The Complete Rockstar Series

“Callum and Ryan used to work for Danny,” Dax continues, “as enforcers, you know, roughing up the guys who don’t pay. Danny cut them loose when they started…” he stops, looking terribly embarrassed to have to explain this to me, a pink blush coloring his neck and cheeks.

“What Dax? What did they do?” I’m horrified to find out more, but for some stupid reason I need to know the rest.

Dax rubs his the back of his neck nervously and looks away as he finishes his story. “They started accepting sexual favors from the girlfriends of guys who owed instead of beating them up. That pissed Danny off good. He doesn’t run a sex for drugs operation, and it made him look weak, like people could bargain their way out of paying by offering up their women.”

I feel my already stuttering heart take a nosedive right into my stomach, and suddenly have the urge to vomit up my dodgy school lunch. “T-that… that doesn’t explain how Adam got stabbed.” I trip over my words, having to swallow down the overwhelming nausea.

“Because in exchange for Danny sending a couple of thugs to threaten Callum and Ryan to leave you alone, Adam had to do some jobs for him.”

“Jobs,” I say incredulously, “as in deliver drugs?”

This is so bad. Very very bad.

“Yes. He was rolled by a rival dealer’s runners during a delivery, attacked and robbed and left for dead. I don’t know how he managed to get to my flat in his condition, but he did. I patched him up the best I could and brought him back here. Danny is furious that they harmed one of his guys and is out for blood on the other side. It’s way bigger than us now.

“Plus, now we’ve got Murray angry not only at Danny for cutting him loose and now threatening him, but he’s pissed at me and Adam and now you. You’re the only one who can’t take care of yourself, El, the weak link. We have to keep you safe.”

My head is spinning with this revelation. Adam was stabbed because of me. To save me. As payment for my safety.

“But why? Why would Adam do that for me? He doesn’t even know me!” I cry, trying to make sense of something that won’t ever make sense to me with my glaringly inexperienced view of the world.

Dax’s dark eyes soften. “I told you he’s been following you home every day since the first day of school. He s

aw how Callum looked at you that day, he knew what would happen. He knew about Callum’s little ‘deals’ with Danny’s clients. It wasn’t a coincidence that we came upon you being assaulted.”

Dax pauses a moment before continuing, trying to decide just how much to tell me. “He’s made sure you got home safe after that, to keep those bastards away. Callum and him have always had this mutual hate, probably because of Danny even though Adam hates Danny just as much as Callum does. I’m not sure why Adam has been doing all this for you, Ellie. I’ve never seen him act like this. Adam’s a friendly guy, likeable, talented, but not one to become so fixated on a single girl or insert himself in his brother’s dealings. Until now.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.” More tears are streaming down my cheeks, I couldn’t stop them even if I tried so I give up and let them fall. “I had no idea about any of this.”

“I know. It’s not your fault, Ellie. Callum and Ryan made their choices and Adam and I made ours.” He stands up and walks to the front door, not looking back as he finishes speaking. “Let Adam know I’ll be back later with food, and Ellie … welcome to the East End.”

7

Adam

I ended up missing a week of school, which meant Dax had to take my place making sure Ellie got home safely. Thankfully, he brought her to my crappy flat every day instead of hers, as she insisted on being my personal nurse, hovering over me and checking on my stab wound to make sure it doesn’t get infected. Just seeing her made me feel better even if the actual wound still hurt like hell.

Danny hasn’t stopped by or even sent anyone to see if I’m going to live. Not that I expected him to, stupid bastard. I’m just lucky he hates Callum Murray as much as I do, so he’ll keep the pressure on them to stay away from Ellie. Of course, he still makes me pay him to do it. Everything with Danny comes with a price.

Ellie hasn’t brought up the kiss from the other day, and neither have I. I swear, we must be the crappiest communicators ever. Having her near me is like the sweetest pleasure wrapped around the worst torture I can think of. Every thought I have consists of me touching her, kissing her, and God help me, having her naked beneath me. Each one of her gentle caresses when she checks my bandage both hurts like hell and sends an amazing sensation to my cock at the same time. I feel like a shitty person for even having that reaction to her kindness.

“Adam, are you okay?”

I snap out of my daydream, focusing on Ellie as we ride the tube to the Drunken Kitten for my gig tonight, my side painful but mended just enough to not miss work. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m brilliant, El. All healed up, no worries.” Jesus, I’m such a stupid arse. No wonder she hasn’t brought up the kiss or tried for a repeat.

“Seriously, are you alright with me coming with you? I don’t want to get in the way.” Ellie’s cheeks glow with streaks of red, and she stares down at the ground, worrying her hands together before chewing on one of her thumbnails.

“In the way? Fuck no, El. I want you there.” I take her hand in mine and remove it from those plump lips, secretly loving how it feels to hold her skin to skin. “If you weren’t with me, I’d be worried that you weren’t safe so it’s better this way.” Idiot, now I’m using the excuse of protecting her to keep her around me all the time. I want to kick my own arse for not just telling her that I need her, not for her safety but for me.

Ellie lifts her head, just enough so I can see the edge of one blue eye and the corner of her mouth as it lifts up into a smile, her blonde hair tumbling over one shoulder in soft waves of vanilla. “You’d worry about me? That’s rubbish and you know it. You’re the one who got jumped and stabbed. Maybe I should worry about you.”

“Maybe you should,” I mumble, more to myself than to Ellie. Her head comes up the rest of the way and she turns to face me, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Maybe I do,” she whispers back.

I swallow, mesmerized by her gorgeous face and the way she’s staring at me. I study those eyes of hers, deep cerulean blue with shards of icy steel grey in them. Neither of us can look away even though it should be getting awkward with us gawking openly at each other. But it’s not, both of us are equally entranced by the magnetic pull that seems to exist between us.

“This is King’s Cross.” The Underground announcement shakes us out of our little bubble.