Chapter One
Riley
Frank was really beginning to piss me off. I was usually pretty chill for an alpha, but he was supposed to be watching out for me and he was obviously drunk off his ass. I’d never had such an unprofessional bodyguard in my life. He seemed to think because I was a musician, this was a nothing assignment.
“Come on.” He leered at Amanda, the young girl who’d been in charge of running the T-shirt booth during my concert. “Let’s have a wet T-shirt contest,” Frank slurred. “I’ll bring the water if you bring the tits.” He giggled.
That’s it.
I scowled and moved to get between the two of them. “Dude, back off. You’re embarrassing yourself.” Was I actually having to protect someone against my own bodyguard right now?
Scrunching his face into a frown, Frank waved his hand at me. “What? We’re just having a little fun.”
Amanda squeezed her fingers onto my arm. “Um… I’m not actually having that much fun.” She laughed nervously.
“I know.” I patted her shoulder and faced Frank again. “You’d better hope Tom doesn’t catch you hitting on the girls and drinking on duty.” I hoped that maybe mentioning my hard-ass manager might jog some sense into Frank. Most people didn’t like getting on Tom’s bad side.
“You gonna rat me out?” He grimaced.
“I’m trying to warn you. Tom will fire you on the spot if he smells booze on your breath.”
Frank rolled his eyes. “Pfft. It’s not like you’re the president or anything. This is basically glorified babysitting.” He took another swig off his bottle of beer. “Besides, I’m a pro. I can handle myself drunk or sober.”
“Is that right?”
“Sure thing. This job is boring.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yep. All I do is sit. Where’s the action, man? I need some action.” He finished off his beer and tossed it toward the trash can, missing by a mile. “Oops.” He snorted a laugh.
Where had Tom found this guy? He wasn’t qualified to watch someone’s dog. “You know, on second thought, fuck Tom firing you. I’ll do it. You’re done, man.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Frank swayed a little.
“Meaning pack your shit and go. You’re fired.” I lifted my chin and dug deep for my inner alpha. I wasn’t a super aggressive alpha, and a lot of people mistook me for an omega. But I had a backbone when it came to standing up for other people, even if I didn’t always have one for myself.
“The fuck I am.”
I gave a hard laugh. “How did you even get this job?”
“Cuz I’m amazing at it,” he growled.
“Clearly.” I shook my head. I hadn’t liked the guy the second I’d met him, but I’d tried to give him a chance. He’d been a little too full of himself the moment he’d arrived.
“Tom hired me, so I’m not going anywhere until Tom says so.”
“You do realize Tom works for me, right?”
He huffed. “You’re overreacting. So I had a couple of drinks. Big fucking deal.”
“Is there a problem?” I’d never been happier to hear Tom’s voice. He walked up looking irritated and harassed. “Sal texted me there’s an argument or something.”
Frank held up his hands. “No problem here.”
I turned to Tom. “He’s drunk and he’s a perv. I fired him.”
Tom widened his eyes. “What?”
“He’s hitting on all the girls, and he’s drinking.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, hoping I sounded confident. “I don’t want him around anymore.”
Tom looked like he wanted to argue, but then he just shrugged. “Fine with me.”
“Excuse me?” Frank looked shocked. “You can’t just fire me. We have a ten-week contract.”
“If you bothered to read it, you’d know drinking on the clock is cause for immediate termination.” Tom smirked. “Drop by my room tomorrow and pick up your final paycheck.”
“No, no, no. I’m not going anywhere,” Frank spat out.
“You’re supposed to be alert and ready, not slurring your speech and hitting on people.” I grimaced. “Is this how you always act when you’re working?”
He ignored my question. “I need this job. You can’t just fire me.”
“Sorry. But you’re out.” I pushed my hands into my pockets. “I don’t want anyone as unstable as you around.”
He surprised me when he grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer. “You spoiled rich brats are all the same.”
“Let go of my shirt, asshole,” I growled, clenching my fists. He outweighed me by about thirty pounds, and I had little doubt it was thirty pounds of muscle too. But I wasn’t a wimp, and I wasn’t going to back down because he was a bully.
“Or what?”
“Get your hands off of him,” Tom snarled, moving toward us. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“He’s been a punk all week. He’s barely said two words to me.” Frank narrowed his eyes. “Am I not good enough to talk to or something?”
I grabbed his wrists and tried to push him off. “You are so out of line right now, it’s ridiculous.”
“I should fuck up your pretty little face. How popular do you think you’d be with your fans if I smash all the bones in your face?”
Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I held his angry gaze. “Get your fucking hands off me, now.”
“Make me.” His alcohol-soaked breath puffed against my face.
Tom rushed up and tried to grab him, but with one hard push, Frank sent him flying to the ground. I was relieved when Tom sat up, looking dazed but unharmed.
“You’re supposed to be protecting me, not threatening me,” I hissed.
“I don’t work for you anymore, remember?” He sneered.
Amanda gave a soft hiccup of a sob. “Please, just let him go.”
Frank ignored her. “I’m so sick of looking after rich assholes who think they’re better than me.”
I knew he was way too big for me to overpower, but I shifted my position so that I could possibly knee his groin. I figured maybe I couldn’t beat him in a hand-to-hand battle, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. “I wasn’t born rich.”
“You’re the worst kind,” he snarled.
“You don’t know a damn thing about me.” I wiggled in his grasp, but he was hanging on tight.
“Amanda and I were getting along just fine until you butted in.” He glanced toward her. “Weren’t we, sweetheart?”
She hugged herself, looking like she was about to burst into tears. “Please, don’t hurt Riley.”
“Hey, what are you doing?” a deep, vaguely familiar voice growled. ”Get your hands off him.”
I swiveled my head and was able to make out my ex-bodyguard, Blade Carr, striding toward us with his shoulders bunched and his face an angry red. There were two other men behind him, one a dark-haired guy holding a baby and another man similar in height to Blade but more burly. Blade grabbed Frank around the neck, and the other guy slammed his arms down on Frank’s wrists, breaking his grip on me.
I stumbled backward and Frank yelled as Blade threw him to the ground and sat on top of his back. Frank kicked his legs and screeched, but Blade didn’t seem to care. “You okay?” he asked me, breathlessly.
The guy who’d broken Frank’s grasp still had his hands on my shoulders, as if steadying me. His clean scent caught my attention immediately, and a flush of warmth washed through my chest. I met his bright blue eyes and shivered oddly.
“Yeah, I’m… I’m fine.” I rubbed the back of my neck, and the man holding me let go.
“Somebody want to call the cops?” Blade asked, one brow arched. “I mean, I can just sit here on top of this asshole all night if you’d prefer.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course.” Tom dialed his phone, looking rattled.
The dark-haired guy holding the baby approached. “I’m Wyatt.” He gestured his chin toward Blade. “I’m with him.”
“I’m with him too.” The omega who’d helped me laughed softly. “I guess we’re all with Blade.”
“Thanks for your help.” I was still in shock at how quickly things had escalated with Frank. “I’m not sure what the hell happened. He was drunk and he just kind of lost his shit.” I glanced toward Frank, who had finally stopped struggling.
“I’m Colin by the way.” The omega stuck his hand out.
We shook and a shiver of pleasure went through me at his warm, firm grip. I wasn’t sure why I was having such a strong reaction to him. Maybe I was in shock.
Wyatt approached. “Who is that guy? A crazy fan?”
I swallowed hard. “No. He’s my bodyguard.” I grimaced. “Was my bodyguard. I fired him.”
“Whoa. Wait. Your bodyguard attacked you?” Colin scrunched his face in confusion.
“It was nuts.”
Amanda put her arm around my waist and pressed her cheek to my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
I laughed gruffly, hugging her. “For what?”
She shrugged. “For getting him so mad at you.”
“He had no business talking to you the way he did. You didn’t do anything wrong, Amanda.” I met Wyatt’s curious gaze. “He was being lewd, and I told him to knock it off.”
Glancing at the prone man with Blade still on top of him, Colin said, “I take it things went downhill from there?”
“Yeah.” My stomach flip-flopped when Colin smiled. God, he was gorgeous with straight white teeth and muscles in all the right places. It had been a while since an omega caught my attention.
Two police officers rushed into the room, and Tom went to meet them. Blade got off Frank, and the cops dragged him to his feet. He was past the angry stage now; instead he looked depressed and like he wanted to burst into tears. If he hadn’t been such a dick to Amanda, I might have even felt sorry for the guy.
The cops asked me a few questions, but it was so obvious Frank was inebriated there wasn’t much to challenge our version of events. They took him away, and I walked over to where Wyatt, Blade, and Colin hovered.
Everything had been so chaotic when they arrived. I’d noticed the baby, but hadn’t really had a chance to ask them about the infant. As I neared, the baby peeked above the blanket, and I met its little blue eyes squarely.
“Well, hey there, little guy.” I smiled and the baby cooed at me, wiggling in Wyatt’s arms. I met Blade’s gaze. “Is this your baby?”
Blade’s cheeks warmed and he met Wyatt’s gaze. They shared an odd expression. “Yeah, we adopted him.”
“You two are a couple?” I smiled and poked the baby’s perfect little nose.
“Yep.” Wyatt responded, laughing gruffly.
“Cool.” I could tell Wyatt seemed uncomfortable, and I wondered why that would be. Blade knew I was gay; I assumed he might have mentioned that to Wyatt if they were a couple. I wasn’t sure why they would feel awkward admitting their sexuality to me of all people.
Blade cleared his throat. “Yeah, we’re together and um… we adopted this baby. His name’s Peter.”
Wyatt shot Blade an affectionate look, and my heart melted. They made a cute couple, and it was clear they were in love. Their obvious connection made me a little jealous. I’d never been in love for real, and the odds of me ever finding anyone who could put up with my nomad lifestyle were slim. Not to mention I was mostly in the closet. Tom felt since most of my fan base were females, it was best to hide my sexuality for now.
“Did you come to see my concert?” I asked. Maybe it was a dumb question, but I hadn’t realized Blade liked my music.
Blade grinned. “How could I miss it when you were actually playing in my city? It’s not every day you can say you know someone famous.”
My face warmed. “I’m not that well-known.”
“See, I told you he was modest.” Blade nudged Wyatt.
“Blade played your CD on the way over here. I liked the one about the yellow flowers in the jar.” Colin nodded. “It was sentimental but not sappy.”
His compliment meant more than he could know. “Really?” I laughed and glanced over at my manager. “That’s one of my new ones. Tom wants me to keep singing the same crap that got me noticed. But I kind of want to grow as a songwriter, ya know?”
Colin’s eyes lit warmly. “Definitely.”
“I enjoyed the show.” Wyatt looked down at the infant in his arms. “Peter seemed to like it too. He was making these pterodactyl kind of noises that he only makes when he’s happy.”
I laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.” Wyatt smiled.
I addressed Blade. “If you’d told me you were coming, I’d have got you free tickets to the show.”
“Nah. Besides, it was kind of last-minute. We were supposed to have a date night with dinner and a movie, but our babysitter canceled.” Blade sighed.
“Then I showed up on their doorstep unannounced, but there was no way in hell I was babysitting.” Colin cast the infant a wary glance. “I don’t know anything about taking care of babies.”
Blade laughed. “Yeah, Colin had a panic attack at the very idea of babysitting.”
Colin’s face tinted pink. “Was it that obvious?”
“Oh, yeah. I thought you were going to hyperventilate for a second there.” Wyatt grinned.
Colin clenched his jaw and stayed silent.
“Anyway, I’d seen something about your concert in the local newspaper. I figured maybe this was a good place to bring a baby because no one would even hear if it cried since the music is so loud.”
Wyatt laughed at my nervous expression. “Don’t worry, I put tissue in Peter’s ears so he didn’t get ear damage.”
Colin grimaced. “I’m still not sold on Blade’s logic. I didn’t see anyone else here with a baby. And security looked at us like we were nuts.”
“Maybe we’ll start a trend.” Blade grinned.
“Yeah.” I smirked. “I’m not really sure Peter is the demographic I’m after.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, man. Peter dug you.” Blade’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
“But babies don’t carry wallets.” Wyatt twisted his lips.
I chuckled and some of the tension I’d been holding in left my body. “It’s great to see you again.” I slapped Blade’s shoulder. “This tour has been rough so far.”
Blade nodded. “I remember how hard you worked just those two days I was with you in Texas. The paper said this was a ten-week tour?”
I sighed. “I’m already exhausted and it’s only been a week.”
“And now you don’t have your bodyguard?” Colin asked.
“I’m sure Tom will line someone up.” I glanced toward my manager. “Hopefully not from the same company he got Frank.”
“I’d love to fill in, but I’m already assigned for the next month.” Blade frowned.
“Me too.” Wyatt nodded. “Otherwise I’d dig living the rock-and-roll life.” He winked.
“It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.” I pinched the skin between my eyes. “We don’t stay in one place over two days usually. We were in such a rush at the last city, I accidentally left my laundry at the hotel. I had to go buy all new underwear.”
Colin chuckled and it sent a warm shiver through me.
“Sure, laugh at my pain.” I held his gaze.
“I’m sure your fans wouldn’t care if you wore underwear or not.” Colin’s lips twitched.
I laughed. “Maybe that’s something I should think about to bump ticket sales. The people in the front do expect a good show.”
Blade watched our banter with a little smile. “We’re going to grab a drink at the bar downstairs. Would you want to join us?”
I winced. “I’d love to, but if I go down there I’ll be mobbed.”
“Yeah. That’s true.” Blade frowned. “I kind of forgot you’re famous.”
My face warmed. “Not really. But all those people were just at the concert.”
Wyatt chuffed. “You’re too humble. You literally just packed this place to overflowing with screaming fans. You’re famous.”
“I don’t know.” I grimaced. “But either way it’s too bad. I could use a drink or four.”
Wyatt shrugged. “We could drink in your hotel room.” He laughed. “I’m not picky where we drink, so long as I get my booze.”
Blade elbowed his boyfriend. “You can’t invite yourself up to his hotel room. That’s just wrong on so many levels.”
I straightened. “Actually, that’s a great idea. I have a suite at the Marriott.”
Colin didn’t say anything; he just listened.
“Nah. You must have a bunch of people who want you to party with them tonight.” Blade grimaced.
“Yeah.” I laughed. “But I would actually enjoy spending time with you guys. I don’t have it in me to hang out with a bunch of users tonight.”
“You sure?” Blade asked.
“Definitely.” For some reason I felt a little shy about meeting Colin’s gaze. He wasn’t saying anything, and I didn’t know if he wanted to come to my suite or not.
“See, he likes my idea.” Wyatt tilted toward Blade. “You’re just mad because you didn’t think of it first.”
Blade rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Right. I’m furious.” He shook his head.
“I’ll let Tom know what we’re doing. He might want to join us. Hope that’s okay?”
Blade wrinkled his brow. “As I recall he didn’t like me much.”
I lifted one shoulder. “That’s just how Tom is with anyone new. Don’t take it personally.” I leaned toward them and whispered, “It’s the Marriott right down the street. I should be out of here in about ten minutes.”
Colin met my gaze, and his expression was odd. “Maybe I should just take an Uber back to your house, Blade.”
Blade scowled. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re coming with us. You’ve been hidden away from the world long enough.”
I had no idea what Blade was getting at, but I knew I was disappointed at the idea of Colin leaving. I liked his gentle omega energy. He was obviously tough, but he had a warmth too that was soothing to my alpha. I was around a lot of high-energy people all the time, and it was a huge drain on me.
“You should come,” I said softly.
He dropped his gaze, and his dark lashes were thick against his angular cheeks. “Okay.” He shifted uneasily.
“Great.” I wasn’t sure why he’d hesitated to join us, but I was pleased he’d changed his mind. It had been a long time since I’d felt this attracted to anyone, but something about Colin made my pulse spike. I smiled at the four of them, suddenly feeling more cheerful. “See you at the hotel in ten.”