Talon (Ashes & Embers Book 4) (14 page)

"Okay, I can't wait to see you play."

He plants a quick kiss on my lips. "Hopefully, I won't disappoint."

A
sher saunters
to the mic at the center of the stage and gives the crowd a smile that reminds me very much of his little brother’s: a mix of sexy and boyish. It seems like ages ago when this handsome stranger walked me down the aisle when, in fact, it's been just a few weeks.

"First, I want to thank you all for celebrating the opening of this kick-ass club, the Rusty Knife! As some of you know, this is the first venue we ever played, many moons ago, when it was the Mouse Hole." He takes the mic off the stand and starts to walk toward the front of the stage, waiting for the crowd to stop screaming.

"So, before we start, I have a few announcements to share." He points to Storm, who bows playfully. "My brother Storm is engaged and getting married soon to the girl most of us know as Blizzard Chick." The crowd screams some more and Evie, who's sitting next to me, smiles. I really like Evie. She's close to my age and very sweet and friendly. She and Storm make a great couple from what I've seen the few times I've been around them.

Asher approaches Vandal, who doesn't smile. "Vandal is also no longer taking applications!" That gets a little grin out of Vandal as the girls in the crowd boo. "And Vandal's little bro Lukas, also my cousin, who couldn't be here tonight, is also very much taken!" Even more boos erupt from the female portion of the crowd.

Asher crosses the stage and stops next to Talon. He looks him up and down, grinning, before turning back to the crowd with a sly look.

"As you guys can see, my baby brother, who has played with no shirt on since day one of being in the band, is now wearing a kick-ass shirt. And I'm gonna bet it's because he just got married and his abs are officially off the market!"

The crowd roars and Talon grins and throws his arms up in the air. My stomach does a little twist when I see he's got his wedding band on.

"Sorry to say, ladies, that only leaves one member of Ashes & Embers who is single and available—my brother Mikah on drums!" Mikah throws his sticks up in the air, catches them, and bangs out a quick drum solo while the crowd screams and jumps up and down.

"Enough of this shit!" Asher yells into the mic. "Let's rock and roll!"

The lights go out and colored spotlights randomly shine down on each of the guys as they belt into a hard rock song.

"It's incredible to see your guy on the stage, huh?" Evie says, nudging my shoulder playfully as we watch them from the side of the stage. "I was just in awe the first time I saw Storm, and I still swoon when I see him play. I don't think that feeling ever goes away."

I tear my eyes off Talon for a few moments to answer her. "So true. I can't believe I'm married to this guy."

"You guys make a really cute couple," she says.

"Thank you. So, the other guys have wives or girlfriends?"

She nods and leans closer to me. "Asher's married, but I've never met her. Something is going on there, but no one talks about it and I don't ask. Vandal and his girl, Tabi, are having a rough time right now, but I talk to her a lot and they are probably going to work it out. Lukas is with an older girl—she's like twelve years older than him, but she's a sweetheart. I think you met her at the wedding. You probably know this, but Talon and Lukas are like best buds. Vandal doesn't talk much, but don't take it personally. He's had a really bad life, and his daughter passed away recently."

"Oh my God!" I exclaim. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It was a rough time for all of them. I'll tell you more about it when we're alone."

"How devastating. Talon hasn't mentioned that to me, but we really haven't talked a lot about family things."

"I think it's still hard for all of them to talk about. They're all good guys, really. I think if you just give things time, you'll be really happy. It's a different lifestyle, that's for sure, but definitely worth it to be with them." She smiles sweetly at me. "I'm hoping we can become close. It will be nice to have another girl in the family who is going through the same things—like when they tour and all that."

"I would really love that, Evie." I give her a quick hug and then go back to watching my husband perform his guitar solo. I am quickly becoming a big fan of his rock-star look, and that's something I never thought I'd feel when I first met him. He looks so incredibly sexy and powerful up on that stage, his fingers flying over the strings, his hair falling into his face. The entire band sounds amazing live. They are definitely one of those bands that sounds just as good live as they do in a studio; even Asher's vocals are perfect.

Nothing prepares me for their last song of the set, which Evie informs me is a new ballad and this is their first time playing it live. At the beginning of the song, Talon tosses his guitar and starts to plays the piano. I had no idea he could play the piano, and I'm utterly entranced watching him as the beautiful tune permeates the club. Asher's voice is equally deep and haunting, singing about memories lost in time.

It is so easy to get lured into the magical web of these men, and I am, without a doubt, not fighting it.

I
’m overcome
with excitement when I see Talon backstage, and I throw my arms around him like I haven't seen him months. "You were amazing! And the piano? You never told me you could play that too. I loved it."

Surprise flashes across his face, but he quickly recovers and greets me with a long, breathless kiss.

"Finally, I did something you liked?" he teases, pushing his hair off his sweaty forehead.

"Yes."

"It felt weird playing with a shirt on."

"I'm sure it did. I heard some girls in the crowd griping about it."

"They'll get over it, babe. There's about a million pictures of my abs online for them to drool over."

He leads me upstairs to one of the lounge areas where we sit with the rest of the band, their friends, and their girls while listening to the other bands play. When the live bands are finished, more of a club atmosphere takes over and people start dancing. Talon excuses himself to use the men’s room, while Evie and I get involved in an intense discussion about cats and the local pet shelter she volunteers at. That's when I see that Talon is on the dance floor, with a drink in his hand and a blond attempting to grind on him.

"I hate that whore. She trails the band all over the place," Evie says, following my gaze.

"Who is she?" My stomach feels sick watching them. He's not touching her at all, but I don't like seeing another woman so close to him. Especially one who looks to have everything he was hoping for: tall, blond, and big boobs. And wow, he can dance. I never would have guessed he would actually have some hot dance moves in him.

"I can't remember her name. She's an actress."

"Great," I mutter.

Evie rests her hand on my arm. "Look, Asia. I know this sucks, and it's really hard to get used to. Women are gonna flirt with our guys all the time. I hate it, too. You have to trust him. Storm and I have had these same issues, and it all comes down to trust."

I nod, not taking my eyes off the blond who now has her hand on my husband’s chest, and he's laughing at whatever she's saying and taking long gulps of his drink.

"We're kind of at an odd place in our relationship, Evie. I'm not sure I can trust him when she's exactly what he wants, and he's made it clear that I'm not."

She looks at me sympathetically. "I don't believe that. I think it's just taking you guys some time to get used to each other. It's a strange situation you're in, but it looks like you're making it work so far. I can give you one piece of advice." She glances over at Storm, who's talking to Asher on the couch across from us. "These guys? They need to feel wanted and loved. They all thrive on it. They all have a deep, possessive side, and I think it's safe to say Talon is the same way."

I shake my head doubtfully. "I don't know. I mean, I know he's trying, but damn, I can't compete with her."

"It's not a competition, but I would say you have to show him how you feel and put your foot down that this type of behavior is unacceptable. I've had to get up in a few of these girls’ faces to get them to back off, and trust me, that is not like me at all. The guys are so used to letting women flirt with them that they don't always realize it's going to piss us right off. They kinda have to be trained. It doesn't mean they would cheat, because none of these guys are cheaters, but they need a little push sometimes to see that flirting is gonna make girls like us batshit crazy."

"She's totally eye-fucking him," I say, jealousy boiling up in me. I want to go poke her eyes out.

"Then go and cut in on that skank. Stake your claim. He's
your
husband."

"I have a better idea," I say, standing up. "I'm gonna give him a taste of his own medicine."

I spy Finn on the dance floor and head over to him. "Asia…I wouldn't do it that way…" Evie calls after me, but it's too late. I'm already determined to show Talon that two can play this game. Right or wrong.

"Well, well, look at you," Finn says when I sidle up to him on the dance floor. "You're looking incredibly sexy tonight, Asia."

"Thank you," I say, letting my body sway with his.

"You're trying to make Talon jealous, aren't you?" he guesses, putting his hand low on my waist.

"Yup."

He grins. "I got ya covered, babe. I don't mind being used. The boy could use a dose of fear to knock him down a little, right?"

"Right."

I know I shouldn't be purposely trying to make him jealous, but damn, how can he dance with that girl right in front of me? And he's drinking—something he promised me he wouldn't do anymore.

Finn turns me around so my back is against his muscular chest and leans down to whisper in my ear. "This could get me punched, ya know, but it's worth it to see him pissed off."

"Why doesn't he like you?"

"Because I flirt with his little sister. He thinks I'm a douche."

"Are you?"

"I'll tell you a secret," he says, turning me back around. "I only pretend to be one."

I smile up at him just as Talon shows up next to us, and yeah, he's pissed, his eyes hard and narrowed on us.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he demands, staring Finn down.

"Same thing you were doing," Finn scoffs, smirking.

Talon grabs my hand and pulls me away like a child at a candy dish. "Stay away from her. I don't want you near my wife."

"
And
your sister, right? Anyone else? Can I touch the blond you were just with?"

"Fuck you."

I yank on Talon's hand and give Finn a sympathetic look. I don't want him to get punched in the face just because of me.

"Talon, come on. Leave it alone. He wasn't doing anything. We were just talking."

He nearly drags me off the dance floor and over into a dark corner. "What the fuck was that?" he seethes, his eyes wild with anger. "You got a thing for him, now?"

"Hardly. What's with you and that blond crawling all over you?"

"She's just an old friend."

"She had her hands on you."

"So? It was nice to have a chick actually touching me. I wasn't fucking her."

"Not yet."

"I don't like you getting that close to other men. Especially him."

"Now you know what it feels like."

"Don't purposely make me jealous, Asia." His jaw clenches as he backs me up against the wall.

"Are you?"

In response, his lips come down on mine hard and his hand grasps the back of my head, holding me to him. At first I resist, but I soon give in and slowly slide my hands up his arms to his shoulders. I hate that the way he touches me and kisses me makes me submit to him even when I don't want to.

He pulls his mouth away and leans his head against mine. "Why are you playing games with me?" he asks, breathing heavily. "I don't like feeling jealous. I'm not used to it."

"I'm sorry. It's just… She's what you want. How do you expect me to feel?"

His dark eyes close for a long moment, and he pulls me closer to him. "She's what I
wanted
.
You're
who I want."

I swallow back the lump forming in my throat. "Really? You mean that?"

"Yes."

"She's blond…"

"I don't care. I love your hair. It kicks ass."

"She's got big tits …"

"I didn't notice. I'm too busy trying to figure out what yours look like."

An undeniable giggle bubbles up in me. "You're impossible," I whisper to him.

"Maybe." He nuzzles down into my neck, kissing me below my ear, sending a shiver through me.

"You know I hate you drinking," I protest, hating the smell of it on his breath, but loving the feel of his lips on me.

"I'm sorry. I always have a few drinks after we play." His lips return to mine. "You look so beautiful. I don't want to fight, okay?"

I entwine my fingers together behind his neck. "I don't want to, either. I was enjoying everything up until I saw that girl on you."

"Let's go back and enjoy the night, all right? If we stay in this corner, I'm going to continue to molest you."

W
e spend
the next few hours hanging out and talking to his brothers and some friends. Somehow we end up getting split up when Evie asks me to go the bathroom with her and a guy from another band asks Talon to go off into a different part of the club for some kind of "shredding" thing. I find myself sitting with strangers after Storm comes and takes Evie away. Glancing at my cell, I realize it's three a.m. and I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open.

I wander around the club and finally find Talon about fifteen minutes later, sitting in a smoky lounge room with a bunch of guys I don't recognize and a few girls. Thankfully, none of them is hanging on him. However, my eyes hone in on a few joints and some coke on the table.
Shit.

"Hey," he says when I approach him. "Where ya been?"

"Looking for you."

"I've been right here." His eyes look glassy to me, and I don't like it. I quell the bad memories of the alcohol and drug abuse I witnessed growing up. Talon's not an addict, that much I know, but apparently he does like to party, and that is something I definitely did not want to have to deal with.