Haunting Magic (Ink Book 6) (4 page)

I hate tour buses.

But I hate being without my husband even more.

We bounce down the dirt road pulling into the next stop of the tour.

“This is going to be awesome,” Oz announces to the entire bus. Oz is the only one pumped up about tours and performing.

Slade is concerned with my mental health and Kidd is concerned Karsen will hate him if he ever admits to enjoying himself.

Karsen struggles with getting Xavier into his swaddle so she can follow everyone off the bus to watch the guys prepare for the show.

“You okay?” Slade asks, kissing me on the cheek.

He’s so goddamn beautiful. How could I not be okay standing next to him? “Of course I am. Now please for once enjoy the show. We have everything under control.”

Karsen finally succeeds at swaddling her baby and nods in agreement. “Everything will be fine.” Kidd kisses her and touches the baby’s head, placing soft kisses on Xavier.

“You are a superhero, sex kitten.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “And you look amazing.”

I roll my eyes. No matter what these two are so goddamn sweet to one another.

“Hey, hey, keep that up and you two are going to have another one in no time,” Slade says, pulling Kidd away before he can slip Karsen anymore tongue.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Slade?” Karsen says, settling into the sofa. “Would our procreation get in the middle of your plans for taking over the music industry?”

I raise an eyebrow. It seems like a dig.

“I’m saying with how long you took to swaddle that baby you need all the practice you can get.” He opens the refrigerator and takes out two beers. “Not to mention we’d never make it to practice waiting on you to swaddle two babies.”

Everyone laughs and Karsen picks up a stuffed animal and chucks it at Slade. “I know jealousy when I hear it. Maybe you’re mad because you didn’t knock Hope up first.”

I cross my arms, this is taking on a life of its own. And somehow I am a part of it.

“Oh, fuck off. I’d much rather be fucking my wife than changing diapers, asshole.” Slade shakes his head, grinning at Karsen.

“I’m just saying maybe you should get the sperm checked. Or has Hope sucked it all out of you?”

I pick up the stuffed animal and chuck it at Kidd.

He looks at me. “What was that for?”

“Well, I couldn’t hit her she’s holding a baby.” I sigh, this will be a long couple of months. “Not that my sex life is any of your business let’s stop talking about what I suck.”

“It wouldn’t be our business if you weren’t so goddamn loud. He can’t be that good.” Oz laughs, pleased with his own dig.

I roll my eyes and stand up just in time to see a tall redhead coming. She is holding a clipboard.

“Who is that?” Karsen asks, just as intrigued by her as I am.

“Guys I wanted to come in and make sure everything is okay before you go on.” She reads down the paper on her clipboard. “And that everything is to your liking.”

Karsen raises an eyebrow at me. “Kidd why don’t you give the baby a kiss before I put him down for a nap.”

Kidd stands up. “Sex kitten, this is April. She’s the band…”

April steps forward and hands Karsen a card with a cute little emblem on it. “I am a jack of all trades. Whatever these guys need I can give it to them. My job is to make sure everything runs efficiently.”

Karsen doesn’t hold back. “Let’s get something straight before I say it’s nice to meet you. Kidd is a married man with a happy family. And I am not afraid to cut a bitch. Keep your hands and vagina off of my husband.”

Kidd shakes his head and kisses Karsen on the cheek.

April smirks after Karsen threatened to kill her. “I think I like your wife, Kidd. She’s got spunk.”

“That’s just one thing that has me so infatuated with her.” Kidd kisses the baby and Karsen again. He grins.

“Well nice to meet you, April. Now that I have peed on my property I can tell you I think you are really beautiful and I love those heels.” Karsen pays her compliments and hurries off to handle the baby.

April looks at me. For maybe a nice hello but I’m not sure what to say. I am always awkward when I have competition. And April is stunning. She’s voluptuous, energetic, and  can pull off hot red lipstick without looking tacky.

“And this is Hope.” She extends her hand and a card. “I give these to all my clients and their significant other, in case you ever need anything.” I take the card and shake her hand, noticing the French manicure. “You are as beautiful as Slade described you.”

I can’t help smiling. Slade ties up his boots and takes the spot next to me. “Are you hanging with Karsen or going to watch me rock the house?”

He kisses my forehead and adjust his shirt.

“Oh I want to see this.” I grab him by the shirt and kiss him. I tell him he will do great and watch the band take off for their first official performance since the baby.

“They are amazing.” April straightens the bowls of candy and water on the table. “I see big things for them. Really big things.”

I nod in agreement. “If anyone deserved it, it would be them. They’ve worked hard to get here.”

Karsen texts me.
Is Skanzilla still there?

Yes, gushing about how amazing our men are.
I bite my cheek to keep from laughing out loud.

Watching Slade play is intense. It’s a thrill. It’s like a drug, intoxicating. I’ve never been prouder of him then when I see him on stage commanding the crowd. He has a way to pull everyone on their feet and make them scream.

The crowd tonight is the biggest I have seen—ever. I don’t ever see their success ending soon.

The way Slade moves under the lights, the way he moves his ass to the music—his music, it’s the same way he moves when he’s fucking me. God, I could watch this all day.

But if this show doesn’t end soon I might just come from watching his hips thrust. The way he screams into the crowd pulling them into the music—so hot.

Karsen taps me on the arm, pulling me out of my sexual fantasy. “I got the baby to sleep. Did I mention how good this feels to be doing something adult?”

“Only about every five minutes,” I shout over the music.

She shrugs and we both shake it to the music. “I wore a good bra!”

I laugh at her. “I dare you to flash Kidd.”

Karsen scrunches her nose as if contemplating for once in her life about her bad choices and then yanks her top up yelling for kid.

Kidd keeps on playing the guitar but he looks offstage and grins at her. He’s happy to see his wife’s tits.

To think that the gorgeous man on stage inciting the crowd into pandemonium, making woman crazy is mine. It’s a girl’s dream come true.

“Thank you. You guys fucking rock,” Slade tells the crowd. He jumps down from the speaker and exits the stage. They wrap up their set and I wait offstage for Slade to plant a kiss on my lips. He’s sweaty and has the biggest smile on his face. The kind he gets when he did something bad ass.

“That was amazing,” I tell him.

He nods and pulls me in, crushing his lips into mine. He grabs the back of my head and presses his body against mine. And when he breaks away he looks at Karsen and shakes his head. “Please stop flashing your tits. I do not want to see them.”

Karsen rolls her eyes. “I was showing Kidd.”

Oz throws an arm around Slade and laughs. “I have to agree. That’s as bad as Erica flashing her shit. Save it for the bedroom.”

For once guys aren’t dying to see her goodies.

“Is it bad I am slightly threatened by little miss red lips?” Karsen stares down at her boobs and sighs. “I mean, she isn’t carrying around milk jugs. And she looks like she doesn’t have a hair out of place even when she rolls out of bed.”

She should worry about other things—like the baby or how amazing the band is doing right now.

I can’t get over how many people are at this show. This is the big time. Henry Park is a fucking sneeze compared to right now.

“Did I mention I am so grateful to Erica for becoming our built in nanny?”

I shake my head because I could have never imagined Erica giving up fan girling for babysitting but she did. She’s good at it too. I wonder if I will be that good.

I push the thought aside and focus on the smoke and flashing lights. Slade is about to do his song. He steps forward ripping his shirt over his head and throws it into the crowd. The crowd goes wild. Girls scream and clap. And a small fight breaks out over his sweaty t-shirt.

I sway along to the music taken hostage by his voice. Part of me wants to run on stage and squeeze him. But I wait because I know afterwards he is all mine.

The guitars take over and Slade turns around looking for me. He grins and wipes sweat from his forehead. His tattoos glisten against the flames and lights—it’s sexy.

He touches the spot on his chest right where his heart is—it’s sweet. I smile.

***

“That was amazing guys,” April says interrupting our relaxation session in the bands room. The guys are worn out. All I can think about is getting to a bed so I can close my eyes and steal a few hours of sleep.

“Thanks. I think we might grab a hotel for the night,” Kidd announces standing up, he takes the baby from Karsen. “It's hard for Xavier to sleep on the bus.”

Oz nods. “And it’s hard for me to bring groupies back with my nephew on the bus.”

April pulls out her phone. “Before we get to sleeping and groupies, I have a few reporters outside dying to get a few questions answered for the papers tomorrow.”

I sigh. “I guess I will wait for you to get done.” I squeeze his leg prepared to leave.

April shakes her head. “They want all of you. You can sleep when you’re dead. What is better than supporting your husband’s dreams?”

Stabbing you. That’s something better
. I swallow down the urge to slap her and take a seat.

Slade plants kisses on my jaw and slips his fingers through my hair tugging me closer. “It will be over before we know it.”

I slam the bathroom door shut and lock it. And release all the tension and stress that has been building the entire interview.

I lean over the sink and cry. I don’t know where this is coming from but it’s coming. I’ve dealt with these issues for months now. The interview and the questions made me even more emotional.

Questions like tell me about your family. Where are you from? Are your parents proud?

I want my dad. I want him back to not be proud of my choices, to tell me when I am doing the wrong thing. To help me figure all of this shit out.

I’ll never be okay and in control without him. It’s not true, you don’t grow into an adult. You always need your dad.

I drop down and sob into my knees, my legs wet from crying. I’m empty.

I stand back up and grab the little glass on the sink. If Jesus could why can’t I? I close my eyes and when I open them I’ve made water into wine.

I finish the glass and sink to the floor waiting for the pain in my stomach to lessen, for the bad thoughts to go away. I close my eyes, and sure enough they disappear.

Now things are tolerable.

I drop my head back. I can’t stay in here too long or Slade will worry something is wrong with me.

“What’s the problem, Doll?”

My stomach sinks. “This can’t be real.” I drag a hand down my face trying to throw myself back into reality.

“Oh, it’s real.” Hutch leans against the sink and stares at me. “You didn’t forget we are connected through magic did you?”

“You are a figment of my imagination.” I shut my eyes.

“Does this feel like something your imagination can conjure up, Doll?”

I scream, pulling out of his grip. I’m bleeding all over myself.

“Better be careful. You don’t want to go too deep.” He tosses the shard of glass on the ground. “Don’t want everyone thinking you are trying to kill yourself.”

“Hope!” Slade pounds on the door. “What’s going on?”

He bangs louder when I say nothing. It’s hard to speak when Hutch is inches away from my face his breath warm against my skin.

“Say something,” he says. “You don’t want him coming in here seeing you like this.”

I pull away from his hands, he tries to touch my hair. “I’m okay. Just an upset stomach. I’ll be out in a minute.”

He backs off. I push myself up and go to the sink and clean myself up before going back out there.

Hutch runs a hand up my back, his fingers trailing from the bottom of my spine to my shoulder where he grabs hold. “Are you feeling crazy yet?”

I close my eyes and keep wringing my hands through the water.
This is not real. This is not real.

When I open them he is gone.

I splash water on my face and look at my wrist. There is nothing there but the tattoo Slade gave me a long time ago.

“You okay?” Slade ask as soon as I come out of the bathroom and sit down beside him on the sofa.

“Yeah. I think I am fine.” I squeeze his hand and offer a kiss.