Ice’s Devotion (Knight’s Rebellion MC: Briar Glen #2)

Prologue

Keaton

T HIS LATEST TOUR with the Wicked Angels feels as if it’s lasted an eternity.

We’ve been on the road for two months and it feels like it’s been two years instead.

I’ve been on the road touring, in the studio recording, or making appearances at one event or another since I was sixteen years old and I just celebrated my twenty-fourth birthday a week ago.

I’ve rarely had any breaks or gotten to live the life of a normal teenager and young adult.

My life has been spent in the spotlight since the day I chose to start my singing career.

I also write my own songs and sell other songs to various artists.

That’s actually how I got my big break. I sold a song to a popular artist when I was sixteen and it went viral.

They wanted to collaborate with me on more songs and heard me singing when they showed up to talk to me.

I was put in touch with the owner of their record label and that’s when my life turned upside down.

My aunt, Neela, was my manager until I turned twenty-one.

She’s my dad’s sister and went to school for this.

It was only natural for her to work with me once I was discovered and had to sign my contract.

She was at my side for each tour and made sure I got along with all of my tutors and did my work.

If I had to have testing done, she made the arrangements to go somewhere it could be monitored if that was a requirement.

It didn’t happen often, but Aunt Neela was the greatest and we had so much fun on the road together until she decided to step back from some of her clients.

That’s when I met Jagger. He’s the manager of Wicked Angels and is now also my manager.

Jagger is the best but he doesn’t understand my need for a break.

According to him, I shouldn’t take one right now because I’ll lose my current momentum with the tour we’re currently on.

I understand where he’s coming from, but my health should also be important.

Neela, Nora, and I came up with an entirely different personality so no one from home would know my true identity.

When I’m on a break, I want to be myself and not someone in the spotlight I live in daily.

The only time I’m not in character is when I’m on my tour bus.

I wear a dark red wig with blonde highlights, color-changing contacts, and wear a ton of make-up.

The exact opposite of how I am when I’m not on stage or in character.

My stage name is Ruby because of the red hair.

When it came time for me to choose a name, my mom came up with it and we laughed so hard it just stuck.

It’s our own personal inside joke and no one knows but the three of us.

Neela doesn’t even know the reason behind Ruby.

Jagger, the members of Wicked Angels, and my security team are the only ones who know my true identity.

It’s the only way I can make it through each day.

Instead of attending a regular high school, I was on tour buses, in the studio, or doing whatever else the label needed from me.

I had tutors and my closest companions were whoever I was on tour with at the time.

In the eight years I’ve been doing this, I’ve been on four major tours and several smaller ones in bars or at other events in various towns all over the world.

Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and wouldn’t trade my life for anything else.

However, it’s taken a toll on me and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to continue on the path I’m currently on.

My body, spirit, and mind are exhausted.

I miss my family, my best friend Nora, and having a few minutes to myself without the strict schedule of rehearsals, performances, interviews, and everything else we’re scheduled to do on tour.

This one also included a photo shoot for my next album cover and one with the members of Wicked Angels for promotional purposes.

Today, I’m definitely feeling the strain.

On top of the exhaustion, I just found out my boyfriend, Camden, is nothing more than a liar.

No, he didn’t cheat on me or anything like that.

Camden is a member of the security team for Wicked Angels.

We started to spend time together every day about two years ago.

He’s funny, sweet, loving, supportive, and protective.

Cam would take me out on the town doing things people my age were supposed to do like sight-seeing, going out for my first drink in a bar because I didn’t get to celebrate my twenty-first birthday like a normal person, and anything else I wanted to experience.

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with him.

Cam would bring me flowers just because he was already out and saw them.

He’d take me to dinner in local diners instead of fancy restaurants because I can’t stand the entitled assholes who dine there.

Camden quickly discovered everything I love and surprised me on a regular basis with little things.

Now, I find out it’s all a lie. I was nothing more than a job to Camden.

Jagger, my parents, Neela, and him decided if he posed as my boyfriend, I’d have an easier time accepting other members of security when I had to go out in public.

And it would keep unwanted attention off of me from men when I’m out.

My relationship with Camden has become very public and splashed all over various tabloids and social media accounts.

Now, I guess my break-up will also become extremely public. At least the speculation will.

“You on here, Keaton?” Memphis asks as he walks on my tour bus.

Memphis is the bass player of Wicked Angels. We’ve gotten close over the years and he’s the one person I can truly be myself around when I’m on the road with his band. Memphis is a great guy and completely understands my exhaustion right now. He’s feeling the same thing.

“I-I-I’m h-h-here,” I answer, not bothering to wipe my tears away because Memphis has seen it all from me.

“What’s goin’ on, Keaton?” he asks, rushing up to my side and pulling me into his arms. Memphis gives the best hugs and I will never get tired of them.

“Did you know?” I ask him, pulling back just enough so I can see his face. Memphis and I don’t lie to one another. At least I didn’t think we did.

“Know what?” he questions me, confusion filling his eyes as he looks around the tour bus. “Where the hell is Camden? He wouldn’t leave your side if you’re upset.”

“I was nothing more than a job to him, Memphis. My parents and Jagger talked to him about being my boyfriend so I could stop getting the unwanted attention of guys whenever I’m not on this damn bus.

Every event we were at, the public outings where we were caught by paparazzi, and all that shit was planned down to the last detail,” I tell him, my voice breaking as I think back on every single time we were caught out in public.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me, Keaton? No! I didn’t know anythin’ about that shit. I would have told you the second I learned the truth. That’s a bitch move on his part. I’m so sorry, Sweetheart,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper as he pulls me back in his arms and holds me tight.

“I’m so tired, Memphis. I can’t do this shit any longer.

This tour has broken everything in me and we’re not even close to the halfway point of it.

I want a week off. One week to go home and recharge.

Jagger doesn’t want me to lose my momentum and I get it.

He has a point, but if I keep going like this, there won’t be anything left of me,” I say, more tears falling as I look up at him and break free from his hug to take my seat on the couch once again.

“I know you are, Keaton. Let me talk to Jagger. I’ll make him understand the importance of this break for you.

We can all use one if I’m bein’ honest. Maybe we’ll all take a week off.

We only have one show this week and it’s not until the weekend.

We can hold off on the interviews and everythin’ else we have this week.

Give me some time and I’ll do what I can to make it happen for you.

Have you talked to Nora lately?” he asks me, changing the subject like normal when he wants to get me away from whatever topic is upsetting me.

“No. She’s been unavailable for some reason.

I know something is going on with her, but she won’t tell me anything.

The only thing I know is she’s still with Dillon and Bridger is doing good.

I miss my Little Man like crazy. I tried to get her to come out for our stop a few towns away from Briar Glen.

She made up some excuse about why she can’t come.

That’s not like her and you know it. You’ve met her and hung out with us,” I answer him, wondering what is going on with Nora to make her so completely distant lately.

“She’ll tell you when she’s ready. You know how long it took her to tell you about her pregnancy.

I knew you’d be happy about the baby, but she was terrified.

Nora is probably working through whatever is going on by herself before she brings it to you,” Memphis says, calming my fear for Nora the tiniest fraction as I give him a weak smile.

Memphis and I spend an hour together on my bus before he leaves and promises me he’ll talk to Jagger about us taking this week off so I can head home and recharge for a few days.

***

“K eaton, are you decent ?” Jagger asks before walking on my bus.

“Yeah,” I answer him, sitting up on the couch and wrapping the blanket tighter around my body. “What’s going on?”

I’m pretending like my explosion in front of him earlier when I learned the truth about Camden didn’t happen. It’s embarrassing now that I think about it.