Unknown: You need to take me more seriously than you are. Changing your number won’t make me go away.
What the fuck? Sitting in our private green room, I stared at my phone in disbelief. How did that fucker get my phone number? Again?
I tapped on the contact and another weird email address was displayed in a random order of letters or numbers instead of a phone number, giving me no idea who it really was.
Me: This is bullshit. What the fuck do you want?
Unknown: You should be nicer to the people who have you by the short hairs
Me: WHAT
Me: DO
Me: YOU
Me: WANT
Unknown: Like I said, I got something you definitely don’t want your adoring public to see. It’ll cost you to keep it safe
Me: How much?
Unknown: 100
Me: Dollars?
Unknown: Fuck, you’re still a moron. Thousand. $100,000
Unknown: I want the money in my account before you reach New York. Text me back when you’re ready to wire and I’ll send you the number.
I didn’t even know what he claimed to have to hold over my head. I was tempted to ask, but I didn’t want him to think he had actual leverage over me.
My brain reeled with possibilities. I hadn’t done anything truly heinous. No murders or rapes or hit-and-runs in my history. I didn’t have any skeletons I could think of hiding in my closet.
What could he have? Video of me shooting up back in the day? I hadn’t touched the hard stuff in years. And never with untrustworthy people around. Cell phones were always confiscated on our busses. I seriously doubted anyone had video of me doing anything more than smoking a joint which was legal in half of America.
Countless sex scenarios ran through my head. Most of which were just a blur. But they were always consensual. I’d had more than enough enthusiastic women to choose from, and the band had a policy to never party with anyone who wasn’t of age. Our security took that shit seriously and always had.
I couldn’t wrap my head around who it could be, let alone what they thought they had on me. For someone to text me on the same day as when I’d changed my number meant it had to be someone with access to my inner circle.
But who?
Honestly, it was the principle that really pissed me off. I could easily afford to pay the douche off—I had millions in the bank—but fuck them if they thought they had me over a barrel.
I wasn’t gonna pay shit.
“Everything okay?” Rowan wrapped her arm around me. “Wow, you feel so tense. I could rub you down before your show. Help you get limber. And of course after the show too.” She took a step back and caressed my stiff shoulders, more feeling me up than actual working my muscles.
Which was when Ella stepped into the room. Her eyes went straight to me then darted away.
I shoved Rowan off me, but Ella had already moved across the room to talk to Shay.
“Fuck off, Rowan.” I scowled. “I don’t want your hands on me, okay? Not now, not ever again. Consent goes both ways.”
She took one step and sent me a narrow-eyed smirk that I was sure she thought looked attractive, but just made her look constipated. “You say that now, but you always come crawling back. I’m fine with you having a little fun. I’ll be here waiting when you finally smarten up.”
Rowan turned and flounced off with a swirl of her handkerchief skirt and thigh-high boots, but I didn’t notice.
I was too busy dissecting what Rowan had just said. I needed to smarten up.
I whipped out my phone again and reread my blackmailer’s texts. They called me a moron.
Was there a link? Was Rowan the one who thought they had something I didn’t want to get out?
“Everything okay?” Chase asked, flopping onto the couch next to me.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“I dunno. Could have something to do with that scowl.”
“Nice to know my resting bitch face is still intact.” Rolling my eyes, I tossed my phone to Harper who was doing the rounds.
Chase offered up his phone. “Seriously, what’s going on? Did your mom call again? You’ve looked like lightness and sunshine all day. Now you’re all doom and gloom.”
“Jesus, you realize you’re starting to sound like your wife, right? There wasn’t a single curse word in any of that.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment. She’s the best person I know.”
“Second only to your ma for me. I know it took me a minute to come around, but you’re right—Shay’s awesome.”
“Don’t think you’re gonna dodge my question by complimenting my wife. I know you better than anyone, and I can tell something is going on, so spill.”
I sighed heavily. “Changing my number didn’t stop the weird texts. They’re still coming through.”
“Do you know who’s sending them? Can’t you just call the number?”
“Nah, they’re going through some weird email to text service thing. No clue who’s sending them.”
Chase sat up and looked around the green room. “Where’d Harper go? She’s got your phone, right? I want to see these texts.”
But she’d already moved onto the next task on her colossal to do list and was nowhere to be seen.
“It’s not a big deal. Just someone screwing around with me. I’m not worried about it.”
“You only changed your number today, so it’s gotta be someone you know. Get the list from Harper of who she sent it out to. It shouldn’t be hard to figure out from there. You haven’t screwed over a ton of people lately, right?”
My eyes flicked to Ella still standing across the room with Shay. Groaning mentally, I turned back to my best friend. And brother of the woman I was going to seriously screw tonight. Guilt weighed down on my shoulders.
It went against the bro code. Chase and I had never actually talked about it, but given what he’d said about the other douchebags Ella had dated in the past, I knew he’d never approve of me and her. He’d never want to think about the shit I wanted and would do to his baby sister.
Chase laughed. “Shit, bro. Do you seriously have to think about it that hard?”
Jerking back into the present, I sent him a weak smile. “Nah, man. I have a pretty good idea of who it could be. I’ll have a talk with them.”
“Okay.” Chase slapped my shoulder then stood. “Let me know if it turns bad and we need to get legal or Tyler involved. Actually, it’s probably best if you loop Tyler in ASAP, so he can get in front of it. You should call him after the show. Pretty sure he’s flying in to help handle all these bullshit Shay rumors.”
“Good idea.”
“I have those occasionally.” Chase held out a hand and I let him pull me up. We slapped each other’s shoulder as I stared down Ella over her brother’s shoulder. “You ready for tonight’s shot? It’s Noah’s shout.”
I groaned. “He’s gonna make us drink Sambuca again, isn’t he?”
“You know it.”
“Dammit, I hate that shit.”
“Everyone does. It’s why he loves it.”
Groaning, I followed Chase out of our private greenroom and tried to pretend that I wasn’t feeling the weight of my guilty secret with every step.
We rocked the stage in Phoenix. Our fans were red hot, screaming their asses off. It was one of my top ten favorite shows.
Or maybe that had something to do with Ella.
I knew where she was the entire time we were on stage. The lights might’ve been blinding, but I didn’t need to see her to know exactly where she was.
“Hey, uh, Chase?” I interrupted as he started his usual banter that led into what I knew was Ella’s favorite song, ‘Nowhere to Hide.’
Chase swung around, microphone in hand. “What’s up, Jess?”
“I don’t mean to throw you off or anything, but I’m having a hard time playing with all these weird rivets on the bottom of this shirt.”
Chase smirked and swung back to face the audience. “You know what that means, right, Phoenix?”
The crowd cheered while Noah and Xander broke out in an impromptu chorus of Ginuwine’s ‘Pony.’
I cracked up and almost dropped my bass before I could hand it off to a tech. Leaning into my mic, I asked the guys, “Do you have this shit planned?”
Chase tipped his head. “We have a whole playlist planned for the rest of the tour. You just keep bringing the strip shows, bro.”
Shaking my head, I faced the spot where I could just feel Ella’s stare and ripped my shirt off. After tossing the remnants into the crowd, I accepted my bass back from the tech. “Thanks, man.”
He darted off the stage without a word.
“Better now?” Chase snarked from the other side of the stage.
I settled my instrument back into place and swore. “Dammit, it wasn’t the shirt. It’s this fucking belt.”
Chase bent over he was laughing so hard as Noah and Xander started playing Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’ again. Wiping his eyes, Chase crossed the stage to help me out as I juggled my instrument and my belt. Taking my bass, he raised his eyebrows. “At this rate, you’re gonna be naked by the time we play Tampa.”
“I have a feeling none of our fans will mind,” Xander said in the middle of his chorus.
Shoulders shaking with my laughter, I tossed my belt toward the back of the stage and not into the crowd. Given the studs and all the metal, I didn’t want it to hurt anyone.
“We good?” Chase asked. “Can we get back to playing some of our music, or are you gonna take off more?”
“Take it off!” someone screamed.
“I wanna see some dick!” a guy yelled.
Xander laughed. “You gonna give the masses what they want?”
“I think I’m good.” I swung my bass back into place. “Let’s play some music.”
“I’m starting to think you’ve got a new exhibitionist fetish or something.” Chase laughed as we walked down the back hallway after the concert, his arm around Shay.
“I wasn’t joking. The rivets on the bottom of that shirt and my belt were making my bass ride weird.”
“So many sex jokes to make. Can’t compute. Brain frying.” Chase made some crackling noises until Shay shoved his shoulder.
“Oh my gosh.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re so ridiculous.”
“What? You know sex is all I think about. Pretty sure it’s a genetics thing.” Chase shrugged like that was a totally normal thing to say to your wife.
“Genetics, huh?” Shay tipped her head. “Does that mean it’s all Ella thinks about too?”
I choked on the water I’d been chugging as we walked down the hallway to our cars.
“That’s so fucking gross!” Chase whined. “Why would you put that thought in my head?”
“It’s not wrong,” Ella pipped up from behind me.
I was still coughing, but I almost choked for a second time. Christ, that girl had ninja skills.
“Gross,” Chase whined again. “I don’t wanna hear that about my little sister. And I definitely don’t want to know what you’ve been up to on the road.”
I tried to keep my face blank and studiously avoided even looking in her direction.
And then Chase went on. “I’m just so fucking glad the guys are around to watch out for you when I can’t.” He paused next to the exit doors manned by two security guards as one of them held up a hand as he talked into his radio. “That was really the only reason I was comfortable letting you come on the road with us.”
“’Letting me?’” Ella grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her. “What happened to ‘you earned this job because you’re talented, not because of me?’”
“I meant it. Doesn’t mean I want you surrounded by all these degenerates. I know the kinda shit that goes down on the road, Ella, and I also know the kinda decisions that you make.”
Her complexion slowly turned redder. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve met a few of the guys you’ve dated. And they were literally not the kind you bring home to mom. I caught you sneaking out of the house because you didn’t want her to see them, remember? I mean, come on. And now you’re living in my pool house, for fuck’s sake. That doesn’t exactly spell responsible, does it?”
“Right.” Ella shook her head and backed away from her brother. “Nice to know what you really think of me.” Then she shoved past security and was out the door.
“Ella!” I yelled.
“Man, just let her go. She needs a minute to calm down. The truth hurts.”
“Oh my gosh, Chase. Really? You’re such an ass.” Shay glared at her husband and shoved him before going after Ella.
I would’ve been boggled at hearing Shay curse for the first time ever if I wasn’t so busy being pissed at my best friend.
“What?” Chase lifted his hands. “I’m not wrong.”
“You are. But your wife is right—you’re an ass.” I tried to exit too, but security held me back since the crowd outside had gone insane when Shay had left.
“Come on, guys. Let me through.” Chase pressed forward once he’d figured out what was going on. “That’s my wife!”
“No can do, Mr. Robinson. We need more security in place first. The few guys outside won’t be able to hold the crowd back if you go out there too. Once we get your women in a car, we’ll be able to handle the crowd.”
Chase paced agitatedly back and forth, clearly upset to be separated from his wife.
“What the fuck, Chase?” I flung my hands in the air when I really just wanted to wrap them around the asshole’s neck. “Why would you say shit like that to Ella? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.” Chase spun around and glared at me. “She’s a screwup, bro. That’s a fact.” He jabbed a finger at me.
“And you’re not?” Xander drawled behind us. “You haven’t done shit that you wish you could take back? Slept with girls you regretted? Had pictures splashed in the tabs that had your mama calling you up for an explanation?”
“Where the hell did you get your high horse from, asshole?” Noah waded in, standing next to me with his arms crossed over his chest.
“She’s my sister. I know her better than all you guys.”
“We’ve spent more time with her on this tour than you have.” Noah raised his eyebrows. “While you’ve been sexting your wife and dodging paparazzi, Ella has been busting her ass, taking pictures and videos, getting our fans all riled up to see us. Her post in Vegas got five million likes and was featured on news shows all over the country. We’ve never had those kinda numbers before. Ella did that.”
“She’s working her ass off, and you don’t even see it,” I bit out.
“You owe her a fucking apology,” Xander joined in, shaking his head like a disappointed papa.
Strained silence reigned for a moment, broken only by the yelling from the crowd outside.
I clenched my jaw to hold back the words I really wanted to say.
I wanted to lay into my friend for being an ass and treating my girl like trash, but it definitely wasn’t the time to set off that landmine. That news would no doubt undercut our argument of how responsible and trustworthy Ella was now.
Not to mention end with him and me beating the shit out of each other.
After a minute, a walkie screeched, “Clear for the band to exit.”
“You guys can go.” The security guard waved toward the door.
I jerked my chin. “Are the girls waiting in the car?”
“Lemme check.” The guard lifted his walkie. “Yeah, can I get the twenty of the girls who just exited? Mrs. Robinson and guest?”
Son of a bitch. Ella didn’t even have her own identity; she’d been relegated to ‘guest’.
The radio crackled. “The ladies are enroute to the hotel. We have another car standing by for the band.”
“Copy.”
I turned my glare onto Chase. “Nice. I hope you end up sleeping on the couch tonight.”
We pushed past a stunned Chase and headed out to gladhand the crowd.
Every minute was agony.
I just wanted to get to Ella and make sure she was all right.
She was all that mattered.