Hillbilly Rockstar (Blacktop Cowboys 6)

After their encore, Tay approached him. “Dev, I need to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“It’s personal.”

He moved to the edge of the stage to hand Check his instrument.

“Crying to Devin, are you?” Jase taunted behind them. “Typical of you, Tay. You’ve never been able to fight your own battles or even make your own decisions.”

Tay whirled around and shouted, “Shut up! This doesn’t concern you.”

Jase all but threw his favorite guitar at Check. “The f**k it doesn’t. And, bitch, if you’re gonna be badmouthing me to Devin, I got a right to defend myself. And I have a goddamn say in this decision. This affects me too.”

“Bitch?” Tay yelled. “Bitch?” Each time she yelled louder. “I haven’t begun to show you my bitchy side, ass**le. God. I f**king hate you. What did I ever see in you?”

“Back atcha, babe. But the truth is, you were too busy trying to stuff my c**k in you at every opportunity to ever really look at me.”

Jesus. Not again with these two. Always going for the low blow.

“And look where that got us!” Tay picked up a microphone stand and swung it with all her might at Jase’s head.

Jase ducked, but the corner of the base caught the edge of the riser and bounced back. It would’ve clipped Devin in the face if not for Liberty’s quick action—snagging it midair and knocking it to the ground.

Odette, Steve, Gage and Leon looked at her like she’d morphed into a superhero, but that reaction was short-lived when Crash stepped between Tay and Jase, bellowing, “Enough! Everyone’s got shit to do. Get it f**kin’ done. Now.”

Tay burst into tears, which brought Odette to her side.

None of the rest of the band moved, but the crew scattered.

“She has a legitimate reason for being upset.” Odette put her arm around Tay and glared at Jase. Then at Steve for good measure.

Crash threw up his hands. “I warned you two.” He pointed to Tay and Jase. “Get it figured out—how to work together after you’ve stopped f**king—because I sure as f**k am not putting up with this bullshit the rest of the goddamn tour. You work for him.” He jerked his thumb at Devin. “But as tour manager, I have total hiring and firing discretion, and I will happily can both of your asses if you don’t start acting like professionals instead of lovelorn teenagers. Got me?”

Jase walked away, and the rest of the guys followed.

Crash said, “Dev, I need you to check out a couple of things during teardown before the buses take off.”

“Fine.”

Tay gave Devin a tear-filled look as Crash lumbered off.

Fuck. He hated being in the middle of this. He spun around, right into Liberty.

She set her hand on his chest and raised both eyebrows.

“Don’t ask. Ain’t the first time they’ve dragged everyone into their shit, and it won’t be the last.”

“Will Crash really fire them?”

“I’d say no, but between the extra security concerns and working with ten different opening acts for this leg of the tour, he’s hanging on by a thread.”

“I thought bands’ fighting was made up to sell more records.”

“Not hardly.” He placed his hand over hers on his chest. “Thanks for keeping me from getting a blow to the head.”

“That’s my job.”

He wished it weren’t. He wished he could pull her into his arms, drag her back to the bus and lose himself in her for a few hours. “I can’t wait to be alone with you tonight.”

“Same here. But we are going to talk first, right?”

“Devin? I still need to talk to you,” Tay said behind him.

“About what?”

“I’m not being a drama queen when I say I can’t stay on the bus with Jase tonight. I can’t.”

Devin turned around. “Tay—”

“I’m serious this time. I’ll quit the tour before Crash can fire me if he tries to make me ride on the band bus.”

“What do you want me to do?”

Tay wiped her tears. “Let me stay with you on your bus. Just for one night. Please. I’ll sleep on the couch. Or on the floor. But I can’t . . . handle being around Jase.”

“What about tomorrow night? And the night after that?” he demanded. “This problem ain’t goin’ away.”

“I know. But he’s pressuring me. We’re together all the time, so I don’t have a moment’s peace just to think.”

Devin loomed over her. “If you’re asking this because you want Jase to believe you’re in my bed—”

“Puh-leez,” Odette inserted with a snort. “That’d be a little crowded since we all know Liberty is in your bed.”

He counted to ten. “I’ll be sorry that I asked, but I need to know what’s goin’ on between you and Jase this time.”

Tay looked at Odette and then burst into tears again. “I’m pregnant.”

His jaw dropped.

“Yes, Jase is the father.” She inhaled a shuddering breath. “You saw how he was tonight. Can you blame me for being unsure about whether I want to keep it?”

Devin put his hands up. “I am not takin’ sides on this. You’ve got one night, Tay. One. Tomorrow night you’re either back on the band bus or off the tour. Got it?”