Twisted Heartstrings Read online

  Blushing, I reply, “Thanks. I didn't think the bathroom would be so open.”

  “I give it two weeks before you start being comfortable enough around us to not warn us. We're guys, of course we'll look, but it doesn't mean we'll be trying to take you to bed. That's my brother's job.”

  “Wouldn't it be weird for you? Having to see your brother's girlfriend in that way?”

  “It’ll be a first for him; he's never really brought a girlfriend on tour. The rest of us have. For him to have suggested that you come with us tells me you mean more to him than he may think. I should have known once I knew you were the girl from the bar. He was really upset when you disappeared on him all those years ago.”

  “But he didn't even know me.”

  “He knew enough that he wanted to be with you. By pure luck he got a second chance to see you. And this time do what he was too chicken to do then and go after you. And I’m pretty sure he'll try to convince you to stay with him in any way he can so that he doesn't lose you.”

  I can't hide the blush that creeps across my face. He's right on that account.

  “I can tell by your reaction he already has. Just try not to hurt him too badly if you decide you don't want him,” he says, as he brushes past me to drop his bag in the bedroom.

  I get myself comfortable on one of the couches in the seating area to ponder what Alucard said.

  Once everyone is on board, Lucius takes my hand and leads me back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He starts stripping me of my clothes before removing his. Pulling the covers down from the bed, we climb in. I curl myself to his side and allow the hum of the bus and beat of his heart to lull me to sleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Toni

  I’m woken up by an angry voice cursing loudly and yelling. I sit up, startled to find Lucius pulling on a pair of pants, already going to check what is happening. My only thought could be that Nicholai is on the phone with Nikki's father. I put my sweatpants and tank top back on so I can follow Lucius.

  Nicholai is pacing back and forth in the bunk area with his phone to his ear. Tension rolls through his body, matching the scowl he's wearing.

  “So you expect him to put up with her conning her way into his room and stalking him everywhere we go? No, if you don't tell her to leave him alone, we will be pressing charges against her.” He pauses and listens. “Then maybe we need to approach another label for our next album once our contact is up, since we haven't renewed our contract yet.” He pauses again. “I'm sure you’ll lose more clients when word gets out that you aren't making a band happy but expect them to go through hell for your bottom line. It won't take long for it to leak out about the bullshit you expect us to put up with. And if we drop you, then people will ask questions. And we'll be honest. Unless you want us contacting another executive to tell them what's happening... You have twenty-four hours before I make the call. Goodbye.”

  Nicholai runs his hand through his hair before rubbing his face in frustration. The part of the call we didn't hear must not have gone as well as he hoped for.

  “So, I take it he wants us to just let her do whatever she wants?” Lucius asks.

  “He wants us to let it go. He says she's upset and that's why she went to you.”

  “Yeah, so upset that she was practically naked in my room waiting for me. She didn't expect me to have a girlfriend, which is why she contacted her father, claiming to be upset. She figured she would try crawling back and I'd welcome her in, not that it will ever happen.”

  Not wanting to hear more about his ex-girlfriend, I head back to the bedroom. Why I had even followed I don't know, probably to make myself suffer. I grab my tablet out of my computer bag and power it on. Thankfully, the bus has Wi-Fi and I’m able to hook into it. I check my work email and find one from both Rick and Mitch outlining what information they want for the story and that they want updates as often as possible.

  I pull open my Word document and start to work on my diary entries, which is where I document most of my notes. It's an easy way to remember what I've done and what information I've gathered.

  June 18th

  Heading to Saskatoon today from Edmonton. This is my first day touring with the band, so I will, hopefully, get to see everything. The day started out with most everyone sleeping, seeing as the night before was a late night. PR crisis was averted, temporarily.

  Saving the file before closing it out, I check my personal email. Nothing new but spam there. The bed dips, and looking up, I see Lucius looking at me as if he's worried about my reaction.

  “We're about an hour and a half out and the guys want to stop for something to eat,” he says. “We're making a stop in North Battleford, more selection.”

  “Ok,” I reply, biting my lip.

  “What's wrong?” he asks, picking up on my mood.

  I chew on my lip as I figure out how to explain it since I know saying nothing will not make him drop it. And he deserves to know part of what's on my mind. “How long ago did you break up with Nikki?”

  He frowns, obviously surprised by my question. “Three months, maybe four.”

  “And you said she's shown up looking for you before?”

  “Yeah, she's shown up at each of my brothers’ places and my parents’. She doesn't know where I'm living now.”

  I sigh. “So, you never figured she would pull what she did last night?”

  “I figured she would have gotten the picture when no one would tell her where I was and that I changed my number. Speaking of numbers, where's your cell phone?”

  I grab my phone from beside the bed and hand it to him. I watch as he types some things into it before handing it back to me, along with his. I enter my number into his contacts list, like I assume he wants me to, before handing it back to him.

  I let out a shocked screech when he grabs my ankle and pulls me toward him. Before anything else registers, his mouth is on mine, taking me in a demanding kiss. My arms wind around his neck, holding him to me, the hairs at his nape tickling my arms. Desire burns through my body as he deepens the kiss.

  I whimper as he pulls away. “After we eat,” he says, giving me a wicked grin. “We didn't stop before we left to grab breakfast and the guys are starving.”

  “Ok,” I reply, as he pulls me up.

  “Believe me, I want to finish what we started last night before we were interrupted.”

  I giggle. “So that's why you want me around, so you don't get blue balls?” I tease.

  “You're the one giving them to me. I've never gotten hard just kissing someone before.”

  Blushing, I reply, “I've never gotten wet just from a kiss.”

  He curses before leading me from the room to where the guys are sitting at the front of the bus. I know I’m still blushing when I tuck my feet under me as I sit on the loveseat.

  “Please tell me you are not a vegetarian,” says Christoph.

  I look at him and grin as I reply, “Nor am I a vegan. I don't mind salads, but I'm more of a pasta person.”

  “Sweet, then you won't force us to change our diets while you’re with us,” he says with a smirk.

  “Uh, no. As long as you don't mind if I sneak chocolate on the bus, we'll be all good,” I reply.

  “If it's white chocolate, I'll show you a good hiding place,” replies Jasper with a smirk. The smirk looks out of place compared to the usually serious, brooding, or bored expressions that he's known for. I'd probably faint if he smiled.

  “You like chocolate?” I ask. His nod makes me laugh. “I'll have to remember that.”

  I shift my legs and lean into Lucius. He immediately wraps an arm around my shoulders, holding me to him. I figured there would be an adjustment period for the guys to get used to me being around, but it doesn't appear so. They’re focused on the action movie playing on the TV. I notice that there’s a DVD player on a shelf above the TV in the corner and a gaming system below.

  I was so sucked in to watching the movie that I didn't noti
ce we stopped until the driver got up from his seat. Getting up too, I head to the bedroom to grab a pair of flip flops, with Lucius close behind me to pull his boots on. Taking my hand, he leads me off the bus.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Toni

  We had pulled into a Wendy's; I was thankful that it wasn't a McDonald's. After having several bad experiences with McDonald's, I had decided to boycott them. It isn't busy so we’re all served fairly quickly. Because of the time constraints, we have to take our food to-go and eat on the bus. I figured this would be a normal habit since they do have a tight schedule. I did learn that the roadies had left after the show last night to get to the next venue in time to start setting up. Since the guys are only needed for sound checks, they didn't need to leave so early.

  As we eat, the guys fill me in on some of their childhood. Of course, they in turn ask me questions. I try not to give much away about my past, Luc being the exception to knowing how I grew up. While the guys are talking, I can't help but notice that Jasper has been fairly quiet. It makes me wonder if he really is the shy, quiet one of the group.

  When we’re done eating, Lucius lifts me over his shoulder and the guys laugh at my sudden shriek of surprise. Lucius carries me down the aisle of the bus to the bedroom. I'm sure my face is bright red from blushing, but it could also be the blood flowing to my head from being upside down. I grip his belt and try to push myself up.

  Kicking the bedroom door closed, he slides me down his body until my feet hit the floor. Kissing, we fall into a tangle on the bed, trying to shuck our way out of our clothes as quickly as we can. The unfulfilled desire from the night before rising back to the surface with a vengeance.

  He pauses long enough to grab a condom and sheath himself before thrusting into me. I gasp at the sudden entry. I grip his forearms as he stares down at me, watching me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tangle my fingers into his silky hair and pull him down for a kiss, needing his mouth on me to drive me farther into ecstasy.

  His lips trail from my mouth to my neck, nipping at the sensitive spot just behind my ear. His thrusts are slow and deep. Not frenzied like I thought they would be, how I want them to be. I wrap my legs around his and try to leverage myself into a position that will drive him crazy. Instead, he pauses and I whimper.

  My whimper must have sent him beyond his control. He begins to thrust faster and harder than before. His mouth takes mine with the same measure as his thrusts. I grip on to him, my body quivering before going tense. His kiss swallows my moans while my body tightens around his hardness as I orgasm.

  When the spots behind my eyes finally clear, I find Lucius on his forearms above me, smiling. “That good?”

  “I don't think I have ever come so hard,” I reply, smiling up at him.

  “Good,” he answers. He thrusts slowly and it's only then that I realize he's still hard.

  “You didn't come?” I ask.

  He chuckles as he shakes his head in response, leaning down to kiss me. It’s in this moment I realize that I’m falling for this man. A man whom I'll never be able to have a proper relationship with; a man who wouldn't want a girl professing her love to him when we barely even know one another. A man who would hate me for the secret that could tear us apart. A man that, for all intents and purposes, is too good for me.

  I hide my face in the crook of his neck. I can feel the buildup of my pleasure rising again as he continues to lazily thrust into me. I just hope that when I go over for the second time that he joins me, ending this moment of self-realization of how much I have fallen for him so quickly.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Toni

  I lay sated in his arms, not wanting to move, but knowing we'll have to get up shortly to shower before the show. The bus had come to a stop a while ago and we’re just delaying what we should be doing.

  “I gotta get up for a shower, baby. I almost wish we had a larger bathroom so you can have one with me,” he says with a smirk while winking.

  “Yeah, like I want to be the reason the guys are yelling at us to get out of the bathroom when they need to be getting ready too,” I say on an eye roll.

  He kisses me quickly and gets up to have his shower. I grab his discarded shirt from earlier and pull it on, happy that it covers most of me. I pull out some clothes and look around for a towel. I open the closet door and find it packed with random stuff, but no towels. Figuring I might as well wait for Lucius to get back, I pull out my toiletry bag and makeup kit from one of my bags.

  When Lucius comes in a few moments later with a towel around his waist, I pause in awe. He's a gorgeous man, even with his bad boy appearance. I hate reading the poetic crap you find in romance books when women describe their men, but for once I finally understood it. It's the way a woman feels about her man that no one else would experience the same way. It's when you find the one you are meant to be with and he's beyond reasonably attractive.

  Snapping out of my stupor I ask, "Luc, where're the towels? I want to have a quick shower before everyone has to start getting ready."

  "They're in the bathroom," he says, as he opens a cupboard and pulls one out for me.

  Knowing that the guys need to get ready as well, I throw the towel over the glass door to the shower to at least partially hide me and quickly pull off Lucius's shirt so I can get in the shower.

  I make quick work of getting washed up before wrapping the towel securely around my body. Even though Alucard attempted to make me feel comfortable around the guys, I still don't want them to see me without clothes on. It’s bad enough that, aside from Luc, one of them has already seen me naked. In the bedroom I come to a halt when I find Alucard getting dressed. In addition to the tattoos, I notice the twins’ body tones are slightly different, with Alucard being slightly more muscular than Lucius.

  Clearing my throat to announce my presence, I say, “Don't mind me, I'm just going to quickly get dressed.” Grunting his acknowledgement, Alucard gives me privacy by keeping his back to me while I quickly pull my clothes on. I grab my makeup kit and hairbrush, heading out to the front of the bus.

  I know I’m blushing when I join the rest of the guys, not sure how I’ll tell Lucius that I saw his brother’s naked backside or his brother might have seen me naked. I start to brush the knots out of my hair quickly before fashioning it in a messy bun. Sitting at the table, I begin putting my makeup on. I don't always wear a ton, but I want to look good enough to be seen with Lucius.

  Happy with my results, I pack up my stuff and bring it to the bedroom to put away. I also pull out my digital camera to bring out with me, so I can take pictures. I grab my cell phone to check for messages, but don't see anything; not that I’d expect many.

  Heading back to the front of the bus, I join Lucius on the loveseat and find the guys looking at me.

  “What?” I ask. “Did I mess up my makeup? Is my shirt on backwards?”

  “You won't like it,” starts Nicholai. “But one of our roadies has seen Nikki here. We’re trying to get security to eject her, but she's threatening everyone's job.”

  “Let me guess, you want me to play nice?” I ask, glaring. Great. She ruined last night for us, and now she's here to stir the pot some more. Is this what I am going to have to deal with? How did Lucius put up with her when he was with her? She’s nothing but a plastic, gold-digging bitch.

  “We wanted to warn you so that it doesn't come as a complete surprise. She can be vicious, and we'd rather you be prepared for her to attack you verbally. We don't think she will actually attempt to touch you, but we'll need to make sure someone watches out for you while we’re on stage.”

  “That's easy, I can be in front of the stage taking pictures. She won't be able to cause a scene there, with the crowd and security tonight. And maybe a good ass kicking would do her some good.” It’s been a while since I’ve been in a fight, not that I enjoy it, but I had to learn to protect myself at one point.

  “Baby,” Lucius says, “if you touch her, she'll go after yo
u with cops and a lawsuit. I don't want that to happen. We don't know why she showed up again other than to try to cause trouble.”

  “We don't need you getting into trouble because she's trying to cause a problem. By bringing you with us we've taken on the responsibility to ensure your safety and keep you out of trouble,” Alucard interjects.

  “I'll behave,” I agree on an eye roll. “Last thing I want would be to have anything come back on you guys. Or even my own bosses.”

  Before we can say anything else, someone comes up the stairs of the bus. He has reddish hair that sticks out in all directions from under his hat and pale green eyes that are shining with excitement. He's wearing a black Twisted Tragic crew shirt. “They’re ready for you,” he says, before disappearing.

  Lucius takes my hand and pulls me up and we all head from the bus to the arena. With my camera around my neck, I figure it will be a good time to take some pictures while they do their sound checks. It will also give me a chance to observe them and write about this.

  A couple of security guards escort us from the private entrance we came in, down to the back of the makeshift stage. Lucius points to a spot that will take me around to the front of the stage and kisses me before heading up to take his place. I make my way around the side to the front and find I have a five foot space to work with between the stage and the barrier. I watch as the guys take their places and try to find the best vantage points for getting pictures before I start taking them.

  “Oh look, if it isn't the groupie whore,” an irritating voice says. I’d rather listen to nails on chalkboard than her.

  Knowing that it's Nikki, I ignore her and continue taking pictures. I know the guys are watching despite needing to focus on rehearsal and won't be happy if I say or do anything. I really want to give her a piece of my mind and tell her to fuck off and leave Lucius alone. And to admit that she lied about being pregnant since she surely doesn’t look it. She's as skinny as a twig.