Liquid Redemption (Liquid Regret Book 4) Read online

  The brunette can wait. Hell, I can’t remember her name anyway. I invited my neighbor over, promising a good time and I’m sure he’ll keep her busy while I’m gone.

  Pulling into the driveway, I almost laugh. The only press in his yard is that tiny reporter that I’ve had dreams of strangling. She stands in a face-off with Max, toe to toe with his large frame towering over her. There is no intimidation in her posture at all. This chick has balls. I can’t help but respect that. I almost laugh when she sits down at Max’s feet and he looks stunned. She’s refusing to leave so she makes herself comfortable. When he sits down, even his bodyguard chuckles next to me.

  Before the car is fully in park, I jump out and race toward the walkway. “Go inside, Max.” I try to stand over the reporter, shielding him. “And you, get up. This horse and pony show is over.”

  “Wow. I didn’t realize when you called security that you’d have such a scary bodyguard. You get to be in the band and be all bad and threatening. Multi-tasker. I like it.” Katrina stands up and looks up at me. Brass balls! “Care to comment on the events of the day?”

  “Get inside,” I bark at Rachel, who has now joined the chaos. She salutes me, causing Katrina to laugh. “Rachel, I’m not playing. Get your ass inside.”

  “Rachel who?” Katrina tries to walk toward Max but I grab her arm. “Let go of me, Chance. I’m not one of your play things you can manhandle.”

  “If you were, babe, you’d like being manhandled. Only problem is I try not to bed anything toxic. So, you’re safe.”

  “Keep telling yourself that’s the reason you won’t bed me.” She straightens her hair and glares at me. There’s something about her that stirs the most primal part of me but I push it aside. This woman is not one to mess with. She could ruin my career in just one night.

  “Sweetheart, I think it’s time to leave. There’s nothing left to see here.” I motion for the driveway but she hesitates. “Do you need me to see you out? I’m nothing if not a gentleman.”

  She groans. My body is at instant attention. I shift from foot to foot, hoping she doesn’t notice what that sound did to me. I take a deep breath and look away.

  “Chance?” She snaps her fingers in my face. “Talk some sense into him. I can tell the story he wants to have told. I can write his side and not what the other reporters will write.”

  “Why would you want to do that? You’ve been a pain in our asses for months. Why now?”

  She looks away. It’s the first time I’ve seen her show any kind of emotion. “I know something about having a shitty childhood. Starting tomorrow, it’s going to be a feeding frenzy. The press is going to tell whatever story they want. He deserves a chance to show what a piece of shit his dad is and make sure people know he was a victim and not part of the problem.”

  The word victim stirs an anger in me I haven’t felt in a long time. “He’s not a victim. Take your recorder and go.”

  She shakes her head and leaves without another word. I watch as she walks away. This woman seems so familiar and I can’t help but watch as she climbs into the driver’s seat of a pick-up truck and leaves. She’s gorgeous, regardless of what a bitch she is.

  “That bitch!” I throw the newspaper across the kitchen table. “Katrina can kiss my ass.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask.” Last night’s conquest, Julie maybe, sits on the kitchen counter drinking a glass of orange juice. Why is she still here? I’ll let them stay the night. I’m a gentleman that way. And I’m never quite done with them. I may need to use them again. I usually wake them up a few times during the night. But they do not stay for breakfast.

  “Isn’t it about time we put that sexy ass of yours into a cab?” I take the juice from her hands. “I’ve got rehearsal and I need to get going.”

  “Can I go with you?” For fuck sake, she used baby talk.

  “Sorry, doll. Band rehearsal isn’t open to the public. Go get dressed.”

  She hops off the counter and slinks toward the stairs. She glances back over her shoulder and winks. I’m over her. She needs to go. I have other things on my mind. I wave her along and sit back down at the table.

  “Liquid Regret on the brink of breakup after bombshell about drummer’s true identity.” I can’t read any further. This is bullshit. Every single word is bullshit. She’s the worst kind of reporter. I loathe the paparazzi. And there’s something about her that gets my blood boiling. Offering to help us. What a joke!

  Joshua said to ignore the press but I can’t. This woman has gotten under my skin.

  “LA Daily. How may I help you?”

  “Katrina King Please.” I spit her name like it’s poison in my mouth.

  “I’m sorry, Sir. She’s in a meeting. Can I take a message?”

  “No you cannot take a message. Get her out of the meeting. This is Lennon Chancellor. She’ll want to talk to me.”

  There’s silence on the line and then muffled whispers. That’s right, babe. Get off your ass and go find her. I’m losing patience quickly.

  “Katrina King.” Her breathless voice catches me off guard. She must have run to the phone but all I can picture is her underneath me, that voice begging for more. Jesus. What the hell is wrong with me?

  “I think you should invest in a fact checker. Doesn’t your gossip rag employ one of those? Or are you just begging to be sued?” I crumple the paper in my fist.

  “Are you offering an exclusive or are you just wasting my time with idle threats?”

  “Doll, I am never a waste of time. Care to find out?” I smile to myself, hoping she’ll bite.

  “I have about five minutes free next Wednesday. You won’t need any longer than that, will you, Chance? You seem like a five-minute kind of guy.”

  “Sticks and stones, King. Didn’t anyone ever tell you words can hurt?” I fake a sniffle and she giggles. “For the record, even if it is five minutes, it will be the most amazing five minutes of your life.”

  “Listen, Chance, as tingly as that makes me, I’ve got work to do. I have a musician to stalk. If you want to make sure I get the story straight, perhaps you should schedule an appointment with my assistant. I’ll clear my schedule. Short of that, I can’t help you.” She hangs up on me.

  “Infuriating woman!” I yell. Julie jumps. I hadn’t heard her come back downstairs. “Sorry.”

  “Can I see you again?” She touches the front of my boxers but I’m too angry to care.

  “Leave your digits. I’ll call you.”

  As she programs her number into my phone, I have a slight pang of guilt. I’ll never call her. She’s gorgeous and one hell of a lay. But my life was decided long ago. There is no room for anyone who is important. I’ll be single forever and no one can change my mind. The day I lost Kat was the day I shut my feelings off.

  Chapter 4

  My heart has been in my throat for days. This is the story of a lifetime but I don’t think I can tell it. My past has defined every second of my life. It’s the reason I hate men, the reason I’m so bitter, the reason I live in fear of getting close to anyone. My father was a drunk and he knocked us around more times than I care to admit. When I was twelve, he killed my mother in a drunken rage after finding out she’d spent some of the rent money on a dress for my seventh grade dance. Then he left. I’ve blamed myself every second since. It was my first dance and I’d been asked by the cutest boy in the seventh grade. I never made it to the dance. The next day, I was thrown into foster care and I spent the next six years being tossed around from group home to foster home.

  Seeing the pain on Max’s face almost brings me to my knees. For once, I’m having a hard time caring about the story. All I want to do is run to him and hug him. I feel like such an asshole. I pushed and pushed and he cracked. Sure, that’s what I do for a living but I had no idea how much darkness was behind that cool exterior of his. I need to make this up to him. I need to tell the whole story. I need to make Max forgive me.

  I offered to tell the story in Max’s words.
He refused and Chance shut it down the minute I said victim. I called Joshua Seymour and offered the same thing. He has yet to return my call. I understand the press has a reputation of being toxic. There’s nothing I can do to change that assumption except prove them wrong.

  “What’s going on?” My roommate Rachael Yunk takes the milk out of the fridge and looks at me. “You look pale. You feeling ok?”

  “I don’t know what to do, Ray. I want to help Max but he won’t let me in.”

  Ray shakes her head. She knows me better than anyone in the world. We met freshman year of college. I had gotten a scholarship from the state of California. That was the first perk of being in the foster care system. She’d been thrown around from family to family after she’d turned fifteen and understood not having a home. We had an instant connection and spent our days at college joined at the hip. We shared an apartment and it was the first time we’d had a real home in years. She’s my rock and I can’t imagine one day without her.

  “I don’t think you can save him. I know you want to but you’re beating yourself up over something that isn’t your fault or your responsibility. You need to find a way to let it go.”

  “I know you’re right.” I put my face into my hands. “You’re always right.”

  She shrugs, “It’s a gift.”

  The ringing of my phone startles me. It’s a private number but I answer it anyway.

  “Is this Miss King?” The deep voice is sexy and my eyes widen when Ray looks at me.

  “This is Katrina.”

  “Katrina, this is Joshua Seymour. I understand you have offered to do an exclusive interview with Max. I’d like to discuss the terms of this offer.”

  “Yes, sir. I would love to.” I walk out of the kitchen to pick up my notebook. Is this really happening?

  “We’d like to hire you to go on the last leg of the tour with us. We want someone on the inside who can write a human interest story, featuring Max. We want only positive press and every story will be an exclusive for you. Stories have to be run by me prior to publication. Max has agreed to share his story with only one reporter and I think you’re the woman for the job.”

  I’m stunned. “I’d have to run it past my boss.”

  “I already have.” Joshua clears his throat. “We leave tomorrow and all your travel accommodations will be covered by the label. You’ll have a daily spending allowance for meals and we have offered to double the salary you make while you’re on the road.”

  “Is this a joke?” This certainly can’t be real.

  “I never joke about business, Miss King. You’ll have full access to the band and no restrictions on what you write. However, as I said before, I will have the final approvals on any stories that go to press. You will also have to sign a confidentially agreement and a contract to be under the employ of the label while on tour. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” I can’t think of anything else to say.

  “These men have been through enough. They deserve some good press. Pack your bags, Miss King. We’ll be on the road for four weeks. I’ll have a car pick you up at six in the morning.”

  I didn’t sleep at all. My heart has been pounding in my chest since the second I hung up the phone. This is every reporter’s dream. Full access to the most popular band in the country is not something that happens to someone like me. My name will be in newspapers and magazines all over the world. I’ll finally become a reputable source of information and can actually leave my rag of a paper behind and do something important with my words.

  I roll my luggage to the front door and look out the window just as the chauffer knocks. I open the door quietly so I don’t wake Rachael. The driver just nods at me and he takes my luggage out to the car.

  I can’t stop fidgeting in the back seat. If I’m completely honest with myself, it’s not just nerves. The thought of spending a month on the road with this incredible group of men has my mind wandering. I’ve idolized Harley from the very beginning and watching him go through hell and back inspired me. I want to rescue Max and I want to get to know Joshua better. That voice of his haunted me all night.

  Being in close proximity to Chance is the only downfall. I’ve never met anyone more full of themselves in all my life. I want to smack that smug look off his face. I don’t know what women see in him. How can any woman have any self-respect after a night under him? I get the appeal of celebrities but aren’t there other men who aren’t cavemen who would be a better choice? I’m not sure how I’ll be objective writing about him. It will be a true test of professionalism.

  Joshua meets me outside the bus and shakes my hand. “Welcome, Ms. King. I have the legal documents we discussed ready for your signature. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable and I’ll bring them to you shortly. These men are my family and I will not allow anyone to hurt them.”

  “Neither will I.” My voice is strong despite the nervous breakdown I feel like I may be having.

  He motions to the bus and my legs don’t betray me. I take a deep breath, grab the handrails and take the steps slowly. I’m stunned when I see the inside of the bus. It’s first class all the way. The oversized seats look inviting, especially at this early hour. There are bunks toward the back, a small kitchen on the left and a bathroom at the very back. There are several mounted televisions that are off. A few overhead lights illuminate the people already on board.

  Harley gives me a timid smile and Damien winks at me. Laney is asleep under a pile of blankets. I feel a sense of relief knowing there are other women on board. Max nods his head at me. I know this has to be difficult. I wonder what Joshua had to say to him to get him to agree to this. Someday I will thank him but for now, I’ll take a seat and try to calm my nerves.

  I make my way toward the back of the sitting area and take an empty seat. I put my laptop case on the empty seat next to me and sigh. Glancing to my right, I almost stop breathing. Chance is asleep and his whole body is relaxed. Scruff lines his jaw and I’m struck by how good looking he actually is. I take a minute to really look at him. He’s wearing a pair of sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. His eyes are shut and I realize I’m not really sure what color they actually are. He’s wearing ear buds and I can hear faint music coming from them.

  “He’s almost human when he’s asleep.” I look up and see Max smiling down at me.

  “It’s the first time I’ve been near him that I haven’t had the urge to throat punch him. Is there a way to keep him asleep this month? Anesthesia? Roofies might even work.”

  Max’s laugh is contagious and just like that, my nerves are completely gone. He moves my laptop case to the bunk behind me and takes the empty seat next to me. He hands me a blanket and I smile.

  “Thanks.” I curl onto my side facing him. “I promise I won’t push you. I’m not sure what made Joshua offer this job to me but I will do my best to tell your story the way you want it told.”

  He turns his head toward me and yawns. “The second you sat down at my feet, I knew you were the right person for this job.”

  I raise my eyebrows at him and he laughs. “Fine. After I got over my anger and Rachel talked some sense into me, I knew you were the person for the job. I’ll be honest. This will probably be a pain in the ass. We don’t get much down time on tour. We’re shoved on this bus and being this close to a bunch of disgusting men probably isn’t your idea of a vacation. We fight, we’re grumpy, we miss our women and we aren’t very censored. We’re not used to having anyone on the bus other than us. Just keep that in mind when you decide to write about us. We’re good guys but sometimes we forget how lucky we are to be a family.”

  “I have a really good feeling about this, Max. Thanks for trusting me.”

  “I don’t trust easily. Don’t make me regret this.”

  Max closes his eyes and settles further into his seat. I’m happy he decided to join me so I wouldn’t be alone this morning. I yawn as his breathing changes and I know he’s asleep. I send a prayer of thanks up before I d
rift off to feeling the bus take the road to the first tour stop.

  Chapter 5

  I’m sweating. I open my eyes slowly, taking in the glare of the morning sun. I yank my ear buds from my ears and pull my sweatshirt over my head. My yawn is more like a roar. I hate mornings. I pull a piece of gum from my bag and fold it in half before putting it in my mouth. D’Rey reaches his hand over the top of the seat in front of me and I hand him a piece.

  I glance around the bus, taking in my surroundings. We’ve been on the road for a few hours and I’m already claustrophobic. I’m too impatient and it makes traveling difficult. It doesn’t matter how many things I bring to do, I’m like a toddler and I’m bored almost immediately. And when I’m bored, I start to overthink. I’m always fine if I’m driving myself. The minute a driver is involved, I start to panic. It’s amazing how your past can still fuck you up years into the future.

  Max’s laugh makes me glance over in his direction. He’s curled on his side in deep conversation with a woman who has the most incredible ass I’ve ever seen. Her yoga pants are painted over the perkiest butt on the planet and I have the urge to walk over and slap it. Her hair is pulled into a mess on the top of her head and her tank clings to her back showing me she isn’t wearing a bra. It’s not Rachel. I’ve stared at her enough to know this is someone who is fair game.

  Max’s eyes meet mine and he wrinkles his forehead at me. I give him a thumbs up and he shakes his head. That gets her attention and she turns toward me.

  “What the fuck?” I stand up and look right at Joshua.

  “I take it Charming didn’t know I was coming on tour?” Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard and hearing Max laugh fuels my anger.

  “Why are you here? Please tell me I’m still asleep and this is a nightmare.” I’m pissed.

  Joshua puts his hand on my shoulder. “Miss King is joining us this month. She’s been hired by the label to write some exclusives.”