Chapter One
Blayne
Blayne gave himself one last look in the mirror.I look like an idiot, he thought. His boyfriend, Ethan Bond—one of the five members of the pop group ZERO—had assured him that the outfit was perfect for a concert. It was a white T-shirt under a black T-shirt, black skinny jeans rolled up at the ankles and white tennis shoes without socks. To complete the look, he also had a black lambskin leather jacket, accented with navy-blue satin lining. “I look like I should be a model.” In Blayne’s mind, that idea was not exactly reassuring. He applied some pomade to his hands and worked it through his short, blond hair until it was tamed to his liking.
There was a buzz from his left. He glanced at a text message on his iPhone screen.
Driver will be there in five minutes.
“The driver will be here in five minutes,” he announced to the small group of friends in his apartment living room. He grabbed his favorite cologne, gave a quick spritz and walked through the fragrant mist before pocketing his wallet, keys and cell phone. Coat in hand, he left his bedroom.
“It’s about time,” Kira remarked as he emerged. “I thought I’d have to rescue you.” She paused for a second and let out a low whistle. “Look at you, all grown up.” She pantomimed wiping a tear from her eye.
“That’s it, I’m changing,” Blayne declared.
“Why?” Kira asked.
Blayne gestured to his outfit. “It’s not me.”
“Wow, Mr. Dickenson, you look almost hot,” Jamie Reich teased from the couch. The sixteen-year-old had short, green spiky hair and wore a cast on his arm, a remnant from an attack a month earlier. The bullies had turned into violent sexual predators and were now behind bars. And while Blayne didn’t wish harm on anyone, he hoped the trio would experience a fraction of the fear and torment they’d put Jamie through.
“And, Blayne,” Dr. Madeline Reich, Jamie’s mother, said, “you look devilishly handsome. I’m sure you’ll stand out tonight.”
“Thanks,” Blayne replied, letting the corner of his lip creep up as he averted his gaze. Blayne was in love. It had only been a little over a month since he had finally met his now-boyfriend, Ethan, but they had been pretty much inseparable ever since someone tried to blow up Ethan, shot Blayne then tried to kill them both, along with Kira, all for a fucking cell phone. And no one seemed to know what had been so fucking important on Ethan’s phone that it cost hundreds of lives.
Honk, honk. The sound was right outside his front door. “I guess that’s our cue.” He took a deep breath through his nose and let it out as the rest gathered themselves, stood and headed toward the door. Kira opened it, and Jamie and Madeline followed as Blayne took up the rear. The last thing he did was enter his security code into the keypad next to the door, a recent addition to his apartment. The security panel was a ‘gift’ from Ethan’s manager and a complete security upgrade after ‘the incident’, as the band had called everything that had happened.
“Door is armed,” a robotic voice chirped as Blayne shut it behind him. He walked out into the parking lot and found Zahava Peretz standing next to the open door of the black SUV.
“Ethan told me he had arranged transportation. He hadn’t told me it would be you, Zahava.” The woman wore a black suit, white shirt and a black tie. He couldn’t see her eyes behind the dark sunglasses.
“I was available. They don’t need all four of us for a simple security detail at the venue.”
Ms. Z. was one of four bodyguards hired by Ethan’s band for their protection. While the other three bodyguards always seemed more stand-offish, Zahava had been friendly to Blayne from the start. Blayne knew little about her. She was in her late twenties or early thirties and had worked for the Israeli Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations before an injury had forced her into early retirement. Somehow, Ron Hightower, the band’s manager, was given her information, and Zahava had been flown to the States and never left. She was technically a dual citizen, born on the East Coast before her parents moved to Israel.
Blayne heard the door shut behind him as he sat down and reached for the seatbelt. A moment later, the driver’s side door opened, and Ms. Z. climbed in. Without checking on her charges in the back, her eyes were already scanning the road.
“ETA is approximately thirty-five minutes,” she said, but Blayne didn’t think she was talking to them. The SUV headed out of the apartment parking lot and headed to the Toyota Center for the ZERO concert.
He listened to idle chitchat around him, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Immediately, Ethan’s face, with his boyish features, brown hair and blue eyes, filled his mind, the image of Ethan smiling. Of course, Blayne immediately remembered all the other things Ethan’s lips had done to him the previous night. Ethan may not have been the most experienced lover Blayne ever had, but Ethan made up for his lack of experience with a willingness to satisfy Blayne that was unparalleled. Ethan wanted to try everything with him. Since Ethan had come home with Blayne after the attack, he’d been like a kid in a sexual candy store. Millions of fans worldwide may have wanted Ethan, but only Blayne got to be with him—got to touch Ethan, got to taste Ethan, got to feel what it was like to be inside Ethan. Blayne’s crotch stiffened against the skinny jeans as he remembered the night before. Ethan’s nipples, like Blayne’s own, were hardwired directly to his cock. Play with those while stroking or blowing him, and the ultimate climax would blow them away.
Blayne felt the SUV exit the interstate. He looked out of the front window and saw the Toyota Center looming ahead in the late afternoon sun. The SUV drove past the outer parking lots that would soon be filled with cars, trucks and SUVs, all there to see his boyfriend perform. They could watch him, but only Blayne got to have him.
The SUV drove around the outer perimeter of the Toyota Center before heading south on Jackson, then west on Bell. The SUV pulled into the Tundra Parking Garage next to the arena. It slowly crept up to the third story before stopping near the sky bridge that would take them to the Center.
Ms. Z. parked the SUV in the middle of the garage and turned to them. “Make sure you keep this around your neck.” Ms. Z. handed Blayne a stack of security badges and lanyards. “These are your all-access passes to the facility.” Blayne wore a lanyard around his neck and handed the others theirs. “I’m going to let you out here. You’re going to cross the sky bridge. When they scan you in on the other side, see Meghan, the Event Services Coordinator for the Center. She’ll take you to the green room, where you can wait for the band until they’re ready.” Ms. Z. turned to Blayne. “Don’t be surprised if Ethan’s PA comes to drag you back to his dressing room. He’s been worried all afternoon that something would go wrong with getting you here on time.”
With that, Ms. Z. exited the vehicle and came around to open the door for Blayne, Kira, Jamie and Madeline. Blayne finally shrugged into the leather coat. He glimpsed himself in the glass bridge while the group started crossing as Ms. Z. drove away. Ahead, they could see ticket people already poised with their scanners. There was no one else on the bridge but them at this early hour, but a few people who worked there were milling around ahead.
“It’s a shame Alan couldn’t join us this evening,” Blayne told Madeline. Madeline had been quietly dating the Pennington University Vice Provost for a while.
“Surprisingly, pop concerts just aren’t his thing. He’d much rather hang back and chill at a wine bar or take in some jazz at a back-alley bar in New Orleans,” Madeline said.
Her collar had flopped up when she’d put the concert lanyard around her neck. Jamie noticed and immediately reached over to fix it.
“Please have your passes ready,” a ticket taker said as they approached the arena side of the bridge.
“We’re supposed to be meeting Meghan,” Blayne said.
