“You don’t have to do that,” I insisted. “I can catch a cab.”
His face was hard and unrelenting. “No arguments. You want to leave, I’m taking you. That’s final.”
I nodded and followed closely behind as he led me from the club to a shiny black SUV waiting at the curb. Once inside, I finally pulled in a much-needed breath and rested my head against the seat, closing my eyes tightly.
I was so exhausted that I was nearly asleep by the time Ian pulled up outside our hotel. “You want me to walk you up?”
I opened my eyes and shook my head. “No, thanks. I’m good. You go back to the guys.” I climbed out of the car and made my way through the expansive lobby to the elevators. Pulling off my shoes on the ride to our floor, I fantasized about a nice, relaxing bubble bath in the room’s massive Jacuzzi tub instead of picturing Garrett with that woman.
I should have known better than to let my guard down.
The hotel room door clicked shut behind me, and I heaved a sigh while dropping the offensive heels to the carpeted floor. I headed toward for the bathroom while reaching back to find the zipper to my dress at the same time, but came to a screeching halt just outside the bedroom of our luxurious suite.
“Rough night?”
My eyelids lowered into angry slits at the sight of Kimber sitting comfortably on the edge of our bed. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
She smiled viciously. “I’m the assistant for Civil Corruption. I have a key to all the guys’ rooms.”
“Must be convenient when one of them is looking for a quick, sloppy lay.” I moved to the bureau across from the window and started removing all my jewelry. “Leave.”
Ignoring my demand, she stood on her sky-high stripper heels and placed her hands on her hips. “You don’t belong here. You know that, right?”
I met her gaze in the mirror but refused to turn around. “Funny, seeing as you’re the one who broke intomyroom.”
“I don’t mean the room. I meanhere. With the guys. With Garrett. You don’t belong. You never will. He’ll see that eventually and get sick of you.”
After the night I’d just had, her words packed a solid punch they normally wouldn’t have. Back in Seattle, Garrett, Liddy, and I were in our own protective bubble. The outside world couldn’t touch us. But after tonight, the rose-colored glasses were off and I was second-guessing everything. But I’d be damned if I let her know she was getting to me.
“Jeez, you really are a jealous bitch, Kimber,” I said with a dry laugh, finally turning to meet her face-to-face. “I’d be careful if I were you. All that bitterness causes wrinkles. And with a personality like yours, you can’t afford to lose your looks so soon.”
Her pretty face twisted with rage, showing the true ugliness that lay beneath the surface. “You’re a joke,” she spat. “You think he cares about you? About thatgirl?”
“Watch it,” I warned through clenched teeth as I took a menacing step in her direction. “You don’t talk about my daughter.Ever.”
“You mean nothing to him. You never will. You and that daughter you tried to trap him with are nothing more than something to keep him entertained while the guys take a break. You think he’ll want anything to do with you when he’s back out on tour?” She cackled loudly, setting my teeth on edge. “He’llforget all about you the moment he fucks a groupie after their first show. All that adrenaline pumping through his veins after each performance… yeah, he’ll be looking for an outlet. And where will you be?”
Fear and pain knifed through my heart as she picked at the fresh wound. My heart threatened to beat out of my chest. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do more, beat Kimber into a bloody pulp or lock myself away in the bathroom and bawl my eyes out. Embarrassingly enough, I was leaning toward the latter.
“Then, when he gets tired of groupie whores—and hewillget tired of them—he’ll come crawling back to me, just like always. Because I belong in his world. I get what he needs, unlike you. I can give him what he wants. I know a man like him can’t be tied down. You’re just a burden. If you really cared about him, you’d take that girl, pack your shit, and get out of his life. All you do is hold him back. Just ask Chris. He says you’ll destroy Garrett and the rest of the band.”
I opened my mouth to defend myself, only to let loose an embarrassing sob. Kimber’s face shined with triumph, and I could tell she was just about to go for the kill when a loud, furious grumble sounded from the doorway.
We both jumped and spun around just in time to see Garrett stalk into the room. “Get out,” he thundered. His rage was tangible, filling every inch of the room and making it hard to breathe. It was a terrifying sight to behold.
Kimber’s face blanched with fear. “Garrett, I—”
“Bitch, I saidgetthe fuck out! You think after the bullshit you just pulled I won’t physically remove you myself, you’re wrong. And if youevercome near me, Gwen, my daughter, or the band again, I’ll make you wish you’d never been born. You get me?”
“Please,” she began to beg, rushing him andtwisting her fingers in his shirt. “You don’t understand. I’m just looking out for you! She can’t give you want you need, Garrett. I can!”
He pushed her off with so much force she fell against the mattress. All I could do was stand frozen in place as Garrett pulled his cell out of his pocket and hit a button before bringing it up to his ear. “Ian, get the fuck up here now,” he barked. “And bring hotel security.”
He disconnected just as Kimber regained her footing. “Please don’t do this. I’ll stay away from her. I swear.”
“Yeah you will, because you’re fuckin’ fired. And I’m getting a restraining order on your ass the second we touch down in Seattle.”
I clamped my hands over my mouth and watched as Ian and two hotel security guards entered and dragged a crying, inconsolable Kimber from our room. It was like witnessing a train wreck—gruesome and horrible, but I couldn’t bring myself to look away.
