Sinners On Tour 02 Rock Hard (14 page)

Sed used one of the plastic keycards to open the door. Jessica stepped inside and glanced around, breathless in awe. Their suite had a marble entryway and rich mocha and taupe decor. On the other side of the expansive living area, a king-sized bed overlooked the Vegas strip through a wide floor-to-ceiling window.

Sed put out the “Do Not Disturb” sign while Jessica went to the window to stare at the lights below. The fountain now rested, but in the morning she’d be able to watch the water dance from above. “What a spectacular view!”

Sed followed her, but instead of joining her beside the window, he collapsed face down on the bed. “Will you call the front desk and extend our stay another day? I’m sleeping late. Unless someone calls about Trey.”

She turned to gaze at him. His face was smashed against the mattress, his eyes already closed.

“Sure.”

The hotel was happy to accommodate her request, and by the time she returned to Sed’s side, he was snoring quietly. Poor guy looked incredibly uncomfortable. Taking pity on him, she removed his boots and socks. He groaned in protest when she made him stand so she could take off his coat. His pants followed, and once naked, she tucked his gorgeous body into bed.

“Thanks,” he murmured, almost asleep again. “Your turn to get naked, beautiful.”

He kept his eyes cracked open long enough to watch her remove her clothes and jewelry. He held the covers open and she slid into bed beside him. He’d always been a cuddler, and she didn’t mind when he spooned up against her back and draped an arm and leg over her body. He kissed the back of her head and sighed.

“I’ve missed this,” he whispered.

“Me too,” she admitted.

She lay there for a long while after he’d fallen asleep, his warm breath tickling her ear. As much as she tried to convince herself that all she wanted from him was amazing sex, she knew she was slipping back into old patterns. Tomorrow she’d be more careful with her heart, but tonight she’d let him hold her while he slept and pretend he still loved her. Which of course he didn’t.

The riff of Sinners’ “Twisted” drew Jessica from a deep sleep. Sed groaned beside her and tugged her body closer to his chest. Limbs and bedclothes tangled their bodies together. Again the riff intruded upon the room’s silence.

What?

Sed’s arm shot toward the nightstand. He answered his cell phone.

“Trey?” he said, his voice raspy with sleep.

Jessica kicked herself free of the sheets and sat up beside him, instantly wide awake.

“We’re leaving now,” Sed said into the phone and ended the call.

“Is he okay?”

“He’s not quite awake yet, but he’s starting to stir. Get dressed.”

Jessica slipped into her wrinkly clothes from the night before. Oh yay, a day without panties. Sed had a similar problem.

“I don’t have a shirt.” But he looked damned fine in those leather pants without one.

“We could stop by the tour bus and change clothes,” Jessica said.

“No time.” He shrugged into his black leather duster and reached for his boots.

At least he gave her a moment to use the bathroom before rushing her out of the room and into the nearest cab outside the hotel. She was surprised by how bright it was outside.

“What time is it?” she asked Sed, thinking there must be a law against starting the day with no caffeine.

He glanced at the screen on his cell phone. “Almost noon.”

“Noon? Jeez, I slept like a rock.”

He smiled at her. “Me too. I can’t remember the last time I slept that good. Months? Two years, maybe?” He ran a hand over his shorn hair and found the roof of the cab incredibly interesting. “You hungry? We missed breakfast.”

“I’m okay. Seeing Trey is more important.”

Sed grinned and lifted her hand to his lips. “Brian was all excited when he called. Something about Trey flinching.”

In the ICU, they found Brian and Myrna at Trey’s bedside. Dare slept in a chair at the end of the bed. Jessica doubted he’d left his brother’s presence since the night before. Rumpled clothes, tangled hair, and a growth of beard shadow on his strong jaw, Dare looked about as scruffy as Jessica felt.

Myrna chuckled at something Brian said. She patted Trey’s hand. “If you don’t wake up soon, sugar, Brian’s going to tell me all your dirty little secrets.”

The black staples that ran along the left side of Trey’s scalp in a semi-circle stood in stark contrast to his unnaturally pale skin. Jessica noticed that only a single wide strip of his hair had been shaved along the left side of his head. How had he managed to get away with not having his entire head shaved? Oh wait. This was Trey. That explained it.

Jessica glanced at Trey’s monitor. As far as she could tell, his ECG, heart rate, and breathing rate looked normal. The tube up his nose did not.

“I don’t think even Brian knows all of Trey’s dirty little secrets,” Sed said. “How’s he doing? Brian said he was waking up.”

Brian scratched the back of his neck. “I got a little over-excited.”

Myrna smiled a greeting at Sed. “When Brian told me how Trey lost his virginity, he flinched. That’s the only response we’ve gotten.”

Sed cringed. “No wonder he flinched. Sheesh, Brian, give the guy a break. He just had brain surgery.”

Jessica’s curiosity stirred. “How did Trey lose his virginity?”

“Let’s just say he’s been with an older woman,” Sed said.

“Much older,” Brian added.

“There’s nothing wrong with older women,” Myrna said defensively. She patted Trey’s hand again. “Besides, it’s sorta sweet that his grandmother’s best friend helped him out.”

Brian and Sed shuddered in unison.

“I’m sorry I asked,” Jessica murmured.

Sed glanced at Dare, who would need a chiropractor after sleeping in a chair in such a position. “Is Dare dead or what?”

“He keeps passing out from exhaustion, but he won’t leave,” Myrna said. “His band couldn’t get him to leave. His parents couldn’t get him to leave. Even the doctor and nurses couldn’t talk any sense into him. The only one who will get him out of that chair is Trey.”

“Trey, you selfish prick,” Sed called to him. “Wake up. Look what you’re doing to your brother. He’s a train wreck.”

Trey’s eyebrow twitched.

“See, I told you he’s trying to wake up,” Brian said. “Aren’t you, buddy? How about we tell everyone about New Year’s Eve three years ago? I still don’t think the police report had all the details right.”

Dare sat up in the chair, instantly alert. “Is he awake?”

“No. He just twitched a little,” Myrna said.

Dare darted across the room and grabbed Trey’s shoulders firmly. “Terrance, can you hear me in there? Wake up! Terrance!”

“Fuckin’ quit calling me Terrance,” Trey mumbled, his voice slurred but coherent. “You know how much I hate that name.”

“Thank God,” Dare whispered. His head dropped against Trey’s shoulder, his body trembling uncontrollably.

“Are you crying? Jesus Christ, Dare. Who replaced my big brother with this pussy?” Trey placed a hand on the back of Dare’s head and offered him a weak, yet comforting, pat.

“How do you feel?” Brian asked.

Myrna pushed the call button to alert the nurses. Her smile was infectious. Even though Jessica felt like an outsider, she smiled too. Sed just stood there, looking dumbstruck.

“I am feeling no pain.” Trey grinned his irresistible smile. “Good drugs.”

A physician’s assistant entered the room. “Is our guitar hero finally awake?”

Dare lifted his head, wiped his eyes with the heels of his hands and looked down at his baby brother with a most serious expression. “If you ever scare me like that again, I will fuck you up beyond recognition.”

Trey grinned at him. “I will try to keep the brain injuries to a minimum, boss.”

Dare planted a big wet kiss on Trey’s forehead. “I’d better call Mom and Dad. They went downstairs for some food.”

The physician’s assistant asked Trey a series of questions and wrote his responses on a paper affixed to a clipboard. His full name. What day it was. Who the president was. The last thing he remembered. The PA smiled and blushed each time he answered. Besides thinking it was a day earlier, Trey didn’t seem confused at all. Jessica took that as a good sign.

“My turn to ask you a question,” Trey said to the attractive brunette.

She paused in mid-scribe. “What?”

“When will you give me my sponge bath?”

She giggled and slapped his shoulder. “Mr. Mills.” She glanced around the room with a blush staining her cheeks. “That’s an LPN’s job.”

“Call me Trey. And I wasn’t assuming it was part of your job.”

She shook her head at him. “Is he always like this?” she asked Brian.

It would have taken a pressure washer to remove the grin from Brian’s face. “Yep.”

The PA tugged the covers off Trey’s feet. “Can you wiggle your toes?”

Trey scowled as he concentrated on moving his toes. His movement was sluggish at best.

“That’s okay,” the PA told him. “Try to make a fist.”

His fingers curled inward slowly, but his hand never completely closed. Everyone in the room held their breath.

“I can’t,” he said breathlessly, allowing his fingers to relax again.

“You just woke up. I’m sure you’ll get full mobility back with time. Keep working at it. You just have to retrain your brain to move your fingers,” the PA said.

“Retrain my fingers?” His incredulous gaze moved to Brian. His breath hitched. “What?”

“I’m sure your fingers will be fine,” Brian said. “It’s okay.”

“How is this okay?” Trey flexed his fingers slightly. “I can’t play guitar like this.”

The PA took his hand and squeezed it. “Don’t panic, Trey. Give yourself time to recover. You just woke up.”

He pulled his hand away from her and rolled onto his side, presenting his back to everyone. “I don’t want to see anyone right now.”

“Trey.” Brian touched his friend’s shoulder.

“Go away,” he said. “I fucking mean it!”

“Why don’t you all give him some time to himself?” the PA said, herding the group toward the door.

“I really don’t think we should leave him alone right now,” Jessica said. Her heart was breaking for him. What must he be feeling? And Brian? And Sed? She was just an unwanted band accessory. They had a huge stake in him getting better. Watching a friend struggle was bad enough, but if this physical problem turned out to be something permanent, it could affect their entire livelihood as musicians.

The PA had somehow corralled them into the hall.

Jessica glanced up at Sed, who hadn’t said a word since Trey opened his eyes. He looked like a mule had kicked him in the gut. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head slightly.

Dare lowered his phone and grabbed Sed’s arm as they were ushered past him. “You’re not smiling. Why have we stopped smiling?”

Sed shook his head again.

“Trey’s having some mobility problems,” Jessica informed Dare. “Nothing serious.”

What would happen to Sinners if Trey couldn’t play guitar? They wouldn’t abandon him, would they? As she watched the emotions play across Sed’s face, she had to admit she wasn’t sure.

Sed stared out a window in the waiting room, not really seeing the cars in the parking lot far below. His mind was full, his heart empty. Jessica placed a hand in the center of his back and leaned her head against his upper arm.

He glanced down at her, unable to express his gratitude. She’d sat with him for hours and had even made a trip to the gift shop to buy him a hospital logo T-shirt and a cup of coffee. He wasn’t sure why she hadn’t left him there on his own to stew. Brian, Myrna, Trey’s parents, and even Dare had eventually left when Trey continued to refuse any company. But Sed couldn’t desert his duty. He’d just wait Trey out. How long could it take?

“Go talk to him,” Jessica said.

“He doesn’t want to see anyone.”

“Since when do you do what people want?”

“Since never.”

“Exactly.” She squeezed his arm. “Go talk to him. It will make you feel better.”

“I don’t know what to say to him.”

“You’ll think of something.”

She was right. As usual. He turned away from the windows, kissed her brow, and then headed down the hall toward Trey’s room. Sed entered the open door and peeked around the corner. Trey’s bed was fixed in an upright position. The tube that had been up his nose was now gone. Progress. Trey repeatedly tried to pick up a spoon from the tray in front of him, his tongue worrying his lip. Despite his extreme concentration, he ultimately failed to grasp the utensil.

Sed took several steps back and knocked on the wall. “Are you decent, man? I’m coming in.” When Sed entered the room again, Trey was staring fixedly at the far wall, his hands buried beneath the covers.

“I
said
I want to be left alone.”

“You know I never do what people tell me to do.” With a loud screeching sound, Sed dragged a chair across the tile floor to the side of the bed and sat.

“Sed, I honestly don’t—”

“Those staples in your head look bad ass. You should keep them permanently.”

Trey ran his hand over the shaved side of his head, his slightly curved index finger brushing over the arc of black staples. “I don’t know. I don’t think this haircut is me.”

Sed chuckled. “Looks more like Eric’s style.” Sed dropped his gaze to meet Trey’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Always a bad thing.”

Trey lowered his arm to rest on the bed beside him. Sed forced himself not to fixate on Trey’s fingers, which he continually bent and straightened in sequence. He was trying his best, God love him, but Sed didn’t see any thirty-second notes in his immediate future. And the band was on tour. They needed him. Now. Not in a month. Not in six months. Now.

Trey tucked his hand under the covers again and Sed forced his attention to his scowling face.

“I want you to concentrate on getting better. Don’t worry about the band,” Sed said. “We’ll wait for you to recover. Cancel tour dates. Put the new album on hold. Whatever is necessary. I haven’t talked to the guys, but I know they feel the same way.”

“Jesus, Sed, I’ve been awake three hours and you’re already deciding if you’re going to kick me out of the band?”

“That’s not what I meant. I just…” God, he was bad at this serious discussion bullshit. “I don’t want you to feel any pressure. Well, yes, some pressure. You’d better work your ass off to get better because we need you, but otherwise, don’t worry. We’ll wait.”

“You really suck at pep talks.”

“Yeah, I know. Fuck.” Sed took a deep breath. “Did I make you feel worse? I’m sorry, man.”

Trey shook his head slightly. “Nah. How long do you think they’ll keep me in this place?”

“Are you bored?”

“Fuck yeah, I’m bored. And I’m dying for a cherry sucker.”

Sed grinned. Something he could do to help. Even if it was minor. “One cherry sucker coming up. Then you have to get some rest, because tomorrow everyone is going to be all over you.”

He smiled slightly. “You’re probably right.”

“You know I am.” Sed stood to leave.

“Sed?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“What am I going to do if I don’t get better?” Trey asked in a small voice.

Sed paused, his heart rising to his throat. “Don’t talk like that, man. You
are
going to get better.”

“Guitar. The band. That’s all I have. All I know. I don’t know how to do anything else.”

“You don’t have to know how to do anything else. We aren’t going anywhere, okay?”

Trey lowered his gaze and nodded. “Is Brian still here?”

“No, he left a while ago. Do you want me to call him?”

Trey shook his head. “No. He has Myrna now.”

Sed didn’t know how to deal with someone this depressed. It just wasn’t in his skill set. “I’m going to go get you that sucker now.” Maybe that would help.

He wasn’t sure if Trey even heard him. His eyes had drifted out of focus.

Sed headed for the elevator in search of some place that would sell him a cherry sucker. The gift shop was closed. The cafeteria didn’t sell candy. He found a vending machine that sold Life Savers and used all his change to buy as many rolls as possible. On his way back to Trey’s floor, he called Eric. “Hey, are you coming in to the hospital soon?”

“I thought Trey didn’t want to see anyone.”

“Do we care? He’s majorly bummed. Bring some cherry suckers with you. He’s going through withdrawal.”

“Will do. How’s he doing? I talked to him, but it’s hard to tell on the phone.”

“Better, I think. He looks good. The staples in his head look hardcore. The fans will love that. You know about his hands, don’t you?”

“Yeah, Brian told me. I’ll be there in a few with his lollipops. Jace is fuckin’ missing again. I swear I’m going to kick his ass when I see him. Doesn’t he know I need a ride?”

“You
could
call a cab.”

“I guess. Dave wants to come visit too. Do you think Trey would be okay with that?”

“I don’t know. He needs someone to cheer him up.” Their soundboard operator wasn’t known for his amazing sense of humor, but he was a good guy.

“I’m on it. Later.”

Sed ended the call and headed to Trey’s room with his meager offering of Life Savers. Five flavors? There was no guarantee any of them were cherry.

Sed walked in without knocking. “I couldn’t find any cherry suckers, but…”

Trey had his pretty brunette physician’s assistant in his arms, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow.

“Whoa! Pardon me.” Sed spun on his heel to leave, but the PA brushed passed him and ran from the room, fleeing for her life apparently. Sed glanced over his shoulder at Trey, who looked rather pleased with himself.

“Even crippled, I still got it.” He smoothed his eyebrow with the side of his finger.

Sed didn’t like his use of the word crippled, but didn’t know what to say. “Uh. I hope these Life Savers will tide you over until Eric gets here with your suckers.”

“Eric’s coming?”

“Yeah. He’s bringing Dave.”

“Cool. Why don’t you call Jake and have him round up some groupies for me?”

Sed’s brow crinkled with confusion. “Huh?”

Trey unwrapped a roll of Life Savers, flicking candies off one at a time with his thumb until he came to a red one. He popped the red one in his mouth. It took some concentration for him to use his hands, but he was already doing better than he had been even a half hour ago. What had changed? Sed decided he was pissed instead of feeling sorry for himself.

“I told you I was bored,” Trey said. “Some group sex should take care of that.”

“Where is this coming from?”

“Well, you’ve got Jessica back now and Brian is fuckin’
married
, so that leaves more pussy for me and Eric, right?”

“Trey—”

“Where is Jessica, anyway? Gonna take her out and play along the Vegas strip like you did last night? Did she give you some? I bet she did. I’d take that over a subdural hema-fuckin-toma any day.”

Trey started flinging all of his non-cherry Life Savers across the room. Some of them hit the wall and shattered, spreading candy confetti across the floor.

“Can I come in?” Jessica asked from the doorway.

“Speaking of your good piece of ass. I guess she got lonely. Probably wants to give you some right now.”

Sed didn’t know how to react. This wasn’t like Trey at all. When he was a teenager, yeah, Trey had been like this. Chip on his shoulder. The world out to get him. But he’d been content for the past decade.

“Come on in, sweetheart,” Sed called to Jessica. “Help me keep Trey company.”

“Are you sure?” Jessica asked, stepping through the doorway but not venturing any deeper into the room.

He was more than sure. Maybe she could calm Trey down where he had so utterly failed.

“By all means,” Trey said, “join the party. I’m currently waiting for a surprise enema as a punishment for sucking contraband Life Savers. Pull up a chair. Should be fun to watch my continued misery.”

“Trey, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Sed asked.

“I don’t know, Sed. Maybe I have brain damage or something.” He poked himself in the head much harder than necessary.

Sed winced. Where was Brian? Brian would know how to handle him.

Jessica came further into the room and perched on the edge of Trey’s bed. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” She traced his eyebrow with her thumb, leaning close so only inches separated their noses. Jade green eyes stared into emerald green. Had it been any other guy on the planet, Sed might have been jealous, but this was Trey. He had no interest in another guy’s woman. He could get what he wanted from an infinite variety of
available
ass.

“Don’t baby me,” Trey grumbled at Jessica.

“I’m not babying you. I’m concerned about you. You don’t really think you’re going to be stuck in the hospital forever, do you?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, bunching his hospital gown across his shoulders. “Maybe.”

“Youse wants me and Sed ta bust ya outta dis joint?”

Trey grinned, watching her from the corner of his eye. “Maybe.”

“Sed,” Jessica whispered.

“What?”

“Start tying bed sheets together.” She stood and crossed the room to press on the window with both hands. “I’ll work on getting this open.”

“We’re on the fifteenth floor,” he reminded her.

“So it will take a lot of sheets. Raid the supply closet.” She glanced at Trey. “You aren’t afraid of heights, are you?”

Trey grinned and shook his head at her.

“Good.” She looked down at the ground far below. “I’m not sure we can get enough sheets. That’s a loooooong way down. Maybe we should make a parachute instead. How do you feel about base jumping?”

“Uh, no.” Trey chuckled, his scowl completely gone. “I think I prefer being stuck in this hellhole over attempting your brilliant escape plans.”

“If you want to survive,” Sed murmured in all seriousness.

Trey and Jessica exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

“Oh jeez,” Trey said, wiping tears of mirth from the corners of both eyes. “He thought you were serious.”

Sed chewed his lip, feeling like an ass. He had been taking it all too seriously. No wonder Trey had been so uptight. “Nah, I was just playing along with her.”

“Suuuuure,” Trey said, laughing even harder.

Jessica’s eyes met Sed’s. She smiled and winked at him. And just like that all the tension left the room. This woman,
his
woman, was amazing.

Jessica seemed to enjoy caring for Trey. Fluffing his pillow. Adjusting his bed to a more reclined position. Rubbing his wrists, which he claimed were cramping up on him. Sed was convinced Trey was making stuff up just to get her attention. Sed considered making up a few aches of his own. She was practically ignoring him and he didn’t like it. At all.

A while later, Eric entered the room with a garbage bag. “It’s about time you woke up, lazy ass,” he said to Trey. “You think you’re on vacation or something?” He crossed the room in several long-legged strides and upended the sack over Trey’s lap, burying him in an avalanche of cherry suckers. “I hope they don’t keep you in here longer than a day. I can’t keep up with this addiction of yours.”

Dave, their soundboard operator, entered with a laptop and set it on Trey’s lap. “Dude, I’m tired of answering your fuckin’ fan mail. Do it yourself.”

“What?” Trey scrolled down a screen of messages, his fingers curled awkwardly over the touch pad.

“A thousand get-well-soon messages and counting,” Dave told him. “Your fans have always been loyal.”

“Not to mention crazy as hell,” Eric said. “There’s a whole crowd of them camped outside the hospital. Getting through security was insane.”

“Awesome. I could use a little fan lovin’ right now.”

“Oh, there’s plenty of love in there,” Dave said. “Trust me.”

“Any interesting pictures?”

“Slutty, you mean?” Eric said, fingering the cleft in the center of his chin.

Trey grinned his orneriest. “Obviously.”

Dave, the most normal-looking roadie on the planet, sat in the chair beside the bed. “I put those in your save folder.”

“I think I love you, Dave,” Trey said, poking keys with one finger.

“You ready to go eat?” Sed asked Jessica. “Eric and Dave will keep an eye on Trey. And you must be starving. I know I am.”

She nodded. He moved his arm to circle her shoulders and directed her toward the door. “See you later, Trey. We’ll stop by again this evening.”

“Later,” Trey said absently, pointing at something on the computer screen and laughing with Eric. “She’s right. That does make me feel better. But I don’t think that bikini is legal. Not even on a nude beach.”

“Dude, dude, email her back. Wait. Let me get a picture of your head staples.” Eric snapped a picture of the side of Trey’s head with his camera phone. “Fuckin’ brutal. You are gonna get so much sympathy pussy.”

Sed grinned. Yeah, Eric’s antics and some fan lovin’ were exactly what Trey needed. Sed was glad he’d called him.

“So, where would you like to eat?” Sed asked Jessica as they walked toward the elevator at the end of the hall.

She shrugged and snuggled closer to his side. Her hand slid discretely over his crotch on its journey to clutch the waistband of his pants. “Someplace dark. With a booth.”