Page 52 of Tortured Tones

“What was that all about?” Cole asked April as he rested his butt against the stage.

A sparkle had returned to April’s eyes. Smiling, she waved her upturned palm up and down at me. “This woman is a savior. She just helped resolve our Portland issue. But it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Cole ignored April, drilling me with his gaze. He hooked his towel around his neck and crossed his ankles. “Did you find us somewhere to stay?”

I liked that the band was aware of every element that went into pulling the tour together. Everyone seemed close, a true team, but each member played their part. It was a nice change, and they were more down to earth than some of the other celebrities I’d worked for. “Yes.” I tucked my cell phone away in my jacket. “You’ll be roughing it in a three-star hotel.”

He waggled his sexy eyebrows. “As long as there’s a bed and a hot shower, I don’t care.”

And no doubt room to bring home a girl. “That’s about all you’ll get in this place.”

April pointed at Cole. “I don’t want to hear any complaints. You can thank Ava later.”

“Oh, I’d love to.” A sultry sexiness slid through his tone.

I sneered, giving him the evil eye.

“Wells, Ava is a true asset.” Falcon slapped me on the shoulder. “She’s a keeper.”

“Oh, we know.” Standing by Blake, Wells straightened his spine and folded his arms. “She’s my second-in-charge for a reason.”

Blake clapped his hands. “Well, I’m glad that’s one less thing to worry about. Thank you, Ava.”

“You’re welcome.”

He glanced at his watch, then lifted his chin toward my team. “But today, time is getting away from us. The guys are attending a friend’s gig tonight. Let’s get everyone home, have a quick turnaround, and we’ll meet at Flint’s at nine.”

I scanned my messages and re-checked the confirmation email from our driver. “We’re all set. The van will pick everyone up from there.”

“Excellent. It will just be me and the guys.” Blake half-hugged April. “This one’s taking the night off.”

“Yep.” April nodded, unashamedly. “I have a date with a hot bubble bath and a bottle of wine. No one is to disturb me.” She pointed at each of the guys. “I’m turning my phone off for a few hours. Blake can deal with any issues.”

“We won’t have any. Will we?” Blake threw a challenging glare at the band. “We have an interview tomorrow morning at ten. Remember that?”

“We do. But Duke’s playing.” Flint dialed up the party mode in his voice. “It’s gonna be a big night.”

Bring it!

I looked forward to listening to a different band for a few hours. After watching Cole play earlier, I needed to get my head off a certain drummer. I’d drop him home, head to the office to run over tonight’s details, and refresh my comms gear. The battery on my radio was almost flat.

I’d done some hard assignments that had bordered on dangerous, had pushed me physically, and had driven me close to exhaustion. But this wasn’t as demanding as those other gigs had been. The guys’ schedule was hectic, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. They had their rest days, as did we. Regular medical checks, proper nutrition, and time management were essential to survive a grueling and demanding job.

But Cole seemed to ignore most of the rules.

For the next week, I’d turn up at his place at the designated time either for a run or to take him to his promotional duties or rehearsal. At the end of the day, I’d escort him home, where he’d rack up several shots of vodka, down them, then head out to some party or event.

Most nights he got drunk and brought home some tall, gorgeous supermodel. I doubted he got much sleep. I, at least, rotated my roster with Kennedy. Cole never had any downtime.

He pushed himself hard every day. He demanded the best of himself in every rehearsal, then went out every night.

Was it wrong to worry about him?

I knew what it was like to pretend everything was fine on the outside when on the inside you were about to crack.

Music was one thing, and so was maintaining his public profile, but what grated my nerves was that I hadn’t seen him spend any quality time with his daughter.

Every morning when we were about to walk out his door, Charlotte’s big green eyes followed him. The longing in her gaze for some love and attention hurt my heart.

---