Backstage Pass (Sinners on Tour 1)

“He won’t hurt it. If he does, I’l buy you a brand new Porsche.”

“I don’t want a Porsche. I love that car! It belonged to my grandparents.”

“It wil be fine. I promise.”

She watched the round tail ights of the Thunderbird brighten at a stop sign. The tires squealed again as the car shot forward. It fishtailed before gripping the road and speeding into the night.

She stomped her foot in frustration. She grabbed the front of Brian’s T-shirt and pul ed him toward the bus. “Let’s get moving. The faster we get to Des Moines, the faster I can kick that guy’s ass.”

“Ooooo. Can I watch?”

“Oh yes. You can definitely watch. You are going to hold him down for me.”

Myrna started up the bus stairs, but a body hurled from the bus’s interior halted her progress. She caught the young woman and if Brian hadn’t steadied her, she’d have toppled to the asphalt.

“What part of ‘get the f**k out of here’ don’t you understand?” Sed bel owed at the young woman from the top of the stairs. Myrna recognized the girl as the one who Sed had lifted over the barrier about an hour before.

“Sed,” the young woman sobbed, clutching her hands together in front of her chest. “Please let me stay with you. Please!”

“I’m finished with you. Get lost.”

Sed, looking highly annoyed, turned and moved further into the bus. The young woman started up the steps, but Brian grabbed her arm. Enraged, she yanked on her arm and slapped at Brian’s chest repeatedly. Her eyes widened when she recognized who she was beating the hel out of.

“Oh God, I’m sorry, M-Master Sinclair.” She covered her mouth with a trembling hand. Tears poured from her eyes. “Talk to him for me. Please! T-tel him I love him.” Mascara ran down her face in black-tinged rivulets. “Tel him I’l kil myself if he doesn’t love me back.”

Brian took her shoulders in his hands and shook her slightly. “Hey. Hey. What’s your name, sweetie?”

She looked up at Brian and Myrna was struck by how vulnerable she appeared. She couldn’t have been much over twenty.

“My name?”

“Yeah.”

“K-K-K-Karen.” She threw herself against Brian, clinging to him desperately.

He spread his arms wide and gave Myrna an “I’m not touching her” look over Karen’s shoulder. Brian spoke in a soothing tone to the girl. “Karen, you have to understand something about Sed. He’s not looking for a relationship with anyone. He just wants to get laid. You know? There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re a beautiful girl. He wouldn’t have picked you if you weren’t.”

Myrna smiled. So sweet of him to try to console her.

“I just thought…” She took a deep, gasping breath. “I thought…” She rubbed her face against his shoulder, smearing tears and makeup over his shirt.

“What did you think?” He patted her shoulder lamely.

“I thought if I showed him how much I loved him, that he’d…” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “…love me back.”

Brian pul ed her away and looked into her watery eyes. Myrna had never seen him look so serious. “Sed can’t love anyone, Karen. Not since Jessica.”

Jessica?

Karen’s eyes narrowed. “I’d kil that bitch if I could.”

“Not if I got to her first,” Brian murmured. He gave Karen a gentle hug and released her. “Now, walk away with your head high, sweetheart. You survived sex with Sedric Lionheart. I’d wager you even enjoyed it.”

The girl grinned and kissed Brian on the cheek. “Thank you for making me feel better, Master Sinclair.” She glanced at Myrna as she passed, but quickly averted her gaze.

Myrna would love to talk to her to learn more about her psychology. Did she real y think she was in love with Sed? The real Sed?

Or the rock star version who paraded up on stage? And who was the real Sed? Myrna honestly couldn’t say she’d met him. Brian ran up the stairs of the bus. There was a loud crack, fol owed by a thud. Myrna dashed after him. She paused in the stairwel , eyes wide. Sed lay sprawled across the bus’s floor with Brian standing over him, his fist bal ed. Sed rol ed over to lean on his elbow and wiped at the blood at the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

“Can you be any more of an ass?” Brian yel ed. “I’m so f**king sick of being your damage control.”

“Why do you care so much about my whores, Brian?”

They’re just like you, darling, Jeremy’s voice intruded. Myrna’s eyes widened.

“Because they’re not whores,” Brian said. “Whores don’t cry when you tel them to get out of your bed.”

“They sure do act like whores.”

Sed climbed to his feet. He grabbed Brian by the back of the head and Myrna winced thinking her lover was about to get pounded. Brian was much smal er than Sed, who was several inches over six feet and could no doubt bench-press twice his own weight. Sed didn’t hit Brian though. He kissed him on the side of the head.

Sed’s gaze was on Myrna when he said, “I don’t think you realize how lucky you are, my friend.”

He turned, shuffled down the hal way and closed himself in the empty bedroom.

Eric leaned out of one of the curtained bunks along the side of the cabin. “You shouldn’t have hit him, Brian. You know why he’s like that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Brian slid into a leather-upholstered booth surrounding the dining table and rubbed his face with both hands.

“Who’s Jessica?” Myrna asked.

Brian glanced up at her. “The woman who ripped Sed’s heart out and fed it to sharks.”

Myrna lowered her eyes. She could identify. Her heart had been fed to sharks long ago and she’d never retrieve it.

Chapter 9

Myrna rol ed over in the narrow bunk and snuggled up against Brian’s warm body. He sighed in his sleep, his arm tightening around her before relaxing again.

The bus hummed loudly as it climbed a hil , temporarily drowning out Trey’s soft snores coming from the bunk beneath them. They hadn’t reached Des Moines, so what had awoken her?

She opened her eyes to darkness. The bed was comfortable enough, but was twin sized, so there wasn’t much room to move. Fine with her. It gave her a good excuse to press up against the wonderful man beside her. She burrowed her nose in his neck and inhaled deeply.