GODDAMN IT. I FUCKED up.
Bad.
I whipped my phone out and dialed because there was only one asshole who could’ve told her.
Hank answered on the first ring. “What?”
“Where the fuck are you?” I was going to fucking throttle him.
“Turn around.”
I spun and saw him walking out of Seven-oh-One.
I hung up. “What the fuck did you tell her?” We were attracting an audience, but I didn’t fucking care.
His expression locked down, he strode up to me and fucking pivoted like he was my goddamn bodyguard. “My office, now.” He tipped his chin at one of the bouncers then nodded toward a handful of groupies taking video on their cell phones. “We’re not gonna be stupid enough to discuss this out here.”
Fucking asshole. I followed him back inside and slammed his office door. “I told you not to tell anyone.”
Hank dropped to his chair and laced his hands behind his head. “She’s not anyone. She’s his sister.”
“You knew she’d go after him.” What the fuck was he thinking?
“So.”
I roared in impotent fucking rage, because I couldn’t go after her. I couldn’t fuck the band like that. Millions were caught up in this goddamn tour, and I wasn’t going to be an irresponsible fuck, but goddamn it.
“Follow her. I’ll pay you.” I didn’t have a better fucking plan.
“I already have a job.” He kicked his feet up on his desk like he didn’t give one fuck about any of this. “Besides, she’s free to chase her asshole brother if she wants.”
Not if he was going to beat the fuck out of her again. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with.” I couldn’t even threaten the prick because that’d clue him in.
Hank snorted and shook his head. “Don’t fucking lecture me. You’re in town a fucking day over the past year. I know what Maher’s been up to better than you.”
“Then why the hell did you tell Elyssia where he was?”
Hank dropped his feet and stood. “I don’t know where he is, but I told her what I knew.” Using his giant bulk that was almost as big as Marcus’s, he loomed over me. “I don’t give a fuck that you’ve known that family longer than me, or that we were both friends with Maher before he decided to push everyone away, you never fucking served. You can’t begin to relate. So if his sister wants to go after the half-cocked motherfucker, I’m gonna let her. She knows where to find me if she needs help.” He eyed me to make a point. “All she has to do is ask and I’ll drive the fuck down. For her.”
“You done?” I seethed.
Hank crossed his arms. “Not if you’re still being an asshole.”
“If she gets hurt, I’m fucking blaming you.”
“Blame away. I didn’t fucking chase her out of the club.”
The door flew open and Graham stalked in, followed by Myles.
“What the fuck, Stark?” Graham was pissed. “We got two more months of the tour. You need to keep your shit together.”
Myles shut the door. “Leave him alone, he’s fine.” Myles eyed me like he wasn’t fucking sure.
“Bullshit.” Graham’s hands went to his hips. “I’m not playing with his fucking backup again. That asshole sucks.”
Myles slapped Graham on the shoulder and gave him his signature smile. “Like we haven’t had to carry your sorry ass when you’ve played drunk as hell.”
“Fuck you.” Graham shrugged him off. “We weren’t on tour then.”
“Technically…” Myles pulled his cell out and glanced at it. “The tour bus isn’t leaving for another hour and forty-seven minutes.”
“Fucking pussies.” Graham strode to the door. “I’m out.”
Myles turned to me after Graham walked out. “What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Hank smirked. “He’s finally figuring out you can’t control women.” He followed Graham out and shut the door behind him.
Myles dropped the pretense. “Seriously, you good? Because we need you. We got two more months on this tour. Then we have a year break.”
“I know. I’m good.” Fuck, I wanted to go after her.
“I need your head in the game. What do we need to do to make that happen?”
“Nothing, I said I’m good.” I needed to call Talon, ASAP.
Myles grabbed my shoulder. “Dude, I’ve never seen you like this.”
I stepped back and fucking snapped. “Like what?”
Myles shook his head. “Call André Luna. He’ll find the brother, or her, depending on what you want.”
“Jesus Christ.” I rubbed my hand over my face. “Is there anyone Hank didn’t fucking tell?”
Myles smiled his stage smile. “I can be persuasive.” Then his expression turned serious. “Call André. Call your woman. Do what you gotta do.” He leveled me with a look. “But be on that bus in an hour and a half. You’re a third of the reason this band works.”
“Not a quarter?” I challenged.
“You know Aaron’s filler, but that’s beside the point. You’re too good to throw your career away now, not over some girl.”
My nostrils flared and my jaw ticked. “She’s not some girl,” I ground out.
Myles held his hands up. “All right, bro, I get it, but hear me out. If you don’t want to be in the band after this tour, that’s cool. This isn’t for everyone. But don’t throw your reputation away by bailing on the tour. You’re fucking good, and you know it. The band’s only going to make more money, but if you want to be a studio musician, or anything else in this business, don’t screw yourself by fucking your reputation. You only got one of those.”
I heard him. I hadn’t worked my ass off and practiced till I had blisters just so I could throw it all away. I wasn’t fucking stupid. But I also wasn’t going to lose Elyssia if it became a choice between the two.
“I hear you,” I muttered.
Myles smiled his real smile, which wasn’t fucking megawatt, so I knew the difference. “Oh man, you got it bad.” He chuckled. “Go take care of what you can. You’ll be home in two months.” He walked out, leaving me alone in Hank’s office.
I called Elyssia.
Four rings and it went to voice mail.
I hung up and fired off a text.
I’m calling you, please pick up
I waited a torturous minute. Then I dialed again, but after one ring it went to voice mail.
God-fucking-dammit. I waited for the beep. “I’m sorry, Elyssia. I should’ve told you about Marcus, not Hank. I didn’t want you driving down to Miami, especially not with this storm coming in.” And that’s exactly what she was doing. “Please, call me. I just want to know you’re okay. Hank said he would come down. If I don’t hear from you, I’m sending him after you. I don’t want you approaching Marcus on your own.” Fuck. “I’m so damn sorry I have to leave right now.” Jesus, I hated talking to her fucking voice mail. “I love you. Call me.” I hung up and called Neil instead of Luna.
Neil answered on the first ring. “Ja.”
“Elyssia took off for Miami. She’s looking for her brother, but she’s probably walking into an unsanctioned fight circuit. I got a tip that her brother is looking to fight. How discreet is your friend, Luna?”
“You are wasting my time with this question.”
I ran my hand over my head. “I don’t know if I want Elyssia to know I’m having her followed. I just want her to be safe. She’s my priority.”
Neil exhaled, which was his version of a long, impatient sigh. “And the brother?”
“He needs help. Talon had something set up to get him admitted to the VA here for a psych evaluation, but at this point, I just need to make sure he gets fucking admitted somewhere.”
“There is a VA hospital down there. Luna can handle both the female and the MMA fighter. I will call him. Answer your phone when he calls.” Neil hung up.
I tried Elyssia two more times, but it went immediately to voice mail. I was hanging up the second time when my phone rang with a blocked number.
“Hello?”
“Ben Stark?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“André Luna. Christensen called. He said you need a favor.”
Fuck, he sounded tired as hell or pissed off. Neither of which was instilling any confidence. “Yeah, my girlfriend has a brother she’s trying to find—”
“Christensen explained the situation,” Luna cut me off. “I’ll take care of it. I just need some details.”
I exhaled. “Okay.”
André Luna spent the next ten minutes grilling me on every detail about Elyssia and Marcus, from height and weight to vehicle make and models to cell phone numbers. I felt like I was betraying them both.
“All right, I have what I need for now. To confirm, we’re doing surveillance only on her unless we encounter the brother. If we find the brother, we’ll get him to the VA.” André rattled off his cell number. “Call if you have any questions, otherwise I’ll be in touch.”
I only had one question. “How long will this take?”
“If we’re lucky, an hour.”
“If not?” I was almost afraid to ask.
“If I don’t find them in two weeks, they don’t want to be found.”