Page 10 of Poison's Promise

Her shoulders slump, and the fight drains out of her. She looks at me, a mixture of heartbreak and resignation in her gaze.

For a moment, there’s silence between us, just the low hum of the bus engine and Tilly’s soft breathing filling the space.

“Okay,” Rachel whispers, barely audible.

She stands up and picks up Tilly from her pack-and-play, cradling our daughter against her chest.

The sight of Tilly’s tiny fingers clutching at Rachel’s shirt tugs at something deep inside me.

It’s not like I didn’t want this to work between us. I did. I wanted it so badly.

“What’s the plan?” I ask, forcing my voice to remain steady.

Rachel swallows hard before answering. “We were just here for a visit while you were in Missoula anyway. We’ll head back home to Los Angeles.”

“All right.” I nod, running a hand over my freshly cut head. “I’ll see you there in a couple of weeks. Potentially, depends on how shit goes.”

“Why a couple of weeks? I thought you were done?” She narrows her brows, suspicion lining her features.

“I’m going on tour with another artist,” I say, meeting her gaze head-on.

“Another tour?” Her eyes widen slightly, processing the information. “Who’s the artist?”

“Sydney Monroe,” I reply, keeping my tone casual. “Bellamy thinks it’ll be good for both our careers.”

“She’s sending you out with some hot young thing, of course she thinks it’ll be great for your career,” she murmurs, looking away.

There’s a flicker of something—maybe disappointment, maybe resignation—in her eyes, but she doesn’t press any further. Instead, she adjusts Tilly in her arms and walks toward the door.

I don’t bother replying to what she said, because why would I? It would only cause a fight and I don’t want that.

“Safe travels,” I call out as she reaches the exit.

“Yeah,” Rachel mutters, not looking back.

The bus door swings shut behind her, leaving me alone with the lingering scent of her perfume and the echoes of our conversation.

I lean back against the seat, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to process everything.

This is the right decision. For me, for Rachel, and most importantly, for Tilly.

But damn if it doesn’t sting.

CHAPTER TWO

Poison

The roar of the crowd is deafening.

It’s my first day out of the clubhouse, and I’m already questioning what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.

Sydney’s fans are wild, but I guess that comes with being a rockstar.

“Keep your eyes open,” Dex had said before we got here. “You never know what kind of shit will go down at these gigs.”

I stand backstage, my back against the cold concrete wall. The bass from the speakers vibrates through my body, making my heart pound in sync.

Sydney’s about to hit the stage, and I scan the crowd, looking for anything out of place.

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