Love Revolution (Black Cat Records Shakespeare Inspired trilogy) (31 page)

One shower, two aspirin, and three ibuprofen tablets later, JR strode down the hall of Black Cat Records. With determination, he pulled his sticks from his pocket and entered practice room three which contained his favorite drum set. He gave the equipment a visual once over, and then took a deep cleansing breath. Twisting his head in a circle, he loosened his neck muscles before sitting. He ran his fingers carefully around the rim of the snare and tightened the screw on the cymbal. Giving the bass drum a kick, he nodded his head in satisfaction.

Time to play.

JR lost track of time, releasing his anger and frustration in the music. It spilled out of his heart, down his arms, and onto the resistant surface of the drums. With taped up fingers, again and again he pounded away on the equipment. Sweat began to drip down his forehead and slide down his back, soaking into the waistband of his jeans. He peeled off his over shirt and the wife beater he’d worn underneath. Like most drummers, he found the seams on a shirt confining anyway.

Popping back in his ear buds, he scrolled the volume up more and resumed playing. Several times he had to pause to wipe down sweaty hands and blood from the abrasions on his knuckles. About the fifth time he did this, his sticks slid off his lap and onto the floor. “Shit.” Bending over to pick them up, a subtle flash of movement in the doorway drew his gaze. His eyes widened.

“Sam,” he breathed in a reverential whisper, afraid he’d wishfully conjured up her avatar.

“John,” she replied just as softly taking a small, hesitant step into the room.

JR stood, moving quickly across the room, stopping a foot in front of her. His eyes cherished the chestnut curls, sweet heart shaped face, and parted lips. Her eyes were glistening like molten silver.

She took a step closer. His heart leapt at the proximity and soared when she reached out to him. Examining his bloodied hands, she frowned. “What have you done?” For a while she didn’t say anything else as she ran her fingers softly over his knuckles. When she finally looked up, a tear spilled out of her eye and tracked down her still bruised cheek.

“Don’t cry, baby.” Using his free hand, JR gently brushed the tear aside.

Sam closed her eyes, and leaned her face into his hand. “We’re a banged up pair, aren’t we?”

“Yeah,” he replied, his voice sounding husky and raw. “I’ve missed you so much, Sam.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she pulled away. His hand dropped to his side. Gaze frozen on her, he waited uncertainly as more tears spilled from her eyes.

“John,” she tried again and then stopped, looking down at her feet. “I want…” Her bottom lip quivered. She took a deep breath and when she glanced back at him, for the first time since the breakup, he began to hope. Her gaze was steady and he caught a glimpse of something that he’d never thought to see again in her eyes.

The force of it hit him in the chest like an avalanche, making it hard for him to breathe. His eyes burned and tears blurred his vision. Taking a step closer, he carefully reached out, his hand trembling, and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “What is it that you want?” he asked carefully.

She took his hand again and pressed it back to her face. “I want to try again… to start over.”

A smile like the sun rising at dawn spread slowly across JR’s face. “Oh thank God.” He caressed her cheek with his free hand, ghosting his thumb softly across her bottom lip. His eyes searched hers. “I don’t deserve it though. I don’t deserve you.” He swallowed. “Without you, I’m lost, without any direction or purpose. My life was dark and empty before you came into it. You, Sam, are
my
star. You set my world ablaze from the moment I met you. I will gladly spend every minute of the rest of my life proving how much I love you.”

Sam’s silver eyes sparkled. She stood up on her tiptoes, closed her eyes and tilted her face up toward his. Heart thudding, JR leaned down and laid his lips softly against hers. It was not a passionate kiss, yet the feel of it… of her… rocked him to the core. Words of love clamored to get out and it was a struggle to push them back down. Now was not the time. She wouldn’t accept them. Later. Another day. Hopefully, soon. Sam was giving him another chance. He wanted to shout his happiness from a stadium stage. He wasn’t going to screw it up this time.

Avery pulled Marcus away from the doorway. “Leave them alone, you lurker.”

He smiled. “Hey, do I need to remind you again just who’s in charge here?”

She threaded her fingers with his. “Yeah, why don’t you do that?” She raised an auburn brow. “Would that be something we’d need to go back to the apartment to take care of?”

He nodded. “Hell yeah.” He took a couple of long strides down the hall, tugging on her hand before veering off. “Apartment’s too far,” he said with darkened eyes. “In here.” He twisted the door handle on an empty practice room. Turning back to Avery with a wicked grin, he said in a low voice, “Good. There’s a lock.”

Avery’s face had drained of color. Her emerald eyes were huge as she stared at something down the hallway.

“What the hell?” Marcus said, looking that way while drawing her protectively close to his side.

“What are
you
doing here?” she gasped.

Husband
—Stylistic editing and lyrics and music to my tone deaf ears

Beta reading
—Lisa Paul from Lisa Reads…Oh. My. Gosh! Do you have an eye for relationship details or what? I wrote you a hottie in the story. Do you recognize who he is?

 Jenny Aspinal
—Totally Booked… My ganache girl. Story flow and chapter 33 ;)

 Ashley Ferguson
—Thanks for believing in both stories.

 Demi Anastasopoulou
—A friend and fan from Goodreads

Diane Klein, MD
—editor “the closer” makes my words shine

Advance readers & cheerleaders extraordinaire
—Tressa Sager, Jamie Hall, Wendy Wilken, and Deanna Prophet-Pyles, Jennifer Roberts-Hall, Rita Jinkins Knits, Beth Maresh-Ehemann, and Addi Footit

Advance book bloggers—
Fred LeBaron of Stillseekingallies.blogspot.com

 Mollie Harper of Tough Critic Book Reviews

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 Holly Malgieri of I love Indie books…

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 The Indie Bookshelf

Lisa Kinzel
—Bff, agent, soul sister, proof reader, and forever friend

Bookaholics Anonymous and 50 Authors and an owl
—My internet family and support network. My muses, heroes, and inspirational writing pixie dust.

Sargeant Major Wayne of the Squamish RCMP

Ron Roberts
—Canadian law enforcement advice

Formatting
—Julie Titus.

Michelle Mankin is a young/new adult author, as well as self proclaimed giant… inside her own mind!

For many years she worked in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn’t kill her but the hours and hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.

Love Revolution
is the second novel in
The
Black Cat Record’s Shakespeare Inspired
Series
(
Love Evolution,
based on
Twelfth Night
, is the first).
Love Resolution
will be the finale (May 2013). All three novels use the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare, combined with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.

When she is not putting her daydreams down on paper, you can find her traveling the world with her family, some-times for real, and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.

To read more about Michelle, please visit:

http://www.michellemankin.com/

You can also reach Michelle via e-mail at,

[email protected]

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