Steel 7 (Multiple Love)
And those cravings mainly center around the seven men of steel who surround me.
I’m not little Luna Evans anymore. I’m powerful and I’m strong. I’m a superstar who should expect everything I want.
I wait until Hudson orders Jax back to bed, and then I make my way to my four-poster bed to try to get some sleep. As I sink into the deliciously soft mattress, surrounded by luxury bedding, I tell myself that this is where I deserve to be. I’ve paid my dues. I’ve slept on enough grubby mattresses, on floors that were sticky with grime. I’ve shivered my way through enough nights. I’ve gone hungry more days than I can count.
This is my life now, and best of all, my bodyguards have got my back.
By the time I’m showered and dressed in the morning, my bodyguards have already ordered breakfast. Since my first assistant was caught trying to steal my clothes, my bodyguards have taken on many of her duties. The tour manager, Angelica, has also arrived and has pages of information for me to take in.
“Is this the kind of food you think Luna needs to be consuming?” she says to Connor, poking her finger at the pile of pancakes and Danish pastries that rests in the middle of the table. With her hair scraped back into a messy bun, and her baggy jeans, she looks more like a mom than a woman in control of a world tour, but all power to her for climbing the ladder.
“She’s going to be dancing all day. The girl needs to eat,” Connor says in a way that sounds protective.
“I’ve been told to make sure she sticks to the diet plan arranged by Blueday’s nutritionist.” Angelica riffles through her stack of papers and pulls out a sheet that must contain all of the recommended foods I should be consuming. “Here.”
Connor scans the paper. “This all sounds great, but it’s not going to get her through a tour like this. She’s going to burn out.”
Angelica huffs. “You know what this industry is like. Stars need to stay in shape.”
“She’s in shape,” Jax says.
“Look…” Angelica throws her hands up, palms facing out. “I’m not asking. I’m telling. Okay?” I guess she didn’t get to her position without breaking a few balls.
I can almost hear Connor’s internal voice telling her to fuck off, but as I round the corner, coming into view, he’s gritting his jaw hard enough to make it tick. Damn, he looks good with his dirty-blond hair still damp from the shower and his suit pressed to perfection. In contrast, I’m wearing high-waisted leggings and a cropped sweatshirt. The trainers on my feet are comfortable for dancing, but none of it is classy-sexy attire.
Angelica smiles and strides toward me. “Morning, Luna. I have everything organized for today. You’ll be traveling with the rest of the crew by bus to the venue. We’ll spend the morning running through the routines and doing the soundcheck. Then you can rest for a couple of hours before we’ll need to get you into hair and makeup.”
“Sounds good,” I say. “Where’s the coffee?”
“Coffee’s not on the list,” Angelica says. “Warm water and lemon are good for your voice. It’s going to be under a lot of strain over the next couple of months. You need to stick to the plan.”
“But I feel like death,” I say. “The jetlag is messing with my mojo.”
“Tea, then,” she concedes. “It has caffeine too.”
Ugh, the prospect of going without my morning coffee is set to put me in a bad mood for the day. Connor is holding a mug of what looks like frothy cappuccino, but as soon as he sees my disgruntled expression, he puts it on the table.
“These pancakes look awesome,” I say, flopping into a chair and forking them onto my plate before Angelica can object.
“I guess it’s okay just for today,” she says. More like she can tell from my expression that if she pushes me any harder, I’m going to unleash the dragon of my wrath.
As we eat, Angelica talks nonstop about everything that she’s working on. Unlike Connor, she seems to think that I want to know all of the behind-the-scenes details, but I really don’t. Just tell me where I need to be and help me get there on time. That’s it. The rest just blows my mind, and not in a good way.
I stay quiet, taking my time to chew my food well so that there is no risk to my throat. My vocal coach has drummed into me how important it is to maintain my voice health to see this tour through to completion, and that is a plan that I am going to stick to.
Elijah is sitting next to me, and halfway through breakfast, I feel his eyes on me. When I look up, his fair brows are drawn together over his pretty sky-blue eyes. The almost transparent lashes that give him an innocent look lower as he blinks. “Are you okay?” he mouths as Connor and Angelica butt heads again over the surety arrangements.