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Emmy
Standingintheshadowsto the side of the stage, I regretted my outfit choice. It was so hot back here and looking out across the crowd, I was probably wearing twice as much clothing as every other woman in here. My thick tights stuck to my thighs, the long skirt felt like overkill, and the roll neck I’d put on so no one stared at my cleavage was trying to suffocate me.
I watched the band, and although I hated to admit it, they took my breath away. Addison had given me some background. The two guitar players—Maverick and Grayson—were twins, and the drummer was their little sister, Frankie. The lead singer, who I already knew was Tanner, had been taken in by their family, but they’d already formed the band long before then. She told me that Tanner was newly sober, moody as hell, and likely to fuck anything that stood still long enough. Hence my outfit.
Whatever my preconceptions were before I arrived, I couldn’t deny they were good… in fact, they were amazing. The melodies, the beat of the drum, the fact they seemed to be able to read each other through some unspoken language that no one else understood, but most of all, it was him. Tanner. A deity in human form. Sandy, wavy hair that was longer on top and shorn short on the sides, parted to fall over one eye. High cheek bones, full lips, and a low voice that vibrated out across the crowd. His leather trousers hugged his muscular thighs and tight ass, and a white t-shirt covered his sweaty chest, clinging to his chiseled torso. Leather straps adorned his wrists, black and silver rings sat on almost all of his fingers and tattoos covered most of the bare flesh I could see—his arms, neck, the backs of his hands, and even some of his fingers. I watched with interest as he grabbed the microphone or pushed his large tattooed hand through his hair.
He moved with such confidence it was hard to look away. I could see the attraction. Why the women in the audience screamed his name and waved posters asking him to marry them, but he didn’t do it for me. In fact, no one did. When that man tried to force himself on me, it was as if I’d shut down. Nothing worked right anymore, and I wasn’t sure I really cared. I’d had sex once before. But it didn’t set me on fire. It was over pretty much as soon as it began. And sincethatnight, it was something that terrified me. Giving myself to someone, letting down my walls, relaxing enough to enjoy it, risking them hurting me—physically or emotionally. It was too scary, so I didn’t even think about it. I surrounded myself with work, with words, and with other people’s stories. Stepping into their lives meant I didn’t have to think about my own. Which, right now, was a pretty miserable story to tell.
The music stopped, and the lights lifted slightly. Tanner spoke, his voice smooth like velvet. “Thank you all for coming. I’m so glad to see all your beautiful faces in the crowd tonight. Now, I have one last song to play for you and I want you to know that I’m singing this one just for you. If you can feel it in your heart, in your head, or between your legs, then you know you are the one I wrote this song for. Are you ready, London?”
The crowd went wild. Off the scale crazy. Screaming Tanner’s name, the band’s name, demanding more songs. I suddenly realized just how big the band was and how in over my head I was. I turned to leave, desperate for air and silence. Most of all, I needed space to decide if I could really do something this monumental.
Seeking out a fire exit, I asked one of the security guards if it was okay to head outside without setting off an alarm. He looked at the ID badge they’d given me when I arrived and nodded, pushing the door open for me to step through. I sat on the steps of the fire escape with my head between my knees, letting the fresh air comfort me while I tried to create some space in my mind.
I must have been there for about ten or fifteen minutes, listening to the sounds of the concert ending and the crowds leaving. Each minute that passed calmed the thoughts whirling around my head.I need the money, but this isn’t the place for me. How do I stay hidden when I’m surrounded by world famous rock stars? I need to go home. There must be another way to find the money to move, otherwise, I could just stay with Quinn for a while.
Knowing what I needed to do, I stood to leave so I could find Addison and tell her I couldn’t take the job when I heard the door slam behind me. My heart jumped and my skin prickled as I turned slowly, finding a giant man standing at the top of the stairs. Noticing he was wearing a crew t-shirt, my heart rate slowed slightly. He had a thick ginger beard and wore a cap backward over his ponytail. His thin lips curled into a smile that made fear surge through my body.
“Excuse me. I need to get back inside,” I whispered, as I tried to push up the stairs past him.
“What’s the rush, princess? Why not stay a while and chat with me? You look like you could do with some fun.”
“I’m good, thanks. I need to go and find Addison.”
“You with the crew? Why haven’t I seen you before?”
“I’m just visiting on a job. I won’t be here long.”
“Shame. I could have shown you a good time.”
“Thanks. It was nice to meet you. But I need to leave.” I started up the stairs when his hand dug into my forearm. The force of his fingers was so tight that I hissed from the pain. Dragging me back towards him, his breath that close, I could feel it on my neck.
“I bet you love a good time under all that stiffness.”
I shuddered.Fuck. Not again. What is it about the men I seem to meet?I struggled to break free from his iron grip. “Addison will be expecting me.”
“No, she won’t. She’s in a post-gig meeting with the band. There’s no one looking for you, sweetheart, and no one here to stop me doing whatever I want.”
Circling my waist with his arm, he lifted me like I weighed nothing, dragging me to the edge of the alley below.
Wriggling in his arms, I fought to push him off me. “Please,” I cried out, tears streaking down my face.
“Oh, baby, you don’t have to beg me. I’m gonna make you feel so good.”
A sob ripped from my throat as he shoved my chest against the hard brick of the wall, leaning his enormous body against my back, forcing the air from my lungs.
“Your hair is something else. It’s begging for me to yank it while I fuck your ass. Would you like that?”
Words vanished as he pushed harder against me. I shook my head, again and again, silently screamingno.
He wrenched me around to face him, wrapping his hand around my long hair and pulling so hard my eyes burned from the sting. Using his other hand, he struggled to tug up my long skirt, grunting, and swearing as he fought with the material. Eventually, I felt the cool night air on my thighs, despite the thickness of my tights, and I let out another sob that ricocheted through my body.
“Women like you should be more careful. You wander out into places where predators like to prey.” He hissed his venomous words into my ear as he leaned down, ripping my tights from my body, leaving my black cotton panties exposed to him. He groaned as he released his grip on my hair, fumbling with his zipper. Suddenly, something happened. I grew brave. I refused to let this happen to me again. Without another thought, I slammed my knee hard into his balls. He faltered for a second before he punched me in the face, sending me reeling, my vision clouding, and my knees giving way.
I thought I heard the door banging, a crash, and then I felt like I was flying while someone told me I was safe. I sighed and let sleep pull me under, hoping that I wasn’t dreaming it all while some pervert raped me.
Tanner
