Page 25 of Her Dark Angel

I stare at Nash for a moment as his words settle in. Seeing him in this environment for an award show with his curls tamed and wearing a smart casual outfit makes me forget who he truly is. He’s a rockstar who makes music, drinks alcohol like his life depends on it, consumes all sorts of drugs, and goes through women like it’s his full-time job. He gets into fights with strangers at bars and spends nights in holding cells. Nash Beck is a notorious bad boy, and yet, here I am sitting beside him, pretending to be in love with him.

I don’t know much about his past, other than what has been reported by the media about his mother passing when he was younger. There is no mention of his father, though. He’s a closed book when it comes to the details of his life. I can’t help but wonder what could have happened to him to make him act this way. Surely, it has to stem from something he’s not sharing with the people around him.

“Why do you do that to yourself?” My eyes widen at the sudden word vomit. Shit. I did not just say that out loud.

Nash regards me for a moment before raising his brows. “You mean why I drink alcohol, take drugs, and go to strip clubs? Because I can, little devil. You should try it sometime.”

I blanch at his words. I’m not one to indulge in drugs because I have a… history with them I would rather not think about. They can ruin your life, that’s for sure, so it’s something I steer clear of. I don’t mind having a glass or two of alcohol because I enjoy it, but I will never drink so much that I can’t see, think, or walk straight. I don’t like the idea of not being in control of my body. It’s something I have stood firmly by for many years.

Scrunching my nose up at him, I shake my head. “No way. But thanks for the offer.” I want to push him further for more details, but it’s not my place to intrude on his life and past. But I can tell he’s not being truthful with his reasoning because I know troubled eyes when I see them.

As Nash said when we first met, we both have demons we’re trying to run from.

Loud whooping and cheering from behind me draw my attention away from Nash and to the three men walking toward us. I recognize them as Axel, Hudson, and Luca. They’re each wearing a black suit and a white dress shirt underneath, and their hair is styled neatly, compared to their usually wild and big appearance. I’m used to seeing these men wearing leather pants, chains around their necks, and combat boots, so this is an interesting sight.

“Nash!” Axel calls across the room, making the other two laugh.

Nash rolls his eyes and looks over his shoulder as they reach the table. “You’re late.”

Hudson falls into the empty seat to Nash’s right with a huff, his shaggy blonde hair styled behind his ears. “Sorry, we got caught up at the club.”

Luca plops down on the empty seat beside me, his two-toned hair swishing around his shoulders. It’s impressive that his hair is almost as long as mine. “Axel thought it would be a good idea to snort so much blow that he couldn’t see straight.”

My eyes find Axel across the table, who shrugs as if he wasn’t the reason they were late to the event. His shoulder-length split dyed hair is pulled back into a ponytail, allowing his sharp features to appear more present. Light blue glassy eyes blink rapidly as he tries to focus his attention on Luca. “I needed something strong to get through this boring ass event, didn’t I?” As if sensing another person present, his gaze finds mine. They widen when they see me. “And who do we have here?”

“I’m Kinsley May, but you can call me Kin if you want.”

Axel inhales a sharp breath and turns his gaze to Nash, who is staring at the empty champagne glass in front of him. “You didn’t tell us you were bringing your girl tonight.”

Do they know about our deal? I’m sure they would since this is meant to benefit them too as members of Dark Angel. But how many details has Nash shared with them?

Without lifting his eyes, Nash answers, “Does it matter?”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Hudson says with a kind smile. “I’ve seen some of your movies.”

I smile. “Really? Which ones?” I can’t imagine a man like Hudson, who is rough around the edges and sings rock music for a living, would watch the type of movies I make.

“Oh, shut up,” Luca chimes in from beside me. “I don’t think this dickhead has watched a single movie in his life.”

“Yes I have,” Hudson defends with a frown. “I love movies. If you weren’t always nose deep in pussy, you would know that.”

A snort escapes my nose at his response, and I have to cover my mouth from laughing out loud. Hudson and Luca don’t hear me as they continue to bicker among themselves. I turn to see Nash already looking at me, an amused grin on his lips.

“Something funny, little devil?”

I shake my head. “Nope. Nothing.” Wanting to avoid his intense eyes, I turn to look at the rest of the guys around the circular table. “So, why do you come to these award shows if Dark Angel isn’t nominated for an award?”

Axel takes a sip from the champagne glass in front of him. “Our label says we have to. Although we may be one of the biggest rock bands in the world, we’re too ‘controversial’ to win big awards like these. They’re fucking bullshit anyway, so it doesn’t matter. We just come for the free shit.”

“That must be annoying,” I comment. “You work so hard and yet the band gets no recognition for it.”

He simply shrugs. “We don’t need some fancy award to prove our worth in the industry. Our fans prove why we’re one of the best and that’s all that matters.”

The lights overhead flash three times to signal the start of the show. I take a deep breath and shift in my seat. I’m not out of the woods yet with the acting because there is still a high chance the cameras will zoom in on Nash and me, so I need to be ready for when that time comes.

The host steps out onto the stage as the cameras start rolling. He’s a comedian who has appeared on SNL multiple times, so he has no problem making the crowd burst into fits of laughter between each award presented. Despite how anxious I am about this whole evening, I find myself enjoying the jokes and singing along to the lyrics from the performers. Shannon and Jason Taylor get the biggest reaction from the crowd when they step onto the stage to perform—rightfully so. They’re amazing.

Now and then, I would catch Nash watching me with a blank expression, but he would look away when he caught my eye. I don’t know what’s up with him. I can only imagine he doesn’t enjoy these events because he has to be on his best behavior. He’s probably eager to get out of here, as am I.

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