Does Tobias know or care about the potential drama?
With my mind spiraling, I scroll through hundreds of comments, before I force myself off the laptop. I haven’t had enough caffeine to deal with this, and pictures will just have to wait. I force myself to pick over my sandwich and fries, sipping on my coffee until it’s almost cold.
My thoughts are scrambled. My insides feel twisted.
And the only thing I can focus on is how I’m supposed to tell Niki about all of this? Do I tell her I fucked her boyfriend’s bandmate? That it was the best sex of my life? Do I mention the magic butt plug?
She’s going to laugh her ass off about the whole thing, that’s for sure.
As if she’s reading my thoughts, my phone rings, and a picture of us on her twenty-first birthday lights up the screen with her name. With a deep breath, I answer and put the phone to my ear.
“Yes, it’s four o’clock, but that is too early for an interrogation,” I answer without saying hello. “He was just there to be my drink bitch, I swear.”
“Joseline?” The voice that answers is obviously not Niki’s. It’s lighter and a little higher pitched.
I check the phone again. Nope, that’s definitely Niki’s number.
“Who is this?” I ask, ice crawling up my spine.
“It’s Ashten, Daire and Steele’s girlfriend.”
I furrow my brows, trying to make sense of this phone call. Ashten is the adorable lead singer ofRhage’s opening band, Deviant Dolls, so I know who she is. I’ve seen her in passing, but we’ve never actually spoken.
Why the hell would she be calling me from Niki’s phone?
Unless…
“What happened?” I blurt. “Is Niki okay?”
Her hesitation gives me the answer I need, and I’m clamoring out of my seat searching for clothes before she even says anything.
“Niki is… not doing well,” Ashten says, though I hardly hear her over the pulse pounding in my ears. “The guys are doing all they can, but… you should come.”
“Right, I’ll be there asap.”
With trembling fingers, I order an Uber and toss the phone aside. I speed around the room searching for clothes, pulling on the first outfit I find: leggings and a baggy T-shirt. I don’t even bother with a bra. Grabbing my phone and purse, I tear out of my hotel room, speeding toward the elevator.
While I wait for the doors to ping open, I pace and curse under my breath, trying to get my panic under control. The fact that Niki didn’t call me herself is super alarming, but she seemed fine last night before I went out.
What the hell changed?
I know the half-demon baby is a threat to her life, and her prospects for surviving are slim, but the thought of actually losing her has never really sunk in. I’ve always clung to the hope that she would be the exception, that she would be the one to survive thisparanormal pregnancy, and that everything would be fine.
But as I climb onto the elevator and descend to the lobby, a much darker image clouds my thoughts. One that I’m not ready to face. One that will tear my heart in half and leave me with a gaping hole in my chest.
One I refuse to accept.
I’m out of breath from running by the time I hop in the backseat of my Uber, and I suck in several deep breaths. Everything around me seems to be moving in slow motion, not nearly fast enough for my liking.
If only Tobias was here to teleport me one more time.
I shove the thought of him away, and bounce my feet as the driver heads to the event center, hoping like hell I’m not too late.
Chapter 25
Joseline
With every hurried step toward the tour bus, I try to prepare myself for what I might be walking into. I can barely breathe, my mind and heart trying to outpace one another. I don’t even bother knocking on the door before tearing it open and bounding up the stairs.
