Faith (My Misery Muse) (4 page)

Chapter 6

Mags

I was feeding Quinn a few minutes after Drake
had left with Jaks, when someone started pounding on the door to
our room. I stood carefully not to jostle Quinn around, draped a
blanket over her and went to find out who was pounding on the damn
door. I pulled the door open to find Brent standing there, looking
like hell. His clothes were wrinkled, he had two black eyes and
tape over his nose like it was broken—hmm, guess Drake hit him
really hard.

“Yes, Brent, what can we do for you?” I asked
him sarcastically.

“You bitch, you got me fired,” he ranted.

“Uhm, no, I think you did that when you
decided to lay a hand on Jaks.”

He pushed past me jostling Quinn off my
nipple causing her to start crying; I readjusted her and started
moving her to the other side.

“Can’t you shut that kid up?” he yelled.

“Okay, you can leave now.”

“No, you are going to tell me why you got me
fired, is it because of the brat? I will never give you
anything.”

“Never asked for anything and I didn’t get
you fired, you did.”

“No, you did when you started running your
mouth about me being its father.”

“I never told anyone you were her father, and
her name is Quinn not it,” I seethed.

He scoffed. “Like I care what you named
it.”

“GET THE FUCK OUT!” I yelled.

“NO!” he roared. “YOU FUCKED UP MY LIFE!”

I didn’t realize the door was still open
until Mike and X came barreling in and found Brent and I toe to toe
screaming at each other.

“Hey Mags, need some help?” drawled X.

“No, he was just leaving,” I gritted out.

“No, you were going to tell me why you fucked
up my life,” Brent snapped.

“I didn’t fuck up your life.”

“Yes you did, you are trying to pin that kid
on me, and you told them all I was its father. YOU GOT ME
FIRED!”

“Back off her, Brent,” replied X while he
walked towards us.

Brent reached down and grabbed my arm
squeezing tight, and got in my face. “WHY!” he screamed.

X pulled him off me and tossed him aside.
“You okay, Mags?” he asked.

I nodded getting a tighter hold on my
daughter.

“Mags didn’t say anything to any of us about
you, Brent; you did that when you went into Seth’s room, hurt his
kid, then started yelling,” X seethed. “You are lucky I don’t kick
your ass myself for hurting Jaks.”

“I don’t want that kid, it’s not mine.”

“Okay, has Mags ever asked you for
anything?”

“No, but she will, all women want shit for
free.”

“Man, I think you need to go, and stay the
hell away from Mags and the band.”

“Fuck you, you will all hear from my
lawyer.”

Then Brent pushed past Mike and stormed out
of the room. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“Thanks X.”

“Not a problem, doll” X replied. “How’s the
kid?”

“She’s fine.”

He nodded and looked at me and I knew he was
going to say something that would piss me off.

“You do know, Mags, I would have scratched
that itch for you instead of Brent.”

“Ah yes, I am sure you would have, X; only
how many other women would have been there?”

He shrugged. “What can I say it takes more
than one woman to satisfy me.”

I shook my head at him. “No thanks, X.”

“You’re right, wouldn’t want to get Drake
pissed at me anyway.”

“Hah, what does that mean?”

“You really don’t see it, do you?” he replied
shaking his head as he left.

I cocked my head confused by what he said—see
what?

Drake

“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, MAGS?” I
yelled when I walked in the room. Mags was sitting on the couch
giving me a strange look. God, she was beautiful; long dark hair,
blue, blue eyes, a body like a 50’s pin up girl. I remembered our
one and only kiss during our one and only date, it started as a way
to shut up her rant then turned into something more, something more
that at time, neither of us were ready for.

“What’s your problem, Drake?”

“Why would you let him in the room when you
were in here by yourself?”

“I didn’t let him in, I opened the door and
he let himself in.”

“Okay, why would you open the door for him at
all?” I bit out.

“I didn’t know it was him.”

“You didn’t look through the peep hole?”

“No someone was banging at the door so I just
opened it,” she mumbled.

I sat down beside her and pulled her into my
side, breathing in her scent of jasmine and mint. “Mags, you have
to be more careful. When X called and said he found the fuckwit in
the room, I nearly had a heart attack. You have to be more careful,
baby.”

“I am sorry I worried you.”

I put my finger under her chin and lifted her
face to mine. “Baby, you did more than worry me, you scared the
shit out of me.”

We looked into each other’s eyes and
something inside me snapped, I leaned down and brushed my lips
against hers—god, this woman got under my skin. I went to brush my
lips against hers again but she pulled away from me. “We can’t do
this, Drake,” she whispered.

“Why not, Mags? I think it’s been in the
works a long time now.”

“I have a kid, from another man,” she
snapped.

I shrugged. “So?”

She looked at me like I was crazy. “So?
That’s all you have to say?”

“Don’t really care about that, baby. Hell I
love my princess, she’s…well, my princess.”

She shook her head. “You have no idea what
you’re saying, Drake.”

“You know what, I am not in the mood to
argue. I’m going to go, I’ll see you later.”

I went across the hall and knocked on Devi’s
door, Seth answered holding a smiling Cait. I didn’t understand why
Mags thought I would care who Quinn’s dad is. Didn’t she get it?
DNA had no real basis when it came to being a parent, to loving a
kid.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey man, she okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah, she’s okay.”

Seth walked towards the living area and I
followed and found Devi finishing a tattoo on a grimacing X.

“Fuck Devi, you trying to hit the bone,” he
complained.

Devi giggled. “Stop being a pussy, X, you
wanted this.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t realize you were a
sadist.”

“Oh. My. God. Stop your whining already,
X.”

“Seth man, is she always this mean?”

Seth laughed. “Uhm no, I think I am going to
stick with no,” he responded after a glare from Devi.

“I told you rib tattoos hurt, X.”

He sighed and continued to grimace and
flinch, it was rather entertaining to watch.

“That looks good, sis.”

She nodded. “Yeah it does, and it’s almost
finished. I would have been done a while ago but he keeps
squirming.”

Across X’s ribs was the logo for My Misery
Muse. It was similar to the one Seth had across his shoulders.

“Want to work on mine today?” I asked
her.

She nodded. “Yeah, let me finish with this
big baby and we can add to yours.”

“What you getting?” asked Seth.

I sat down beside Seth and Cait and started
playing with my angel’s foot causing her to giggle.

“Adding Angel and Princess to Taz’s
tattoo.”

Seth nodded. “I finally get Devi out here
with me and she spends her time tattooing.”

I shrugged. “Should have expected it.”

“Oh, I did. I’m just glad I could get her to
take a break from work for the time I did after she had Caitir, she
would have been at the shop the next day if she could have.”

I laughed because he was right; Devi was
addicted to getting and giving tattoos.

“All right pussy, you’re done.”

“Finally, have fun, Drake; your sister is a
sadist.”

Chapter 7

Mags

I walked across the hall with Quinn still
thinking about the kiss from Drake. I didn’t know what he thought
he was doing, or what he expected. Drake and I had tried a date
once and all we did was argue about where to eat, what to
do—everything. The entire night was just Drake and I arguing and
sniping at one another. Then in the middle of one argument, he
leaned over and kissed me, and I had never been kissed like that
before, it was like he was searing himself to my soul. I shook my
head and knocked on the door.

“Hey X.”

“Mags, how’s tricks?”

“Ass.”

“Yep.”

I walked past him and found Drake lying on
his side on Devi’s traveling massage table getting tattooed across
his ribs. I noticed his abs and my mouth dropped open. I had seen
Drake before without a shirt but damn, it was a sight to see with
his tight six pack, defined pecks, I was starting to worry I was
actually drooling.

“Going to catch flies,” quipped X.

I snapped my jaw shut. “Fuck off, X.”

“Already did, two blondes.”

“Fucking pig.”

He nodded. “Yep.”

Seth was sitting on the couch with a sleeping
Cait silently laughing at X and me, I shrugged. “He’s a dick.”

Seth nodded. “Yep.”

I walked over to where Devi was working and
looked at Drake's ribs, he had a tattoo of the word Taz with a
tornado, a new one of the word Angel with wings and a halo, and
Devi was working on Princess with a tiara.

I looked down at Drake. “Princess?”

“Yep.”

I sighed. “Who’s Princess? I know Taz is
Jaks, Angel is Cait.”

Devi stopped and looked at me. “You didn’t
tell her?”

“I didn’t see the point; don’t need anyone’s
permission to get a tattoo.”

Devi shook her head. “Such an ass.”

“So who’s Princess?” I asked again starting
to get jealous.

“Quinn,” he responded, “been calling her that
for days now.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stood
there staring at him stupidly.

“What, why?” I finally got out.

He started to shrug then stopped when it
pulled on the tender skin.

“If I am going to get my angel added, might
as well get my princess done at the same time.”

I couldn’t believe he was doing this. What
kind of guy got a nickname permanently inked into their skin for a
kid that had no blood relation to him? I didn’t know what to think
or say to that so I quickly left and went back to our suite. I had
a lot of thinking to do about this.

Drake

I sighed, well that could have gone over
better, I thought. I still didn’t get what she wanted from me. I
don’t do commitments, which she knows, neither of us do, but with
her I was willing. Hell, if we started something, I am pretty sure
we wouldn’t be able to stop anyway.

“What’s going on, Drake?” Devi asked
quietly.

“Nothing, we just got to work our shit
out.”

She was quiet for a minute then responded,
“About time, let me know if I can help.”

I nodded and lay back while Devi continued
tattooing me. The job offer from Seth and Sam was beginning to look
more appealing. They are based in Dallas now, and touring would be
on their schedule, so that would mean six weeks away at a time, but
with two weeks of family time afterwards. My job now was traveling
and never really knowing when I would get time off. Hell, I was
traveling most of the past year with little to no downtime.

The more I laid there and thought about it,
the idea seemed to get better. I mean, it would be hanging out with
my best friends, doing a job that I loved and working for what was
basically the same label, only just working with My Misery Muse
instead of babysitting a bunch of bands trying to get them set up.
By the time Devi was finished with my tattoo, I had my answer.

“Hey Seth, I’ll do it.”

He nodded, and then broke out into a big
grin. “We're going to have fun, Drake.”

I nodded.

“Wait, what did I miss?” asked Devi.

“Drake just agreed to become our
manager.”

Devi squealed then hugged me. “I am glad,
Drake; we can see more of you,” she whispered in my ear.

“I know I’ve missed you guys lately,” I
whispered back.

“Love you, brother.”

Ah I hated when she got sappy. “Love you too,
sis.

Chapter 8

Mags

I still couldn’t believe that he would get a
tattoo for Quinn. I mean, who did that? She wasn’t his, and he had
no reason to do something like that. I could understand getting a
tattoo for Devi’s kids. I mean, they were his niece and nephew, but
Quinn was nothing to him. Devi had come over to tell me that we
were going out to celebrate. I had no idea what we were
celebrating, but I was getting ready to go out to dinner then a
club.

Drake had come in earlier and went to his
room, we hadn’t talked after the whole tattoo thing. I knew we
needed to but I didn’t know what to say, or what to think so
instead ignored the situation completely. Maybe not the most grown
up way about going about it but it worked for now.

“Mags, Ash is here.” Drake shouted.

I picked up Quinn, not really wanting to
leave her but Devi had been excited about going out tonight. She
told me I would have to leave her for the first time at some point,
might as well be when I was going out with friends and leaving her
with someone that I trusted.

I had already packed her bag and had frozen
breast milk in a thermal bag thing, so she was set to go. I just
didn’t want to actually let her go.

“Hey Ash.”

“We’ll be fine, Mags,” was her response.

“Am I that transparent?”

“No, you’re a mom leaving her baby for the
first time,” she said kindly.

Ash was a little younger than us; she was one
of Devi’s favorite teachers at his old daycare. When they decided
to pull him out and hire a nanny for his security, she immediately
offered the position to Ashlen. Ash immediately said yes and then
moved into their new house in the garage apartment later that week;
she had been with them since Jaks was three and had become an
instant part of the group.