Chapter 9
Joseline
Niki leans her head back and her eyes flutter.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Hopefully he’ll be back soon,” she murmurs. “He should be…”
“Whatever you need, I’ll get it for you, Nik,” I assure her, setting her phone aside. “Seriously, don’t feel bad or anything. I’ll wait on you hand and foot if you need me to.”
My stomach turns when I think about all the cleaning she was doing when I got here; that probably didn’t help the situation. She needs to take it easy and not overdo it.
A weak smile finds her face before quickly disappearing. “Thank you so much, Jos. It’s not that though… Sebastian will know… what to do…”
Her head slumps to the side suddenly, and adrenaline slams through my veins. I shake her arm anxiously, “Niki? Shit, Nik. Don’t do this.”
Not knowing what else to do, I throw the lever on the side of the recliner and the kickstand pops up. In my head it makes sense; I’ve seen people prop their feet before when they were feeling faint.
Why the fuck am I not better equipped for this?
I don’t feel helpless often. Most of the time, I can keep a level head in stressful situations. I get shit handled and then fall apart later. But something about seeing my best friend slumped in the chair, pale and nearly unresponsive, flips a panic switch in my brain, and I can’t think.
“Niki,” I say her name over and over, like it’ll somehow bring her from the edge of fainting. That’s what happens in movies, right? “Are you okay?”
“Mmm,” she hums softly. “I’m fine. Just… need Sebastian.”
Her head lolls again, and a frigid wave punches through my system. She can lie to me all she wants, but my instincts are screaming at me to do something. She doesn’t need Sebastian, she needs a doctor.
“Niki, you’re scaring me,” I say, rubbing her arm again. “Come on, wake up. Do you need some food? Do you think your sugar is low?”
Her lids flutter, but she doesn’t reply.
Fuck.
“That’s it. I’m going to call for help.” I reach for my phone with trembling fingers and punch the emergency button, bringing it to my ear.
“Jos, hang up the phone,” Niki whispers harshly. Every word seems like a struggle, but she manages to pry her eyes open and meet mine.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” a voice on the other end of the line asks, but I barely hear them. All my focus is lasered on my best friend who’s staring at me with a silent plea in her eyes, even as she’s on the brink of passing out.
“Please hang up,” she begs breathlessly. “Go get Tobias. He can help.”
What the hell? Ew. Why would I do that?
She isn’t thinking clearly. Obviously. She has no idea what she’s talking about.
She needs an ambulance and a hospital.
She needs to be okay.
“Jos, please.” Her words finally slice through my jumbled, scattered thoughts, and my determination crumbles.
“We have it handled, sorry,” I mutter into the phone before hanging up. As soon as the call disconnects, my stomach turns.
Fuck, I hope trusting her was the right decision.
“Thank you,” Niki breathes, her voice barely audible. “Now… Tobias.”
I blink at her. “That asshole isn’t going to do anything that I can’t. Besides, I don’t want to leave you like this. What if you pass out?”
“I promise, I’m okay, but I need him.” She winces like she’s in pain. “And when he gets here, we’ll have to fill you in on some things.”
Fill me in? What the fuck does that mean?
Blinking, I study her features, my mind a whirlwind of questions yet again. What secrets has she been keeping from me? What can’t she tell me without him being here? Does this have to do with Sebastian’s secret identity he keeps so well hidden?
I don’t have time to argue.
If she needs Tobias, as much as I’d rather throw myself into traffic than talk to him, I’ll go get him. The thought of seeing the dickhead drummer has my insides turning, but I nod and sprint for the door. His shit ass attitude is the least of my concerns right now.
Jogging to the other tour bus, I’m breathing heavy by the time I pound on the door. Hopefully, the keyboardist will answer. I’d even take one of the guitar twins, even though I’m sure they’re on their own bus. I’ll take anyone but the cocky drummer who makes me want to pull my hair out.
My hopes evaporate the second the door pops open and a sleek black mask appears.
“What do you want?” He leans against the doorframe, staring down at me through the holes in his mask. Those golden eyes have to be contacts; they’re too ethereal, too bizarre to be real. He’s wearing jeans and a long-sleeve shirt today, with some kind of black fabric covering all his exposed skin.
“To be literally anywhere else.” I put as much venom as I can into my words. “We need Sebastian—”
“And you think I keep him shoved up my ass?” he interrupts, his eyes narrowing behind his mask.
My jaw hardens. “There's clearly no room for him since you're already so far up there. Niki needs help—”
“Listen, just because we work together doesn't mean I keep tabs on the fucker.” His tone is dripping with annoyance.
“God, you are fucking insufferable.” If he cuts me off one more time, I’m chopping his dick off. “I would not be wasting my time here if I didn’t have to. Niki’s not well, and she won’t let me call an ambulance.”
He stiffens suddenly.
Great. Now I have his attention.
“What do you mean not well?” he asks, but quickly shakes his head. “Nevermind, out of my way.”
I barely have time to move before he barrels off the bus and rushes past me. I hurry after him, too confused and caught off guard to question his sudden change in demeanor as I try to keep up. As annoyed as I am at his presence, at least I have help now.
Even if the help is a giant pain in my ass.
Tobias rips open the door to Niki’s tour bus, and I clamor up the steps behind him. He’s across the space in a few quick steps, kneeling next to the recliner. I hover close by, watching, waiting to rip his head off if he hurts her.
What the hell is he going to do to help her that I couldn’t? Fucking magic?
He carefully inspects her, gently squeezing her hand and checking her pulse, and I can’t help but watch in awe. I didn’t think he was capable of caring about anyone but himself, but the way he assesses her makes me think it’s possible.
“She’s very weak,” he says. As if I didn’t know that. “I can help her, but you have to promise you won’t run.”
“Run? What the hell are you—?”
His barked response cuts me off. “Just stay right there!”
Despite the urge to bite his head off for raising his voice at me—again—I snap my mouth shut. We can argue later. Hell, I can punch him later.
Right now, he’s potentially Niki’s only hope. I don’t want the asshole anywhere near her, but something deep in my bones tells me he knows what he’s doing. That he can help.
At least, I sure fucking hope he can.
He reaches up with both hands, cradling Niki’s head between them, and my throat tightens. Then, still kneeling beside her, he bows his head slightly as though in prayer.
My face deadpans.
He can’t be serious.
Does he really think praying is going to help her right now?
So much for my intuition being right…
I open my mouth to ask him what the fuck he’s doing, but Niki’s eyes pop open before I can say anything.
The color returns to her cheeks, and she gasps, like she was just saved from drowning.
She blinks at me over the top of the drummer’s leather mask, fear flickering over her expression before she settles.
My heart slams into my throat.
Holy. Shit.
My thoughts move as slow as molasses while I struggle to understand what I just witnessed. Maybe Tobias really is some kind of magician. Or a goddamned angel.
He snatches his hands away, like touching Niki physically pains him, and staggers to his feet. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looks a little unsteady, but he isn’t my concern right now.
“Niki!” The corners of my eyes begin to burn as I push past Tobias to get closer. Seeing her now is like night and day compared to the way she looked moments ago, and I’m too relieved and shocked to question it. “How are you feeling?”
She takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly. “Much better now,” she answers before her eyes bounce to Tobias. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” he mutters, dipping his head slightly. “I’m going to find Sebastian. If anything happens, call Emrys.” Then, his yellow eyes whip in my direction and ice crawls up my spine. Something between hatred and annoyance burns in them. “Don’t leave her side again.”
I scowl, my face flaming.
As if I would have done anything else.
He turns and marches off the bus, the door clicking closed behind him, and I move to sit on the couch again. Now that Niki is awake and coherent, and doesn’t appear to be in any kind of danger, my adrenaline and anxiety have waned and I’m tired.
I sit there watching her, my thoughts beginning to wander slowly.
Is this what all Rhage’s secrecy and mystery is about? Whatever Tobias just did?
Do I even want to know?
Curiosity itches beneath my skin, with reluctance tamping down my thoughts, but finally the question burning brightest in my mind makes its way past my lips.
“Niki, what the hell just happened?”