“Cid is an asshole.”

Steve flipped her a thumbs-up in agreement.

“He’s also trying to shove me off his turf.”

“While I agree with you,” Percy said, “I do have to admit that you look a little rough around the edges. I’d be completely insensitive if I didn’t offer to take you home.”

“You’d also call me a wimp, and I am not a wimp.”

Percy smiled at her. “Well…not out loud. At least not for a week or two.”

Steve drove her back toward the hotel they’d been staying at. The two Toxsin coaches were pulled up along the side of the curb, a steady line of polo-shirted team members bringing luggage out and storing it in the compartments underneath.

Cid made a beeline for her the moment he realized she was heading toward one of the coaches.

“Kate, I thought your partner and I came to an understanding.”

Steve started to come around the car, but Kate stepped up to deal with Cid. “An understanding would be great. I work here, and so do you. I don’t quit.”

Cid pushed his hands into his suit pockets and grinned at her. “Well…okay then.”

It was easier than she’d thought it would be, and left her feeling guilty for thinking he was such an asshole. The guy was doing his job. He was dedicated; there was no missing that. She needed to see the glass as half full.

“This is very nice,” Percy exclaimed as they made it up into the coach.

“I’d like to party here.” Steve winked at Percy.

Kate sat down on the sofa, her strength suddenly spent.

“Here.” Percy held out a glass of water and several pills. “You get some beauty rest and call me tomorrow.”

Kate handed the glass back when she was done and sent him a grateful look. “Thanks, guys. I’m sorry you came all this way.”

“Don’t be silly,” Percy said. “But I am going to have a little talk with that road manager for not having a release of liability on file for you. Where did he learn his job anyway? At least he flew us out here first-class.”

“He better have.”

She was getting sleepy and laid down on the sofa. There was a soft snap as Percy buckled one of the seat belts around her waist.

Relief went through her.

Okay, it was pitiful but true nonetheless. She was still there, still near Syon. The idea of being separated from the tour loomed over her like a thunderstorm as she drifted off to sleep.

But it wasn’t a deep one.

She needed something.

Someone actually.

She ached for him, yearning for him as she drifted half in and out of sleep.

Syon…

* * *

“She’s out.” Cid caught Syon’s arm as he launched himself at the steps of the coach. “Doc gave her a bag of prescription meds.”

Syon stopped, uncertain.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Percy exclaimed from where he was still standing near the coach. “Get in there, you big, glorious bruiser. You’d better be glad I’m gay, because you don’t know a thing about reading women.”

Syon blinked. “Where did you come from?”

“Called them in to take care of Kate,” Cid explained. “Seems we don’t have a power of attorney for her.”

“And you call yourself a manager,” Percy said. “Kate and I exchanged papers years ago, because you never know.”

“Had to make sure she would be taken care of,” Cid finished. “Even if you weren’t in the can, boyfriends can’t sign treatment papers.”

“I owe you, Cid.”

He knew he needed to question something, but at that moment, there was nothing between him and Kate. He bounded up the steps and froze when he got a look at her.

Kate drew in a deeper breath and smiled when she caught Syon’s scent. She almost didn’t open her eyes, too afraid she was dreaming.

She wasn’t.

He was there on a knee beside the sofa. She tried to smile but winced because her face was bruised. His expression tightened, rage flickering in his eyes.

“Don’t.” She reached out to smooth his jawline. “Smile… Just…stay here…for a bit…”

He reached out and pushed the button on the buckle of the seat belt. A second later he used both hands to pull the sofa out into a double bed. She smiled, scooting over to make room for him.

Now she could sleep.

Syon tucked Kate against his side and rested his chin on her head.

There was no fucking way he could smile.

But he could breathe at last.

Kate’s scent filled his senses as the bus started to rumble. Ramsey opened the door and peeked in. Syon saw the look on his friend’s face. A look of indecision. Ramsey let out a little huff and came up the steps. He stood there, his gaze sweeping Kate from head to toe before he turned around and opened one of the cabinets. Ramsey tossed a blanket over them before he disappeared down the steps.

The coach shifted into gear, and Syon cradled her close.

There was no fucking way he was letting her out of his sight.

* * *

There were hangovers, and then there were painkiller-induced hangovers.

Kate woke up staring at the ceiling of another hotel suite. The crown molding was perfect and painted a nice mellow shade of cream.

She groaned because she couldn’t recall getting into the room. Her mouth was drier than the Sahara, and she was pretty sure it would be a whole lot simpler to list the parts of her body that didn’t hurt versus the ones that did.

When she sat up, she caught sight of the bedside table. Neatly lined up on it were three prescription bottles and a folded card with her name on it. She picked it up and looked inside.

“Sound check rehearsal.”

Three little words had never made her smile so easily. She read them a few more times before finding her way to the bathroom. An hour later, she’d decided she was going to live. She was dotted with bruises, but most of them were on her arms.

Sure better than losing an eye.

She wandered down the hallway to the room where her shop was.

Or at least was supposed to be.

The rolling racks were there, but none of her machines or boxes. One of Cid’s guys came in a few seconds after her.

“No one thought you’d be up to working today. Afraid your gear is in the music coach, and it’s at the arena.”

“Oh. Okay. No problem.”

She wandered back into the hallway, but she was anything but tired. It was sort of strange to get outside while the sun was shining. She’d been a nocturnal creature for the better part of two months.

Had it really been that long?

She opened the calendar on her phone and scrolled through the days, looking at the venues Toxsin had played, the states she’d been through. Hotels were blending together. The trees had their fall colors on now, and the hotel was situated in a beautiful location. She walked past neatly manicured greenways and several fountains. She turned her arms over, hoping to pick up a little bit of a tan to help blend the bruises. But honestly, it wasn’t that bad. Now that the drugs were out of her system, her head felt like it wasn’t going to split. Maybe it was time to go on the wagon for a spell. She’d obviously been undervaluing the lack of a hangover. She needed some grapefruit juice and a detox.

“Hey…Kate!”

She looked up, and a camera flash popped. She blinked, momentarily blinded.

“How did you get the bruises?”

There were another couple of flashes.

“Did Syon Braden use you as his sex slave?”

There was a live-action camera as well as the still ones in front of her. They crowded her, blocking the walkway.

“Excuse me.” She tried to get through the wall of bodies.

“Come on, tell us about it.”

“How about a look at those tits?”

She put her hands up. “Out of my way.”

They only pressed her back. One of the fountains was behind her, bubbling away while the paparazzi tried to pull her in like a fresh kill. She turned around and walked right into the fountain, trudging through the knee-high water to the other side where the path wasn’t blocked.