Save Me (Rock Stars on the Rise #3)

Chapter 1

Back at home in Nopal, I sat in my childhood bedroom staring at the scene outside.

The old chair was pulled up to the window where I looked out at the Eastern Colorado prairie covered in a white blanket of frozen precipitation.

Although spring was just around the corner, Mother Nature had decided that we needed one last big, heavy snow, and I was watching the water-laden flakes drop to the ground relentlessly, as inch after inch covered everything in sight.

Somehow, it matched the weight of my heart.

As a kid, I would have loved it. School would most certainly have been canceled, giving me the opportunity to make an amazing snowman, because this type of snow made the best Frosty around.

Snowballs were easier as well, because the water content made them stick together better somehow.

The often drier snows that fell in late fall and early winter couldn’t compare to the snow we got in March and April for all things fun.

But thinking back was merely a distraction, because I had far weightier topics I needed to wrap my mind around.

Once Upon a Riot had returned from the third and final leg of our first tour that supported our first album—and, after everything that had happened, I wondered about our future.

And my future.

Everything seemed to hang in the balance.

And yet…it was as if my friends and I had become famous overnight.

Quickly upon our return, we discovered that I was right—we’d actually lost money on the first leg of the tour.

But we made money on both the second and third and a good chunk of it was from merch sales.

Still, the tour had done its job—it had gotten us seen and listened to by our target audience.

Zack had wanted to meet right after we got back to Nopal and Dalton, because he had lots of ideas—possibly moving back to Denver and playing shows, demanding more money; making our own merch and hiring our own people so we kept more of the profit; talking about a second album; and more.

But we all agreed that we needed a break.

So here, on day four, I sat in my old bedroom watching the snow fall and wondering what the hell mess I’d gotten myself into.

Braden’s unopened text message still appeared on the screen of my phone every time I picked it up, but I’d see him soon enough.

We had a Zoom meeting scheduled with the label later and Zack had invited us all to his place again.

But I planned to attend from my bedroom on the laptop…part of why I hadn’t responded to Braden.

Although he, Cy, and I had talked about confronting Zack about entering rehab, it felt like it was too soon…

like maybe he needed rest too before we had that conversation.

And I wanted to talk to his mom and grandpa too, because he needed to know we all cared and wanted him better—not just the band.

I didn’t want him to think we were pushing him into rehab for our own selfish reasons.

It wasn’t long before I thought I heard someone come in the front door—but my mother had gone to work, so I popped my head outside my bedroom door to see who it might be. “Hello?”

“It’s me, Dani,” my mother said, her voice filling the hallway.

“What are you doing home?” I asked, walking toward her voice. In the kitchen, she was unpacking two grocery bags she’d set on the counter.

“They wound up sending everyone home early because of the snow. It’s worse than they thought it was going to be.”

Nodding, I asked, “Want me to help?” But without waiting for her reply, I was taking cans out of one of the bags to put in the pantry.

“Yes, but leave out the tomatoes and chilies. I thought today would be a good day for my Three-Alarm Chili with cornbread.”

I grinned. “I think so.”

“I also bought some hot chocolate packets.”

As I put some of the other canned goods away, I asked, “Do you think the power’ll stay on?”

“God, I hope so.”

So did I, considering the Zoom meeting less than an hour away. Would rich executives from California understand what a late season Colorado snowstorm could do?

After folding the fabric bag and handing it to my mom, I reminded her about my meeting. She said, “Don’t worry. I won’t interrupt. I plan to veg out and watch some of my favorite rom coms.”

“Maybe I’ll join you later.”

“Dani,” she said, filling up the kettle with water. “I don’t think I’ve told you lately how proud I am of the woman you’ve become.”

I smiled, but part of me wondered what she’d think if she knew some of the awful things I’d done on tour—the men, the lines, the booze.

I’d be twenty-one later that year, but even at that age, I didn’t think I should be proud of everything I’d done.

But I didn’t want to go through all that. “Thanks, mom.”

“And…there’s something I need to tell you.”

Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good. But I didn’t say a word.

“I’m…seeing someone.”

Oh. That wasn’t so bad. “Cool. Anyone I know?”

She hesitated just enough that I could sense it. “Yes, but we’re not taking it public yet.”

I didn’t understand that. It wasn’t like my mom was in a band like I was, being scrutinized by thousands od people who had their eyes on her.

But maybe there were people watching what was happening and I started to get an inkling of maybe why. My mom was a good person but she didn’t always have the best judgment when it came to men.

I’d apparently inherited that trait. Braden was waiting in the wings, willing to be the best boyfriend any woman could want, but my fucking stupid heart still pined for Zack and what could have been.

It was so stupid—and yet I felt helpless.

Although I wasn’t acting on those feelings, I couldn’t figure how to turn them off.

Maybe my mother was the same damn way.

And I was curious as hell. “I promise I won’t tell.”

When she turned around, her eyes said it all. “He’s, uh, in a relationship right now and he needs to end it. So I’d rather not say.”

I just gave a short nod, but I really didn’t know what to say in response. My mother was an adult and she’d never had it easy when I was growing up. I didn’t feel like I should judge her in her pursuit to find some kind of happiness.

But the guy she was with—what an asshole. It just sounded like he was having his cake and eating it too.

I gave my mom a small smile, taking her in. I had her facial features—the small nose, mostly straight teeth, brown eyes and brown hair—but she was definitely the older of the two of us. Her hair was peppered with gray streaks and she had some lines around her eyes.

But in the pit of my gut, I worried that I’d inherited every last thing about her…including my insatiable need to be loved—by the wrong man. Could I possibly escape my fate?

It wasn’t long before I was seated in front of my laptop, open on top of my dresser. The window was behind me, showing off the weather in our state for all on the call to see. If for some reason we did lose power, I’d join on my fully charged phone.

When I logged on to the Zoom meeting, the virtual room was already full.

Zack, Braden, and Cy all attended via Zack’s laptop in his kitchen like we had multiple times before, and, based on Zack’s scowl, I imagined he wasn’t too happy with the news that Braden had delivered… that I would join on my own.

I just couldn’t be around them anymore. I was still aching from the damage Zack had left in his drunken wake—and I wasn’t ready to fully commit to Braden, either. And I felt horribly guilty for that, because he was deserving whereas Zack was most certainly not.

And yet…my heart still wanted the man who’d rejected me over and over again.

Why couldn’t I take a hint? I should have resigned myself to it back in high school when he’d decided to date Ava.

I needed to accept it now, that I was simply an easy lay on the road when he didn’t have a groupie handy.

And I’d more than willingly spread my legs and opened my heart when he hadn’t appreciated it.

No more.

Well, he could glare at me on the screen all he wanted—but, because three guys from Crushed Velvet were also on screen, he wouldn’t say a word, and that suited me just fine.

“Dani, good to see you,” said Chad, our A&R Rep, the guy who’d gotten us the deal in the first place. There was also another guy, Russ, a man in his thirties that we’d met before, but I couldn’t remember what he did, and then there was another man I didn’t recognize.

And that was who spoke next. “Hi, gang. My name is Tristan Jackson, and I believe you’ve all met Russ.

” To that, we nodded. Tristan was an older guy in his forties or fifties, but I didn’t know for sure.

He wore a gray suit that didn’t quite match his hair but came close.

Although Chad was on his own screen, tuning in from somewhere else, Tristan and Russ were in the conference room back in L.A.

“I wanted to congratulate you on the success of your first album. Your tour went a long way towards finding you new fans, and you’re getting a lot of play on radio stations and streaming.

We’re not trying to rush you, but we’re wanting to get an idea of when you might have your next album ready. ”

Zack didn’t hesitate. “When do you want it? I already have all the songs written.”

Holy shit. I knew Zack had been composing, but I’d had no idea he’d made that much progress.

“Good to hear. Well…we talked with Mick and we know you guys need a little bit of rest. So first, just take a few weeks off. Ease back into the day-to-day and enjoy some well-deserved time away from the grind. But we are building our release calendar for next year and we’d like Once Upon a Riot on it.

If you need any help making your songs album-ready, we’ve got some writers here who can—”

“No. We got this.”