Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
ASHER
I’ve never been a possessive man.
I’ve never had any reason to be.
But tonight, I find myself acting like a damn caveman the second we arrive at the premiere, and it’s all because of one man.
Graham Sinclair.
Film premieres are generally not the kind of events my family attends.
It’s beneath us. I’m sure my mother would put it more pragmatically, but the truth is, there are celebrities, and then there is the aristocracy.
We rarely coexist. There are a few exceptions, like Grace Kelly and Meghan Markle, but for the most part, we stay in our own circles.
So to say I was surprised when my mother suggested that Mercury and I attend this premiere was an understatement. But the countess is a savvy woman, and right now the press is obsessed with the rock star heir and his new love.
So she’s taking advantage wherever she can, even if it means we have to mingle with flashy celebrities.
Personally, I was fine with the idea—looking forward to it, actually. A night away from stuffy ballrooms and boring estate talk? It sounded like a bloody holiday.
But I did not anticipate him.
You’d think Graham Sinclair would have better things to do, since almost everyone here is vying for his attention—he’s the star of the film, after all. But ever since Mercury and I bumped into him after walking the red carpet, his sole focus seems to be only on her.
It’s been over twenty minutes since we met, and he won’t stop staring at her.
The way his eyes linger on her breasts is fucking predatory, like he’s already picturing her naked.
He laughs at something she says, running a hand through his perfectly styled brown hair.
I half expect a team of stylists to come rushing out to fix it.
His team eyes me nervously as they try to butt in to remind him of his interview obligations and photo ops he still needs to complete before the film begins, but he ignores them all.
He even ignores the way I stare him down in his tailored black tuxedo, like I want to bury him alive in it for even breathing the same air as her.
I’ve never wanted to punch a snobby Henry Cavill wannabe so badly in my life.
“Have you ever done any modeling, Mercury? Or acting?” Graham asks in a Scottish brogue that hasn’t been watered down by thirteen years abroad.
Seeing how he watches her, knowing her cheeks are still flushed from the orgasms I just gave her, makes me want to act insanely childish.
“You are very attractive. You could easily do both.”
What are you going to do, Ash? Tattoo the word “mine” on her body.
I swallow, suddenly picturing my fingers gliding over the smooth skin of her inner thigh or just above her pubic bone, and seeing that one word in dark black script.
Well, that’s not helping…
“Uh, no,” Mercury answers, sliding her hand into mine. “My job is quite boring in comparison, I’m afraid. My brother, Myles Creed, is the actor in the family.”
Graham’s gaze zeros in on our joined hands. “Mmm. Never heard of him.”
“He’s incredibly talented,” I chime in. “Mercury is, too. She’s helped produce a dozen albums in the short time since she graduated from university.”
His eyes seem to glaze over everything except the last bit. “University? Ah, yes. I do remember reading somewhere that you were quite young. Twenty-two, is it?” he says with a smirk.
Mercury moves closer to me, lifting her chin as she answers. “Twenty-three.”
He looks at the two of us with a certain curiosity I don’t appreciate. “So is dating older men a thing for you? I’m thirty-five, you know?”
“What the fuck?” I say at the same time Mercury blurts out a more polite version, “I beg your pardon?”
The smug fuck just grins, shrugging casually.
“It’s just that there’s a rumor going around that this whole love-at-first-sight thing between you is fake—something your PR team cooked up.
I’m not judging. We all do what we have to in this industry, but if that’s the case, I’d love to know when you plan to call it so I can get in line. ”
It takes all my patience and years of media training to control myself, but I manage not to hit the little shite in front of everyone.
Instead, I take a menacing step forward.
“You will apologize,” I growl under my breath, faking a smile to make it look like we’re sharing an inside joke or sage advice.
“You will apologize, and you will mean it. She is not a ride at fucking Disneyland, you asshole. She’s a person who deserves your respect. ”
He starts to roll his eyes again and turns to walk away. “Whatever,” he mutters in a mocking tone.
I grab his arm and squeeze. Hard. A few people glance over. Oops.
His eyes jerk back, wide with shock. “I said apologize.”
“Jesus, fuck.” His voice is laced with pain. “I’m sorry, all right?”
“To her.” I motion to Mercury, who’s standing next to me with her arms crossed, looking surprisingly pleased.
“I’m sorry,” he says, with a little less enthusiasm. But I’ll take it.
“Whatever,” Mercury says in the same tone he used moments earlier. I chuckle, finally letting go of the actor’s arm. He shakes it out, his eyes darting around to see if anyone noticed.
They did, and I’m sure something will make the morning headlines, but I don’t care.
No one talks to Mercury like that. No one.
“Guess the rumors aren’t true,” he mutters to his assistant as they start to walk away.
“I never thought they were,” he replies softly, but I can still hear him. “Did you see their interview on the Morning Star? The way they looked at each other? You can’t fake that.”
“Whatever,” he says. “I’m done here.” The assistant scurries off to catch up with him. Poor kid.
Mercury looks up at me, and I’m once again struck by how beautiful she is. The strapless black gown is a striking contrast to her creamy skin. Her dark hair is pulled back into an elegant bun, and a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings, loaned to her by my mother, adorns her ears.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she says.
“Yes, I did,” I answer adamantly. “I’ve dealt with assholes like him my whole career. Men who sit on imaginary thrones, thinking the world revolves around them. Sometimes you have to give them a little reminder that it doesn’t.”
“Why do I detect a hint of remorse in your voice?”
I take her hand and press a tender kiss to the center of her palm. “Because sometimes I worry that if Mitch hadn’t done what he did, I would have eventually become one of those soulless monsters, someone who doesn’t care who I hurt as long as I get what I want.”
It’s something that has plagued me since we let him go. His downfall was a wake-up call for all of us in the band. After Zander came on board, we all cleaned up our acts. No more casual drug use, and partying dropped significantly. We looked out for each other.
Or so I thought.
Her smile is warm as she melts into my side, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I don’t think that’s possible,” she says. “There’s too much goodness in you.”
I fucking hope she’s right, because as they usher us into the theater, my only thought is how can I keep her here? How can I make her mine?
Considering she has a whole life and family waiting for her in LA, none of those thoughts feel remotely…good.
“I hate to admit it,” Mercury whispers into my ear as we leave the theater. “But the movie wasn’t terrible.”
I nod in agreement. “Graham Sinclair is an awful human being but a decent actor.”
“Kind of makes me hate him a little more.”
I snort out a laugh.
We exit through the double doors just as a couple approaches us. “Mr. Knight,” the man calls out, but our security detail heads him off before he can get close.
I’m about to usher Mercury away, but then I see the little girl clinging to his arm, staring up at me. She’s wearing a poofy pink dress covered in glitter, and her hair is in ringlets.
She’s adorable.
“It’s all right, Travis,” I say. “You can let them through. We’ve all been through security.” With this many high-profile attendees, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more bodyguards than guests.
Travis gives the little family an appraising glare. He’s a big bloke. I’m fairly certain he was cast in a walk-on role in a popular Viking show filmed in the Highlands just for his size alone. “All right,” he finally relents.
He motions them over, and a look of relief washes over the father’s face almost immediately.
“Thank you, sir. We won’t take up much of your time.
I know you’re a busy man. But my wee Sarah here is such a big fan, and when I found out you would be attending the premiere, I told her she could accompany us on the small chance she could catch a glimpse of her favorite singer. ”
My heart squeezes in my chest.
“Did you work on the movie?” Mercury asks as the man nods and starts small talk, while I stare down at the little girl and try to smile.
Singer. Musician. Rock star.
That’s what she sees when she looks at me. But I’ll never be any of those things again.
I swallow, then kneel to meet her at her level. Her eyes light up, and I try to imagine Mercury at this age at the Grammys, putting arrogant men like Graham Sinclair in their place.
It puts a real smile on my face.
“Do you play any instruments, Sarah?” I ask.
She nods with the kind of exuberance only a child can show. “I take piano lessons. It’s a little boring, but Mum says it’s good for me. I want to play the guitar like you.”
I stifle a laugh as I look up at her mom, who is doing much the same. She shrugs. “Want to know a secret?” I say quietly, pretending she’s the only one who can hear me.
She bobs her head up and down once again, and I lean in slightly, cupping my hand over my mouth. “I play the piano too.”
Her eyes light up as she pulls back to look at me. “Really?”
“I do,” I say proudly. “I took lessons when I was about your age, and even though I thought they were boring, they helped me when I finally picked up a guitar for the first time at boarding school.”
She turns to her mum. “Did you hear that? Asher plays the piano! I want to take extra lessons now!”
Her parents both laugh. “We can probably arrange that,” her father says. “But first, how about you thank Mr. Knight—oh! I’m sorry. I should be addressing you as Lord Blackstone, shouldn’t I?”
After thirteen years abroad, nearly everyone in the world had forgotten that title.
Not anymore, it seems…
I shake my head. “Asher is fine.”
Sarah does as she’s instructed, thanking me profusely, and we all take a couple of photos before they’re on their way.
“That was kind of you,” Mercury says as we watch them walk away. “That little girl is going to remember that for the rest of her life.”
“At least she didn’t tell me I was pitchy and pedantic,” I tease her.
Her shoulders shake as she laughs. “You have never been pitchy. That last album, though?”
“Yeah,” I agree. “It was trash.”
“No!” She places a hand on my chest. “Definitely not trash, but I could tell you were struggling.”
Nodding, I say, “The words weren’t flowing as easily during that last year Mitch was with us, so I made the mistake of letting the music execs offer their opinions. We ended up losing some of what made us who we are.” Were. Fuck.
“But you got it back,” she says. “The album you recorded with Zander was phenomenal.”
And our last…
We were on a break after our tour ended and were planning to return to the studio soon to start recording, but then the photos came out.
And I left.
But you’re still writing in that notebook, a little voice in my head reminds me.
“We should get back,” I say, not wanting to dwell on what I can’t change.
“Yeah.” Mercury nods, a little shaken by the sudden change of subject. “Let me just run to the restroom first?”
“Right, of course.” I motion to Travis. “Take him with you?”
She half-smirks. “As long as he stays outside.”
“Of course, miss,” he says, completely deadpan.
She gives me a wry smile before the two of us walk away. Still with half our security detail, but not wanting to be bothered by the random celebrity just stopping by to “catch up,” I do what everyone does when they want to be left alone.
I pull out my phone.
It’s been on silent for the better part of two hours while we were in the theater. I absently scroll through the notifications, most of which I ignore until I reach a text from an unknown number.
Unknown number
I will ruin your life like you ruined mine.
I read it a second time as my gaze lifts to scan the dwindling crowd. A few people glance my way, but it’s the morbid curiosity or blatant ogling I’m used to.
Nothing that makes my hackles rise or makes me feel like I’m in danger.
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time I’ve gotten a message like this.
I copy the number and the message and send them to Mac.
Me
Can you have security check this number and see if anything checks out?
Mac
Right away, my lord.
I lift my head and see Mercury walking toward me.
I don’t think even Evans realizes how much fucking trouble I’ve gotten myself into, because just seeing her has my heart flipping over in my chest. Even hours later, I swear I can still taste her arousal on my tongue. Still hear her moans echoing in my ear.
Hendrix didn’t want us to get involved because he thought I’d break her heart.
But I think it’s mine that will be shattered when she leaves.
My phone pings once more.
Mac
It might be time to acquire a new number.
I steal another glance at Mercury, and that message echoes in my head once more.
I will ruin your life like you ruined mine.
A sudden rush of fear trembles through me. He may be right.