Chapter 17
NIX IN SHINING ARMOR
Phoenix
Sweat stuck his sleeveless shirt to his back like a second skin. He shrugged it off and tossed it onto one of the nearby chairs in the corner of the mobile changing room before reaching for another.
“Leave it.” The record label’s stylist appeared out of nowhere, her gaze running over him from head to toe in a calculated assessment.
She frowned at his much-loved biker boots, but nodded approvingly at his ripped jeans, and paused at the area of his chest—and nipple piercings. “Yeah. Definitely leave it.”
“Leave my shirt?” Phoenix shot her a questioning look.
She shot him a duh look in return. “Will being shirtless infringe on your ability to bang on drums?”
“I do a little more than bang on drums.”
She shrugged, obviously not caring in the least. “Whatever. Consider this your new look.”
The stylist—Brit—shifted her attention off him and quickly hustled over toward Gavin and Xavier, already yelling at the griffon shifter to put something back on.
“Consider yourself lucky,” East growled next to him. “I’d much rather strut naked onstage than wear this fucking clown outfit.”
Phoenix turned toward his best friend and laughed at the gargoyle’s pained expression. In all honesty, he looked damn good in the button-down shirt, half open and with the sleeves rolled up. But it was a far cry from the typical T-shirt and leather vest he preferred.
Phoenix smirked. “Just think of it as practice for the wedding day, man.”
East’s face paled, and already in his gargoyle form, that said a lot. “Fuck. I need to wear a shirt with fucking buttons for our ceremony?”
Phoenix laughed at his friend’s horror-stricken expression. “Actually, I don’t know what we’re all wearing. I’ll have to ask Addie what she found in the book.”
“Aren’t you planning the thing with her? Shouldn’t you already know?”
“Tell me what you want to wear, and I’ll see if I can put that bug in her ear … and just know that I’m pretty sure she won’t go for the leather vest.”
East sighed. “Honestly, I don’t care. I’ll wear a fucking clown suit if it’ll make Naiomi happy. Whatever she has in that little book of hers, I’ll suck it up for a few hours.”
“Good man, East.” Phoenix clapped his best friend on the back, smirking.
“Good start to Bands at the Beach, guys.” Roger Kinkaid strolled into their mobile changing room, Marcus hot on his heels. “You four had the crowd going wild, and things are only getting warmed up. By the time your second set rolls around, there won’t be a panty-wearing individual in the crowd!”
Hoping to avoid a direct confrontation, Phoenix feigned looking for his favorite drumsticks.
It didn’t work; Kinkaid headed right for him. “Nix, if I could have a word?”
Fuck. “About?”
The older man cocked an eyebrow, and Phoenix reined in the attitude—a little. “Marcus sent me a screenshot of some of the new music you’re working on and I’m a bit concerned.”
Phoenix shot an accusing glare at his manager, who strategically found something else to look at, heading over toward Gavin. He obviously needed to do better hiding his music journal.
He turned his full attention to Kinkaid. “And what exactly are you concerned about?”
“Don’t get me wrong, what I saw wasn’t bad for some other band. But it’s definitely not worthy of the Stone Talons. Not even remotely close to your brand.”
“I’m not exactly sure what Marcus shared with you, but—”
“Something about butterflies and sonnets or lyrics or some shit.” Roger chuckled. “So you can see why I’m concerned. I also know that the label okayed you keeping close ties to that Muse chick, but if that’s the music she’s inspiring in you, we may have to rethink that agreement.”
Phoenix blinked.
Rethink the agreement that kept Adalyn Whitlock nice and close, in his bed, not to mention fueling the best music he’s written in forever? Not a fucking chance.
“Like I said,” Phoenix said calmly, “I’m not sure what Marcus showed you, but I’m more than aware what music is on-brand for the Stone Talons. You’ll get more songs, and Adalyn will be the sole reason for it.”
Kinkaid watched him carefully before nodding. “Okay then. Good. Because you know how much I’d hate to dim your creative light.”
Phoenix barely withheld a snort. The man couldn’t identify something creative if it bit him on the ass and left a permanent mark.
“I’ll let you guys warm up for your next set.” Kinkaid beckoned to Marcus across the trailer, and the two left as abruptly as they’d arrived.
“You handled that pretty well,” East commented. “You know you’ll have to give him something soon, right?”
“Yeah.” But that didn’t mean he had to like it, and he sure as hell didn’t like Marcus digging through his shit.
Everyone knew his music journal was off-limits and the fact the ass had gone searching through it for something to show Kinkaid pissed him the fuck off. The second Bands at the Beach was done, they’d have words.
As he and the guys warmed up and got ready for their next set of songs, his phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Muse-alicious: We finally got up front. I’ll be the one spinning my undies around my finger.
A smile worked its way onto Phoenix’s face as he typed back.
And I’ll be the shirtless drummer god with exposed nipple piercings
Muse-alicious:
East chuckled as he read the texts from over his shoulder. “You’re never to make fun of me for my heart-eyes when you look like that doe-eyed emoji come to life. I’m guessing Muse-alicious is Addie?”
Phoenix tried to look affronted, but couldn’t stop his smile from peeking through. “Yeah. And?”
East shrugged. “And nothing. It’s just good to see you smile, man. It’s been a while.”
“Yeah.” Phoenix sighed, pocketing his phone. “And the music? I don’t know what it is about her, but it comes so damn easy with her—especially in the last few days. Hell, and not just the music. Being with her is pretty damn effortless, too.”
East kicked up an eyebrow. “You sure that you’re having a fauxmance? Because that sounds like the exact opposite of faux.”
He couldn’t disagree. Hell, the more time they spent together, the more Phoenix’s feelings grew.
And after their night together? And morning?
Fuck. He’d promised uncomplicated and no strings or worries, but he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he wasn’t worried about catching real feelings.
Or concerned that he already had.
Addie was the first thing to pop into his mind when he woke up and the last to leave it when he fell asleep. Hell, thoughts of her worked their way into his dreams, too.
East’s full-blown laughter pulled him out of his mental gymnastics, the gargoyle clamping a stony hand on his shoulder. “Welcome to the club, man. Your life will never be the same.”
Phoenix played off his friend’s comment with an eye roll and acted as if it hadn’t just rocked his fucking world.
One of the backstage managers stuck their head into the trailer. “The Stone Talons in ten!”
They all hustled out, Phoenix grabbing his sticks on the way toward the stage. Nestled along the Atlantic and well-known for their summer concerts, Jones Beach’s amphitheater held fifteen thousand music lovers, both in the stands and far out on the grass, and that day was no exception.
Due to a last-minute performer cancellation, the band scored an invite to play at the festival of all festivals, and Marcus jumped on the opportunity like Gavin on fucking hotcakes.
Phoenix climbed the backstage stairs and stayed hidden from view as they waited for the band ahead of them to finish their last song. The sun sank on the horizon, lighting up the sky in a gorgeous display of pinks and oranges.
But Phoenix scanned the crowd for something infinitely more stunning.
The second his eyes landed on Addie, his entire body hummed. Arm linked with Bailey’s on her right, she talked animatedly with Naiomi, standing on her left. Behind Nai, Max’s gaze swiveled around the massively growing crowd.
Roger Kinkaid hadn’t been wrong. The crowd had practically doubled in size since their first set hours ago, and the more time that passed, the more people partied.
Some massive guy behind the quad stumbled and knocked into Addie, ramming her into the nearby speaker.
Both Bailey’s and Naiomi’s fast reflexes prevented her from hitting the ground.
His sister turned to the guy with a glare and gave him an obvious earful.
East came up next to him. “Nai’s got your girl covered. She won’t let any assholes get too close and personal.”
Phoenix unclenched his grip on his drumsticks, which he hadn’t realized had been digging into his palms, and took a few deep breaths.
His girl.
Fuck. He really did like the sound of that way too much for his own good.
Addie
Being the event coordinator at Happily Ever Forever, Addie thought she’d known pure chaos, but the Kinkaid wedding debacle didn’t hold a candle to Bands at the Beach. Bailey had tried relentlessly for years to coerce Addie into attending, but she always came up with an excuse.
Not this time.
This time she’d suggested attending to Bailey, and the complimentary tickets Phoenix offered them nearly put her cousin into a frenzy.
Thanks to the stifling heat, it felt like they were on hour one-million of the all-day event.
Her airy flutter-sleeved tank top helped to keep her marginally cool, but her jeans, at this point, had basically become a second layer of skin.
They’d started the morning in the back, sticking closer to the shaded areas, and slowly inched their way closer to the stage throughout the day.
“They’re up next!” Naiomi shouted in Addie’s ear.
Addie nodded. “Phoenix said something about his nipples making an appearance. What’s that about?”
“Hell if I know. I’ve been so out of the loop with school. All I know is that it’ll be a miracle if I survive long enough to get my doctorate.”