Surrender lost souls mc.., p.29
Surrender (Lost Souls MC Book 2), page 29
“Yes, I’d agree to that,” I said.
“Then I need something better than your knee,” he said.
I watched the television as they ran through commercials and more awards that I wasn’t interested in.
“Okay, how about this? I’ll tell you how I hurt my knee,” I said.
“I already know how. It was during a training session for a circus performance.” Kai smirked and polished off the last of his pizza.
“It wasn’t the circus,” I said and then waved my hand, dismissing the argument. I knew what people thought, and yes, it was a fancy circus, but it was more than that to me. It was theater. It was living out a dream, on stage, under the lights, and being the star. I felt like I could do anything.
“Never mind that. The point is the accident I have told everyone about is only a half-truth. There is a much larger story that not a soul knows about,” I said.
“Not even Jace?”
“Not even Jace,” I said and turned my head to look at Kai’s profile as he watched the television. He rubbed his chin as he thought.
“Alright, I’ll tell you, but if Raine hears about this, all the goodwill we’ve built between us over the last week will disappear.” The crowd clapped and cheered on the television, but my attention remained firmly on Kai.
“She won’t hear it from me, and if Jace hears about what I tell you, then the same goes for you,” I offered and turned on the couch to face him. “So, what’s going on?”
“You first.” Kai grabbed the bowl of popcorn I was eating earlier and ate a handful before grabbing the chips and doing the same. Soon he was surrounded by chips, cheeses, pretzels, and popcorn.
“Would you like a bowl you can mix them in?” I offered. I was starting to wonder if he had a tapeworm.
“Can I just put it in with the popcorn?”
“Sure, I was done anyway.” I waited until he was settled before I started.
“The accident wasn’t an accident. My normal partner was off sick, but I think he was threatened or paid off to stay home. The guy in his place let me drop from seventy-five feet in the air.”
“What the fuck? Did you piss in his cereal,” Kai asked.
“So funny. No, of course not. He wanted my spot and was pissed that I beat him out. I didn’t die because we had a hidden emergency net that pulled up if one of us fell. Dying in front of people watching doesn’t go over well.”
“But you still messed up your knee?” Kai picked up single pieces of each snack and popped them into his mouth. I was morbidly fascinated with his eating. Refocusing, I continued with my story.
“I wouldn’t have, but shocker, after my first bounce, the line snapped on one of the corner cords, and I landed on my leg all wrong. It bent one way, and I bent the other.” I demonstrated with my hands. “That line is designed to handle more than a dozen of us dropping on it at a time. It never should’ve snapped. The insurance company ruled it an accident, but I know it was sabotage.”
“Did you at least get compensated for it?” Kai seemed very interested in my story, which I appreciated, yet…it was weird. Maybe he was actually trying, but I was skeptical.
“They paid for all my medical and this new surgery I have to have. I didn’t want to sue since I knew it wasn’t the company, but they offered to pay anything I needed to recover, so I agreed.”
“Why did you never tell the cops,” Kai asked.
“When I was in the hospital after my first surgery, a delivery guy showed up with a large flower arrangement. When I opened the card, there was a picture of Jace with a red line through his face, and on the back, it said, One word is all that it will take.” I shrugged. “The fact he knew about Jace at all freaked me out. We are always so careful and back then we rarely saw one another.”
“Damn, that’s cold,” Kai said. “Smart and devious, but definitely cold. I get why you wouldn’t say anything. What’s this guy’s name?”
“I don’t know if I should say. After I got out of the hospital, I did some digging, and it turns out his family is part of the mafia,” I picked up my beer and gulped the rest. “He ruined my life so he could have fifteen minutes of fame. He did like two shows and quit.” I shook my head.
“I hate him. I’ve had two surgeries, and now I need a third to replace my knee and reconstruct my ACL. They’re saying two or three months before I’m okay, and that’s only if it takes and I’m diligent with my physio. So much pain, and for what? So this guy could say he got to headline in Vegas and then turned his nose up at it.” My hand squeezed the glass hard, and I had to take a deep breath before I broke it. “I try to be a good person, Kai, I really do, but this guy…let’s just say I wouldn’t mind him going missing.”
Turning my head, I looked at Kai. He was quiet, his stare intense. “What’s his name?
I licked my lips. I hadn’t said his name since that day. It felt like bringing bad energy around me if I did.
“Julian Fiore.”
“Okay.”
“What does okay mean?”
“It means okay. Consider it done. Don’t ask questions, don’t pass go or collect your two hundred dollars. Just let it be, and it will be taken care of,” Kai said, his voice calm.
“You mean you’ll…you know?”
“I mean, it’s best not to ask questions that you really don’t want answers to, but I can say he will be taught a lesson, and you can sleep better at night.” Kai tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it like he wasn’t just talking about killing someone. I stared at him for a long time as my mind took in and chewed on what he said.
“Thanks.” Unsure what to say to that right now, I pointed at him. “Okay, your turn.”
“I know who attacked Raine.” My mouth dropped open. “I also made sure that one of the three would never breathe again. The other two I’m closing in on, and I found pictures of her assault.”
He picked up his beer and took a sip before setting all the snacks on the table. It wasn’t so much what Kai was doing that freaked me out. It was what he wasn’t saying. He would destroy whoever it was until there was nothing left to find.
“Does Raine know who they are?”
Like I hit a light switch, Kai whipped his head in my direction, his lip curled up, and his eyebrows drew tight as the anger radiated off him. “No, and I want it to remain that way. Two of the three men were people she knew and trusted. She already had to live through thinking I hurt her. I don’t want to put any more nightmares in her head.”
I nibbled on my lower lip. “I’d want to know, Kai. If it were me, I’d want to know,” I said softly.
“Well, Raine is not you, and she’s been through a lot. I’m not putting this on her as well. I’ll find them, and I’ll take care of them. When I’m good and ready, and Raine has had more time adjusting to all of this.” Kai demonstrated my home with his hands, but I think he meant all the changes in general. Her growth, not just the new walls around her. “Then I will find a way to tell her, but not before.” His face grew darker, like he was casting shadows in the room with his glare. “I will deal with them in my way. I owe her that. I owe myself that, and I won’t rest until it happens. You wanted us to have a sharing session and a bonding moment, then there it is. You don’t say a word to her about this.”
We were quiet after that, and one by one, performers walked up to the stage to accept their awards. It seemed like forever before they called the names of those nominated for Best Rock Song. The announcers on stage made a joke, but I just wanted them to hurry up. My heart was pounding faster as I stared at the television.
“And the winner is…Grimhead Crew!”
“Yes!” I yelled and jumped up, pumping my fist into the air, immediately regretting it as pain shot through my knee. “Fuck” I grumbled as I flopped back down and held onto the joint. But even my stupid knee couldn’t stop the happiness or the smile from spreading as the camera swung to Jace and Raine.
He gave her a quick kiss and then walked up with the rest of the band. Of course, Marcus didn’t bother with the stairs and just jumped onto the stage. That guy was wild.
Jace stepped up to the podium, and my breath caught. He looked so handsome. He raised the award, and the crowd screamed and clapped.
“Wow, this is an honor. Thank you to all the fans that voted for us. This award is for all of us, all of you. I wouldn’t be standing here without my band, but they have unwisely elected me to speak.”
He smiled at the camera, and my heart flipped. He’d been nominated so many times but never won. I wanted to dance and cry and laugh. The pride I felt for him when I knew how hard he worked not just on his craft but to come back from all that had happened…he amazed me.
“I’d like to thank this group of guys right here. There are no other people I’d rather be with and spend so much time on a bus with.” The crowd chuckled. “In all seriousness, there are just so many people I want to thank, my agent Allen, the many producers, songwriters, those in the industry that have helped get us to this point, and of course the fans, the list is endless.”
He fell silent for a moment as he looked down at the podium. My stomach churned. It wasn’t obvious to anyone else, but he was gearing himself up for something.
“One thing that I learned very early on in my career is that you can’t do it alone.”
You could hear the fan area chanting: We love Jace, We love Jace.
A sexy smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I love you too.”
More screaming but louder now.
“They really do love him, don’t they?” Kai said, startling me. I’d forgotten he was sitting on the couch with me.
“Yeah, almost from day one, the fans made it impossible for a label not to notice his talent. He could’ve done anything. He’s always been like that, and it used to make me so fucking mad.” I chuckled. “But I’ve always loved him, no matter what.”
Jace signaled for the crowd to quiet down and waited before continuing. “But I want to come clean on something tonight.”
Everything stopped, including my breathing, as it became eerily quiet. Jace rubbed his chin, and I slid closer to the front of the couch. What was he up to?
“You know, my agent is always making sure I’m in the news, with some sort of drama swirling around me. Some of it is true. I’m not always a good guy.”
He dropped his voice and winked as the fan section went insane. The camera swung in that direction, and I thought for sure someone was going to throw themselves off the second-floor balcony. It sounded like he was at a concert as they drowned out everything else. He waited until the, We love you, Jace quieted down again.
“But sadly, most of the things you’ve seen have all been staged to sell more songs. I’m not really that exciting. I mean, come on, me with a Princess?” Jace cocked a brow and smiled before his face grew serious, and my blood pressure spiked.
“What the hell are you doing, Jace? You better not tank your career to stay at home. I will kick your ass,” I said to the screen as if he could hear me.
“You do know he can’t hear you, right?” Kai held out a new beer for me as he returned from the kitchen. I cracked it and took a swig, not bothering with the glass. I hadn’t even seen Kai move from beside me, so engrossed in what Jace was saying.
“Oh, he’ll know I’m watching. I always watch. I haven’t missed a show he was nominated for.”
“You’re actually really funny,” Kai said, and I looked at him, expecting more from that statement, but he kept his eyes on the television.
“So here’s the thing, I’m tired of the lies and the fake drama. I’m tired of the staged photos and interviews. I want all of you in this room and at home to know right now about something real and very important to me. There are two people in this world that I love, and they mean more to me than anything. One has been with me for almost seventeen years, has lived with and watched all this unfold, and still stuck with me. The second person is newer to my life but holds my heart in her palm as equally as the other.”
My eyes flicked to the band standing right beside Jace. They were smiling and looking like they knew what was coming, so they had to be in on this. I always knew when Marcus or Damon was shocked. They had easy tells. As the camera panned the room, it was easy to see that Raine had no idea what he was up to. She looked like she wanted to bolt from her seat and run out the doors.
“The first of those two couldn't be here with me tonight, although he wanted to be. I’m going to preface this by announcing that I’m bi-sexual and in a menage relationship.” He paused and waited for the collective gasp of shock and then wild cheers to stop.
“Holy fuck, I don’t think this is what Allen meant when he said he wanted more drama, Jace. What the hell are you doing?” My hand covered my mouth, and I pictured Allen fainting backstage.
Jace held up his hand to quiet the room once more. He had to be over time by now, but the camera didn’t cut to commercial.
“He has kept me going through some very, very dark days in my life. Avro Beck, I’m done hiding you in the shadows. I love you, and I wish you could’ve been here tonight.”
My mouth dropped open. “I think I’m going to pass out,” I mumbled. My breathing was as fast as my rabbiting heart.
Kai clapped a hand on my shoulder as he laughed at my terrified expression. “Guess you didn’t know what he was up to.”
“Now for the second person that I love. All of you just learned of Raine and our relationship, and I know this has come as a shock, as I’m sure learning of Avro just now has, but Raine, could you come up here for a minute.”
The camera immediately found her in the crowd, her image plastered on the massive screens, and I wasn’t the only one who looked like they would pass out. Her blue eyes couldn’t have gotten any wider, and all the color was drained from her face.
“What is he doing now,” Kai asked.
I looked at Kai. “I didn’t know about him outing me to the entire world. You really think I know what he’s doing now?”
“Shhh, I want to listen,” Kai said, and I thought I might just take my chances and punch him again.
Raine stood and walked along the aisle to loud cheers. Damon met her at the bottom of the stairs and helped her up. When she was by Jace’s side, her lips barely moved, but I could tell she was asking him what he was doing. He simply linked their hands together.
“I have one more thing to say, and then I promise to get off this stage so you can all get on with your night. Most of you don’t know this, but my entire family was murdered a few years ago.” There was once more a collective gasp. “I’ve managed to keep it quiet until now, but I feel it’s important you all know.”
So many shocks for one awards show the media had to be salivating with the headlines.
“I’m sure some of you even saw it on the news, but I’m mentioning this because it would’ve been easy to allow the tragedy of that loss to consume me, drag me down, and make me turn my back on humanity. I was tempted and held a lot of anger for a long time. On top of that, a close personal relationship with depression almost got the best of me, and I never want any of you to feel that way. The band and I will be starting a help group for anyone suffering, and more will be announced in a few days as we launch this endeavor.”
“Is what he said true,” Kai asked. “I tried looking him up, but nothing other than his music career showed up.”
“He pays to keep it off all search engines, but yeah, his mother, sister, and brother were all shot by his stepfather. If we hadn’t left to head back to college, we would probably be dead too. Jace lives with that guilt. It’s why you bother him so much. It’s not your jerk attitude or the time you spent behind bars or even that you want to be in Raine’s life. You remind him of what he lost and how easy it can happen again,” I answered.
“Fuck,” Kai mumbled. “Don’t I feel like the asshole now.”
I glanced over at Kai. “You said it.”
“Jerk.”
I smirked even as my hand shook in anticipation. I chugged the beer but kept my eyes on the screen, unable to look away.
“I want to tell everyone to hold those you love tight, never let them go, and fight for what you want.” His eyes turned to Raine. “This beautiful woman came into my life, and as reluctant as I was in the beginning, I couldn’t stop the warmth of her soul from seeping into my heart. I can breathe for the first time in so long, Raine, with you and Avro in my life. You make everyone around you feel loved and safe with your big heart and kind soul. We should all try to be as gracious and loving as you are. This world would be a far better place.”
Jace’s hand gripped the little podium, and I could tell he was getting emotional. These weren’t just pretty words for the camera. I’d known him long enough to see through the mask and could tell fact from fiction.
“Raine, you make everyone that meets you want to be better without even trying, and I’m blessed that you came into my world. You and Avro are it for me, and I want you to know, in front of all these witnesses, I love you. This world is better for having you in it. I was so lucky to find a diamond like you.”
A tear trickled down her cheek, and under the bright lights on stage, diamonds were exactly what the tiny droplets looked like.
“He certainly knows how to captivate everyone,” Kai said.
“Yeah, he does.”
Jace stepped away from the podium, and it was harder to hear what he said, so I turned the volume on max. He was whispering so low that the mic couldn’t pick it up, but I was positive he was warning her that he would kiss her in front of everyone. He was taking a page from my book. I got one hell of an earful for doing that. Jace lowered himself to one knee just as I took a sip of my beer, and it sprayed all over the coffee table.
“What the fuck?” Kai and I said together.
The television suddenly blared at us. “Raine Eastman, you’re the light that will always lead me through the darkest of days and keep me warm on the coldest of nights. You have helped the fire inside of me burn brighter and restored my hope. I thought I’d healed from my family being stolen from me, but I realize now that something was still missing, and you are the piece that has completed the puzzle of my heart.”
