Chapter 29 – Kincaid
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Kincaid
The four of us see the nurse practitioner, which makes us late for practice. Normally this wouldn’t be an end-of-the-world type of problem, but Parish and Tennyson are at each other’s throats over Wren. Leaving the two of them alone for any period of time is dangerous.
I don’t know how that’s going to play out after her brother leaves tonight, but that’s a problem for later. We hit our practice and shower at the venue, but before we even make it into the greenroom, Benji meets us in the hallway.
“What’s up?” I ask as Malcolm and I come to a stop.
“Just a reminder that we leave after the show tomorrow night,” Benji says calmly.
I nod, and my entire being feels lighter. I was concerned that something popped up about Lumen.
“Wait, I thought we got to stay in the hotel for three nights,” Malcolm says, pulling his hand up and counting off his fingers.
I snort.
“You arrived, had a free night, then the night following the first show, and tonight will be your third night in the hotel.” Benji raises an eyebrow.
“You’re saying we need to be packed and ready to not return to the hotel when we come to the venue tomorrow?” I ask to clarify if that’s his point.
“Correct,” Benji says. “We leave after the show tomorrow night. The night after that is a club promotional package in Myrtle Beach. A mini set of three songs, sign some autographs, and stick around to party with the fans. We won’t be staying in Myrtle Beach afterward.
We leave for North Carolina immediately after the club promo. ”
It still boggles my mind that we didn’t go from Charleston up the coast to Myrtle Beach and then over to Columbia, but this entire circuit is held together with duct tape, a prayer, and none of the geographical logic that a standard tour would have.
“Got it,” I tell Benji. “I’ll make sure everyone knows the details.”
“Thanks.” He spins around, taking off down the hallway.
Mal tries to follow, but I plant a hand on his chest, holding him back.
“Real quick, let’s talk,” I say, keeping my voice barely above a whisper. “You saw how nervous Lumen was about the STI test. I think you should give her some space until the results come in.”
Malcolm’s forehead wrinkles. “It’s really not a big deal to me.” He shrugs, trying to walk past me.
“Okay, let me put it to you this way,” I say, shoving him back again. “It wouldn’t be a big deal to you, but if she caught something from her shitty ex and gave it to you, that would be a pretty fucking big deal to her. You feel me?”
“Gotcha,” Mal says, rocking on his heels. “Bad news alert incoming. I’ve already done way more with Lumen without a condom than anyone in my life. So, yeah, it’s probably already too late.”
Does no one have any self-control anymore?
I mean, it’s not like I’ve never fucked on a first date or even without a date, but she’s only a few days out from a breakup after a year-long relationship.
“Jesus, Mal.” I finally release his chest, taking a step back. “We should have the results in a few days. Just give her some breathing room until then.”
It’s not like the tour medical staff keeps everything on hand. The tests had to be sent out to a lab, but the nurse practitioner assured us it was marked for rushed processing.
“Nah,” he says firmly. “I’m not pulling back and risking hurting her feelings.” He takes off as my head falls back, and I stare at the ceiling.
Sometimes I wonder how he’s still alive.
Other times, I’m pretty sure I’m as fucked up, just in different ways, so I probably shouldn’t judge.
The second show in Columbia goes off without a hitch. They put us in our masks, and it’s a pain to wear them for the after-party and interviews, but we deal.
Maybe we’re all exhausted because everyone calls it an early night.
The next morning, I have to pry everyone out of bed to pack, and the roadies come to the hotel to load the vans with our bags while we head to the venue to practice.
Since we had to be out of the suite by noon, we practice early and have quite a few hours to kill before the show.
The buses are back, but I have other plans in mind, at least for me and Lumen. I give Mal and Riser a quick heads-up, rush through my post-practice shower, and make my way out to the greenroom.
Wren is stretched out over one of the chairs with her headphones in and a bored look on her face as she scrolls on her phone.
Whatever Tennyson owes her brother must be huge. There’s no other reason he would agree to drag her around on tour with us when he’s been so shitty about being stuck with her. If he liked the woman or considered her a friend, that would be totally different.
Lumen smiles, popping off the couch when she spots me. She meets me in the middle of the room and swipes the bottom of my hair off my shirt. “Your hair puts you in the running for a killer wet T-shirt contest.”
“Damn, you’re right. I’ve got my nipples on full display.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “I’m still not cutting my hair.”
Seeing her come out of her shell is an excellent sign that she’s finally getting comfortable with all of us.
“Women everywhere would cry if you did, so I agree. Good call.”
“We have a few hours to kill,” I say, clearing my throat. “How do you feel about hitting the town with me?”
Her head tilts, and my stomach tightens as I wait for her answer.
“Yeah, that sounds great.”
A slow, dangerous smile breaks out on my face.
Now is when I commence wooing the fuck out of Lumen.
The security team comes in clutch, taking us to a trendy little downtown area with a multitude of shops. The best part is that they manage to do it without us being followed from the venue by the wall of paps.
Who the fuck knows why they’re so honed in on us all of a sudden, but they’re more ruthless than I remember them being before everything went down with Drew.
Kasey won’t be on duty until later, and I’ve been considering asking Benji to find someone else to keep an eye on Wren so Kasey can stay fully focused on Lumen. That might just push our manager over the edge, so for now, I’m going to hold off until we see how tonight goes.
I toss an arm around Lumen’s shoulder as we make our way down the shaded sidewalk. The oak trees are beautiful, and there’s a nice breeze.
She didn’t fight me at all when I moved her to the side farthest from the street, and I love how she leans against my chest like she’s completely comfortable touching me.
“Do you think it’s a bad sign that we haven’t heard from the lawyer yet today?” she asks out of nowhere.
“I don’t,” I say truthfully. “I’ve negotiated with the label many, many times. Sometimes things moved quickly. Other times it was days or even weeks before we would get a response.”
“Weeks?” She gasps. “Oh, shit. My nerves can’t handle this dragging out for weeks.”
“I honestly doubt it’ll take that long.” I give her shoulder a squeeze and kiss the side of her head.
“They haven’t pulled Tangled Desires from the schedule.
That says it all. If they weren’t willing to play ball, they would have cut Theo and his band from the tour.
Every time one of your songs is played on a label show is another infraction they would have to pay you for. ”
Lumen shakes her head. “I don’t think that’s how that works.”
“Up until they knew? Maybe not,” I say gently.
“Now that they do? That’s a different story.
You could get real vengeful if you wanted to, and I’m pretty sure the courts would be on your side.
I know Hawthorne. He would have told you to sign the first offer if he didn’t believe he could get you a better number. ”
“That makes sense,” she says, nodding. “I know he’ll get a percentage of whatever they pay me.”
Normally?
Yeah, he would.
However, I let him know about her situation, and I’m footing the bill for his services.
“How long have you been writing songs?” I ask, attempting to change the subject.
“Oh, man.” She laughs. “Since I was twelve or thirteen. Songs that are actually tolerable to listen to? That’s a much different story.”
I bark a laugh. “Yeah, I thought I was killing it on guitar when I got my first. I’m honestly surprised my grandma let me practice in the house rather than kicking me out and making me play in the garage.”
“That’s the grandma that you mentioned passed away?” she asks, tilting her face up to study mine as the security team comes to a stop in front of the store we’ve been aiming for.
“Yeah,” I agree, pain ripping through my chest. “She was a two-pack-a-day smoker. I rarely saw the woman without a cigarette in her hand, but I loved her so goddamn much. She got bladder cancer, which spread. By the time they caught it…”
“I’m so sorry,” Lumen says.
I tighten my hold on her shoulder and turn into her, planting my hand on her stomach to keep her from continuing forward. She’s been looking at me, and I don’t want her to walk into the bodyguard standing only three feet in front of her.
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago.” I smile tightly. “Now, are you ready to shop? I think we’re here.”
She nods, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I love browsing and trying things on, even if I know I can’t really afford them.”
Ha.
This little adventure is my first courting date.
I don’t give a fuck that she’s not an omega.
Betas deserve to be pampered too.
The store is mostly geared toward things Lumen will adore, but I find a few things I can try on, so she doesn’t clock that this little excursion is all for her.
I end up trying on a pair of ripped, black skinny jeans that are so snug in the crotch that my bulge looks obscene, no matter how I try to hide it.
The tank top isn’t so bad, but it’s a cutoff, which is much more Malcolm’s style than mine.
He loves them because they show off the wings and cross on his lower stomach and pelvis.
I’m just debating trying on the other jeans that I brought into the changing room when Lumen asks, “Are you decent? Can you help make sure I put this dress on properly?”