Chapter 1
Alice
Haven Arena
Oasis Resort Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
18 months later
This was the part of my job I loved, standing in the wings listening to the guys kill it on stage. My fingers twitched as I unconsciously followed the drum crescendo. But my eyes were trained on Noah Hawker. The man might be a pain in my ass, but he could wail on those skins like no one else.
It was hypnotizing.
And it didn’t hurt that he was ridiculously hot while doing it.
His dirty blond hair was streaked with sweat, so he looked like a brunette. An illusion that was highlighted by the overlong brown stubble dusting his chin and cheeks. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed and ran a few miles—all tousled and sweaty. Drool worthy. He’d taken his shirt off a few songs back and sweat beaded deliciously down his rock-hard torso.
A part of me longed to trace the huge, sweaty rocker letters spanning his ab ridge.
But then I remembered Noah Hawker was an ass, and the urge passed.
Mostly.
“All right!” Chase crowed as the last strains of their encore faded away and jerked me back into the present. “Unless anyone else wants to go over something, I think we’re good.” When no one spoke up, he grinned. “Rehearsal with pyrotechnics next week. See you all at church.”
‘Church?’ My bestie, Lark, a backup singer for the Gods mouthed to me with an eyeroll.
I shrugged. I kinda thought it was cute. The Tin Gods were known for making a bunch of godlike references—ending their show with thanks for worshipping with them and calling practice church. It was their trademark.
Xander and Noah stood at the front of the stage, talking about something. Ignoring all the eye candy on display, I started tearing down Noah’s drums. I wanted, ached , to slide onto his stool and wail away. But these weren’t my drums. I was just a glorified roadie, hired to set up and tear down equipment, to anticipate Noah’s musical needs on stage, and to do general grunt work.
“Such a long way from Juilliard…” The thought leaked from my mouth. Honestly, I hadn’t thought about that part of my life in so long, and I don’t know what made me think of it now.
So many could’ve beens, considering I was only twenty-three…
“What?” Noah asked in a clearly irritated huff. “Are we boring her majesty with our plebeian music?”
I spun around, still in my crouch, and found Noah, Xander, and Lark standing there. Xander’s and Lark’s eyes were wide. Noah had a pissed off snarl he seemed to save for me. He dabbed at his sweaty face with a towel draped over his shoulders.
“What?” I blinked up in feigned confusion. Seriously, it should be illegal for this man to be shirtless. Or he should at least come with a warning label.
“ Plebeian? ” Xander repeated with a snort. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Noah Hawker?”
Noah turned his snarl on his friend. “I know words.”
“Not as long as I’ve known you.” Xander laughed.
Noah huffed, but all the starch went out of his shoulders as he laughed with Xander. “Feels like you’re calling me stupid.”
Xander put his arm around him as they walked away. “Do you need me to talk slower?”
A muffled thump echoed through the arena followed by shouted laughter as the guys chased each other into the wings then backstage.
Once they were clear of the stage, Lark shoved my shoulder. “Seriously?”
I fell back onto my butt with a laugh. “What? I forgot I wasn’t alone. Or at least that other people can both see and hear me.” I gestured to my all-black outfit. “Us cat burglars are used to being invisible.”
“You’re ridiculous. And since when did you go to Juilliard? I didn’t know that.”
I straightened and turned back to Noah’s drumkit. I couldn’t leave his equipment out unattended, and the sooner I tore it down, the sooner Lark and I could find Bailey, and we could have our own rehearsal. Not that we were rehearsing for anything in particular. “It was a lifetime ago. And I didn’t actually go. I just got admitted.”
“To Juilliard? Seriously? That’s amazing.” The awe was clear in Lark’s voice. “It’s a big deal to even get in. Why didn’t you go?”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about. Hell, I don’t even like thinking about that time in my life. Just drop it. Please? I’m sorry I even mentioned it.”
“Fine.” Lark huffed. “But I’m not forgetting. I’m going to crack that impenetrable shell one of these days. You’ll see. Everyone loves cuddling up to Lark and spilling all their long-held secrets.”
I turned to show her my unimpressed expression. “I don’t know what’s more disturbing—you referring to yourself in the third person or that deranged smile. You look like you want to literally crack my head open.”
She wrinkled her nose at me and couldn’t have looked cuter if she tried. “You’re so full of shit.”
“Okay, fine.” I turned back to the drumkit. “I don’t hate the third person thing.”
Lark shoved my shoulder again before she enveloped me in a hug. A minute later, she stomped away, shouting over her shoulder, “Practice at three. Don’t be late!”
The arena echoed with the sound of her heels clicking on the stage as she walked away, and then the rare sound of pure, sweet silence thrummed in the huge space.
I sat back for a second and tipped my face up to the rafters, closed my eyes, and absorbed the sensation for a moment. As much as I loved listening to the guys, this was my favorite time of day—when it was just me and the drums. I could close my eyes, soak in the moment, and just be.
It was impossible not to be hit by the amazingness of being in this vast arena all by myself and dream for a moment.
Once, another lifetime ago, it was supposed to be me on this stage, holding a guitar and playing my heart out. Hearing the crowd sing my words back at me. Getting high on adrenaline and their adulation. I felt a twinge in my heart at the thought.
So many could’ve beens…
“You know that kit’s not going to put itself away,” Noah drawled from somewhere behind me.
I jumped but didn’t reply. Maybe if I turtled, he’d just go away all on his own.
“I know you heard me, since there’s literally no other sound but my own voice. What the fuck? Now you’re ignoring me too?”
My shoulders drooped as I slumped forward. After a second, I opened my eyes and glared at the asshole who was currently standing in front of me. “Did you need something?”
“Yeah. Some common decency and respect would be nice to start with.”
I raised my eyebrows back at him, unimpressed. “I’m sorry if I offended you. What can I do to make your life easier?”
My words might’ve been cloyingly sweet, but my eyes said ‘ asshole, I don’t have time for your bullshit .’ After over a year of taking Noah’s verbal abuse, I was mostly hardened to his whole wronged victim act.
We both knew what was up.
“Seriously? You do remember that you fucking work for me, right? I pay your goddamn salary, so how about you put some fucking respect behind your words?”
Having him lord over me about money had me seeing red. Such a bullshit, small-balled response. No way was I going to be on my knees in front of this asshole. I stood and faced him. “Black Hat Productions pays my salary. Which makes Harper Grey my boss. Not. You .”
“Fuck.” The word was bit out and he ran a hand through his hair in agitation while I stood there with my hands clenched into fists. I didn’t think he’d swing on me—Noah was more laid back since he’d gotten sober, well with everyone except me—but I couldn’t be too sure. I’d been caught out by assholes before, so I never turned my back on anyone anymore. “You’re so fucking frustrating. Just do your goddamned job!”
I cocked my head. “I was trying to, but someone came in and had to make it all about him. Again.”
“I came in here, and you were literally sitting on your ass, doing nothing.”
“Again, you’re not my boss, but if you have a complaint about how I’m actually doing my job, feel free to take it up with Harper. Pretty sure she has office hours right now. So…” I made a shooing motion with my hands.
“Yeah, no. Pretty sure narc-ing is your deal.”
“Seriously?” I laughed incredulously. “What was I supposed to do? I found a huge cache of drugs. I sure as hell wasn’t taking the fall for that—not with Harper and definitely not with Customs. You’re such an asshole.”
“I guess that makes us even because you’re such a bitch.”
I rolled my eyes at his playground level comeback. Figured. Once an ass, always an ass. “Unless there’s something else your highness requires, I’m going to get back to work. Mostly so I can get the hell out of here and away from you.”
“The feeling is totally mutual, sweetheart.”
When he didn’t say anything else, I huffed my disgust and got back to work, sitting on his stool so I could tear down his drumkit.
Clearly irritated that I hadn’t bowed down in his all-mighty presence, he barked, “ Move! ”
I flinched and jumped off the stool, scuttling a few steps back and away from him.
With a glare, he swept up his forgotten t-shirt then pulled it on over his head before stomping off the way he’d come.
I placed a hand over my racing heart. For all my earlier bluster, nothing triggered me more than a shouting man.
I turned back to my job. The sooner I finished, the sooner I could be with my girls.