Backstage with a Billionaire Rockstar (Raising Havoc Bandmates #3)

1. Chapter One

1

Mia

When I got the call, I didn’t want to believe it, but now that I’m standing here, I know I’m not dreaming.

This is really happening.

I shake my head and take a deep breath.

I’m a professional. I’ve got this.

As soon as the front door swings open, I’m met with the same piercing green eyes that I remember vividly from nearly six years ago. He eyes me curiously before leaning lazily against the doorframe with a cocky smirk and looking me up and down with a predatory gaze.

I swallow thickly, willing the words to come out of my mouth, but it’s no use. I’m mute at the sight of him.

“It’s not my birthday, but I don’t mind the present,” he says with a wink. “What should I call you, baby?”

"Do I know you?" Evan's eyes narrowed, a flicker of recognition passing through them before disappearing.

My body vibrates underneath the lust-filled gaze he drags over my frame for the second time, and my body clenches with unwanted desire.

I swallow hard, willing my heart to stop racing.

Instead of giving him the answer that first comes to my head, that I’d love to show him a good time – which would be unprofessional – I give him a stern frown and say, “Mia. I’ve been hired as your personal bodyguard.”

A job like this doesn’t come around every day for me – I’m more of a secret protection kind of guard, one who protects people in protective custody – and I jumped at the chance to take it so I could get out of my comfort zone.

I’ve got a feeling I should’ve stayed where I was comfortable, though, judging by the way I can’t stop looking at his corded arms that are now pressed up against his toned chest. His frame has definitely filled out a lot more since the last time I saw him.

This is not where my head should be at.

I'm a professional, dammit. I've protected CEOs, and witnesses in high-profile cases. So why does this man make me feel like a fumbling rookie?

Because he's not just any man. He's Evan, the one I let myself be reckless with. He is the father of my child.

“Bodyguard… right,” he says with a knowing smirk. “You gonna protect me, beautiful?”

Why does the compliment make my heart race?

I shake my head, sending the emotions scattering away until I’m left with a blank stare aimed in his direction.

“Could I come in?” I mumble.

Evan pushes away from the way and waves me inside, that proud smirk still on his face, but it turns molten when my shoulder brushes against his chest. It feels as though I’ve been struck by lightning, a million bolts lighting me up inside, yet I manage to keep my emotions to myself. He waits until I’ve got my shoes kicked off before leading me into what seems to be a large living room space.

He walks casually into the room, then claps his best friend, Brent – lead singer of Raising Havoc – on the back with a loud whistle. “You didn’t tell me you had a present for me. My birthday isn’t for another week.”

My cheeks heat from embarrassment, and I dart my attention anywhere but at Brent.

Brent scoffs. “I’ve no clue what you’re talking about, man.”

Evan doesn’t say anything back. He just chuckles and shakes his head before patting his lap with an expectant look in my direction. “Come sit on my lap, baby.”

Is he serious?

Evan's demand gets Brent’s fiance, Julia, ’s attention, and she snaps her gaze up to meet mine.

Her eyes widen, and she looks at Evan, a smile tipping at the corners of her mouth. “Evan, who’s your friend?”

“Mia,” he rasps, the sound making my toes curl – good thing I’ve my good boots on, so no one can see the action. “She’s my bodyguard .”

His hand connects with Brent’s chest, eyebrows wagging suggestively as he praises him for a job well done, and it takes everything inside of me not to roll my eyes.

“Hi,” I say, my tone void of emotion.

Julia rises from her place on the couch, walking up to me with a bright smile and hand outstretched toward mine, and says, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Julia.”

When it comes to my line of work, you can’t get attached. I’ve got a job to do, and that doesn’t include making friends with someone who’s not my client. She frowns briefly when I don’t reciprocate the smile but shakes her head and decides the walls I built up are fine.

Evan is leaning forward at the edge of the couch, confusion spread across his perfect face, and I clear my throat. “I was supposed to talk with someone when I arrived. Carmen?”

Brent nods, then rises from his place on the couch before waving a hand toward a long hallway. “Down through there, and it’s the first door on the right. She’s been expecting you.”

At the same time, Evan’s mouth pops open in shock and he frowns. “You were serious about being my bodyguard.”

This time, I throw him a wink over my shoulder and smirk. “It’s good to be working with you, Evan.”

As I walk away, I can’t help but look back at Evan and wish that he would get a small fraction of emotion in his eyes to let me know he remembers me—it never happens. With each step I take toward the door Brent directed me to, the more clearly an image from our night together six years ago flashes into my head.

The bright neon lights flash over the crowd, casting a faint glow over their unbalanced movements in the center of the floor, and I roll my eyes at the sight. This is why I never drink and dance – I’d do nothing but make a fool of myself.

If it weren’t for my best friend, Kenzie, pulling me out of the comfort of my apartment, I wouldn’t be here at all right now.

“You look lonely,” a deep voice says beside me, his breath tickling the edge of my ear and letting me know exactly how close he’s leaning in.

I shy away from him and roll my eyes, then casually glance over at him. My plan was to tell him where to stick it, but the moment my eyes clash with his green ones every thought leaves my brain for a moment.

He watches me curiously as I quietly study his form leaning against the bar, and I finally shake from the stupor he’s seemed to put me in.

“I’m fine, thanks,” I mumble.

His gaze shines with amusement, and he flashes a bright smile in my direction before waving at the bartender in front of us. She barely spares me a glance, focusing entirely on the gorgeous stranger, and I can’t blame her.

There’s tattoos trailing beautifully down the length of his arm, he is taller than most of the men I’ve been around, and he’s got this energy that makes you want to hang onto his every word. It also doesn’t help that his dirty blonde hair is slicked back into a man bun while sporting a t-shirt and leather jacket with ripped jeans.

He’s the ultimate package.

Once he’s got the glass of whiskey neat sitting in front of him, he rolls the pad of his thumb along the rim before swallowing a large sip of it.

Some of the amber liquid drips from his mouth, skating down his chin, and I watch as it lands on his chest.

He clears his throat, forcing me to snap my gaze up to his with heated cheeks. I can’t believe he’s watched me ogle him more than once – this is not me. Instead of continuing to stare at him, I try to search the surrounding area for Kenzie in hopes that she’ll save me from making an even bigger fool of myself.

No such luck.

“So,” the stranger says, aiming a crooked grin in my direction. “You gonna tell me your name, darlin'?"

My belly dips at the nickname, but I manage to keep my features calm and collected while arching a brow at him. “Why would I do that?”

He chuckles and holds a hand out to me, his eyes boring into mine like he’s trying to figure me out – good luck with that. “I’m Evan. Now, what is a beautiful woman like yourself doing over here all alone?”

I scoff. “Does that normally work for you?”

“Not sure what you mean, darlin’.”

“As much as I’d love to continue this conversation, I’ve got a friend to go in search of,” I say quickly, not liking the way his nickname seeps through my veins and has my pussy clenching with need. “Nice to meet you, Evan.”

While I’m walking away, desperate to get away from the way he’s making my body respond, he says, “You never gave me your name!”

“Mia Summers?”

I blink away the images from my past and look at the put-together woman standing in front of me. “Yes, you must be Carmen?”

She nods a friendly smile on her face, then ushers me into the room before shutting the door softly behind me. “Forgive me if things seem a mess in here, their last manager was a disaster and I’m surprised I’ve been able to work through it at all.”

Once I got the job offer, the first thing I noted was that they had recently fired their manager, Mack, and quickly replaced him with Carmen. After everything I saw in the media about their previous manager, I couldn’t blame them for kicking him to the curb and finding someone more suitable.

A few months later it seems as though Carmen is fitting into her role seamlessly, if the looks of the room surrounding me is any indication.

“I wanted us to go over things. Do you understand why I hired you?”

“I’m Evan Knight’s personal bodyguard,” I state.

Carmen nods, then sighs heavily. “Unfortunately, there’s been a few idle threats that have come through the mail and I’m starting to worry for his safety.”

“What kind of threats?”

“Mostly ones stating that he’s being watched, that he won’t be able to go anywhere without a pair of eyes on him, and I’m worried they’re going to get worse.”

I arch a brow. “Have there been any physical threats that I should be aware of?”

She shakes her head. “Not that I’m aware, but then again, it’s hard for him to tell me everything, and that’s where you come into play. I wanted to get ahead of things, make sure he was taken care of before the threat appeared.”

“That makes sense. Do you have a copy of their schedule? I know things are busy for them, so I want to make sure I read up on it and prepare myself for the days ahead.”

“Of course,” she says brightly, her personality reminding me a lot of Kenzie’s. “Everything should be here, but if anything changes, I’ll be sure to give you an updated version.”

I grab the small stack of papers detailing their schedule for what seems like the entire month, but I note at the top of the page that it’s only for the next two weeks.

Do these guys ever get a break?

“If that’s all,” I say before eyeing the closed door. “I’d like to get my things situated in my room.”

“Yes, yes,” Carmen says, rising from the office chair that squeaks as she pushes it out of the way. “I’ll show you the way.”

She leads me down the hall, talking a mile a minute with her hands moving animatedly in front of her while I nod silently in response. Talking isn’t one of my specialties – I prefer to be the silent observer.

“This is your room. Please let me know if you need anything.” She waits for a response, which is a curt nod, then claps her hands together. “You know where to find me.”

As soon as I step into the room, my phone is the first thing I bring out, even though I’ve got suitcases resting at the center of the floor for me to put away. I find Kenzie’s name, click the FaceTime button, and then patiently wait for her to answer my call.

“Hey,” she says softly. Her blonde hair is piled high at the top of her head, and I release a breath of comfort. “Settling in, okay?”

“Perfect, as long as Mr. Grumpy doesn’t talk too much,” I mumble.

“Mommy!”

At the sound of my son Liam’s voice, a bright smile takes over my face, a far cry from my usual features when I’m on the job, and Kenzie hands him her phone with a soft chuckle. Liam’s bright green orbs appear on the screen, much closer than necessary, and I giggle.

“Pull the phone away a bit, bud,” I say with a small smile.

Once he does, there’s a grin waiting for me, showcasing a gap where his front tooth used to be, and I get a pang in my chest from the sight. These are the moments when I wish I could be home – I hate missing these small moments.

“Look,” he says excitedly while pointing to the empty space between his teeth. “It fell out!”

“That’s awesome!”

“Aunt Kenzie said the tooth fairy will bring me something extra special tonight. Isn’t that cool?”

I glance at my best friend, who’s doing her best not to look me in the eyes, then smile at my five-year-old. “So cool. I can’t wait for you to tell me what she gives you.”

Even though it’s only been less than twenty-four hours since I left him, I already miss his tiny arms wrapping around me after a tough day at work. I don’t get the luxury of heading home this time since the job I took requires twenty-four-seven surveillance – which is why I’m staying on the property as a way to be close to Evan.

“You ready to get a bath, dude?” Kenzie asks him. “It’s almost time for bed.”

Liam groans, then looks at me with his bottom lip poking out. “I miss you, mommy.”

My eyes sting with tears, and I nod. “I miss you more, bud, but I’ll be home soon enough. Hug your teddy extra tight for me. I love you.”

Before I can get too emotional and upset Liam, I quickly nod to Kenzie and hang the phone up. I toss the device next to me, throw my head back to look up at the ceiling and groan loudly.

Now that I’m alone with my thoughts, I have to think about how I’m going to keep Liam all to myself – after all, his father is the one I’m guarding, and he’s got no clue there’s a little boy with the same green eyes as him.

How the hell am I supposed to do this?