As he should be.
“Hasn’t even come over to say anything or creep on Mallory,” Garrett continues. “It’s fuckin’ weird.”
My foot’s mostly healed. The fury in my gut still lingers, so I’m not about to wave Andrew over and pretend nothing happened.
Alvin’s the only one I told about the incident and he agreed I should close the door on Andrew’s world of mayhem.
“Who knows what’s going on in his head.” I shrug and search the room for Alvin. He spots me and waves, working his way over to us. Halfway across the room, he stops, cocks his head, and points up.
I shake my head and he laughs.
It’s our party. They’ve been playing the new album in a loop all night. I’ve been trying to block it out but still cringe every time ‘Cry It Out’ comes on.
“You sound amazing.” Mallory closes her eyes and sways from side to side for a second. She smiles at Jacob. “Both of you. You complement each other really well.”
Jacob flashes a thin smile. “Pretty soon, Chaser can take over the whole thing by himself.” He slaps my shoulder and takes off before anyone can respond.
“Can’t wait to go out on the road with his moody ass.” Alvin watches Jacob stumble over to the bar.
Mallory sips her champagne. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I lift my chin at Garrett. “Watch him. He can’t get trashed in front of everyone tonight.”
Garrett rolls his eyes but goes after Jacob. Maybe he’s tired of playing babysitter, but fuck knows, Jacob doesn’t listen to a word I have to say these days.
“Jacob better get his shit together. I’m not in the mood for his sulking every night for the next couple months.”
“Are you planning to play it every night on tour?” Mallory asks.
“We’ll see how the crowd reacts.” Alvin swivels his head, checking out the party goers. “If it’s bumming ’em out, we’ll pull it from the set.”
Something crashes over by the bar, and everyone turns to stare. Jacob holds up a broken bottle of Jack Daniels and yells, “Oops!”
A few people laugh. Most ignore him. A few flashbulbs go off.
Fucking great.
Obviously, Mark never had the “you came this close to having the label drop your druggie ass” speech with Jacob. Or maybe he did, and Jacob doesn’t give a fuck.
Garrett puts his arm around Jacob and leads him out a side door.
“Fuck,” I mutter. I catch Alvin’s eye. “What are we going to do if he goes off the rails while we’re on the road?”
He shrugs. “Pray like fuck he doesn’t take us all down with him?”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chaser
The next morning, we wake up to the news that In Your Hands debuted at number two on the Hot 100 charts. A huge deal for a heavy metal album.
“We did it!” The paper rustles in my shaking hands. “Holy shit.”
Tears glitter in Mallory’s eyes and she squeezes her fists together under her chin. “I am so proud of you guys. You’ve worked so hard.”
“Come here.” I wrap her up in my arms, resting my chin on top of her head. “Thank you.”
“Call your dad.” She pats my chest.
I track him down at the clubhouse. “I have news,” I say as soon as he answers the phone.
“So do I. Hang on a minute.”
I roll my eyes at Mallory.
Papers crinkle in the background. “Are you listening?” my dad asks.
“Yeah, I kind of have something important to tell you, though.”
“In Your Hands, the third full-length studio album by American heavy metal band Kickstart displays a harsher, more aggressive sound than their previous work. Yet, it’s a thought-provoking collection of songs that avoids the hard rock clichés they became known for with their previous hit, ‘Candy Jar’.”
I’m speechless. “What is that from?”
“Local paper.”
I snort out a laugh. “No kidding?”
“Proud of you, kid.”
“Well, I have better news than the blessing of the County Freeman Journal.”
He snickers. “What’s that?”
“The new album debuted at number two on the Hot 100 chart.”
“Yeah? Who’s number one?”
I grind my teeth. “Penny Driver.”
“Never heard of her.”
“Of course not.”
“I’m proud of you, Russell,” he adds in a more serious tone.
“Thank you.”
“Getting ready to go out on the road?”
“We’re leaving this week.”
We talk a little longer before saying goodbye. I find Mallory in the kitchen fixing breakfast.
“Was he excited?”
“I think he was more excited about the local paper’s validation than the Hot 100 chart.” I snag a piece of bacon and pop it in my mouth.
She waves a spatula at me. “Go sit down.”
I groan as I plop down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “I’m going to miss having breakfast with you every morning.”
“Me too,” she says softly without looking over. “I’m worried you’re not going to eat enough out on the road.”
I flex my arms and puff out my chest for her. “You calling me scrawny?”
Without answering, she sets a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast on the table. My gaze drops to the tiny sleep shorts she’s still wearing. I reach out, catch her around the thigh and drag her closer.
“Chaser!” she yelps.
“You didn’t answer, so now I have to prove my strength. Come here.” I pull her into my lap.
“The last thing I’d ever call you is scrawny.” She curls one arm around my neck and plucks a piece of bacon off the plate, bringing it to my lips. “Eat.”
I take a bite of salty, fatty goodness. Mallory cooks it perfectly every time.
“I’m out of my damn mind for leaving.” I hug her tighter. “My beautiful goddess who feeds me bacon.”
She laughs softly. “I hope I do more for you than that.”
“You know you do.” I can’t stop touching her, running my hand up under her shirt, over her back, her shoulders, under her hair. Like my fingers need to map and memorize every curve and contour of her body.
“Chaser?”
I sit back, spreading my legs wide, pulling her against my chest.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
“Shh.” I nip her earlobe and kiss her neck. “This has to go.” I yank her white cut-off T-shirt with red hearts scattered all over it off and toss it aside.
“Now I’m topless.”
“Observant. I like that.” I slip my hands behind her knees and lift her legs, draping them over mine. “You’re so pretty all spread out for me.” I cup one breast, gently massaging, and rubbing my thumb over her nipple.
She squirms, throwing
her head back to rest on my shoulder.
“Fuck, yes.” I kiss her exposed neck while shoving my free hand down her shorts.
“Oh.” She gasps as I gently stroke between her legs. “Mmm.”
“Think you can come on my fingers?”
“If you want me to.”
I pull away and gently slap her pussy. She jumps but only moans louder. “What do you want?”
She curls one arm up and around my neck, runs her fingers through my hair and kisses my cheek. “This.” She gasps when I push a finger inside her. “You. Oh my God. Touching me. Like that.”
It’s not at quite the right angle but I’m a creative guy and know how to get my fingers into tight places. I tease and stroke until she’s shaking in my lap, so close to the edge. I dip down and kiss her cheek. “I love you like this. All wet and needy.” I pump my fingers inside her one, two more times. “Hear that?”
She moans louder. Squirms harder, grinding her ass against my dick.
“Answer me.”
“Y-yes.”
“Clamp that pretty little cunt around my fingers for me.”
“I’m trying,” she gasps and bucks her hips.
I band my arm tighter around her waist, pinning her to me. “Don’t try. Feel.” I keep strumming my thumb over her clit in a soft, steady rhythm.
“Feels…so good,” she whispers. “Please don’t stop.”
“We’ve got all morning. I’m not stopping until you come nice and hard for me.”
“Oh!” Her back bows. She squeezes her eyes shut, her head rolls from side to side. “There. Oh, fuck.”
Her eyes are still closed, and she’s barely finished when I lift her up and set her on the edge of the table.
“Chaser, what are you—?”
I answer by ripping her shorts off the rest of the way and sweeping the plate of eggs and bacon to the other end of the table.
She reaches for my shorts, but I grab her hands and pin them to her chest. “No.” I lick her cheek and she squirms. “Tongue. I need you to come on my tongue next.”