Tainted Bastard (Tainted Knights 4)

I arrived at First Bass ten minutes before the Blondes were supposed to take the stage. Roanna made me rehearse with her enough times this week that I was confident in performing with her. She would have made a kick-ass music teacher if she ever wanted to change careers. Although, I hoped she didn’t. My goal was to have her band opening for mine on our next tour. Maybe performing at the same festivals in the spring. Being on the road with my girl sounded like a sweet deal to me.

Using the back employee entrance, I walked to the green room. The door was already open when I got there, the two security guys standing at attention as the Blondes laughed inside. Stepping into the room, I was surprised to find them still not ready.

Roanna was at the vanity in nothing but her bra and panties, finishing up her makeup, while the other three walked around in varying stages of nudity.

“Why the hell is the door open if you’re almost naked in here?” I demanded as I slammed the door behind me. Jealousy was eating me alive as I imagined the two guards at the door seeing my girl in nothing but her fucking underwear.

“Because it’s hot in here,” Aubree told me calmly, walking around me to open the door once again. “The AC isn’t working right. Harris said someone is coming to fix it tomorrow. No one but you comes back here anyway, and those guys out there are decent enough not to look inside the room.”

I had to admit it was hot in there, but I couldn’t think straight with Roanna walking around nearly naked, her tits barely contained in her goddamn bra, and two fucking guys right outside the door able to look in and see what was mine and mine alone.

“Ro, put some fucking clothes on,” I ordered.

She turned on the little vanity chair, her brows lifted at me.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, I gritted out, “Please, put some clothes on.”

Smiling, she jumped to her feet and reached for the shirt draped over the back of one of the couches.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard him use that word in the entire time we’ve known him,” London commented as she took Roanna’s spot at the vanity to touch up her eye makeup.

“It’s a small miracle, that’s for sure,” Genesis said with a laugh, pulling on her boots and zipping them up.

“No one would believe us if we told them,” Aubree said.

I thrust my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, glaring at the three of them without saying a word. They laughed and finished getting ready.

Roanna buttoned her jeans then slid her arms around my waist. Her hair fell back over her shoulders as she smiled shyly up at me. “Don’t be grumpy,” she murmured. “I’m all covered up now.”

“Give me a kiss, and I’ll be less grumpy,” I bargained.

She rolled her eyes, but she stood on tiptoes to brush her lips over mine. I pulled my hands out of my pockets to lock her against me, deepening the kiss. When I lifted my head, her lipstick was smeared, but I was in a considerably better mood.

“Go fix your lips,” I commanded. “You go on in less than five minutes.”

Beaming, she hurriedly fixed her makeup then pulled on her boots. “Our song isn’t until the very end,” she told me as she finished zipping up her knee-highs. “You can grab a beer or something if you want.”

“I’m good.” I didn’t want to be far from her, and I didn’t like to drink until after I performed. I wasn’t affected by stage fright, and I didn’t need the liquid courage of booze to get me pumped up for a set. I knew what I was doing at every given moment when I was onstage. Just because my role had been changed for the night, and I was singing rather than playing the bass, didn’t mean anything. I was confident.

When the Blondes took the stage, I stood with the security team who kept the crowd back.

I knew my friends were all present in the audience. I hadn’t let any of them know what I was doing with Roanna tonight, yet, by chance, they were all in attendance. Even Cash was upstairs already with his best friend, Caleb. They would all probably give me shit about singing with her, but I didn’t give a damn. It was going to make her happy, and that was all that mattered to me.

I could hear her sing a million times, and I would never get tired of it. She cast a spell over me and everyone around her when she opened her mouth. No one could look away; no one could hear her and not be moved. Not even the security guards who were supposed to be doing their job, protecting her and watching for danger, could bring themselves to take their eyes off her for more than a minute at a time.

Roanna caught my gaze, gave me a saucy wink that she wouldn’t have dared do anywhere but onstage, the place where she thrived.

Just that tiny, flirty little gesture and I wanted to pull her off there, carry her into the back, and kiss her until she was begging for my mouth on her pussy. I didn’t want to rush her, and I wouldn’t, but fuck I couldn’t wait to have her coming apart for me again.

This chick was mine, and fuck, but I wanted to claim her in every way.

Chapter 20

Roanna

The instant I pulled Sin onstage with me, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. The lights, the people, the noise around us—with the exception of the music. All of it was gone. All I could see was his face, that sexy as hell confidence that was so full of smugness, I wanted to kiss him until we were both desperate for more.

The lyrics left my mouth on instinct, as if they were a physical part of me. And when it came for his verse, when his voice was filling the entire build