Hard Rock Unrehearsed (7 page)

There was controlled chaos as the crew disappeared downstairs and the band all raced upstairs to get their gear.

Twenty minutes was all it took for them to get their stuff and congregate on the little stage in the pub.  He made sure he walked down with Jade, hoping the smile meant he had a chance to right some wrongs.  He suppressed a grin as he saw Jade frown as she moved her ass around to try and get comfortable on the strange drum chair.  His girl had been spoiled playing in studios and with Storm Front where her every whim was catered to.  This was how he remembered her starting out, playing pubs and clubs and small gigs.  The rest of the band didn’t do any better but pretty soon they were ready and as Jade counted them in they fell in seamlessly, playing the song as if they had been doing it since the start of the tour.

As Trace had wanted they belted it out and as they finished Jade shook her head and laughed.  “I never thought it would sound like that when I was writing it, but hell I like it!”  Trace grinned at her and flipped the pages on the music stand in front of him.

“I’ve got my voice warm now so let’s do ‘
Wishing and Wanting’
again but let’s step it up a little, make it more up tempo and less of a ballad.”

“How about this?”  Jade tapped out a beat and Diego could see the joy in her eyes as she worked with the guys.

“Great!  Count us in and let’s hit it.”  Trace unconsciously slipped into the stance he always took on in front of the mic cracking his neck from side to side as Jade counted them in.

The song ripped his guts out.  He knew it was about him because his brother had never walked away from this woman, he had chased her relentlessly.  Realisation hit him in the solar plexus as if he’d been hit by a sucker punch.  This was his woman, had been his for a while and he’d hurt her by fuckin’ around with what ever easy pussy was available.  But no more, fuck no!  He was claiming her, making her his as soon as fuckin’ possible and RJ and all the other fuckers trying for her can go and fuck themselves!

The song came to an end and Trace turned to Jade with a grin.  “We’re going into the studio the minute we walk off stage in San Diego sweet thing.  We’re recording this with you and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Pushy aren’t you?”  Jade teased with a grin.  “You could ask nicely you know.”

With one of his shit eating grins Trace sank onto his knees in front of the drum kit.  “I’m on my knees sweet thing please say you’ll do it.  Tell me you’ll record this with us.”

Jade sliced a look his way before she nodded.  “Okay fine, I’ll record this one with you but I’m back in the studio with Killing Fields almost immediately after we finish this leg of the tour.  We might have some scheduling clashes and if that happens you know I have to honour my commitment to them first.”

“Yeah I know but we’ll work around it.”  Trace grumbled.

“Let’s play this one next.”  Givens found the one he wanted and handed it to Trace.

“Cool, count us in sweet thing and let’s hit it.”  Trace grinned as Jade pulled a face and counted them in.

They played two more songs that Jade and RJ had worked on and even Diego could hear that they made an incredibly dynamic song writing duo.  He knew that if he left it they would play until the sun rose.  But his girl was tired and she needed to get some sleep.

“Hey guys do you realise that it is now 4.30 in the am and that we have a full day scheduled today?”  Diego asked quietly.

“Shit!  Really?  I lost track of time completely I was having so much fun!”  RJ grinned.

“Me too.”  Givens and Jimmy said almost at the same time while Trace just glared at him.

Diego grinned and turned to Jade.  “Baby you need to get to bed and get some sleep otherwise you’re going to have one hell of a tough time tonight.  Let’s get your stuff and I’ll take you upstairs while Tank and Tag help the guys to lock this down.”

He hid a smile as she just nodded and scooted out behind the drums picking up her small stick bag and then reaching for the music on the stand.

“Oh no you don’t!  I’m keeping this safe with me.  I’m going to get some music sheets tomorrow, actually today, and score it properly then make copies for all of us.”  Trace growled as he clasped the papers to his chest.

“Lord but you’re paranoid.  Do you think I’ll run off with it?”  Jade smirked at him.

“No, but I have a safe in my room where this will live until we can work on it again.”  He grumbled.

“You moron, we all have safes in our rooms.”  Givens laughed and jumped out of the way as Trace threatened to hit him.

“Guys thank you so much for this, I had a great time.  I’m wiped so I’m going to take Diego up on his offer and see you lot later today.”  Jade jumped from the small stage and Diego took her small stick bag from her and clasped her hand in his.  He waited as she thanked the resident band for the use of their equipment and autographed some t-shirts for them.

“See you later guys.”  He called as he drew Jade out of the pub and walked over to the lifts.  He kept a hold of her hand as he pushed the button.  As they waited he let go of her hand only to curve an arm over her shoulders and drawing her closer to him.  She felt so damn good against his side that he was hard pressed not to just pull her hard into him.

He walked them into the lift as it opened dropped his arm from around her and pressed their floor button, standing silently next to her as they rode up.  He glanced once at the silently watching eye high up in the corner and then ignored it.  He was not going to do anything that would get some asshole’s attention in hotel security who’d then sell the footage to some scummy tabloid.  Jade had enough shit on her plate as it was.

When they reached her room he took her key card from her and opened the door, leaving her standing just inside the door he checked the room out before he would let her move into the room completely.  He closed and locked it behind her and then turned to face the woman he had loved for a very long time to begin the process of healing the breach he had caused in their relationship and to take them to where he wanted them to be.

“We need to talk baby.”  He said softly as he took her hands in his and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the softness and acceptance in her eyes.

“I know, I was going to come to you but now that you’re here it makes it easier.”

Diego shook his head as he drew her towards the bed and sat her down.  “You are so tired you can scarcely keep your head up baby.  I want you to get into bed and sleep and later today we are going to sit down, just the two of us, and talk.”

Diego slid his hands up her arms into her neck and onto the sides of her face, cupping it and lifting it up to him.  He bent down and kissed her softly, just the softest touch of his lips before he pulled away.  “I fucked up baby.  I hurt you but I promise you it will never happen again, I won’t ever hurt you like that again.”  He whispered as his lips touched her forehead.

“I believe you Diego but we have a lot to talk about and you might not be very happy with some of the stuff I have to tell you.”  She murmured as she stared up into his eyes.

“Whatever it is we’ll get through it together.  Together baby, as we should have been for a very long time.  You go to sleep now and later today we’ll sort all the shit out and go on from there.”  He bent and kissed her softly again and stepped away from her.  He put her key card on the bedside table before he walked to the door turning to wink at her before he unlocked it and walked out.

Tag was waiting for him when he pulled the door closed behind him and checked that it was locked.

“Glad you’ve taken your head out of your ass Delgado.”  Tag growled with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah!  We’re talking later today and after that it will be crystal clear to every-fucking-body who she belongs to.”  Diego growled back at him as he walked across the corridor to his own room.

He closed his door behind him and locked it then grinned as he started stripping.  He was going to make sure that nothing and no one interfered with his plans for Jade Delgado, she was going to be his.  With a satisfied sigh he crawled naked into his bed and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

The soft noise ripped him out of sleep and he silently slipped out of bed.  Someone was trying to open his door.  Pulling his discarded jeans back on he sat on the side of his bed listening to the soft scratching noises and texted Tank and Hanson.

Intruder at my door.  Who’s on lift duty?

Checking his gun silently he placed it on the bed next to him.  His phone vibrated with the returning text.

Pete.  Heard noises on stairs.  Checking.  Coming back your way.  Tag has visual.  Can’t see faces.  What do you want to do?

Shit!  What the fuck was this?

Is Jay secure?

The answer came back immediately.

Tag in her room.  What is the play?

There was only one way to play this.

Pete approach from lift side.  You, Hanson from stairs.  Tag from their six.  Move in on the count of five.

“Which is when I’m going to open my door and stick my fuckin’ gun in their faces.”  Diego muttered softly to himself.

Diego slowly moved to the door as he counted, as he got to five he slipped the lock free and opened the door in one move.  The fucker crouching in front of the door gave a high pitched squeak and reared back into the one behind him and both tumbled to the floor as five guns were shoved into their faces almost simultaneously.

“Who are you and what the fuck are you doing trying to get into my room?”  Diego growled menacingly.

The smallest of the two immediately started talking and Diego sighed and put his gun away as he saw they were damned teenagers.  The others followed his lead but Tag’s gun made a sudden reappearance as the guy blurted out their so-called mission.

“Dude!  We’re sorry man!  That was supposed to be Jay Gallado’s room.  We have to talk to her dude. She’s in some serious shit man.  We’re fans of hers and we’re really good with computers.  Like reeeaaally good dude.  We’ve been trying to hack the guy who’s been putting all that shit about her on the internet and last night we did it!  Shit it was so cool!  We like, cracked his code and everything!”

“So you say you are fans of hers and you wanted to help.  Why not just contact her security and tell them what you found?”

The two looked at each other before looking back up at him.

“We couldn’t take the chance dude.  Someone on her team or something is like helping the creep.”  The kid looked nervous as he answered.

Diego sighed.  Fuck!

“You two in my room now.  Pete and Hanson you’re with Jay.  One inside, one outside.  Tag and Tank you’re with me.  Let’s go.”

Diego didn’t give the kids a chance to protest, just dragged them up and into his room.  Flipping the lights on he pushed the kids towards the bed, made them sit then dragged a chair closer and sat down in front of them.  Tank moved behind them and stood against the wall while Tag stayed just inside the door, his gun stuck in the waistband of his jeans, big arms folded over his naked chest.  Rubbing his hands over his tired eyes Diego leant forward with his elbows on his knees and just looked at the two.  They looked scared shitless but still defiant.

“Okay, let’s have your names.”

The two looked at each other then back at Diego.

“We don’t know who to trust.  How do we know you guys aren’t the ones helping them?”

The one who had been silent all this time spoke and damned if it wasn’t a girl!

“Do you know who I am?”  Diego snarled.

The two nodded.

“Right, then you know I have no reason to wish to harm Jay.  I’m in charge of her security and I’m her boyfriend.”

“No you’re not!”  The girl leant forward as she snarled at him.  “You’re with Marcella Vincent and you’re getting married the day after the tour finishes.”

Diego reared back in shock at the animosity in the kid’s eyes.  “No I’m fuckin’ not with Marcella and I’m sure as fuck not marrying her either!  Where the hell did you hear that shit?”

The boy grinned.  “It’s all over the internet dude.  Marcella posted it on her facebook page and tweeted it.  Everyone knows!  You’re so totally lying about being Jay’s boyfriend.”

Diego pushed the chair back as he stood and walked over to the big desk to power up his laptop.  He stood leaning over the desk as he waited.  What the fuck was going on?

“Get over here and show me where this shit has been posted.”

The girl slid into the chair beside him and started typing furiously while Diego stood in awe at her skills.  Suddenly a photo of him and Marcella popped up.  Holy shit!  It was of the two of them kissing.  Jesus!  He had his hand on her ass and was virtually eating her face off.  Where the hell had that happened?  And then he narrowed his eyes as some details started to become clear.  The photo was old, almost three years old.  His hair was shorter than he was wearing it now and the leather jacket in the photo had been ripped beyond saving when his bike slid on a wet road one night and he went down hard.  And then he remembered the night of the kiss, he had been at a party with Marcella and a friend of hers had sneaked the photo.  Marcella had promised him she had her friend delete the thing from her phone.  Obviously she hadn’t!  He'd had the bike accident about two weeks after the night of the party.