I pressed the phone closer to my ear, the noise from the highway and the breeze making it difficult to hear. When Chase’s growl raced across the line, I realized volume wasn’t going to be an issue. “Where are you?”

Reclining against the hood of my car, I kept an eye on the bathroom where Tori had disappeared a moment earlier. “Rest stop outside of Tulsa.”

Relief laced Chase’s tone as he relayed the information to someone else. Taryn, I assumed. I shook my head, because really, what the fuck did he think I’d done, kidnapped their business partner?

“All right … okay,” he said, his attention back on me. “So you’ll be at the Hard Rock in what, an hour?”

I kicked a stone, and the little pebble skidded across the uneven concrete. “Depends.”

“On what?”

Dropping my head back, I gazed up at the cloudless sky. Was the sky this big in Austin? It didn’t feel like it. “On whether we decide to rob a liquor store now, or after dinner.”

Dead silence, followed by footsteps and a muffled apology to his girl. And then a door slammed.

“Did you lock yourself in the bathroom?” I asked. “Because if you did, you need to get your balls back from Taryn.”

“Goddamn it, Logan,” Chase spat. “This isn’t funny. You don’t have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Tori’s amber eyes, fearful and desolate, floated through my mind. “Enlighten me then.”

“You’ve never dealt with Tori’s kind of fame. People follow her. They snap pictures and ask questions, and—”

“Yeah, I get it.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut. “The princess is pretty popular.”

“Dude, you have no idea.”

But I did. Long before Caged had ever played our first gig—when we were still a garage band without a sound, an original song, or even a name—I’d seen Tori perform at some street fair with her first band, The Austin Dolls. I knew then … the girl was a star. She just hadn’t been discovered yet.

Shoving to my feet, I turned to watch the cars roll by on the busy highway. “Look, I’m just giving the girl a ride to our first show. The rain freaked her the fuck out. Y’all can decide what you’re going to do with her when we get to Tulsa.” Chase grunted something that sounded like agreement, and I sighed. “This really isn’t my idea of a good time, bro. I’ve got to find a reputable transport to ship my car back to Austin before we head to St. Louis.”

“I’ll take care of it,” he grumbled, appeased. For the moment at least. “I’ve got to talk to Taryn—calm her down. Catch you later.”

The line went dead, so I shoved my phone in my pocket. Raking a hand through my hair, I turned and found Tori frozen in her spot three feet away, two Dr. Peppers nestled in the crook of her arm. From the look in her eyes, she’d heard it all.

My spine went rail stiff.

Apologize. Take it back. Explain.

But I couldn’t find the words, so I flicked my gaze to the soda. “Is one of those for me?” She gulped, drawing my attention to the tiny scar at the base of her throat. Suddenly, I had the urge to trace it with my thumb, to ask her how she got it, why it was there.

Without a word, she held out the can, flinching when my fingers closed around hers.

“We better go,” I muttered, flipping my sunglasses from the top of my head to hide my eyes. From the sun, or her wounded gaze. I wasn’t sure which. “I don’t want to run into any traffic.”

Wandering to the window in my suite, I ran a hand through my hair, still damp from the shower I’d taken to wash off the long drive. A riot of purple, pink, and orange painted the sky as the sun made a last-ditch effort to stave off the night.

Taryn had booked the whole floor, but since nobody was due to arrive for three hours, it was quiet. Too damn quiet.

Snatching the half empty bottle of beer from the table, I flopped onto the sofa, my focus on the door connecting Tori’s room to mine.

Yeah, that was all me.

Twenty rooms, and I’d asked the clerk to put me right next to Tori. Not across. Or down the fucking hall. Right on the other side of the door. Not that we’d be doing any socializing since the girl hadn’t spoken a word to me since we left the rest stop.

Earlier, I’d heard music in her suite. But nothing for a while. She’d obviously gone to sleep.

My stomach rumbled, so I picked up the room service menu. A dry chuckle scraped my throat, because, who was I kidding? I couldn’t read the damn thing. And nobody was here to see my lame attempt at pretending I could.

You need to get laid.

Burying myself in a willing body was a sure-fire way to get my mind off the mess I’d made of things today. Off of Tori and her silent treatment. Again, my gaze shifted to the door, and I wondered what the princess would do if she heard some random chick moaning my name all night.

Fuck it.

It wasn’t like our agreement included a celibacy clause.

Hauling to my feet, I strode to the bedroom and got dressed. Checking my reflection in the mirror, I ran my fingers through my hair. The unruly strands barely brushed my shoulders. Not my style at all. And if I were honest, I probably looked more like my old man now than ever.

Shaking my head, I grabbed my key and wallet from the dresser and headed downstairs.

The casino was packed, and rather than wade into the crowd, I skirted the edge of the main floor. And that’s when I saw Tori, standing motionless in front of the wall of memorabilia. Every Hard Rock on the planet had one. But from the way her hand pressed against the glass, she hadn’t run across some random item of interest.

My stomach sank when I edged up behind her. Inside the case was a photo of Rhenn, a pair of worn combat boots, and a guitar propped in a stand.

“It’s got a crack in the neck,” she said softly, her eyes never leaving the guitar. “Rhenn banged it on the floor during a sound check when it wouldn’t hold a tune.” Her bottom lip trembled. “It’s a piece of shit.”

As I struggled for something to say, some way to ease her pain, a couple strolled up, hand in hand. I took a small step, just enough to shield Tori from their prying eyes. But the dude was too busy gazing at the guitar to notice us.

“Man, look at this,” he said, tipping forward to get a better view. “Rhenn Grayson’s guitar. Do you think it’s real?”

His girl shrugged, uninterested. “I don’t know. Let’s go to the buffet, I’m starving.”

Tori’s lips tilted into a sad smile as she watched them walk away. “It’s real,” she whispered. And then drawing in a big breath, she straightened her shoulders and focused on me. “I better get back upstairs.”

Turning on her heel, she headed for the elevators. When she rounded the corner, I shook my head and stalked toward the bar. Sliding a hip onto the first empty stool I could find, I pulled out some cash and ordered a shot of tequila. Before I could lift the glass to my lips a brunette ambled to my side. Cocking her head, she stared at my profile. “You know who you look like?”

When I slanted my gaze her way, her eyes widened just a fraction, and I smiled. “No clue. But why don’t you let me buy you a drink and maybe we can figure it out.”