Manhandled: A Rockstar Romantic Comedy (Hammered Book 2) (20 page)

I
hugged
Quinn as we motored down pitch black roads. Were there even street lights in this town? The only light was the narrow beam from his bike and miles and miles of nothing.

Finally, we crested a hill and the whole area changes. A streetlight, a few dozen stores, and an old bar came into view. I couldn’t make out the marquis, but felt his bike throttle down as he slowed.

The parking lot was full and a folksy beat streamed out of the doors. I took off my helmet before we even parked. A raucous crash of a piano made my heart beat so fast. “No. No way.” I climbed off and ran a few steps before Quinn snagged my arm and hauled me back. “Hey!”

“We still have rules. You stick by me, no exceptions. I don’t care if he plays every single favorite song of yours ever. That you have to get up the near the stage. Do. Not. Care.”

I jumped next to him and tugged at him. “Let’s go. Let’s go.” My brain whirled with happiness. Of all the things he could ever have done for me—this. This was the one that made my heart absolutely swell. “Frank Turner!”

“Yeah, I saw something on one of your Twitter feeds. He was doing some impromptu show to raise money for a friend of his.”

“And you bought tickets?”

“Yes. Absurdly expensive tickets. Especially when we are in backwater Glens Falls for this.”

“Quinn.”
I love you madly.

Hmm.

Well, this probably wasn’t the time for that. At all.

“You are so getting laid tonight.”

He laughed. “Babe, I get laid every night.”

“Yes, you do. Mostly because you’re a beast who cannot be sated.” And I absolutely loved that about him.

He laughed. “You say the damnedest shit.”

I jumped up and down and curled my arms around his neck. “Gah! Frank Fucking Turner!”

“Then let’s get in there.”

I nodded and dragged him forward. We had to give our names at the door, and then we were in. Frank’s upright piano was jammed into the corner of the stage and he was standing with the microphone stand swung in front of him as he screamed out the lyrics to “A Love Worth Keeping”.

The crowd was a mix of fans and people that were obviously other artists, or friends. There was a decidedly anxious crowd near the front that were singing along. The rest raised their glasses for certain songs.

I knew every one. I sang at the top of my lungs and leaned back on my guy as the most perfect of moments was mine. The night wore on and Frank played deep cuts, bar songs, sing-a-longs, and ballads.

The drinks were plentiful and the stories amazing.

Did I mention the drinks were plentiful. There were a lot of United Kingdom boys in the room. The first rumblings of a quarrel made its way to us. Quinn curled me closer and headed for the fringes of the room.

“Stay with me. Things are—crap.”

The swing of an arm and a body blundered through the crowd of people. That’s all it took. A chain reaction blazed through the bar. Drunk men and women in a small space was always a volatile mix.

A hand gripped my arm and dragged down to my hand. I frowned and swung around. A flash of blonde hair and huge blue eyes swam into my vision. I shook my head.

Quinn.

Had I yelled it?

My mouth suddenly felt dry as dust and the room twirled. I heard him in the distance. The group of people near me passed me around like a doll. Round and round, the room spun like the teacups at an amusement park.

Spinning.

So much spinning.

The woman.

Focus, Faith.

Quinn.

I screamed his name.

At least I hoped I did.

“I’ve got you, Keys.”

I pushed at the soft hands on mine. Those weren’t his hands. Not Quinn’s hands. He didn’t call me Keys. I was Faith. His Faith.

Faith Mine.

That’s what he called me in the middle of the night with his face buried in my neck.

Quinn!

The sing-song voice was at my ear. “Finally, I’ve got you.”

“
F
aith
!”

I pushed through the crowd and ducked as a hand came at my face. I shoulder blocked and plowed the huge guy back a few feet. I searched the crowd for her blonde crown of hair.

My blood pressure drowned out the music as my head pounded.

The singer was pounding on the piano and frowning. He stopped the song in the middle. “Okay guys. I like a good brawl as much as anyone, but I want all the money to go to Richie, not the bar because of you miscreants.” He held up a bottle of Coke. “Give me a sing, not a punch.”

The carnival tones of the song and the sway of the crowd calmed.

I still couldn’t see her.

“Faith!”

A woman looked over her shoulder. Huge blue eyes made up just like Faith’s. High cheekbones and bow lips, even the same fringe of bangs. Not my Faith though. Not at all.

Then I saw another blonde bobbing and weaving behind her.

“Stop!” I pushed through the crowd, then lost sight of them. Panic drowned out sense and I bashed through the people. They pushed me back and a guy that was about six-five swung at me.

“I. Don’t. Have. Time. For. This.” I used my fists for each word and punctuated it with a hit. I took out four people before I got to the side of the room.

Fuck.

Which way? I ran down the narrow hallway to a kitchen. A woman looked up with a cigarette dangling from her lips. “This is my kitchen for fuck’s sake. Stay out of it.”

“Did someone come through here?”

“Yes. A drunk girl and her friend. You find ‘em tell them they’re out.”

I swallowed down fire in my throat as bile rose. No. No. No. “Which way?”

The woman pointed the back door.

I ran through the back door. A hatchback was pulling away as I came out, my gun in my hands before I even remembered doing it.

I had a second to make a decision.

It could have been no one. Just someone leaving.

I aimed for the tire and instead of stopping, the car fishtailed and careened for the back roads. I took off after it, but even on a dead tire she was going to out run me.

“Fuck.”

I ran into the crowd of people and trucks. A guy was standing outside his laughing with his friends. I didn’t think. I didn’t pause. I held my gun to his face. “I need your truck.”

The guy held his hands up. “Whoa.”

“I’ll bring it back. Move.”

“Fuck. What the fuck?” the guys spluttered.

I hit the gas as I was closing the door. Gravel spit from the tires as I bounced up the dirt road. I gunned the engine and took off after the lights bouncing in the distance.

Thank God for backwater guys with stupid big trucks. I ate up the distance between myself and the car and rammed the bumper. The car careened off the shoulder, then righted itself.

I slammed into her again. “Pull over,” I yelled out the window.

She took a left and I rammed her again. Her axel caved in on itself and she slid down the embankment. I slammed the truck into park and leapt out.

“No! She’s mine.”

“Not yours!” I skidded down the dusty shoulder and into the gravel and garbage strewn on the side of the road.

The woman inside of the car was crawling over the backseat, her arms around Faith. “She’s mine, don’t you understand. No one loves her like I do. No one could ever love her like I do.”

I shoved my gun into my belt and held my hands up. “Please. Please don’t do this.”

Faith was slumped in the woman’s arms, her eyes open but not aware. She pushed at the woman, but her hands just fell away—useless.

Fear clutched my chest. I didn’t know what to do. Was she dying? Was she drugged?

“Get back!” The girl screamed.

“Okay, okay.”

I stepped away from the car. “Just come out. You don’t want anything to happen to her right? She doesn’t look very good.”

She pet her hair. “Why does everyone think they know what’s best for her? Only I do. Only me.”

“Then help her.” It killed me to say it, but her color was getting worse as we stood there. I heard the sirens in the distance and so did the girl. “Just step away.” She held up a glove. “If you don’t I’ll use this on me and her.”

“What is that?”

“It just makes her more sedate. It’s just to make her quiet. But I can use more. I can make us both quiet and we can always be together.”

“What is that?” I roared.

She looked down at Faith. “If I can’t have her.”

I reached behind me and got my gun. I didn’t think. Didn’t pause. Didn’t do anything but react.

Her or Faith.

It would always be Faith.

I fired.

The girl’s face was shocked and seemed to fall in the slowest of motions. I didn’t wait I pulled the door open and dragged them both out of the car.

“Faith.”

The cops came up and there was so much chaos.

But she was here.

And she was breathing.

M
usic kept them going
. Now it might tear them apart…
 Guitarist Nick Crandall has one focus in his life—Oblivion, the band he started with his closest friends, lead singer Simon Kagan and bassist Deacon McCoy. After losing their drummer to rehab, they take on two members, one of them female. A YouTube video gone viral later, Oblivion is heading to the top faster than they ever dreamed. If the band doesn’t break up—and hearts don’t get broken—before they manage to sign their first recording contract. (
more
)

Music saved him, but now it's keeping him from the only woman he craves...
 Hot nights with a naughty, inventive rockstar are one thing, but more isn't on the playlist. Until Deacon's dream with his best friends starts turning into a nightmare, and Harper begins to see the real man behind the façade. Except Harper has her own dreams to chase, even if what she’s started with Deacon might be the most important one of all. (
more
)

Loving in fast forward...
 A beachfront cottage, hours of alone time, and plenty of skin on skin action is just what the rockstar ordered. Until the future once again comes much quicker than Deacon and Harper expected, threatening to crumble not only their perfect honeymoon but also their brand new marriage. (
more
)

Sometimes the knight in shining armor needs to be saved himself...
Being the rhythm guitarist in one of the country's hottest bands with his best friend Jazz is Gray Duffy's dream come true. Now that they’re making music together, the time is right for Jazz to make a move toward the man she loves. If the secret he's keeping doesn't destroy them—and their band. (
more
)

Falling in love was easy…figuring out the rhythm of being a couple, not so much.
 Now that they’ve pressed play, life is going way too fast for Gray Duffy and Jazz Edwards. A super hot video has boosted their band Oblivion’s popularity even higher, and suddenly Gray and Jazz are the reigning prince and princess of rock. But as their private wedding ceremony in their treasured place approaches, they realize they can’t go forward without facing their roots. (
more
)

Only one woman has ever refused him…and she’s the only one he wants.
Now that he’s beyond successful with Oblivion, lead singer Simon Kagan is enjoying his all-access pass to the groupie train. But from the moment he met Margo Reece, he knew the classy, buttoned-up violinist was different. After an amazing night in the studio, he’s finally connected with someone on a deeper level—only to have her walk away without a backward glance. Except maybe Margo is ready to take a walk on the wild side…or even fall in love with the one man she was never supposed to. If it’s not already too late. (
more
)

Is it better to burn out or fade away…
 Oblivion lead singer Simon Kagan is used to being in the spotlight, but not because of the epic ending to Oblivion’s last show. That unforgettable night rocked the band in more ways than one, and now the journey back seems almost impossible. The only bright spot is Margo. As long as she never realizes the man she fell for no longer exists, maybe he won’t lose everything that matters due to just one all-consuming night. (
more
)

He’s shattered…and she’s the only woman who can help him pick up the pieces.
 Nick Crandall has everything he ever thought he wanted, but it doesn’t stop his dream from shattering, right before his eyes.Until the person he least expects pulls him back from the brink. Ripper Records exec Lila Shawcross isn’t about to let a hot-headed, hard-bodied lead guitarist wreck her orderly existence or dilute her focus from managing the band. Except Nick is determined to possess her…and what Nick wants, Nick gets.(
more
)

Music kept them going. Now it's torn them apart…
Guitarist Nick Crandall lost the most important thing in his life—his band—just as he was falling in love. A year after going on hiatus, Oblivion is returning to the studio and he’s about to ask the woman he loves to marry him. Simon has spent the past year trying to find his way back to the thing that sustained him in his darkest hours, then grew to be his biggest demon. With Margo’s help, he’s ready to admit it’s showtime. It’s do or die, one more time. (
more
)