Yes to Everything (11 page)

After the Phoenix show, their tenth on the tour, she got off the elevator alone after coffee with Kyle. She glanced up to meet Logan’s panicked eyes. A young woman with dark hair had her legs wrapped around Decklan’s waist, already thrusting herself on his exposed cock as he backed into their suite with his arms around her. Logan’s hand was cupping her bared ass as Brooke got back in the elevator. He came running down the hall, the doors closing as he appeared in front of her, calling her name.

She found Kyle in the lobby bar with the rest of his band and asked to talk to him. He followed her away from their table and she asked him what room he was in. His eyes widened and she smiled, “I think we’ve known one another long enough for us to be deemed appropriate, don’t you think, Kyle?” He took her hand and they went upstairs.

When Logan entered the bar five minutes later, he was told Kyle had left with Brooke. Going to the bar, he asked for a double whiskey neat and wanted to throw the fucking glass against the wall after he emptied it in one pull. Decklan joined him soon after and they drank themselves into oblivion.

It was Kyle’s band that dragged them to their room in the middle of the night, shaking their heads.

When they were performing together onstage, things were the same and getting better with each show. The venues were packed and the fans were in love with them. In front of the camera, they laughed and worked together, posing for fans and reporters as if all was well.

Brooke let them off easy every time she caught them screwing around with some groupie. There wasn’t a whisper in the press of anything but camaraderie and the success of the tour.

The truth behind the scenes was they’d humiliated her by throwing their choices in her face over and over again. Their band knew, the roadies knew, Travis knew. Even the kids knew something was wrong but not what. They still talked to the brothers but weren’t as affectionate as they’d been before the tour. Even though Brooke had said nothing and hadn’t asked the younger siblings to back off, they sensed the change in their sister around them and it had them backing off as well. She had their allegiance and they knew she wouldn’t withdraw without good reason.

They were halfway through the tour and she rarely spoke to them if it wasn’t work related. They had to deal with the consequences of their behavior on the fragile relationship they had developed with Brooke.

They’d driven her into the arms of another man. The entire tour knew she was sleeping with Kyle and everyone was happy about it but Logan and Decklan. He treated her well, got along well with her family, even wrote a song about her. The young man considered the brothers his mentors but they certainly hadn’t taught him anything about how to treat a woman.

There were a few whispers about Kyle’s drummer, Finn, joining them some nights when they went upstairs but no one paid any attention. Most of the crew had seen so much when it came to the brothers, whatever Brooke was doing was pretty tame.

It made Logan and Decklan completely crazy to consider the truth to those rumors. To know she was sleeping with another man was hard. To think about her being with two men at the same time – men who were not Logan and Decklan – that drove them wild with jealousy.

As far as they knew, Kyle hadn’t slept with anyone else since the first time he’d taken Brooke for coffee. He’d been satisfied to wait for her, to spend time with her without sex until she was ready. She might never have been if she hadn’t witnessed them taking yet another woman into their room with all intentions of fucking her brains out together.

Since she’d caught them having sex four times, never with the same woman, it had been more than she could stand and neither brother blamed her.

It didn’t make them want her any less.

At last, she’d had enough. Still, she didn’t punish them openly or even snipe at them privately. Treating them like nothing more than co-workers seemed so much worse somehow. After Phoenix, Brooke made sure her suite was on a different floor from the Bradshaws. She didn’t care if she was the only person from the tour on another floor. The chance of running into them or their conquest of the minute was too high and she was only human.

As the tour wore on, some of her fan mail started getting intense. A few fans were getting a little too obsessed with her. The record company was keeping track for the feds in case anything came of it. There was a guy writing constantly from different locations, explicit in the things he wanted to do to her and some of them went far beyond normal kink. The computer techs couldn’t narrow down a suspect but no one was overly concerned. All the hotels had ample security and with so many people in her entourage, Brooke felt safe.

They were adding dates to the tour due to sold-out concerts. Just before rehearsals for the two-night Chicago show, Kyle’s drummer came down with food poisoning from takeout sushi. Jackson offered to help them during rehearsals until they could get a drummer locally. He’d done so well, they’d told him to do the main show with them.

That night, Brooke watched her little brother during the opening act’s entire set and cheered for him. Logan and Decklan stood beside her, all of them so proud of Jackson they were even holding hands while he played.

At the meet-and-greet, women young and old had asked him for his autograph. Shy at first, explaining he was just a fill-in, his natural extroverted personality soon took over and he laughed with Kyle and the fans. Brooke couldn’t stop smiling as he took photos. As his sister, she hadn’t noticed how tall and good-looking he’d gotten.

Dean and Abel grinned as she signed their chests and she had to laugh, “Aren’t you getting tired of the same autograph and same pictures at every show?”

“Unless you’re willing to go out with me, no, I’ll take what you’re willing to give me, beautiful Brooke. I love seeing you after a show, so hyped up and happy from doing well.” He leaned forward quickly and kissed her cheek. She jumped, wondering how she could be flattered and instinctively want to withdraw at the same time. Giving them the same thing she always did, her smile was forced and she found she was glad to see them disappear through the crowd.

After the fans had been appeased, Jackson took Brooke aside and told her he wanted a tattoo for his sixteenth birthday. Since he hadn’t asked her for anything else, she held back her immediate ‘no’. “A…a tattoo? Jackson, I don’t know. Don’t people get, like, diseases from tattoos? Aren’t you too young? What if you hate it later?” Being a big sister was often a stuffy position to have.

Rolling his eyes, Jackson said, “Brooke, you have to find a good shop. You can’t just pick one on the side of the road. You asked me what I wanted and I said I had to think about it. It’s what I want. Please?” His entire demeanor was pleading and she caved with a nod like he’d known she would. He hugged her hard and picked her up to spin her around.

Breathless, she said firmly, “I need the name of someone reputable.” He nodded, thrilled. Kyle came to tell her he was heading back to check on Finn and kissed her when she told him to tell Finn she hoped he felt better. “Let me know if you need me to bring you anything.” He thanked her and took off. After he was gone Logan and Decklan said they’d go with her and Jackson for his tattoo. Brooke narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “Why?”

“Because you’re not going to some tattoo place this time of night by yourself, Brooke,” Decklan said irritably.

Putting her hands on her hips, she said carefully, “Honestly, I think we’re fine. Don’t you have plans?”

Rubbing their faces with their hands in a twin-specific move, Logan answered, “Despite appearances, we can take a night off from whoring. Jesus. No, we don’t have plans. We’ll go with you.”

“Fine. Wait here,” she said imperiously and didn’t realize her commanding voice managed to make both of them hard. Brooke walked to a small group of the arena security guards waiting for the last patrons to leave so they could lock the main doors.

They watched her approach with obvious admiration and she asked if any of them had tattoos. Each raised their hands with a smile. She sighed in resignation, “I need a good place for my brother. Reputable. Seriously, he’s my only brother. I need someone good.”

The biggest of the three took out a notebook and wrote down the name of a tattoo parlor, then took out his cell and called the shop. It sounded like they all used the same local place.

Hanging up, the security guard smiled, all teeth, “This place can take Jackson, Brooke. It’s called Black Ops and its open all night. You’re in luck, too. The owner is covering tonight for a sick employee. He’s the best in Chicago. He’ll take very good care of you.”

Taking the details she gave him a grateful smile, “Thanks so much. You’re Sampson, right?” He nodded, looking pleased she’d remembered. “You’re the one who got me inside tonight and kept those three guys from ripping my arm off. I really appreciate that. Can I sign something for you? A couple of things you can auction?”

The three guards shook their heads in wonder. Sampson said sincerely, “You are the coolest chick we’ve ever had here. Damn.” She smiled and signed several posters with the band’s picture on them. “Guy’s name is Rex. He’ll treat you right and it’s a real clean place. He has the best rep in Illinois. He’s normally booked for weeks. All his people are good but he’s the best. You shouldn’t have trouble finding it. Be safe and thanks, Brooke.”

“I’ll see y’all again tomorrow.” She turned to go and stopped, asking with one hand on her hip, “What tattoos do you have anyway?” With the confidence of a man who knew his skills, he rolled up his snug black security shirt and she checked out the tribal on his massive bicep. He pulled down his collar and showed her the Marine Corps emblem on his upper chest. “Very nice.” She wasn’t just talking about the tattoo. “I love the Marine ink. Thank you for serving.” Pausing, she added quietly, “You’re certainly appropriately named, aren’t you?”

His laugh was full and loud, “I was an eleven pound baby. I know…my poor mother. They kind of figured I’d be big.” He scribbled his contact info on another piece of paper, “You’re ever back this way and interested in some company, I am very strong, Brooke. I would be happy to demonstrate.”

Winking, she tucked the paper in her pocket and walked back to her brother and the Bradshaws. Heading to the limo, she was quiet. After telling the driver the name and address of the parlor, with a request to avoid the media, she slipped inside and stared out the window. She didn’t want reporters ruining Jackson’s present and she was considering a couple of things of her own.

Once they were moving she called Jeanette and Sidney. “No movie marathon tonight…what? He told you what he wanted? Thanks for the heads up. I would have downloaded ‘don’t do it’ information before he asked me. Yeah, I know he is. I’ll see you in the morning.” She hung up the phone and said to her brother, “I don’t know if I should be doing this, Jackson.”

“It’s going to be fine, Brooke. You’ll see. Nothing tacky, I promise. So, you got Sampson’s digits? Gonna keep ‘em?” Jackson asked cheekily.

“Yup.” She said the word quietly to Jackson but the brothers heard it. Logan and Decklan gasped in shock. They couldn’t believe Brooke would be the kind of woman to cheat on anyone or anything. She was the most honest person they knew.

Slamming back against the leather seat, Jackson sneered, “You two sure are slow, aren’t you? You’re so caught up in your own world of fortune, fame, and fucking you don’t see shit else. It is amazing.”

“Jackson…,” Brooke started warningly.

“No, Brooke, I can’t believe how much I like two guys who are so obviously mentally deficient. You’re looking at her like you’re fucking disappointed. As if you’d have room to talk about shit with your behavior.” He leaned toward them and his face was furious, “Kyle is gay, you assholes. So is the drummer. They are together. Brooke is his cover since no one can think of a single gay country star. God, y’all are incredible. Fucking the planet and daring to look at her funny. I should kick both your asses.”

He met their eyes and they saw the man, not the boy, “You breathe one word about Kyle and I will personally take you both on. He adores Brooke. He wrote her a song in thanks for being so accepting, for helping him because he was worried people were beginning to suspect.” He sat back, shaking his head at the two dumbstruck men across from him.

“And don’t start sniffing around my sister again. She’s too damn good for you. She deserves men who’ll actually think of her as more than a hole.” Brooke gasped as he put his MP3 player in and pointedly ignored all of them.

The brothers were staring at Brooke who wouldn’t look away from the window. “Just so you know, I never said anything to Jackson or the girls about you. Must be your own reputations and the fact he’s not stupid or blind. Right now, both of you leave me alone. I have nothing to say about Kyle and it is none of your fucking business.”

Logan and Decklan were in shock and not hiding it well. Coupled with the fact that everything they’d thought for weeks hadn’t actually happened, knowing Jackson knew so much about their habits was shaming.

Brooke looked ready to claw someone’s eyes out and was likely furious with her brother for saying anything about Kyle. It was obvious she was using him just as much as he was using her. She was his disguise and he kept men away from her.

They drove in silence to the tattoo parlor and Brooke was the first one out when the limo came to a stop, not even waiting for the driver. She walked resolutely to the door and entered the brightly lit shop. A bell tinkled and classic rock played from a stereo in the back. The place looked as sterile as a doctor’s office with tattoo designs behind plastic on the walls.

A massive man with a Marine haircut turned as she approached the counter. He took in her figure, slowly, his eyes roaming from her cowboy boots, over her tight jeans, practically stroking the leather vest and nude top she wore, to her long blond hair and blue-green eyes.

His smile was both masculine and sensual and Brooke was shocked at her body’s instant reaction to a man she’d just laid eyes on for the first time. His deep voice sent a shock of sensation into her lower belly when he said, “Oh, honey, please tell me what I can do for you. It can even hurt a little bit. Hell, it can hurt a lot if you want. You with a whip in your hand, and me tied to your bed, damn, I’d die a happy man.”