Rockstar Romance: Julian (Contemporary New Adult Bad Boy Rock Star Romance) (Hard Rock Star Series Book 3) (94 page)

****

Marco was devastated. He knew he couldn't have deceived Emma forever, but he had been hoping for a little more time to figure out what to do. And as he stood beside his brother, counting rolls of money monotonously, he couldn't remember ever feeling so miserable. When he arrived, Dominic could instantly tell that something had gone terribly wrong for Marco, and his heart went out to him. He had never seen his brother looking so forlorn. He looked ready to walk right off the docks to bury himself in the watery depths of the ocean. And as that thought crossed Dominic's mind, a plan began to form; it would be terribly risky, and it may be difficult to get Marco on board. As much as he was struggling in this moment, Marco had always been the devoted son, never questioning aloud and always ready to act in a way that would honor his Family. But the conversation they had earlier this morning made him hopeful that Marco may just be open to a new direction.

Once business was concluded, Marco and Dominic headed off to grab some breakfast, and Dominic considered his plan one last time before proposing the unconventional solution to their problem. “Marco, so...uh...what happened today?” he inquired gently.

Marco didn't bother trying to hide the issue. “She heard, Dominic. She heard everything, and now she
knows
everything. She went running from the yacht, and I don't think she's coming back.”

“It's the job, right?” Dominic pressed.

“The crazy thing is she seemed more concerned about what could happen to
me
than her. A girl finds out that she's involved with a dangerous criminal, and she's concerned about the
criminal
! What's wrong with her?!?” he continued incredulously.

“Hmmm...” Dominic interjected. “It doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with her to me. The way you were looking at her, and the way she reacted to your crime bomb; it sounds to me like someone's in love, Marco.”

Marco's jaw dropped. It was very difficult to catch him by surprise, but Dominic's observation caught him completely off guard. He'd never put a word to his own feelings, and he certainly didn't think Emma's feelings could possibly run so deep, so soon. He was thrilled and devastated all at once. It didn't matter what he or she felt; she was gone and he was certain she wasn't coming back.

“Marco, you remember that talk we had this morning? Are you sure that's how you feel about this life?” Dominic was treading carefully.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You know I shouldn't be talking about this Marco, but what if there was a solution, but it meant that you could never turn back?”

Marco felt tension and relief at Dominic's vague proposition. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“There's a shipment of...
explosive substances
that my crew will be picking up two weeks from today,” Dominic started. “If the shipment was to accidentally detonate, and we were in the vicinity at the time, it would be plausible that we wouldn't make it out of the wreck alive,” Dominic finished painting his clandestine plan. “There would be no changing your mind later, Marco,” he reaffirmed.

Marco was thoughtful for a moment. It was a big decision to make, and there was a lot that could go wrong, but it would mean an end to this life and the possible beginning of another.

“We'd have to get out of here fast. Maybe out of the country,” Dominic interjected. “Do you think she'd come with you?” he asked gently.

It was worth a shot
, Marco thought to himself. To be with Emma,
anything
was worth a shot. But, he wouldn't be able to warn her; he couldn't risk the plan leaking out, even accidentally. He'd have one shot with her, and she'd have to make a very big decision--fast.

And so, the brothers began to put the plan into action, arranging for an immediate escape after the explosion, and a flight for three out of the country shortly after. God, Marco hoped that Emma would be on that plane with him.

Just in case she rejected his proposal, he made arrangements to show her how he felt one more time. He contacted Emma's outreach program with a donation of one million dollars to cover its charitable purposes for many years to come. He asked that his contact remain silent about the agreement until after the day of the big event.

Everything was in place, and all he could do now was wait. He carried on with his regular business, finding it even more distasteful than usual, but forcing himself through it to avoid raising any red flags. The day finally arrived and the two brothers headed out on business for the last time.

****

Emma had been going through the motions, getting up each morning, touring the sites with her friends and retiring to bed early every evening. She had hoped something would change; that somehow Marco would appear on her doorstep to tell her it had all been a big misunderstanding. But no matter how many times she peeked out the front window, Marco was never on the front porch.

And then, a week after the sordid discovery, she received a phone call from one of the administrative staff at her outreach program. They filled her in on the details of Marco's donation, explaining that she was not supposed to be informed until the 16
th
of August. She couldn't figure out why Marco would want to keep this from her. He had left a seemingly encrypted message, explaining that if she was not with him after that date, he wanted her to know that she had touched his life in ways she could not possibly imagine. He wanted to show her that he recognized the important things now. Her heart warmed at his generosity, and she wanted to run to him now more than ever.

But in the next moment, she remembered that it still changed nothing; she began to prepare herself for the end of summer vacation. Her group would be returning home on the 20
th
, and it was about time to return to her ordinary life in Minneapolis.

She wasn't expecting a knock on her door on the evening of the 15
th
. And she certainly wasn't expecting to see the tall, dark Adonis on the other side. But there he was. Emma's heart skipped a beat as she opened the door; she had to stop herself from lunging into his arms.

Though he looked a little more rugged than usual, he still looked absolutely incredible. Though the reason he may appear a little roughed up concerned her, in part because the idea of such violence disturbed her, but more so because the idea of Marco being hurt made her feel nauseous. She glanced over him to make sure he wasn't seriously injured, but aside from a few scrapes on his forearms, he seemed in perfect condition.

“Come with me, Emma.”

“
What?
You know I can't, Marco.”

“No, Emma. You
can
. That is, if you want to,” he expressed emphatically. “I must leave tonight, and I want you to come with me. Dominic and I...we will soon be presumed dead.”

“Marco! What the
hell
are you talking about?!” she shrieked.

“I have given it all up, Emma. I can explain later, but there’s nothing more to stand in our way,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “I love you, Emma. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Oh...,” was all her addled brain could muster up. But then seeing the rejected look on Marco's face, she knew she had to clear her head fast. “I love you, too, Marco.” Her heart felt lighter than it ever had before, and she knew in that moment that with Marco safe, she would follow him anywhere.

“We're leaving for Fiji, and I want you to come with us.”

Lisa popped her head into the doorway in that moment, and her eyes locked with Dominic's. Emma could feel the heat flare between them, but there wasn't time to focus on playing matchmaker right now. She was leaving the country, and so she had packing to do...fast.

She turned and bounded up the stairs to her room, retrieved the suitcase from beneath her bed and began stuffing in every item that belonged to her. So many of her belongings were still back home in Minneapolis, but she would have to worry about those later. Lisa could always ship them to her when it was safe. Emma hooked the suitcase over her shoulder and bounded back down the stairs and straight into Marco's arms. He lifted her off the ground and crushed her body tight against his. He couldn't be certain, but it appeared that Emma had said “yes.”

“I'm leaving, Lisa,” she said with a smile and a sigh. “I can't tell you where I'm going, but I'll get in touch with you soon. Just be happy for me, okay?” She searched Lisa's eyes for her response, and saw the approval she had hoped to find. She hugged her tightly and then turned to Marco. He smiled and guided her down to the car waiting in the driveway.

Dominic climbed in the back to give the newly reunited couple some space. They drove to a nearby airport and boarded a private plane. Marco had made arrangements under false identities, so there was no need to worry that either brother would be recognized.

Emma straddled Marco's lap as the plane soared above the clouds. She felt reckless and in love...and arousal coursed through her once again.

“Wanna join the mile high club with me?” Marco proposed, his growing erection pressing agonizingly against his jeans.

“What about your brother? He's sitting right there!” she whispered. Marco slid his hands along her thighs, past her waist to graze the sides of her tits. “Let him enjoy the view.”

THE END

The first thing Natalia Hyde noticed when her taxi drove her past the sign that said,
‘Welcome to Riverdale
,’ was that everything seemed exactly as it had been the day she left. The streets were all the same, the lovely suburban arrangement of roundabouts that had been fun to ride around on bikes. The twenty-eight-year-old had expected to find some changes, maybe expansions or even a few changes on a few stores but nothing… it was as if someone had grabbed a huge remote control and pressed pause on the whole town.

The only viable change that Natalia noticed was that people were older, and the kids now running around the parks and streets had faces she didn’t recognize.

The taxi drove her toward the town’s only known hotel, a measly Hilton Garden Inn at the edge of the highway. She remembered seeing this same little place for years and was pleasantly surprised to note that it looked like it had been renovated. It was much bigger than she remembered.

Paying her fare and pulling her bag out of the back of the car, Natalia strutted through the mechanical doors, feeling a cool draft yank at her clothes and long black hair as she entered. It was definitely different; maybe that pause button didn’t affect everything after all.

When Natalia entered the lobby, she was surprised to find it rather busy; several people were talking with the concierge, a young woman with thick blonde hair styled in large ringlets. She looked rather out of her league, appearing absolutely nervous as she assisted a man with immense shoulders. The back of his head had a particularly large scar that Natalia recognized instantly.

“Brad?” She spoke before she could hold her tongue and the broad man turned around. There was a moment when he appraised her, broad face and broad eyes that gave him a certain brutish appearance. Still, she remembered him, he had been one of Nathan’s friends throughout high school. A jock and a pretty decent football player, Brad had been the sort to follow rather than to lead, yet he had a hidden cruel side that only came out whenever Nathan had grown bored.

To her surprise, Brad beamed up at her brightly. “Natalia!” he exclaimed, urging her closer and glaring at all the other people waiting in line. She recognized a few other faces and instantly wished she hadn’t brought attention to herself. Most of the people there had seen some of Nathan’s bored side and remembered her for how she just stood by, doing nothing.

“It’s been years,” Brad insisted as Natalia approached. “You’ve grown taller!”

“My last growth spurt since high school,” Natalia replied dryly. She was only wearing platforms but leave it to Brad not to notice. “You haven’t changed much yourself.”

“I’ve been working as an engineer,” Brad announced, puffing his chest. “Nathan helped me get the job actually.” At the mention of her brother, Natalia perked up and met Brad’s gaze curiously.

“You’ve seen Nathan?”

“Yeah, I bumped into him about four years ago. He kind of helped me get out of my parent’s basement before allowing me to find a spot in the city. I haven’t seen him since, though.” Deflated, Natalia felt her shoulders slump slightly. Everything had hit the fan eight years ago…tensions that could no longer be tolerated in that small house exploded so thoroughly, that it resulted in all of them going their separate ways. Once upon a time, Natalia had been exceptionally close to her twin, practically playing along to the silly stereotype that all twins were halves of the same whole.

Four years ago was around the same time he sort of just disappeared; since then, Natalia hasn’t really stopped searching. Brad helped her check in with the concierge, giving the woman a nasty look when she tried to make Natalia wait at the back of the line. Paying for the next few nights, Natalia received her room key and prepared to walk off.

“Hold on,” Brad called with a wave. Natalia felt a touch of disdain when he jogged up to catch up to her. “Our rooms are pretty close together. I’ll walk you there.”

Shrugging, Natalia tuned Brad out as he continued to speak about his life since he left Riverdale, focusing more on the path to her room and finding a good point in the conversation to brush him off. Eventually, they arrived at their rooms and when she began to slide her card into the slot, she noticed he was hovering.

“Bye, Brad,” Natalia said, fixing him a certain glare that he had responded to well enough in the past. He didn’t leave, though. Brad gave her a soft smile, leaning against the door frame with a confidence she hadn’t expected.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to keep you company, Natalia?” Brad asked suggestively. “I’m actually rather good in bed.”

Snorting with disgust and some surprise, Natalia slipped her door open. “No, thanks. Bye, Brad.”

“Oh come on, give me a chance!”

She didn’t spare him another glance before she pushed inside her room, slamming the door right in his face with finality. Brad may have been a bumbling giant back in high school, and while he had been pretty happy to jump into crueler plans, he lacked nerve when he didn’t have someone to shove him around. Natalia wasn’t interested in filling the role Nathan had had back in high school.

She remained holed up in her bedroom for a few hours, focusing on completing a few spreadsheets for work and ordering room service for dinner. She wasn’t interested in meeting up with anyone anytime soon. Of course, staying holed up in an unfamiliar space for any period of time was enough to make anyone claustrophobic. So, after changing her wardrobe and tying her long, dark hair into a low ponytail, Natalia snuck out of her room and headed out of the hotel. The last thing she needed was to bump into another familiar face, but she needed a drink.