Chapter Twenty-Five
MERCS
“I wonder if I can get rose petals in here on time,” I mutter, striking a match and lighting Effa’s favorite juniper and jasmine incense. The earthy scent starts filling the air, calm and sweet, just the way she likes it.
We’ve held off for two long days, and I want tonight to matter.
I want to show her how much she means to me.
When she gets back from dealing with Andi, I’m going to make love to her, slow and unhurried, until it’s time for the show. No chaos, no interruptions, just us.
The sharp click of the hotel door unlocking makes me flinch. Shit. I spin around. She’s only been gone—glancing at my watch—twenty minutes. I’m not ready. The candles are barely lit, and I’ve done none of the finishing touches I had planned.
Effa barrels into the room, Cooper hot on her heels, just as I blow out the match and drop it onto the counter.
Her expression is tense.
Definitely not the soft, surprised look I was hoping for.
Cooper scans the incense, candles, and general mood lighting, then glances at me with a smug smirk. “Right, well… I got you back to the room, Effa. Seems like this is gonna be a hell of a chat, so I’m gonna bounce.”
Effa flops onto the bed with a heavy sigh, dragging her hands down her face. She hasn’t even noticed what I’ve done in here.
Frowning, I meet Cooper’s eyes. “Everything okay?”
He exhales, long and slow.
That’s a no.
“I’ll, ahh… leave you to it. Call me if you need anything,” he says, then ducks out, letting the door snick shut behind him.
I don’t watch him leave, my focus is on Effa. She’s curled into herself on the bed like she’s trying to shrink into the mattress.
Crossing the room, I ease down beside her and wrap an arm around her back, pulling her to me. She comes willingly, limp in my arms.
“Effa, what’s wrong?” I murmur, my hand smoothing up and down her back, the way she always does when I’m in my own head.
She sniffs, then looks up at me with glassy eyes. “I don’t even know where to begin…”
My jaw tics. “Okay. Is Andi all right?”
“She’s a bitch, but she’s not the one I’m worried about right now.”
I blink. “Then who are you worried about?”
She groans, launches upright, and paces to the other side of the room, hands in her hair. “Okay, but you have to stay calm. Promise me.”
I straighten, my chest going tight. That request never comes before good news. “Effa?”
She stops pacing but doesn’t face me. “Jett.”
My hands curl into fists.
“I saw him in the elevator. Asked why he’s been avoiding me. He said it was all part of some game. That he knew if he stayed away, I wouldn’t be able to resist approaching him. That I’d play right into his hands and go to him, defying you… like some twisted power play.”
I grit my teeth so hard I swear I hear something crack.
She turns now, her eyes shadowed. “And then… he kissed my cheek. Forcefully. It made me feel gross, Mercs.”
Rage detonates in my chest. “He can’t have you!” I bark, standing. My heart’s thundering. “You’re mine, Effa.”
“I am, Mercs. You know I am.”
“Did you tell him that?” I demand, in a low, dangerous voice.
She doesn’t answer.
I spin toward her. “Dammit, Effa! Why didn’t you tell him? He needs to hear that from you.”
Her arms fold around herself like she’s trying to disappear. “I just wanted to leave… get back to you. He was right. I played right into his hands, and I hate it. I should’ve said something. I should have told him it’s only ever been you. It will always be you.”
“You’re damn right.” My blood is boiling. “But don’t worry, I’ll tell him for you. With. My. Fucking. Fist.” I move to storm out, but she’s fast. Her hand grabs my bicep tightly.
“Kaden, no! Please stop.”
I halt, barely.
“Why?” I snap, turning on her.
“You c-can’t hit h-him,” she stammers, her eyes wide and full of unshed tears.
The fact that she’s trying to protect him makes something inside me snap.
“What the fuck, Effa? Why are you protecting him?”
She looks wounded, almost crushed. “Kaden… just breathe. Please.”
I’m spiraling, I can feel it. The fear of losing her is eating me alive, making my vision blur and my chest burn. I spin toward the door again, ready to break something, but I can’t do it.
I can’t leave her like this.
I turn back, and she cups my cheek. Her touch is firm, grounding. Her hand doesn’t tremble.
“Kaden… stop.”
“Why should I, when you’re defending him?”
She tightens her grip and forces me to look at her. “Because, asshole… I’m falling for you.”
Everything in me freezes.
My lungs forget how to work.
My thoughts scatter.
“You’re… falling for me?” I murmur, my voice ragged.
She nods. “Have been since the day we met.”
I search her eyes, still lost in the storm. “Then why protect him?”
“Because we have a show tonight. I don’t want you getting arrested over that piece of shit. And we need that asshole to perform. I don’t want his teeth busted so he can’t sing. I want the set done, clean, and then I never have to see him again.”
The logic cuts through the noise, but barely.
I pull her into my arms, crushing her to my chest. Her warmth, her scent, the way she clings to me, it drowns out everything else.
“You’re falling for me,” I whisper again, just to be sure.
“I am.”
I kiss her, tasting berries and something that tastes like ours. Something real.
“I’m falling too,” I murmur against her lips.
But I’m still not letting this go.
“There’s something I need to do before we talk more,” I say as I pull away and head for the door.
Effa groans. “Please don’t get in a fight. I like you with all your bones intact.”
I smirk, looking over my shoulder. “No physical fights. I promise.”
She winces like she knows I’m playing with semantics. “Fine! And thanks,” she adds, gesturing around the room. “This… smells incredible. I’m sorry our time got derailed again, but I love that you went to the effort. It’s gorgeous.”
I nod once, feeling the tension ease just slightly. “We’ll have our time. Even if it’s tonight after the concert.”
She nods back. “I’ll make sure of it.”
With no more hesitation, I stride toward the door.
Effa is mine.
And Jett’s about to learn that the hard way.
***
When I get there, he had better be in his room. I know exactly what I’m going to say, and I swear to God, if he doesn’t do what I want, I’ll take matters into my own hands.
I won’t have a choice.
Arriving at his door, I thump on the wood. I need to assert my dominance from the get-go. Let him know who’s boss. So I knock hard and fast three times. There’s no mistaking the pissed-off tone in that banging.
Standing back, my heart thrashes in my chest, blood coursing hot through my veins. I’m tense again, and I fucking hate it.
The door swings open, and his eyes rake over me before that cocky, sideways grin spreads across his face. His floppy blond hair’s more disheveled than usual, but his signature white button-up fits like a glove.
Does this bastard even own other shirts?
“Luke,” I murmur, my tone clipped.
He nods. “Mercs, you’re back. Good to see you. I’m assuming everything went well with your trip?”
I take a steadying breath. “I’m not here for pleasantries. I’m here to talk business.”
Luke’s brows shoot up, but he nods and steps aside, motioning for me to come in.
I slide past him, feet heavy as I stomp into his suite and step down into the living area. It’s neat, all things considered, but a pair of lacy panties draped over the edge of the sofa catches my eye.
Luke, you sly dog. A smirk pulls at the corner of my lips.
I bypass the underwear and head straight for the bed, sitting down heavily while Luke strolls in, casually trying to shove the panties behind a cushion. Subtle as a sledgehammer, but I don’t even blink.
“So, business…” he says, his voice cautious. “I hope this doesn’t mean you’re thinking of leaving already?”
“No. It’s Swift Division. I want you to find another opening band.”
His whole posture jolts back. “Uhh… why? Their music blends well with Luminous, and the crowd—”
“I don’t care. Jett’s gotta go. He’s manipulative, conniving, and, to top it off, a fucking asshole. He keeps putting the moves on Effa and making her uncomfortable every damn time he gets the chance. It’s not okay.”
Luke rubs his chin. “When did this happen?”
“Just now. He made this play about getting her to talk to him, even after I told him to stay away. She went over, thinking she was de-escalating, but he made it look like he won. Then he practically assaulted her with a kiss.”
Luke’s eyes go wide. “Kissed her how?”
My jaw flexes. “On the cheek. But it was the force behind it. He wasn’t gentle, Luke. That shit isn’t innocent. The guy’s obsessed, and I’m worried the next time it’ll be more than a kiss, and we won’t be there to stop it.”
He looks toward the window, the sunset casting an amber glow into the suite. “I get what you’re saying—”
“Then, get… another… band.”
His gaze snaps back to mine, stern. “It’s not that simple. Finding someone mid-tour, with the logistics and timing? Shit like that doesn’t happen overnight. And Swift Division has a contract. We’d end up in court.”
I stand, pacing, the tension coiling tighter in my gut.
Luke sighs, shaking his head. “Sorry, but you might have to suck it up—”
“Suck. It. Up?” I spin on him. “I’m talking about Effa’s safety here. Or do you not give a damn about that?”
He steps up, his face serious as hell. “Of course I care. I love those girls. They’re everything to me.” His jaw tics. “I’ve already got Raoul watching Effa whenever she’s not with you. But I can’t pull the band. You get that, right?”
I grind my teeth.
Goddammit!
I get it.
I fucking hate it, but I get it.
Jett holds all the cards, and there’s nothing I can legally do to rip them from his smug little hands.
“At all times?” I ask, eyes narrowing.
“Yes, Raoul or Cooper. She’ll always have someone watching her back.”
I nod stiffly.