorry, Samantha, but they didn’t make it.”

“I’m sorry, but i
t’s bad.”

Don’t say that
! She’d heard the words ‘I’m sorry’ the first time until she’d wanted to scream at the world.
Sorry
didn’t bring her parents back.
Sorry
didn’t return her normal life.
Sorry
didn’t soothe her grief at night when she cried herself to sleep.

After a twelve hour connecting flight from
Los Angeles, to Vegas and then Atlanta, Georgia and then driving another 3 hours from Georgia to their home in Alabama, she’d fallen apart again the moment Jase stepped into their house. She’d taken one look at her sibling, thrown herself into his arms, and they’d sobbed together for their loss. They were all the family they had left. None other remained except cousins and aunts and uncles that had nothing to do with them.

“
Head injury.” Tab went on as if she didn’t realize Sam’s world was falling apart. “Sw—swelling on the brain.”

“You should’ve called instead.” Derr
ogled Sam, fine lines erupting from the corners of his eyes. “We could’ve been at the hospital faster.”

“No one should receive this type of news over the phone
,” Tab sounded wheezy, as if she fought back emotions.

Derringer nodded
, and she could tell he watched her, but all Sam could do was focus on her breathing as she attempted to process the news.

No, no, no,
no
! Her ears hummed, and blackness grew inward from the edge of her vision. It was happening again. First her parents died in a wreck, and now Jase was in the same boat.

“What happened
?” Sam wasn’t sure who asked the question.

She focused on
inhaling and exhaling.
This is a nightmare
.
I’ll wake up any moment
. God wouldn’t be so cruel to take all of her family. Would he?

“A drunk driver ran a red light and—”

Bending at the waist she gulped in oxygen, but the wooziness increased. She stumbled and Heath caught her, mumbling gibberish that sounded a lot like comforting words.

Keys gripped her face between his palms. “Focus on
me,
and breathe slowly.” Tears cut through her vision like acid, blurring everything. She suspected she was the one making the god awful hiccupping sounds similar to when a child struggled not to cry, but she couldn’t be certain. “Let it out, Boo.”

The next
inhalation tore through her body like a sword, and the sobbing struck. He kissed her forehead and drew her into his arms, hugging her to his chest.

Keys
held Sam tight, allowing her the freedom to let go, but her cries killed Heath. Her parents had died in a similar manner, but at least they’d gone fast. Dead at the scene.

The silence in the jet’s cabin was eerie
, the sense of doom strong and that rattled him. Giving up on his best friend wasn’t an option.

“What else can you tell us?”
Needing to touch Sam and offer some comfort, Heath stroked Sam’s back while Keys held her and tossed him a fidgety glance. Yeah, she was killing him too.

“Not a lot.
Severe lacerations and bruises to be expected.” There were tears in Tab’s eyes, but she did a fine job of blinking them back. “Like I said, swelling on the brain, and he’s in a coma. How soon he comes out of that determines his prognosis.”

Sam’s words were muffled against
Keys’ chest, her voice shaky, but at least her tears had lessened. “I need to be there for him when he wakes up.”

Tab frowned. Derringer closed his eyes and rubbed his palm back and forth across the top of his head. The wide-eyed gape of Ke
ys said what Heath was thinking. Head trauma was tricky business, and there was the real possibility Jase would never wake up.

“We need to get to the hospital, Tab.” Heath
fingered Sam’s hair out of her face and peered down at her.

Sam left Keys’
embrace and slammed into him with the fiercest hug she’d ever given him. “I can’t believe we’re going through this again.”

“Me neither.” He
clasped the back of her head and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, snuggling her close. “The outcome will be different this time.” The universe could spread the seeds of optimism, so he wouldn’t even
think
of the alternative conclusion.

Jase will survive
. Heath believed it as much as he could, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t dismiss the niggle of doubt that prodded its way into his mind.

“The limo outside can take us all.”
Tab sniffled and ran her fingertips beneath her eyes. Her makeup was a hopeless wreck.

Heath
swung Sam into his arms and she wilted against him, burying her face against his neck. “I got you, brat.”
I’ve always got you.

“I love you, Heath,” her lips moved against his skin as he
carried her to the limo. “I couldn’t b-bear this”—her inhale shook her entire body—“without you.”

He
put his lips against her ear. “He’s strong, Sam. Don’t you dare give up on him.”

He thought she said ‘not’, but if she did it was so muffled he couldn’t be sure.

Keys opened the limo door for him and he spied Tex about to get in another vehicle. The bodyguard saluted him, indicating he would see them at the hospital. Everyone crawled inside the vehicle, and he kept his arm around Sam’s shoulders. Derringer offered her a wad of tissue and she blew her nose, then dabbed her eyes. But her breathing was choppy like she struggled to pull herself together.

“We can’t do the gig tonight.” Keys
delivered that remark, both hands braced on his knees, knuckles white.

Tab nodded. “
Done. I cancelled the rest of the week’s performances on the way to the jet.”

“The last words I said to Jase were in anger.” Sam burst into tears all over again.

Fuck
. He tugged her across his lap and she cried, soaking his shirt. Emotions clogged his sinuses and burned his eyes, but he fought them back and swiped them away with his thumb.

Both
of them had said some harsh, but true, words to Jase earlier. He couldn’t regret his honesty, but it could’ve come with better timing.

“What about Tone Deaf? What can we do to help offset the media coverage they’ll lose
?” Derr’s voice was thick, and he swiped his fingers over his eyes. Heath suspected he removed moisture, but he didn’t look close enough to tell. They were a tight band, and regardless of Jase’s recent attitude, they all cared about him, considered him family.