As soon as I could, I ran for my room, telling everyone I needed to dry my hair, so I could move away from this giant of a man who was having an alarming effect on my body.
Matt
Islammedthedoorto my apartment shut and threw my keys onto the end table. Walking to the kitchen, I pulled a beer from the fridge, opened it, and let the cool liquid relax me as I took a long drink. Looking around at my surroundings, I couldn’t help but sigh at how sparse they were.
I’d bought the smallest place I could find. No photos, no reminders of my past and what I’d lost. There was nothing personal about me in this space at all, which was why I was happy to leave it all behind.
The job with the Cosmic Gods would be perfect. It would get me out of the city and keep me occupied. Since I’d quit the force, I’d been mostly working in clubs and bars, managing teams of bouncers. Yes, being head of security for the Gods was a whole other level, but with my police training, I wasn’t worried. Although I wouldn’t be telling anyone about my time as a cop, because it brought up too many questions. And they were always questions I couldn’t answer.
I’d met three-quarters of the Cosmic Gods a few months earlier and clicked with them all. For world famous rock stars, they were all pretty down to earth. I’d not met their sister or manager until today. Addison was scary as hell. Straight talking and took no shit from anyone. Traits I appreciated. Then there was Frankie. Young, innocent looking, sexy in an understated way, and a smile that could stop traffic. She was polite but didn’t really say much and she couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
My phone buzzed, and I pulled it from my pocket.
Thomas Lanton: Heard you’re joining the Cosmic Gods. You know, you could have come to work for me?
Me: You really do know everything, don’t you? I’ve only just accepted the job. How did you even find out? And thanks for the offer, but I don’t do guns or crime fighting anymore. This is more my level these days.
Thomas Lanton: Be good. Don’t get attached to the rock star lifestyle. Let me know if you need anything. And be kind to yourself, Matt. You’re allowed some fun.
Thomas and I had become really good friends over the years; the man was something else. He knew everything and could fix anything. Except find out who killed my wife and son.
I didn’t have any words to reply to him right now, so I placed my phone on the side and walked to my bedroom. Opening the blanket box at the foot of the bed, I emptied its contents like I did every night. Photo albums, Alfie’s sleepsuits, his bunny, Emma’s wedding ring, and a bottle of her perfume. Sitting on the floor, I surrounded myself with it all, letting my face fall to my hands, allowing memories of them to flood my mind while I drowned in the guilt of what I let happen to them.
“I’m so sorry I let you both down.”
“Let me introduce you to your team. There are twelve security solely for the band, then the staff that work each gig, which is usually fifty plus depending on the size of the venue and our eight drivers. You’re responsible for them all. Everyone’s really nice, but you probably want to watch Rob. We might have hinted that he’d be head of security when Mick left us, but he’s not up for the job. He’s not said anything, but I don’t think he’s happy, so he might give you some attitude. Any problems, let me know and I’ll deal with it,” Addi offered as she walked me around the backstage of the venue.
“I’m a big boy, Addi. I can take care of myself, and it will be good for him to know what happens if he doesn’t toe the line. But thanks for offering to defend me.”
“I think you might be just what we need around here, Matt,” she clapped her hands together, looking determined. “Right, let’s go get ready for tonight’s gig.”
Addi spent the next few hours showing me the ropes, introducing me to the crew, and making sure the backstage area was secure and set up properly. She told me about Tanner’s habit of pointing out girls from the crowd he expected someone to bring backstage, Mav’s preference for backstage blow jobs, and Gray’s stalkers who would try anything to get close to him. I noticed she didn’t mention Frankie and when I questioned it, she laughed.
“Frankie’s a good girl. She usually doesn’t cause me many headaches. Although I guess there’s time for her to change all that.”
About thirty minutes before they were due on stage, Addi started rounding up the band. Tanner was in the green room, already halfway down a bottle of whiskey, Mav and Gray were chatting with some crew and Frankie was getting her make up touched up.
The boys looked like the rock stars they were. Leather trousers, tattoos, and muscles on show. I’d only met Frankie once the day before when she’d been fresh out of the shower. Tonight when Addi knocked on her door, she was sitting in a chair, obscured from view by a large mirror, make up artists and hair stylists fussing around her. We waited until someone announced she was ready to go. Then she stood, gliding around the mirror towards us, making my jaw hit the floor.
The innocent girl I’d met had been transformed into a rock vixen. Frankie’s long, jet black hair fell over her shoulders in loose curls. Dark smoky eye makeup made her honey-colored eyes pop, and her red lipstick accentuated the perfect shape of her Cupid’s bow. She was tall, her heels making her only a few inches shorter than my six foot two frame. Dressed in skin tight black, distressed jeans and a sheer lace top that showed off the red bra she wore underneath, she looked stunning.
“Ready, Frankie?” Addi asked, turning to leave the room.
“Ready. Hi, Matt.” She nodded with a smile that sent a rush of warmth through my body.
I held out my arm, indicating for her to go first. She walked in front of me, and I tried to convince myself that I wanted her there to protect her and not so I could watch her ass in those jeans.
“Thank you. It’s nice to have a gentleman about, Matt,” she said, glancing back over her shoulder with a small smile, her voice as smooth as velvet.
“What do you think?” Addi shouted as we stood at the side of the stage.
“They’re good,” I yelled back. “Loud, but good.”
Rob stood to the side of us, but he wasn’t watching the band. Instead, his eyes were glaring at me. I nodded in his direction to let him know I’d noticed, and his gaze dropped to the floor. Suddenly, a man in crew gear walked past in the direction of backstage. I reached out and grabbed him by his t-shirt before he could move any further.
“Where’s your pass?” I demanded.
“I forgot it,” he shrugged.