Читать книгу: «Come Together», страница 2

Chapter 2

You’re dead to me, Dani, if you go with him. Dead – like your father. Men don’t love. They only think with their dicks. He’s using you. He’ll discard you, just as soon as he’s sucked all the goodness from you.

She made Xane sound like a vampire.

Dani’s finger hovered over the delete button. As mementos went it was a strange one to want to preserve. Then again, it summed up her mother perfectly – batshit crazy, preachy, lacking in genuine understanding or warmth. It also succinctly summarised why Dani was here and not with her mum, locked inside the religious commune that’d been her home since the age of eleven.

Xane might tempt her to sin, but he sure made it a lot of fun, whereas being a good girl the whole time was deadly dull. She didn’t want to turn into the sort of sanctimonious leech her mother and the other women of the Sisterhood of St Agatha’s were. She wanted to live and love, experience what the world had to offer. And yes, it totally did help that the world in this current context happened to possess washboard abs, the voice of Lucifer and waist-length hair the colour of midnight.

Xane Geist could turn her insides mushy with a single glance. He rocked her goddamned world. Hers and a couple of million other folks’ – but she was the only one he was taking on tour.

‘Dani Fosbrook?’

Dani peeped up from her phone screen. The voice didn’t belong to Xane, nor to anyone else she recognised. Although, to be fair, she couldn’t see much of the man’s face, because of the asymmetrical cut of his blond hair. Crew, she gathered, given his Black Halo ‘Requiem for the Damned’ T-shirt and khaki cut-offs stuffed with guitar strings and bits of electrical cable.

‘I’m here to take you backstage.’

Hallelujah! She’d been sitting waiting for someone to fetch her for far too long. It wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but ever since a certain video clip of her and Xane together had gone viral, she’d become an object of curiosity – the rock star’s girlfriend. Hence the queuing fans with their faces pressed to the glass doors.

Unbidden, her escort hefted her suitcase, proving he had muscle hiding beneath that lean physique. She’d squeezed most of her worldly possessions into that bag.

‘Ready?’ He swiped them through a set of security doors.

Dani trotted along behind him. She’d never been more ready in her life, though she was nervous about properly meeting the rest of the band. It didn’t matter how many times Xane told her it’d be all right, she couldn’t entirely quell her butterflies. Black Halo were massive, and she’d been a fan of theirs for eternity. She still regularly pinched herself to check her relationship with Xane was real. Also, she wasn’t sure how much they blamed her for Xane skipping out on them after their last live performance. They might consider her major trouble.

‘First tour with the band?’

She nodded.

‘Mine too. I guess we’ll be seeing a fair bit of one another.’ He pushed back his curtain of long hair, revealing a pair of intriguing mismatched irises, one pale-green and one hazel. Both shone with excitement. ‘I’m Luthor.’

‘Pleased to meet you.’

He gave her an endearing lopsided grin. ‘You’re not what I was expecting.’

‘Meaning?’ she asked, fearing the worst. People didn’t seem to like that she and Xane were together. She still wondered at the miracle of it herself. It didn’t seem to matter how often Xane said he loved her, part of her still expected him to wake one morning and wonder what the fuck he was doing with her – a screwed-up nobody, not especially pretty or clever, and with welts across her soul and body that might never heal.

For the most part, she didn’t even dress like a rock star’s girlfriend. She currently had on a pair of old jeans, a faded long-sleeved T-shirt and only a smidge of make-up.

Luthor shook his head, reinstating the curtain of hair over his eyes. ‘I only meant that I didn’t know he had a steady girlfriend.’

‘Where’ve you been living, Mars?’ She’d have bet money on the whole world having seen that video.

‘Malmö.’

Dani paused a moment to interpret the unfamiliar place-name. ‘Malmö, where is that?’

‘Sweden.’

‘You’re not English?’

He dropped her suitcase in order to release a bellyful of laughter. ‘You needn’t sound so surprised. Not everyone in the world is.’

‘I know, but you don’t have an accent.’

He leaned closer, so his breath stirred the wisps of hair around her face, making them tickle her cheek. ‘Does it make you feel better if I talk like this?’ She could hear it then, the soft inflection on certain words. It sent a tingle down her spine. Damn, he sounded sexy. She could imagine that purr driving a woman wild in bed.

Dani turned away from him, mortified by the heat that a few incongruous words whispered in her ear had generated. She wasn’t a free agent any more to be thinking random wicked thoughts about handsome strange men. She belonged to the sexiest man on the planet. Besides, Xane could do incredible stuff with his voice. He commanded the attention of stadiums full of people. His whispers invoked wild emotions. They could turn hearts inside out and even the tiniest of his growls dampened her and a million other women’s knickers.

She was moist now, merely thinking about him, which just proved that two weeks apart had been too long. They’d been surviving on nightly phone calls and sexting, which didn’t compensate for genuinely being together.

She hadn’t wanted them to be apart, but she’d had to face her mum and put a few things, like her degree, on hold. Taking charge of her life meant cutting a few tethers. On the plus side, she wasn’t beholden to anyone any longer.

‘Aren’t we heading to the dressing rooms?’ she asked, when Luthor turned the opposite way to the one she’d expected.

‘No. The sound booth.’

‘How come?’ Perplexed, she continued to jog along behind, her eye on the way his shorts were clinging to his hips, in danger of sliding down because of the weight of stuff in his pockets.

‘Because Ulf said so, and I do as he says. He’s the guy who hired me. Best damn sound and light engineer in the business.’

She’d never heard of him.

‘He also just happens to be my uncle.’ Luthor held open a door for her to pass through, and they began to climb, up towards the top of the building. ‘My guess is that he wants you out of the way until the soundcheck is done, so that Xane isn’t distracted.’

‘I wouldn’t distract him.’

‘Course not.’ Luthor made an appraising sweep of her body. ‘I bet Xane maintains complete focus when you’re present, just not on the music.’ His gaze lingered on her cleavage.

Dani covered her mouth and coughed, astonished by how blatantly he’d assessed her. Guys didn’t normally hit on her. This was a new thing that had only started happening since Xane took an interest. She guessed they all thought she must have something special hiding beneath her ordinary appearance to have ensnared a man with such a huge sexual appetite, or maybe they thought stealing her away would prove they were shit-hot too.

No man had a chance against Xane.

In retaliation, she shot a glance at Luthor. He had gloriously good arms, and legs that were tanned by the sun and covered with fine golden hairs. Crazy good looks too, if you liked guys who were all light and golden. She guessed she preferred them dark and brooding.

Luthor was fit, but he wasn’t a patch on her man.

‘Where’ve you been?’ grumbled an older man, his long hair and beard threaded with silver, as they entered a glass-fronted room overlooking the stage. They were perched high up in the auditorium, almost on a level with the lighting rig. ‘You walked off with my duct tape. Gimme.’ He snatched the roll of tape that Luthor mined from his pocket and began tearing off strips and fixing assorted cables to the floor. After a moment or two, he turned his webbed face upon her. ‘So you’re the one he ran off with, are you?’

‘Be nice,’ Luthor counselled. ‘She is.’

‘Really? Didn’t think Xane did nice. He normally lands the absolute bitches.’ He thoughtfully rubbed one nicotine-stained finger across his lips before stepping closer, which meant he had to bend his head to look at her, for he was tall, even taller than Luthor, and stocky too, with tattoos that covered his bare arms like sleeves. ‘Are you sure this is the right girl?’

‘I am, yes.’ Dani politely stuck out a hand for him to shake.

Ulf clapped his hand against hers but didn’t shake it. ‘Take a seat. I’ll let you at him once I’m done with him.’

A swivel chair materialised behind her, courtesy of Luthor. Dani gingerly lowered herself into it. She’d got it into her head that the only people she’d have to face in order to join the tour were the members of Black Halo. Somehow she’d overlooked the fact that there was a team of people involved in managing them and delivering their sound to the masses. ‘What are you doing to him?’ Nothing too terrible, she hoped. He’d sounded pretty low when they’d spoken last night. Leastways, he had at the start of their conversation. Not so much by the end, after he’d made her burn with excitement.

‘Hopefully dragging his sorry arse through this set.’ Ulf put on a pair of headphones and turned a nearby microphone towards him. ‘Are you fuckers ready yet?’

She couldn’t hear the response, but Ulf scowled. ‘Nope, we’re apparently having a pissing contest.’ He settled back in his chair with his arms and ankles crossed. ‘This could take a while.’ He checked his watch. ‘You might have to call your lot,’ he said to Luthor after a minute or so of waiting.

His understudy, who had been securing leads to the floor so no one would trip over them, looked up eagerly.

‘You’re shite, but at least you might manage a song or two for the punters. I’m not sure Black Halo are going to have their act together in time.’ Ulf said the last part into the mic.

‘Are they arguing?’ Dani leaned forward in her seat, concerned. If she rose and pressed her face to the glass at the front of the booth, would she be able to see down into the auditorium?

‘Not as such. Mr Geist hasn’t joined us yet. They’ve sent Rock Giant to coax him out from whatever hole he’s wedged himself into.’

‘Ulf!’ Luthor shook his head and nodded towards Dani. ‘Girlfriend, remember.’

‘I didn’t mean that sort of hole. I’m not the one with a filthy mind.’ Clearly bored, Ulf flicked a few switches and checked a few things before settling back into his original pose.

‘So, you’re in a band?’ Dani asked Luthor, disliking the silence that’d crept over them. She felt out of place already, which made her jittery enough, without the added insinuation that Xane was late for the soundcheck because he was making some groupie happy. ‘Is it one of the support acts?’

‘That’s a good un.’ Ulf belched a peal of laughter. He slapped the sound deck, unintentionally knocking several of the sliders, which he then had to reset. ‘What I said earlier was a joke. Perish the thought of his lot walking on stage. It’d be like Eurovision, only a zillion times more excruciating and minus any of the charm.’

Luthor put his head down and kept on at his task, but she could see from the tension in his back that he was hurt by the remark.

‘What are you called?’ she asked, hoping her interest would restore his easy smile.

‘It doesn’t matter. You won’t have heard of us. We’re pretty unknown outside Sweden.’

‘They’re unknown inside Sweden,’ Ulf added, shaking his head. ‘This is why he’s better off here earning some cash and seeing how the pros do it, instead of wasting his time touring a load of fleapits.’

‘It was a good set of venues we had booked.’

‘Dives. You’re too good for them, son. Your lyricist writes dire teenaged drivel. He has no concept of what real agony feels like.’

‘Actually, Lykke’s started writing most of the lyrics now.’

‘Aren’t you being a little harsh?’ Dani remarked, annoyed to see Luthor gritting his teeth. He hung his head forward, so that his long hair masked his expression.

‘Sometimes the truth is harsh,’ Ulf insisted. ‘It hurts to hear it, but we all need someone to be brave enough to tell us when we sound shit. You’ve talent enough to make it big, but not with that outfit. This Fear or whatever it is you’re called.’

‘Denna Rädsla,’ Luthor corrected him.

‘That’s what I said.’

They stared grimly at one another. ‘So, when are you going to tell your precious darlings that they sound shit?’ Luthor asked. ‘Or aren’t you man enough for that?’ He rose to his feet.

‘When it’s the right moment. Which it isn’t yet.’

‘What?’ Dani jumped out of her chair. Her gaze danced expectantly between the two men, seeking clarification. ‘Do you mean Black Halo? They’re not awful.’ A horrid thought struck her. ‘Is something wrong with Xane’s voice? He’s not ill, is he?’ Maybe that’s why they were keeping her away from him.

Ulf sucked his front teeth. ‘He’s fine, or as fine as you’d expect given that the man he was screwing has just died.’

‘I know that, but something prompted that remark.’ She looked to Luthor for an answer, since it had been his comment. She was terrified by the thought that Black Halo might be about to split again.

Luthor flicked a glance at Ulf, who showed no sign of explaining further. ‘They need a live drummer. Using old recordings of Steve Matlock playing doesn’t work. It sounds shit.’

‘But Steve … this is about honouring and remembering him. How can they replace him?’ Not taking on a new drummer was the one thing Xane had said they’d all agreed on.

‘They might not want to, but they need to. Otherwise, they’re going to get the worst slating of their careers from the fans and music press.’

Ulf shook his head. ‘It won’t come to that. Xane will realise it himself as soon as the soundcheck starts. They all will.’

‘But doesn’t the actual gig start in just over two hours?’ Dani shot them both a look of disbelief. Even if, as Ulf claimed, the band realised their mistake, where were they supposed to produce a drummer from at such short notice? Then she looked at Luthor again and everything dropped into place. Ulf hadn’t employed him to crew for the band, he meant him to drum for them. ‘Wow!’ She sank back into her seat. She ought to have twigged that sooner. He had drummer’s arms, after all, though his haircut was more emo than most of the lead guitarists out there. ‘So you’re going to step in and save the day?’

‘Not exactly. I’ll offer my services, yes.’

‘You know that Xane and Steve were really close?’ Far closer than she liked to admit. She’d watched Xane during one outpouring of grief cover the walls of a hotel room in lyrics about the guy. She knew they’d been lovers – a fact that inspired nightmarish fears. Xane was completely at ease with his sexuality, but she was only gradually coming to terms with it. There was a lot of baggage in her past she needed to work through. ‘Actually, I don’t know that Xane’s ready to take on someone new.’ She could only guess about the rest of the band, but presumably Elspeth would throw up objections too.

‘And that is exactly why I haven’t said anything yet.’ Ulf raised his bushy brows and gave her a tight-lipped smile. ‘Give it half an hour. I guarantee, they’ll be begging me to find them a drummer, and, because I’m prepared, I have one all lined up.’