Rise (Rock God 1)

“I need to get out of here. I can’t breathe.” I try to sit up, knock away Rafe’s hands, and run.

“Gia.” His gravelly voice almost makes me burst into tears because as much as I hate him, I love him, need him.

Suddenly I’m free as he picks me up and sits down, holding me in his lap.

“Breathe. I got you, Gia. In and out,” he whispers in my ear.

I cling to his shirt, listening to that voice I’ve loved forever, my hand on his chest where his strong heartbeat thumps beneath it.

“I have Valium,” I hear Sebastian say.

“She’ll be fine,” Rhys responds, and the whole plane disappears. It’s just him and me. No more screaming or guitars, girls, and cameras. Only us and his strong heartbeat.

“That’s it, baby.” His hand is in my hair as I lean into him and breathe in his scent. Fresh rain and clean, spicy skin with a touch of smoke.

“I hate being like the—”

“You’re fine. Listen to my heart.” I close my eyes and match my breathing with the strong thud. Right now, I don’t care that I need him, or that he makes me feel secure. All I can do is breathe.

“Are you getting this, Sebastian?” Hunter’s voice breaks into our world, and I lift my head, but all I see are amber-colored eyes.

I blink at him as he lowers his lips to mine. It’s slow and calm, almost as if we’re still in our own bubble. I cling to his T-shirt and our tongues dance together. My head falls back, and I let him take me away. If I live to be a hundred, I will always remember this moment when we soared above the world, Rhys and I.

He lifts his head, his eyes caressing mine. “You feel my heart?”

I nod. “I love it,” I say, not even caring what I say or do. Reality can slap me awake when we land, but right now I’m right where I need to be.

He pulls me in tight and I listen to his heart. I survived the panic attack, but the real question is can I survive him?

I should pull away.

He will hurt me again.

“It beats for you,” he whispers.

I can’t look at him. He’ll see all of me right now, and that can’t happen. I burrow my nose in his neck while he strokes my hair. When the noise of the jet returns, he lowers the seat, yet all I hear is the slowing of his heartbeat. I sense his body relaxing, which is a little surprising. Rhys is always on the go, his mind rarely at rest. Even when he was young, he never really rested.

You feel my heart? It beats for you.

It rings in my head. I know I’m going to be mortified later. But right now, I’m tired. I listen to his heart and let myself drift away with him.

RHYS

Present – Thirty-five years old

London, England

“Hey, Granger? They’re ready for you…been ready. You’re late,” Pam yells for me from the other room. She’s Rafe’s latest assistant. He’s gone through two on this tour so far.

I walk out of the bathroom, grabbing my phone, feeling better than I have in years. That’s no joke. Waking up with Gia curled in my arms did something. I got a solid three hours of sleep on the plane, and woke up to Rafe, Hunter, and Nuke staring at me.

After I told them to fuck off, Gia woke up and bolted to the bathroom until we landed. I was going to demand she come to my suite, and nearly picked her up and carried her. But I didn’t. Instead, I let her go and figured she knows where I am.

I want to do this right this time, and if giving her space is what she needs… Actually, I’m full of shit. I’m not giving her space. I let her have last night to herself, but tonight she’s in my fucking bed.

The view out the window is amazing. There’s so much history here. Maybe I’ll kidnap her after the interview, go crazy, and take her out to dinner.

“Okay. So, the woman who is interviewing you is Dorothy Ames, and the photographer is”—Pam looks at her phone—“Lacy Burton.” She rattles off all this shit like I need to know or even care. I glance over my shoulder to see her running to keep up with me, which can’t be easy in her heels. I smile at her. She’s petite, maybe five two? And she probably weighs all of ninety-five pounds, so I take pity on her and slow down.

“Pam, I need a word with Gia first.” I know I should get the interview done but screw it, I want her.

“Oh, um.” Pam’s cheeks turn pink again. I like her; she has a nice personality. Unfortunately, if she lasts through today, it will be a miracle. Having to deal with Rafe is not easy, but when you add all of us to the mix, you’ve got a real handful. She pushes up her stylish, black-rimmed glasses and clears her throat.