25. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Vegas: Three weeks later. . .
Everywhere you looked along the Vegas strip there was billboard after billboard announcing Bronx’s return to performing again with Black Ice, although no exact date was given in the promotional advertisements.
It was more of a coming soon kind of promo to get people jacked up about it.
Bronx watched the signs pass them from the darkened back seat of a long, sleek limousine with tinted windows.
It had him smiling about his performance tomorrow night but his first order of business was a long list of interviews, mostly with his band, but there were a few others that requested a one-on-one sit down with Bronx.
He was justifiably nervous about this performance but he sure as hell had put in the time to practice their music.
He even took private lessons with the infamous Gilby French.
All the guitar greats worked with Gilby at one time or another in their careers and Gilby usually had a long list of clients waiting to work with him.
But Gilby made an exception for Bronx because of their long-standing friendship.
Gilby pushed his schedule aside and gave Bronx a “boot camp” version of lessons condensed into six very long days.
But Bronx was ready— more than ready—to stand beside his band brothers on stage again.
There was only one person missing.
Tony.
Until he arrived Bronx wasn’t ready to celebrate what this event meant.
The magnitude of his return to Black Ice was enormous and everyone connected to the band knew it.
They’d been collectively holding their breaths waiting for this day to arrive and now everyone was filled with a sense of relief and nervous energy.
Especially Bronx. But if it hadn’t been for Tony’s constant encouragement and strength to lift Bronx up when he needed it, this day might not have happened.
But here they were, exactly where they hoped to be after weeks and weeks of recovery and regaining his musical skills.
Bronx knew he had Tony to thank for this second encore of his career and he wouldn’t make light of it.
As soon as Tony arrived the real celebration would begin.
Tony had flown to Vegas with the majority of the security team two days prior to Bronx’s arrival with the band.
They planned on meeting up later at Bronx’s hotel suite at the MGM Grand Hotel and from then on, Bronx expected to be connected at the hip with him.
They’d received final clearance to be together from management and all the bosses down to the guys in the band.
Dagger was the final person to offer his approval but Bronx knew once Dagger agreed to something, he was all in.
“You nervous?” Dagger asked from his seat beside Bronx in the back of the limousine.
Bronx pulled his attention away from the people walking along the Vegas strip to focus on Dagger. “A little bit but I’m also confident I’m ready for this,” he admitted.
“We should do a toast,” Dante suggested and began to reach for a bottle of something chilling in an ice bucket at their feet.
“We will,” Dagger said, “right before we take the stage.”
“Sounds good.” Dante slid back into his seat and set his hand on top of Ashton’s thigh.
“I know I’ve already said this, but I seriously couldn’t have done this without your help,” Bronx said. “You all stepped up and pulled me through some dark days. I want to thank you for that and also say how excited I am to be here with you again.”
“I think Tony played the biggest role in getting you to this point,” Ashton said.
“Possibly, but knowing I had your support and a band to come back to gave me a goal to fight for,” Bronx said.
The limousine pulled up to a back entrance at the MGM Grand Hotel and the guys piled out of the car.
A team of security were there to escort them inside and up to their suites where they would freshen up and have something to eat before they were required to “press the flesh” with the media.
A room attached to Dagger’s suite would serve the purpose of offering a comfortable space to hold the interviews.
Once they’d had time to eat something, the guys made their way into the media room.
The first few interviews went smoothly, but Jesus, Bronx wished reporters would get more creative with their damn questions. None of them bothered to venture out of the box. It was like they were all following a script, for fuck’s sake.
The last sit-down proved to be the most annoying.
The female interviewer was gorgeous and flirty as hell.
But anyone flirting with him these days was wasting their time because his whole heart belonged to Tony.
Besides, why would he settle for hamburger when he had the finest cut of tenderloin already occupying his bed?
Bronx had absolutely no reason—or desire to stray.
The eager interviewer pointed her painted red nails at the couch in the media room and asked him to have a seat. Even that irked Bronx to no end. This wasn’t her room and he certainly didn’t need this interviewer’s permission to take a seat.
She explained this would be a print interview, which meant no cameras shoved in his face or bright lights to burn his retinas.
It would be simple she said. How many goddamned times had he heard that phrase in regard to an interview?
But this wasn’t Bronx’s first rodeo. He knew firsthand that nothing was simple in this line of work.
The interview began with small talk—how original—before moving on to the more difficult questions.
“Who’s the current man—or woman in your life, Bronx?
” she asked in a hopeful tone. Bronx knew the question would eventually land in his lap and he was ready for it.
He’d talked at length with Tony about this and they’d agreed they there wouldn’t be a formal announcement about their relationship.
What they had in mind instead was a softer approach and just have people see them together and let them make their own conclusions.
“I don’t have a lot of time for that these days,” he answered noncommittally.
“How is that possible?” she asked. “A sexy man like you, I find it hard to believe you’d be spending your nights alone.”
“My bed is my bed,” Bronx said a little sternly, “and who I share it with is my business.”
“Yes, and I’m sorry for the invasive questions but your fans want to know,” she pleaded with a fake smile. “They voted for the questions they wanted me to ask. So, tell us. Who is the man behind Bronx Alauson?”
Christ, he wanted to stand up and walk out the door. “How about we discuss my miraculous recovery from a rather risky brain surgery?” Bronx suggested.
“Oh, yes, and we will, but first I have to say how impressive it is that you’re maintaining the privacy of your boyfriend’s identity. It is a man you’re with, correct?”
“Are you for real?” Bronx asked. “Look, I agreed to sit with you and talk about my recovery, Black Ice’s music, and performing with my band again after months and months of recovery.
But so far, you haven’t asked me any questions about those approved topics.
I’m sure you read the list of acceptable topics to discuss with me and I’m certain you noticed the one subject I would be unwilling to discuss written in big bold lettering on that page.
Yet, that’s the exact direction you keep steering our interview.
In light of that, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.
It’s been a long afternoon and I need to rest before the events happening tonight. ”
“Please, Bronx,” she pleaded again. “Just give me another chance. I only have a few more questions for you and we’ll be done.”
“Are the questions personal in nature?” Bronx asked.
“Well, one is…”
“Then we’re done here,” Bronx said flatly “You have all the information you’re going to get from me.
” Bronx stood abruptly and extended his hand to the woman.
They shook hands and then the woman collected her things from the coffee table and grumbled incoherently on her way out of the suite.
Bronx breathed a sigh of relief once the door shut behind the reporter and stepped over to the wall of windows that looked directly down at the Vegas strip.
He was in deep thought as he gazed out at the panoramic view when his starched-collared publicist, Harrison, appeared beside him a moment later.
Bronx hadn’t even noticed Harrison entering the suite.
As usual, Harrison was dressed like he’d just finished a modeling assignment for a major fashion magazine.
The man turned the heads of countless men and women.
Bronx wouldn’t deny that fact but it still didn’t change the fact he wasn’t interested in Harrison or anyone else.
“You beat me to it,” Harrison said to Bronx. “One more second and I was stopping the interview myself.”
“Where were you while that was going on?” Bronx asked.
“Hiding in the kitchen but I heard every word you two exchanged,” Harrison admitted. “She was out of line and you handled it perfectly.”
“She was pushing her luck five minutes into that shit-show of an interview,” Bronx said. “Make sure she’s added to the list of interviewers we won’t be using again.”
“I already did,” Harrison said and grinned. “She signed off on agreeing to your terms and she continued to invade your personal life with the off-limit questions one too many times.”
“Fucking right she did,” Bronx said. “Yet somehow I managed to keep it professional without completely losing my shit with her. I think I’m maturing a little more every day.” Sarcasm dripped off every word in his last phrase.
Both of them laughed at Bronx’s joke before Harrison spoke again.
“It must be serious for you to not give away any relationship secrets,” he said.
“What d’you mean?” Bronx asked.
“With your guy,” Harris clarified.
“What I have going on in my private life is something I’m going to keep private for as long as I can before the jackals come barging in to exploit it,” Bronx said with a nonchalance he didn’t feel.
“Coming from a guy who said he’d never get serious with anyone, this sure sounds serious to me,” Harrison mocked.
“Let’s just say, I’ve never been happier and we’ll leave it at that,” Bronx said with a grin. “Now, if there aren’t any more reporters waiting then I’m going to soak in the enormous tub I have in the bathroom of my suite before I have to meet everyone for dinner.”
“I’ll let the crew know not to bother you,” Harrison said.
“Unless it’s my private security guard,” Bronx added. “Other than him, I don’t want to see anyone else.”
Bronx left the room and already had his phone in his palm.
He hit the speed dial to connect with Tony just as he rounded the corner into the enormous bathroom connected to his palatial bedroom.
It really was one of the nicest and most opulent suites he’d ever spent time in and he couldn’t wait to get Tony here to share it with him.
“Hey, babe,” Bronx greeted once Tony answered his phone. “I’m about to get naked and into the bathtub. Care to join?”
“You already know the answer to that burning question,” Tony replied.
“I take it you’re still working?”
“I have one final meeting with hotel security before we break for dinner,” Tony answered. “After that, I’m all yours.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Me, too,” Tony agreed. “Have you finished today’s interviews?”
“Just kicked the last one out—and I do mean kicked, metaphorically speaking,” Bronx said. “She had it coming. Only a few minutes into our chat, she went right in for the kill by asking if I had a man in my life.”
“Holy shit, what did you tell her?” Tony asked.
“I didn’t admit or deny anything,” Bronx said. “I just kept trying to redirect our conversation but she continued to pick at the one topic she knew I wouldn’t discuss, and that’s my private life.”
“I wouldn’t be upset if you accidentally revealed something,” Tony admitted.
“That won’t happen,” Bronx said with conviction. “We agreed to keep what we have private and I intend to uphold my end of that. No outsiders allowed—until they figure it out on their own.”
“I just walked into the conference room where Fizzbo is having the meeting,” Tony explained. “Will I see you later on tonight?”
“Your things are already unpacked in my MGM home away from home, so that is definitely the plan,” Bronx said. “I’ll have dinner with the guys and then I’m off the clock. I’ll use the excuse that I need to rest and come back to our suite—where I’m hoping to find you sprawled naked across the bed.”
“Mmm, I want that, too, babe,” Tony said. “Are you nervous about tomorrow night?”
“A little bit,” Bronx replied. “I’ll probably be a complete head case once I get into the green room backstage, but at least you’ll be with me..”
“I don’t plan to leave your side all day tomorrow,” Bronx confirmed. “Especially before and after your performance,” Tony confirmed.
“I love the sound of that, and I have to say, it’s a relief knowing you’ll be close by,” Bronx said.
“We may be flying under the radar with this relationship but I’ll always have your back,” Tony remarked. “That’s a promise.”
“I love you, Cavatelli.”
“Love you, too, Allison,” Tony answered. “Enjoy your bath and make sure you wash all your naughty parts extra good because I’ll be feasting on you later.”