The others just snickered. I ignored them as I turned for the door. “You have an interview at nine in the morning. I’ve arranged for us to have the conference room back at the hotel. So please, have your hoes out of your rooms before I knock on your doors.” I knew that I had to give them this lecture now because after the concert I didn’t imagine I would see them again until morning. “Drake, don’t make me shower you in the morning. Get the smell of slut and booze off early.”
“Jesus, Emmie!” He called after me. “Why are you picking on me today?”
I stopped at the door and turned to glare at him. “Just do it, Drake.”
He muttered something under his breath and I felt a little bad about treating him so meanly. But he was a grown ass man and more often than not I was bathing him because he was either too drunk or too hung over to do it himself.
The concert was almost over when I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out of my back pocket and saw that it was Demon’s Wings manager. The guy loved me because I took care of all the things that he should have been taking care of. Meanwhile he was at home sleeping in his nice big bed, and I was here busting my ass for my guys. “What do you want?” I snapped as I put the phone to my ear, walking away from the stage so that I could hear him over the band.
Rich Branson chuckled, making me want to slap his handsome face. “Who peed in your cheerio’s?”
“I’m in a piss-y mood.” I inform him, not sure why I am being such a bitch this evening. But he should be used to my attitude. Hate that guy! “What do you want?”
“The usual. World domination. Billions of dollars. And a band that makes me look good…I have several of that last one.” I rolled my eyes. Demon’s Wings was the hottest band he managed. They more than made him look good. They made people think he was a genius for ‘discovering’ them. “Nik said he wanted to take the summer off. I’m just letting you know that I pushed the OtherWorld/Demon’s Wings tour back to September.”
That surprised me. Nik hadn’t mentioned anything about taking the summer off. Why wouldn’t he have told me? I shot a glare behind me, wishing I could demand some answers from Nik now. But that would have to wait. Since the summer tour was being pushed back we only had a few more weeks left of touring the Gulf Coast.
“Okay.” I told Rich. “Send me the new itinerary. I’ll make sure that everything gets taken care of.”
“I know you will. That’s why I love you so much, princess. You make my life so easy.”
I gritted my teeth. “Don’t call me princess.” I practically yelled at him and end the call. I so did not like that prick. And I loathed being called princess. The fucker knew that, but still made sure to call me that at ever available opportunity.
Nik’s voice out on stage snapped me out of my hatred for Rich and I turned my attention back to my guys. Nik’s voice was driving the female population crazy. The mixture of husk mixed with gravel and seduction was a caress to that dark place between a woman’s legs. I was nowhere near immune to it and found myself letting my desire for him show as I stood there watching the band preform.
When one of the sound techs bumped into me on accident I quickly snapped out of my desire haze and got busy. I couldn’t let anyone see how Nik affected me. I knew that he didn’t feel the same way. To him and the rest of the guys I was like their little sister. They would lay down their lives for me, just as I would for them…
And when it came to Nik I was just the little girl that he has spent the last seventeen years of his life taking care of. I was ignoring my feelings because I knew that I wasn’t what he wanted. His happiness was more important than my own.
Lips trembling I made sure not to listen to him singing anymore that night.
Chapter 3
I have never been a fan of vomit. I’ve cleaned up more than my share over the years. My mother’s mostly, in recent years it’s been the guys—Drake’s usually. But my own? I’ve only had to do that a few times in my life time.
This morning was one of those times.
I know that I’m not going to make it as soon as I turn over in bed. My stomach gives me a two second warning before I’m attempting to jump out of bed. I make it to the end of the mattress before I purge all of the meager meal I forced down the day before. The smell is worse than the sight of it.
As soon as I have a small hold on my gag reflex I rush to the toilet so that I can finish. My hair gets in my way and I get puke in it before I can push it out of my face. The smell makes me gag and I vomit until I am left dry heaving. Tears stream down my face, my brow is sweaty, and my stomach is still rolling.
I pray to every god I know of and beg for mercy. None comes. Instead I have to force myself to stand on my unsteady legs and I hold my mouth under the faucet until I have the taste of bile mostly out of my mouth. I want a shower, but first I have to clean up the mess in the bedroom before I can do that.
When I finally climb from the shower I feel somewhat better. But I’m running behind so I have to leave my hair wet and rush to pull on clothes before waking the guys.
I’m not surprised to find that Shane is still covered in girls when I open his hotel room door. The heavy smell of sex in the room makes my stomach protest, but I swallow the rising bile and drag him out from under the three girls. My hand fists in his hair and I yank until he is on his feet. “Get the fuck in the shower!” I command, not in the mood to have to deal with sluts after the morning I have already had. “I give your fucking brother a lecture about this shit, but it’s you I have to handle this morning.”
“Emmie!” He protests when I push him into the walk-in shower and turn the cold water on full blast. “Fuck!”
“Down stairs in ten minutes.” I bark at him before slamming the bathroom door behind me. The sluts on the bed are rousing and I shoot them disgusted glares. “Get your shit and get out. You have two minutes before security tosses you out, dressed or naked. I don’t give a fuck.”
Jesse is still asleep when I walk into his room. The smell of sex still lingers in the room but he is alone in his bed. I don’t even try to rouse him gently. I just fill a glass with water and dump it on his head. “I’m up. I’m up.” He gasps.
“Good.” I snap and leave him to get ready.
I’m surprised to find that Nik is already up. When I put my key card in his door it opens. He’s already dressed. His thick hair is styled and everything. Like always the sight of him makes me ache in places that I shouldn’t be aching. He gives me a concerned frown. “Emmie? Feeling okay, baby girl?”