Forever Red (21 page)

I shook my head as she lifted herself into the vehicle, never taking her eyes off me. “It is you.” Adjusting herself in the seat, she surveyed my friends before turning back to me. “I wasn’t sure if it really was you or not. Molly told me that a stunning redhead stopped my brother in his tracks and that she thought she recognized you from the pictures, but I needed to see for myself.”

She wasn’t bitchy, just abrupt in a way I would expect from a protective older sister. I wanted to ask what pictures she was talking about, but I let it go. Instead, I forced a smile at the woman I’d once considered a friend. “It’s been a long time Nik.” She nodded in a way that said, “yeah, not long enough.” I ignored it because I felt the same way. “How are you?”

“Pregnant.” Her eyes moved from my face down to my hands as if she was looking for something. “Do you have children, Lia?”

“No.” I glanced down at my bare hands, realizing she was looking for a ring. “I’ve never been married. Not that I couldn’t have a baby without a husband. I mean, there are plenty of amazing single-moms in the world. I’d love to have kids. I love kids.” I was babbling. Even though she was one of the least threatening people in the world, Nikki made me nervous.

“Hmm.” She looked at me as if I were nuts. Turning to the other women in the vehicle, she leaned forward and held out her hand to each. “Nikki Woods.” She explained, “Sister of the star, wife of the bassist. Manager of both. Woo me!” She held up her hands, cheering sarcastically. “Oh, yeah.” She put her hand over her giant belly. “Add super bitchy mommy of the family’s newest drummer to the list.”

I couldn’t contain my smile. “Congratulations.”

She waved a hand in my direction. “I’m here because I wanted to see if my brother was having a psychotic break… or if those imbeciles put ‘shrooms in his salad again, which I can see they didn’t.” She rolled her eyes. That was a story I wanted to hear. “And because my
boss
”—the way she emphasized the word made it clear she wasn’t here on her own free will—“would like to invite you to his show tomorrow night.” She pulled an envelope out of her pocket. “Here are four tickets to the concert, plus accommodations for the four of you at—”

“We’re good, thanks,” I interrupted.

Nik looked confused. “Wha—”

“We cannot accept Neil’s – shit!” I was never going to get his name right. “Nate. I meant Nate.” I sighed. “Please tell Nate that we said ‘thanks’ but that we cannot accept his gift.”

“Why in the hell not?”

“Uh, yeah. Why can’t we?” Cort asked. “We don’t have—”

“Clothes,” I snapped, cutting her off. Apparently, it was my new thing, never letting anyone around me finish a sentence. “It’s a long trip home and it would be too hard to turn all the way around and come back tomorrow. So we’d have to stay tonight and we don’t have clothes.”

My friend’s looks ranged from confused to perplexed. They’d thank me later.

“Well, we wouldn’t want you to have to do something as strenuous as spending six hours in a luxury vehicle.” Smoothing down her skirt, Nik pulled a cell phone from her jacket pocket and started typing. “So, to make sure it’s more convenient for you”—her pissy tone caused me to smile in agitation—“we’ll put you up tonight as well. As for clothes, I’ll make sure that someone takes you shopping.”

I shook my head to object, but Cora beat me to it. “Thank you for the wonderful offer, Nikki. Please tell your brother that we enjoyed his concert very much, but we have plans and cannot accept the tickets.” My best friend left no room for argument. “Now, we have a long ride home and the four of us are exhausted.” She was clearly dismissing Neil’s sister. “It was nice to have met you.”

Nik turned to me once more, an odd look on her face. “Lia”—this time her voice was soft, almost pleading—“an offer like this will only come once. Think about what you’re turning down. You’ll regret it.”

I snorted. “I have more regrets than most people, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t going to be one of them.” I sat straighter, pulling my shoulders back. “We said our goodbyes, Nik. And he got to humiliate me in front of an entire amphitheater. I think it’s best to leave it at that, don’t you?”

She searched my face for a nanosecond before nodding and leaving the vehicle as quickly as she’d entered it. I fell back against the leather seat, suddenly worn out. Cora left her seat and slid into the one beside me. “We need alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol,” she said, and I could only nod.

Cort talked our driver into stopping at the first convenience store he passed and she ran in to grab the much-needed booze. After she passed out the bottles of Smirnoff Ice, we kicked off our shoes and got comfortable. It was a long ride home. And I had a story to tell.

I was fucking exhausted. It made no sense because I’d had an early night the night before and had slept in that morning. Hell, the concert hadn’t even lasted that late. But for whatever reason, I was drained.

I made my way backstage, stopping and talking with every radio show host that pulled me aside. I wanted nothing more than to go to my trailer and crash, but these guys helped make me what I was and there was no way in hell I was going to ignore them. It took me longer than I wanted, but almost an hour and a half after I walked off stage, I opened the door to the room where my band waited for me.

I paused for a second, glancing around the room. Five years ago – hell, even just two years ago – this room would have been filled with laughter, loud music, and half-naked ladies. Okay, mostly naked women. Now, there was a peaceful quiet that greeted me.

My friends were sprawled out, lounging around the room. Some were talking to each other, beer in their hands. Others were sitting close with their girlfriend or wife, sipping on soda or sparkling water. Fucking sparkling water. I shook my head, chuckling to myself. We’d become a bunch of pansy ass preppy boys.

Next thing you’d know, we’d be sitting around in skinny jeans and loafers drinking Zen tea and talking about our feelings. Okay. So I had kicked my three-hundred dollar a week coffee habit by turning to green tea, but no one here needed to know that. But I’d walk around buck ass naked in front of the paparazzi before even attempting to squeeze on a pair of girly-boy jeans.

Grabbing a bottle of water – the good ol’ fashioned, non-seltzer kind – I made my way to the back corner. It was the darkest part of the room so I wasn’t surprised he was there. I felt bad for the kid; really, I did. I’d been there more times than I wanted to remember. He’d held it together for our set like a fucking pro, even when he had to run off stage and hurl into the trash bin.

“Hey,” I muttered softly as I stepped up to him, pulling a packet of Tylenol from my pocket before sinking down next to him. “Take these.”

Noah lifted his head off the back of the couch, visibly wincing as he opened his eyes. He took the pills I placed in his hand and gulped them back. “Thanks, bro.” Then he dropped his head back on the cushion, rubbing his hands back and forth on his thighs. “I think I’m dying.”

I laughed. “Yeah. You’ll feel like that for a while, kid. The water’ll help.” Then I noticed him start to turn green again. “If you can keep it down.”

Noah groaned, but he didn’t get sick. After a few minutes, his breathing turned slow and steady. I stayed with him while he slept, watching my friends. This group of eight men, nine if you included my brother, were more family than anything. They’d been through it all with me as we’d grown up together. They’d seen me at my best, stood beside me at my worst, and I never had to worry that they would abandon me.

Unlike a certain redheaded vixen that I couldn’t get out of my thoughts. I sighed, dropping my head back next to Noah’s. I felt like a giant ass. Lia had always held that power over me; when I’d done something wrong when we were teenagers, I had guilt for days. I hated seeing her upset, but fucking hated myself when she was upset because of me. Fuck me. That girl – woman now – was not supposed to affect me still.

“Pissed at the world or one specific person?”

“The fuckin’ world.” I opened my eyes and grinned at Finn Woods as he sat on the coffee table in front of me, handing me a bottle of beer. “As usual.”

“I hear that.” He nodded, looking back at the rest of the guys. “It must have been a surprise, her showin’ up after all these years.”

I watched him closely, trying to see if there was more he was trying to say. Fuck knows the boys each had their own opinion of Red, simply because of the ghosts they knew haunted me. Some, like Finn, had been with me from the beginning and knew how much I’d tortured myself over her. To others, like Boone, the name Red was synonymous with Bigfoot or the Huggin’ Molly that roamed the backwoods of Alabama – a mythical creature who most women were afraid of but didn’t really exist.

Finn’s face was clear of animosity and held only concern and curiosity. He was worried about me, and most likely was wondering how Red’s re-appearance would affect not just me, but the band as a whole. I didn’t have answers for him.

Before I could respond, Nikki joined us. Finn yanked my sister down onto his lap and his hands automatically went to her very round stomach in the protective way they always did. I was sure I’d never get used to seeing the two of them together because they were just so goddamn different, but those differences didn’t seem to bother them.

“How’s my nephew?” I asked, leaning forward to inspect my big sister. One of the best managers in this industry, one hell of a sharp business woman, and still as stubborn as they come, Nikki had decided to work right up until the newest member of my family made his appearance. I hated her choice.

Each day she looked more exhausted than the one before. Her constant laughter had disappeared months before, and in its place was a bitchy and snappy attitude that no one escaped. The glow she’d had when she first found out she was expecting had dulled, replaced by deep black bags under her eyes. We all knew that she was over-the-moon excited for this baby, we all were, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“Your niece”—she lifted a single eyebrow in my direction—“or nephew”—she glanced at her husband sheepishly over her shoulder—“is kicking the shit out of his momma and won’t let her sleep.”

I frowned, not liking the sounds of that at all. “Come on, Nik. Why don’t you take the next few days off? Fly home, drive out to the farm, and rest until we meet up with you next week?”

She only pursed her lips in agitation. “I can’t do my damn job from the farm, Nathaniel!”

I shot a look at Finn, just as surprised by her snapping at me as he seemed to be. “You actually can, Nik. We don’t live in the dark ages; we do have Wi-Fi there.”

“If I’m gone, who is gonna keep you from fucking everything up?”

I tensed. “‘Scuse me?”

“Don’t play dumb, shithead. First, you change security protocols, the ones we all agreed on so that Mike could have a night off, and then you grab her and maul her. Then, like the true fucktard you are, you sing her happy birthday after telling everyone that the woman who broke your heart was here. And then, for the final brilliant act, you let her leave without so much as an ‘I’m a fucking prick. Forgive me?’ It may have been a fan-driven show, but there was media here, you moron.”

Finn wouldn’t meet my eyes, but I could tell he was as uncomfortable as he always was when Nik and I had a disagreement. He was torn between the two of us – his boss or his manager, his friend or his wife. Just like always, he’d give me a chance to say my piece, but if he felt I was getting too angry or if she was getting too upset, he’d step in and shut it down. He wasn’t a huge guy, close to my height without the bulk, but there is nothing more powerful than a man who feels like he’s protecting his woman.

I took a deep breath, trying to gain control. I didn’t want to have this fight with her tonight, not when she was already worn out because of the baby, and I was already stressed about Red. “I did fuck up, Nik. But it’s taken care of.”

She shook her head, trying to interrupt, but I kept talking.

“There’s no need to worry about the press. Not over this shit. I didn’t say anything tonight that wasn’t general knowledge.”

Blue eyes sent ice darts at me and she gave me a look that I’d seen a thousand times when I’d done something stupid, reminding me once again exactly how much she looked like our mom. “It isn’t taken care of. Lia and her friends didn’t accept the tickets.”

The bottle was almost to my lips when I realized what she’d said. “What?”

“The tickets you were giving to Lia to make up for whatever it was you did? She said to tell you, and I quote, ‘Thanks, but no.’ Did you really think that’s all it was gonna take? That someone like Lia would swoon when you threw tickets at her?”

I narrowed my eyes at the pair in front of me. “How do you know what she said? I asked Molly to give them to her, not you.”

Nik laughed at that. “You’re fucking clueless.” Then, shaking her head as if I was the biggest dumbass on the planet, she continued. “Molly didn’t feel comfortable talking to them so I went instead.”

“Lia’s not comin’ tomorrow night?”

Nik shook her head once. “Nope.”

I gripped the bottle in my hand tightly, trying not to throw it. What the fuck. I needed to see her again. We needed to talk and I needed to have my say. She was not going to disappear again, leaving me to wonder where in the hell she was and how in the hell she was doing. Not going to fucking happen.

“What limo company took her home?”

Nik jerked back abruptly, her head clocking Finn on the chin. “What?” Her voice was cold.

“What company did we hire to take her home?” I asked again, slowly this time. She shook her head as if she didn’t know. But we both knew she did. “Cut the shit. You know everything about every part of this show. Which fucking charter company was it?”

“Nate.” She started in her motherly tone. “Even if I tell you which one, they’re not going to tell you where she lives.” The fuck they wouldn’t. I only glared at her more. She finally rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. “Fine. Whatever.” She waved her hand at me as if I was an unimportant idiot and told me the name of the company.

I grabbed my phone, hitting the button that called my personal assistant.

April’s groggy voice answered on the second ring. “If I have to come bail your ass outta jail again, you’re the one tellin’ Nikki ‘cause she’s gonna kick your ass.”

I chuckled. “Nothing that bad, I promise.” I quickly explained what I needed and without any questions, she promised she’d call me back as soon as she had an answer. Not five minutes later, my phone rang. “Please tell me you got something.”

“I have two different names and two different addresses. Both were a group of four women that were in limos from that company. Dispatch didn’t know what they looked like, but I do have the first names of all eight women.”

“Give them to me.” The first four were no one I knew. Then came Cora, Courtney, Nina, and CeCe. “That one!” I snapped harshly. “That’s them.”

“Nate?” My friend sounded worried. “Everything okay?”

“It is now,” I assured her. “Can you send me that address? Thank you, April!” I hung up and smirked at my sister. “Never underestimate the power that is Nate Kelly.”

Nikki threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t underestimate you at all, little brother. But my money’s on the redhead.”

*****

The venue we’d been at was close enough to the home I owned in Sharon that we’d all planned on crashing there for the weekend. Well, the majority of us. It was better than staying in another nameless hotel or squeezing onto one of the busses. And it gave us the ultimate privacy.

The problem was that even though we’d driven to the show in a few of our own vehicles, our trucks and cars had been driven back by techies and extra security staff. The policy was that after a show was over, a trailer drove us wherever we were going. It started out as a way to make sure none of us were driving drunk, but Nik liked using it as a way to keep tabs on us and make sure we didn’t bring any unwanted guests back with us. Seriously, what girl would want to be alone with ten pigheaded and perverted men? Even sex with Nate Kelly wasn’t appealing enough to put up with that shit.

Even though I had an address for Lia and I was aching to go see her, I had no vehicle. So I piled on the bus with my band, sat on the couch, and half-listened to their banter while mentally planning my trip back to Maine to get her. We were almost back to my place when Noah woke up.

“Feelin’ better?” I asked as he staggered out into the main area.

He nodded slightly. “I think so. But I still want to die.”

I handed him my mug. “Finish this. I’ll make another pot.”

He sniffed the cup and looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Since when did you start drinking coffee again?”

“Since he needs to stay up,” Billy Brown, my kickass drummer, told him. “He’s a man on a mission.”

Noah gulped the hot liquid I’d given him but then looked at me as if he was waiting for me to finish.

“Fuck it,” I snapped. “I’m going to see Lia.”

“At three in the morning?” My kid brother looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Aren’t you two past the booty call stage?”

There were some crude comments from my bandmates followed by laughter. Even I had to chuckle at the horrified look on his face. “You dick. I want to apologize, so I’m taking her tickets to tonight’s show.”

“It’s been, what, ten years and the man’s still whipped? I gotta meet this chick, man. She’s gotta be something to bring one-date-wonder Nate Kelly to his knees,” Rhett Prescott, our fiddler and resident man-whore, commented. I flipped him off as I turned back to the coffee pot.

“He’s got a point, Nate. I think we’re all pretty fucking curious.” Molly set her iPad on the table in front of her, joining the conversation. “We have a big show tonight. You gotta be on your game, man, not exhausted from an eight-hour road trip that may or may not end the way you want it to.” She shrugged when I turned back to her. “This isn’t something you would ever do. So we’re all trying to figure out what’s goin’ on.”