Page 12 of Hard Ride

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Kyra had needed to get away.

She wasn’t sure how to feel.Excited that she’d had the best sex of her life.Satisfied that Van had seemed floored by it too.Hopeful that this could lead to more.Guilty that she hadn’t thought once about Ollie before fucking Van’s brains out.

Well, that last one was really more like a sickness in her stomach.She prayed she hadn’t done something that would hurt Ollie, make him believe he wasn’t good enough, like Van had done to her so many times.In fact, he was again since he’d rushed to have one of their staff handymen fix her bunk before the rest of the band had returned then put on such a good show for them, that even she thought maybe she’d imagined how they’d got it on.

Except her body hadn’t been able to forget it.Every time she shifted, she could feel where he’d used her so well.So how had he moved on, like it had been nothing?

Confused.

Yup.That’s really what it came down to.She was so fucking lost, she needed to find herself again.Only then would she be able to figure out what was best for her and go after it.

For some stupid reason, she’d thought maybe a long walk by herself would do the trick.

Since Van would object to her assessment, maybe even more now that he had staked some sort of claim on her with every thrust of his hips between her legs, she’d slipped out while he’d been busy verifying the IDs of local laborers who would help set up before sound check.

Lost in her thoughts, she’d meandered farther away from the tour bus than she’d intended.She paused, blinking at the gray sky that promised a coming winter storm.Thank God their show tonight was at an indoor arena.

She missed summer shows, where they played outdoor amphitheaters in the sweet evening air.Fortunately, they would be headed south again soon, making a detour for Middletown, where they’d spend their next break between legs of the tour.

Kyra hustled back toward their base in yet another unfamiliar city.Damned if she could even remember where they were.Maybe that was a sign she was getting burnt out or needed a change.Like the one Ollie had offered her before everything had gotten complicated—some time away from the band, with him, at Hot Rides.

Yeah, this walk hadn’t resolved any of her issues.It had only made her cold.

So Kyra picked up the pace.She cut through an alley that snaked behind the arena, which she could see a few blocks over now.

At least she’d come to one conclusion.She needed to talk to Ollie as soon as possible, and be honest about the new development in her love life.Because if she could make something work between her and Van, she wanted that.

Her heart cramped thinking about giving up Ollie, though.She’d come to lean on him to brighten her days.He was an incredible listener.Even now, she felt shitty that she wished she could hash things out with him for her own sake.Had she ruined one good thing for another?

Or worse, killed two friendships with one fuck that Van was already regretting.

Kyra decided she’d do the next best thing.She’d reach out to Wren and Devra.Maybe they could videochat when she returned to her freshly repaired berth, assuming Van was still busy at the venue.They would know how to handle a situation like this, seeing as they were each in a relationship with two men.

It was a lot more work than Kyra had realized, juggling two potential boyfriends.

What if she could have the same thing as the Hot Rides ladies?Would she even want that kind of drama?

Before she could really consider the possibilities, a noise startled her.Some sort of rustling combined with the skittering of a stone up ahead, as if someone had tripped.Except there wasn’t anyone there as far as she knew.

“Hello?”Kyra called out as she poked her head around the dumpster near the corner, half-expecting to find Van or Kason or some other band member playing a prank on her.At least, that’s what she was hoping to discover.“Which one of you assholes is trying to freak me out?It’s not going to work.”

The clang of a slamming door made her jump.

Was it the sound of someone leaving or someone joining her in the secluded space?

Damn it, why hadn’t she at least told one of the roadies where she was going?No one even knew she was out here.Stupid!

Instead of one of her friends or some delusional stranger lurking in the shadows, she saw the glint of something silver bobbing about three feet off the ground.As it brushed the brick wall of the building, it made the scuffing sound she’d heard.Not a person at all.A freaking mylar balloon.Her eyes followed the attached ribbon downward to a small bouquet of grocery store roses, which it was tied to.A card peeked out from beneath them.

Kyra checked both behind her, in front of her, and around the corner.

Still no one.

So she returned to the gift left by the trash.Had someone thrown it out?Why?

When she bent down, she saw four letters scrawled onto the envelope of the card.Her name.Son of a bitch!

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