Chapter 24
The ride home was filled with silence and contemplation. After we finished dealing with those maggots in the back alley, we found Eden in the bar, and I came close to socking one at Frank for telling her about my past with the bar. I’m not embarrassed that I used to find my escape from everything by playing there, but there’s a part of me I’m not ready to release to her.
Although she found my secret life intriguing, she was also eager to find out what we discovered about the geezer with the printed shirt. There wasn’t much to go on with what he told us. He mentioned acquiring the garment from a free giveaway at Union Station, where someone was distributing them in a first-come-first-serve manner, eager to dispose of the merchandise. We put enough pressure on the two knobs to accept that whatever they had to admit was probably true.
They have no connection to Eden”s stalker; it was purely coincidental that one of them received a free T-shirt with that particular design. They just happened to be in the bar when we played, and upon recognizing us, they saw an opportunity to approach Eden alone, hoping to corner her in the dark alley for a forced quickie or assault her with their minging knobs.
That last scenario unleashed something very dark and sinister with us four lads. We might be artists, musicians, or whatever creative introverts the public might see us as, but we’re men haunted by the shadows of a tumultuous past concerning Eden. We’re driven by an intoxicating cocktail of possessiveness and devotion towards her.
If they thought Storm’s bite was vicious, they were about to meet our wrath.
We felt the embers of anger ignite within us like a sinister flame when we saw the fear in Eden’s eyes and the relief on her face as we surrounded her.
Seeing her so vulnerable, the adrenaline surged through my veins, and a hot wave of rage consumed me. A primal fury coursed through me, an instinctive response to the threat that had dared to intrude upon someone I care for.
Her.
They dared to become a threat to her.
She might not be mine like she is to the other three, but that doesn’t mean the intense anger isn’t justified. It is this potent emotion that I harness, transforming it into a fierce, protective instinct.
Once Eden was inside the building, the lethal fury I held inside me unfolded, and my fists made their way to the two men. While Jagger and Haze skillfully extracted information through questioning, Asher and I ensured the mingers didn’t escape.
After our questions were laid to rest, the twats had nothing of value to us, so we unapologetically unveiled the harsh consequences reserved for maggots who dare threaten women. We weren’t merciful about it either.
As soon as we finished our mission, I made sure to get rid of the footage the bar’s security camera had recorded in that back alley. We were careful not to leave behind any evidence.
“I”ll fetch the first aid kit,” Eden mumbles and disappears inside the house. I watch her walk up the winding staircase before joining the lads in the kitchen.
“She’s putting on a brave front,” Asher remarks as I take a stool and join them at the kitchen island.
“She doesn’t want us to worry,” I add. “I think there’s a lot more she’s not telling us.”
Haze gives me an irritating eye-roll that borders on my last nerve.
“Eden’s just freaked out. Don’t overdramatize it bruv.”
“The three of you are thinking with your dicks,” I retort, knowing full well they currently suffer clouded minds. “As the outsider who isn’t currently shagging her, I’m seeing her without the rose-tinted glasses. She’s not telling us everything because she knows you’ll all wrap her up in wool. She hates the idea of having the bodyguard around her whenever she’s outside the house, but she does it because you insist. But I also think she’s afraid.”
“Afraid of what? She lived in the desert on her own for a decade.”
Jagger has a point. It takes a fearless but absolute nutter to spend ten years living where she does alone, albeit with some freakish old lady as company.
“As if your knob isn’t wrapped around Eden’s finger,” Haze retaliates with a touch of sarcasm that I don’t appreciate. “Have you heard yourself talking lately?”
“Self-control. Something you fellas haven’t got.”
“Regardless,” Jagger interjects between me and Haze. “We should get the police involved.”
“If we do, then don’t expect them to do much at this stage. The evidence is small, we have no suspects, and I doubt they’ll go to the lengths we did earlier to get info. Police here do everything by the books, which isn’t a bad thing, but if this piece of shit is giving away hundreds of shirts with symbols of Eden’s body tats to people here, they are attempting to intimidate her. Either make her go bonkers or give up music and go back to the desert.”
“Why would they want her out of Los Angeles? She said for almost a decade she was never bothered. Why does her presence here threaten the stalker?”
“Competition?”
“From who? The Vixens? Other than Brittney, they retired from stardom. And Brit’s moved away from music entirely. It’s not like Eden had any friends outside them and us.”
“Tone Wars? Maybe one of the contestants became bitter that she was selected over them.”
“So someone who had ten years to try and make a name for themselves failed and still wants her out of this city? Nah, doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe she saw something she shouldn’t have,” I suggest. “Back then, we were introduced to a lot of people. Important people. We were teenagers and didn’t even see how these people were relevant, but we do know that today, these are the echelons of a society that are untouchable. Maybe she didn’t realize she witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to.”
“Like what?”
I shrug my shoulder, “Dunno.”
“Nah. That’s too much of a conspiracy theory. I agree that it doesn’t make sense, but maybe we should consider her relocating back to the desert for her safety.”
“Send her packing?” Asher stares aghast at Haze. “Are you mad?”
“No, you knob. We all go with her.”
“That’s a five-hour drive from here,” Jagger deliberates out loud. “We need recording studio equipment. As nice as it is, her home is too small for six people.”
“Six?”
“I’m assuming if she goes back, Catalina will, too.”
“Why is that woman still around?” Haze asks. “I thought Eden hired her because she was a minor at the time.”
“She morphed into her housekeeper or something.”
“Are we really talking about moving in with Eden?” Panic begins to fill me fast.
“I’m serious about her,” Haze confirms. “I’d move it with her.”
“I never realized you were that far with her,” I admire my brother for rushing into this like a rabid bat. I don’t think he’s actually thinking with any kind of logic in his head.
“Life is too short to ponder it. I’m already talking with Liam about the business and the future of me spending less time in England.”
“Does Eden know?” I ask because I used to think I was the impulsive brother. Seems like the roles have now reversed.
“She knows how I feel about her.”
He’s going to send her running for the sand dunes.
“Does she know you’re rearranging your whole life because of her?”
“It”s not because of her.”
Bullshite.
“Yes, it is,” I stare at him as if he’s lost his marbles. And they said I was the lunatic brother. “She deserves to know, you’re already making permanent changes to be with her.”
The momentary silence is cut short by Jagger’s mobile ringing, and as soon as he sees the caller, he gets up to answer it and walks out of the room.
“So, this isn’t much of a first aid kit,” Eden remarks upon entering the room. I observe my brother”s eyes light up, not in the conventional sense of seeing a bright light but in the manifestation of a blazing, dark possession that is only reserved for her.
If he had that kind of look for her ten years ago, I don’t remember, but it’s strange seeing him this way. Before we arrived in America, he was the most outspoken against her. I wonder if he told her about Jessie and how he almost married someone. Eden wasn’t the only big love in my brother’s life, but I wonder if he looked at his fiance the same way. This is the first time in years since I had any relationship with him, but if he wants to dive headfirst into this relationship without caution, that’s his prerogative.
Better him than me.
I watch Eden bring a large bowl of water to the kitchen island where we sit. She lays out the soap, some cotton buds, and ointment cream on the counter in front of her.
We’ve been in fights before and never really tended to our raw knuckles, but I don’t think anyone plans on stopping Eden from wanting to play Florence Nightingale with us. Actually, I like the attention she’s giving me as she holds my hand in hers and dabs the dampened cotton against my swollen hand. I observe her as she’s utterly focused, silently biting on her inner cheek as if she”s restraining herself from uttering something significant.
“Got something on your mind, siren?” I inquire.
She flickers her deep green eyes at me.
“I’m thinking about how it’s not the first time I”ve come across my symbols. The first week I moved here, while walking Storm, I stumbled upon it spray-painted on a neighbor”s fence. I had an unsettling feeling of being followed and narrowly escaped being hit by a speeding car. It”s not there anymore, so I assume the property owner noticed and had the fence repainted.”
I was right about more things going on and cast a sidelong glance at Haze, who remains silent but exchanges knowing glances with Asher.
He leans towards us. “Why didn”t you mention this earlier, princess?”
“For many reasons, none of which I want to elaborate on. But I think now with Oliver Jones admitting he was responsible for the video and leaking it, things will be a lot different between all of us. Maybe we can learn to trust each other again since that weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Not trusting you is my biggest remorse. I don’t want that between us anymore.”
She lightly squeezes my hand as she says it as if to emphasize the meaning of her words.
Haze reaches out and pulls her to him. She stands up from the stool, and the height difference between them is dramatic. Eden isn’t a tiny or petite woman, but my brother’s height and athletic build dwarfs her. Actually, we all do with Eden, especially when we’re in a group, it becomes even more noticeable, which is why I’ll never understand how the media and public targeted her in the video scandal and tarnished her image instead of the four giants.
I watch my brother take the cotton wool from her hand, settling it on the counter, sliding his hand up her arm, dipping behind the nape of her neck, and drawing her closer as his mouth claims hers in a slow, intimate kiss.
I look away, reminding myself that longing for her will only lead to a more fucked up mind than I already possess.
Reaching out, I rip the plaster off Eden had just put on my broken skin. The air in the room feels heavy, and a sense of unease settles over me as I sit alone at my end of the island. The faint sounds of groans coming from these two lovers only intensifies the overwhelming silence within my mind.
Jagger’s heavy boot stomping echos through as he returns, providing an unexpected but welcome relief as it interrupts the two lovers who pull away from each other. I watch his eyes immediately lock onto Eden, mirroring the possessive intensity I observed in my brother earlier—only now, it adorns the face of my best friend.
I need to get the fuck out of here. The prospect of cohabiting with my ex-girlfriend becomes increasingly daunting as my three mates strive for her attention with an unsettling fervor like she’s a dog in heat.
“That was Quantum Records,” he announces, his gaze pulling away from Eden as he addresses all of us. “They’re interested in signing us on.”
“Who?” I ask.
“They saw the figures,” Haze says, relaxed as a button as if he understands what this is about. I haven’t got a clue what he or Jagger are going on about. I glance at Ash and Eden, who are as baffled as I am.
Haze and Jagger continue waffling on as if we’re supposed to read their bloody minds.
“No idea what you’re on about,” Asher beats me to it.
“They’re an indie record label,” Jagger clarifies, but I still can’t connect the dots.
“We live-streamed the performance earlier this evening,” Haze explains, and now I understand what he meant by numbers. “I also posted that we were looking for a new manager and wanted to go down the indie route. We had over a hundred thousand downloads by the third set we played and a ton of DMs asking to manage us. I asked Sierra to rummage through all the messages we were sent to pull out the legit ones.”
“Quantum is small compared to EchoSphere, but they’re one of the best within the indie playing field and artist-friendly.” Jagger takes over. “We want to retain our own creativity, and going indie would be the best route to venture into. They like our sound and are impressed with the numbers we achieved with just the one gig we gave out of the blue. They are offering us a seventy-forty royalty and a five-year contract deal. They want to sign us on as fast as possible.”
“In that case, I think we can get a fifty-fifty deal with a three-year contract,” Haze retorts.
“Hold on,” I interrupt and look at Asher and Eden, “Did you two know about this?”
They both shake their head.
“Why are you two operating on your own?”
“It was a spur-of-the-moment idea,” Haze explains. “I mentioned it to Jagger just minutes before we were set to take the stage. It wasn’t the right moment, and I didn’t want to make Eden nervous. Out of all of us, she suffered the worst with online bullying and mobbing. If this idea went south, she wouldn’t need to know.”
“Hmph!” Eden huffs a sigh of frustration, which catches our attention. A sly grin works up my face, knowing she’s about to tear him apart.
“I’m a big girl, you know. I can take a punch as good as I can give one.”
“No one would dare lay a hand on you,” my brother mutters, his face contorting into a deathly volatile expression that would send a shiver down a perpetrator”s spine.
“Hmm,” she purrs.” “I find that sexy and disturbing. But getting back to the case at hand. I can take care of myself. And I can’t be affected by online bullying if I’ve disassociated myself from social media.”
“She has a point.” There’s an intense, heated gaze Asher holds as he smiles at Eden. “For the record, you punching Oliver earlier today was flipping hot.” The subtle curl of his lips silently hints at the longing he craves and his attraction for her.
How much longer can I endure this? Eden is like a cat in heat, aware of her effect on the toms, reveling in the power of her natural charm, and the males surround her with an instinctual desire to respond to the call of nature. My mind feels like it”s on the verge of self-combustion.
“We need a group vote,” I throw in fast before these three blokes unleash their heated desires on Eden.
“Well, I want to talk it over with all of you. As the leader of this band, I can act as our manager throughout the negotiations if we decide to go with Quantum or whichever label we sign with, but we’ll eventually need to hire someone.”
“And we’ll need to decide on the label as we need the capital to produce this single, let alone an entire album,” Haze adds.
“Also, there’s the other thing we need to talk about,” Jagger says as our attention focuses on Eden, knowing this is about her. “Living arrangements.”
Fuck. No.
I can’t do this.
“We were thinking about Terra Sands,” my brother blurts out.
“My home?” Eden looks at Haze, perplexed. “Why?”
“We think you should move back,” I say, wishing she would just hop in her truck and drive back to her desert.
“And move in with you,” Haze adds.
A heavy lump is lodged inside my chest as I sigh with frustration because I never agreed to this. The three of them are in this obvious relationship, and I’m the odd one out.
Living in Haze’s home with Eden is one thing. Moving into hers is something entirely different from where I intended to go when I agreed to this music venture.
“All of you?” Her voice seems a notch higher, probably because she’s surprised by this sudden suggestion.
We never talked about living together back when we all happily dated her, so this feels like a significant escalation in such a short span. I wouldn”t be surprised if she isn”t ready to open her private sanctuary to us. It seems these daft mugs haven”t even considered the possibility that she moved there to get away from us.
Rather than open my gob and explain how inconsiderate they’re being towards Eden, I remain silent because I’m out-ruled by the other three.
Plus, I’m hoping she puts them in place because Eden doesn’t put up with their bullshite.
“There isn’t room for all of us,” I add, even though I aim to be quiet and let the lads fall gracefully flat on their faces, I’m also hoping to discourage everyone. “We need a professional recording studio. Even the one Haze has here hasn’t got the most up-to-date equipment we need for production.”
“We can set up a schedule for when we need to record. We don’t need to be in LA to write,” Haze says, and the wanker’s in this completely. “Have you ever thought about extending the building? It’s not like you have a lack of land.”
”What?” there’s a mixture of shock and curiosity in her voice. I think she’s still attempting to absorb their first suggestion of moving in with her. Expanding her property has just added to her bewilderment, and I can see the wheels turning in her mind as she contemplates the implications of turning her sanctuary into some kind of love nest with a group she may have only just begun to rekindle her relationship with.
I cross my arms, lean into the counter, and watch this unfold with amusement. Every ounce of me knows Eden will rebuke all their suggestions, and it”s both satisfying and entertaining to witness the impending crash of my brother and my two best friends.
“Princess, you have a nice place, but you built it with just yourself in mind,” Haze is so blind in love that he’s about to ricochet himself head-on to impending doom with Eden. “The other thing is whether you need to keep Catalina.”
To describe this exact moment is like a cannon blast. The instant before the deafening explosion, there”s an ominous stillness, as if the world is holding its breath. Then, with a thunderous eruption, Eden stands up, scrapping the stool against the floor, and stares at him as if she wants to punch him.
My brother’s coming in a little too heavy, and I don’t think Eden was expecting such a reaction from Haze. The intense anxiety lingers in the air as she takes everything in, and I’m pretty sure she’s going to shut him down.
“You’re just inviting yourself to live in my home?” her eyes widen in surprise.
The question hangs in the air, and for a moment, the room seems to hold its breath. Watching this unfold, I idly play with the metal ring between my teeth and tongue. With each passing second, waiting with curious anticipation for one of them to reply.
All three men must realize by now they fucked up.
”Yeah,” Haze continues to dig deeper into his grave. He stands up and takes a step closer to her. ”We spend so much time together already, and I love being with you. It just makes sense, right?”
Eden blinks, processing the unexpected proposal. Her initial surprise gives way to a mix of emotions—flattered, yet slightly caught off guard.
”I... I didn”t see this coming,” she admits.
Nor did I, if we’re being truthful here.
“This is a big step, and you’re talking about renovating my home. Catalina’s been with me for almost fifteen years. I can’t just fire her.”
“She like seventy, right? She could start her retirement,” Jagger argues, and I’m surprised he agrees with this despite her obvious initial reaction to the suggestion.
Are they fucking blind? It’s clear she doesn’t want her life disrupted back in the desert.
“Sixty-three.” She corrects, and there is no missing the bitter tone in her voice.
Eden makes sure she steps away from Haze and nervously brushes her hand over her temple, considering his words.
“What’s wrong with this place?” she flickers her eyes directly at him.
“It’s LA. The stalker never bothered you in the desert.”
She purses her lips together.
“So this is what it’s about.” And the disappointment is etched all over her face.
Now, she thinks this isn’t about taking their relationship to the next level but just a temporary fix for the band.
Bloody knobheads. This is way too cringeworthy to watch.
Haze nods, his eyes reflecting a mix of eagerness and uncertainty. ”I know it’s strange to already talk about moving in together, but I feel like we”re ready for it. What do you think?”
Eden considers his words. The unexpected nature of the request leaves her grappling with the sudden change in their dynamic.
”I appreciate the worry,” she finally replies, “but no. I’m not getting rid of Catalina. And while I’m still getting used to the idea of you and me together, I don’t want to make permanent plans unless we know exactly where it’s going.”
Haze goes to open his mouth but she shuts him down by raising her hand in the air.
“Last time, we fucked up big. This time, I want to do things right. Maybe you haven’t thought about it, but the media will start to ask about the nature of our relationship, and when we start touring again, people will notice you are not dating or sleeping around, and they will make assumptions. What we are doing feels normal to us, but the public will crucify us. And while I don’t give a fuck what the public thinks of my personal life, they will say things specifically aimed at me and will provoke you. It’s you who I’m worried about not handling it because I’ve hardened to being called a slut over here and a slag in England, but it’s going to drive you insane being with me and the whole world seeing me as such.”
“Babe,” Asher gets off his stool and walks around to her. Jagger does the same. I remain where I am because I have no business in this discussion. Instead, I quietly step off my stool and wait for the opportune moment when Asher puts his arms around her, and she’s distracted to leave the room.
I hesitate in the hallway, caught between the decision to venture upstairs to my bedroom or make my way out through the front door. As the distant murmur of talking abruptly ceases, a sudden clarity dawns—I don”t want to spend another minute within the confines of this building hearing Eden’s cries of passion while I’m not the one making her scream them out.
I retrieve the old metal box from my back pocket and flip it open. Inside, I find all the essentials—tobacco, rollups, filters, and a lighter. With everything in hand, I contemplate that all I need now is a pint or two to round off my evening.
Stepping outside, I carefully shut the door behind me, creating a physical and metaphorical distance from my bandmates. Pulling out my phone, I launch the Uber app to check how soon I can secure a ride. The farther away I am right now, the better.