Chapter 8 Rosalie
ROSALIE
Islept most of the day, too exhausted and stressed out to be bothered.
I wanted to stay awake with Ellis, but Evan insisted on the rest, and Anson backed him up, saying I only had a few weeks left on this tour and we had to get through it, be strong, and not show anyone this got to me. Then… vacation.
So I agreed and closed my eyes in the new hotel we were in after landing in Boston.
My bed shifted, and warm arms encircled me. I opened my eyes to find myself staring into pretty, familiar eyes.
“Klaus?” I called out softly, my voice shaking.
“Hey, hummingbird,” he answered.
“You came?”
“I will always come when you need me,” he answered in his deep rumble.
I buried my face in his neck as he held me. “You didn’t have to. I know how much your visit to Stefan and Natalia meant. Their baby…”
“Shh.” He kissed my forehead. “All is well. You matter to me, too. They need time to be a family with their new little one and don’t need me under their feet.”
“Did Ani call you?”
“Evan,” he murmured, raking his fingers through my hair. “But I already knew since Ryder reported it first.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call. I-I wanted to give you time to be with your family.”
“You are my family, baby. You, Ellis, Anson, and Evan. I was so worried about you. I got here as quickly as I could.”
“I feel bad—”
“None of that,” he said, brushing his lips against mine. “None. We’re handling things. You’re safe. Our family is together now.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled his rich, spicy scent.
Klaus had joined us almost three years ago now.
The two years after I left, he’d spent that time setting up his new life and getting to know Levin and Stefan.
We spoke often, and he visited after we’d arrived in California all those years ago.
It had been a good visit. Talking. Laughing.
He and the guys hanging out. Nothing happened between us for a long time.
And then he’d shown up to see me in concert in Orlando.
It just clicked.
I ran to him after the show and threw my arms around him.
That was it. He was now with us and headed my security team.
He owned a big security company that did a lot of work for Hollywood and even important people around the world.
He got into real estate, or rather, continued it since he was already in it when we’d met.
“I love you,” he whispered against my lips. “My sweet little hummingbird. I have missed you so.”
“I love you,” I answered before kissing him deeply.
His hand tightened on my waist. Klaus came to see me sometimes on tour when he wasn’t busy. But like everything else, we were always very careful with how he was presented. He wore a suit and carried a weapon. Since he was the head of my security, no one questioned him if they saw him.
“Oh, baby,” he groaned, his voice low.
I ground against him, feeling his hard cock against my pussy. I hadn’t been with any of my guys, minus Anson, in so long. Too long.
But we had company, and I definitely didn’t want anyone to hear us. Klaus had a tendency to get a little too loud.
“Tonight, you’re mine,” he growled, giving my ass a squeeze. “I’ll make you forget all the bad things.”
“Mm, I like the sound of that,” I said, nipping his bottom lip.
He smiled and pulled away. “Come. It’s time for dinner. Anson was making sure food was being delivered courtesy of Ryder.”
I sat up with Klaus, who was quick to smooth my hair and adjust my white tank top.
“Pretty as a perfect rose,” he murmured.
My cheeks heated at his sweet words. He had a way of saying things that, despite the time we’d known each other, made me weak in the knees.
All my guys did.
“Come.” He held his hand out to me and helped me off the bed. I let him lead me to the living room area. Evan and Anson were both at the table looking at Anson’s laptop. Ellie and Trix were playing with dolls on the floor. And Dante was missing.
“Where’s Dante?” I called out. He refused to get his own room.
He said he was going to be right next to me the entire time he was here.
I expected nothing less from him. That was just how he was.
So incredibly overprotective. I wasn’t sure how Sirena dealt with it all, but she was also a force to be reckoned with, so it was likely she didn’t put up with a lot of shit.
I didn’t get to see her often. Dante rarely brought her with him, and I didn’t ever go to Chicago. We’d been putting off touring Chicago because I refused to play there. The city broke my heart too many times.
Or at least the men who still lived in and ruled that city.
I’d seen Enzo in the news quite often. Handsome as ever. Maybe even more. Now, he was older and wore a look of no-nonsense and terrifying authority.
Not that I saw him often. I typically avoided any story that included him because I didn’t want to see him. It hurt too much. The way he’d broken me when he’d told me he cheated… it still made me sick to my stomach. Then, he left and married her after he got her pregnant. Now, he was a father.
I tried not to think about any of the guys, but they always found a way to creep back into my head. It drove me nuts most days. It didn’t help that a majority of my songs were fueled by them.
I didn’t talk about my feelings regarding the horsemen to Evan or the guys because I didn’t want them to think they weren’t good enough or something, but I knew Evan would understand the most since he’d been with me when I’d been with them, and I knew he missed them too.
Ani probably would too, but I knew he didn’t get along with the guys all that much, except Ethan, and I didn’t want to put that burden of worry on him.
And Klaus. Absolutely not. He was as far away from them as could possibly be. There was no way I’d talk to him about it all. I knew he’d listen, but again, burden.
“He’s with Ryder,” Anson said, not looking away from the computer.
I went to Ellis and scooped her into my arms. She giggled as I kissed her cheek and tickled her.
“Hey, Trix,” I said, placing Ellis back on the floor with her dolls and Mr. Rufus. “Everything OK?”
“It’s good.” She smiled at me.
“Uh, if you want to take the evening off, you’re free to go.
You can go hang out with the guys. Maybe Cas…
?” I gave her a knowing look. Her cheeks flushed pink at my words.
I’d caught them close to one another before we’d left on tour.
Cas said it was nothing, but I saw the way he’d hugged her when he thought no one was looking.
“Oh, gosh.” Her cheeks turned pink. “I-I don’t think I should.”
“Why?” I asked, frowning.
“Vic.” She said his name so softly I had to lean in to hear her. “H-He doesn’t like it when I’m around too much.”
I scoffed. “He’s just a grouch. If you want to go, you definitely should. I know Cas misses you.”
“He does?” Her eyes widened.
I nodded. “He said he does. He told me a few days ago.”
“OK.” A tiny smile played across her lips. “Would it be weird if I just asked him to hang out in my room? I feel like that would be weird.”
I shrugged. “I don’t think it’s weird.”
A determined look crossed her pretty face. “OK. Well, maybe.”
“Just go,” I said with a laugh. “We’re fine here.”
She glanced at Ellis. “I can stay. You’ve been through a lot—”
“Trix, go,” I said, grinning at her. “You’ll hate yourself if you don’t.”
She exhaled and stood. “You’re right. I’m going to go.”
“Go get ‘em,” I said, watching as she straightened her back before telling Ellis bye. She left a moment later, leaving me with the guys and Ellis.
It had been a long time since we’d all been in a room together as a family.
“Mommy, do you think Daddy misses me?” Ellis snuggled next to me on the couch.
“Honey, Daddy is right here. All of them,” I said, kissing the top of her head as she played with her teddy bear.
“No. Real Daddy. The one I look like.”
It happened in an instant. Evan, Anson, and Klaus all turned away from the computer and looked at us.
“Um, honey, I—”
“I’m sure he does, nugget,” Evan said. “Someday we can talk about it more, OK?”
She was quiet for a moment as she fiddled with the bear. “Do you think he loves me?”
Evan stalked forward and went to his knees before her. I watched as he reached out and cradled her face.
“Nugget, your daddy loves you so very much. I know he does. I promise.”
She stared back at him with her big blue eyes. “Does he love Mommy, too?”
My heart clenched.
“Yes,” Evan whispered. “I’m sure he does.”
She nodded. “When do I get to see him?”
“Uh, someday. We don’t know when,” Evan said gently. “What’s important right now is that you give Mr. Rufus all your love because Mr. Rufus is a very special gift from that daddy, OK? Every time you hug Mr. Rufus, Daddy can feel your love.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, nugget. I promise.” Evan’s voice shook.
She seemed content with that answer. I gave Evan a grateful look. He smiled sadly at me before squeezing my hand and going back to the guys and whatever they were doing on the computer.
A knock on the door sounded out, and Klaus quickly went to it. I heard murmuring, and a moment later, Riley came into the room.
“Hey,” I greeted him, sitting forward. “What’s up?”
He was the lead singer of Fatal Promise. They were touring with me as a double headliner. We’d had a duet hit the Billboard number one spot, and it just made sense to put us on the same ticket. Plus, I’d known Riley from when Fox won the Heisman. Or Evan, rather.
He knew Evan was Fox, and Anson made him sign an NDA, which he didn’t object to.
Recently, he’d had some issues in his relationship with Violet, the girl he’d married.
They were separated after paparazzi caught a photo of him with an unknown woman on his lap at a club.
He’d gone out drinking with his band and mine at the beginning of the tour to celebrate the kick-off of it. Then the photo happened.