Changing the Key: A Detrimental Rock Star Romance (Book 1) Page 5

  It was a long shot, but I hoped it would be enough to convince him. Tanisha had once mentioned that it was Beverly who had inherited the motel from her parents. My veiled threat was riding on the hope that Bryce couldn’t afford to lose his sugar mama.

  Unfortunately, my words had the opposite effect of what I’d been aiming for. His hand quickly moved from my breast to grip my chin with punishing force. Thick fingers dug into my cheeks, and I couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped. My breath came in short bursts as my heart raced. Panic was building, but I couldn’t let it take over. I refused to give up and had to stay focused on getting away from him.

  “If you say one word to her, I’ll make you regret it.”

  Shit. Apparently, we were going to do this the hard way.

  Chapter 5

  Jaxon

  I drained my mug as Pops and I sat at the breakfast bar in our rented beach house, nursing some much-needed coffee. Callie and the rest of the guys were either enjoying the view from the deck or parked on the couch watching the news. Everyone was sluggish this morning after such a late, eventful night.

  By the time Pops had been released from the ER, we hadn’t gotten back to our house until after five in the morning. I had been coherent long enough to type out a message to Bianca, canceling my morning publicity obligations. Her wrath was sure to come, but I’d been too tired to give a shit at the time.

  Pops had already been awake when I made my way downstairs, and I wondered if he’d had trouble sleeping. Strain lines bracketed his mouth as he shifted on his barstool.

  “Need me to go grab your pain pills?” I knew he had them because Shawn had filled his prescription at the hospital pharmacy. He was just being stubborn.

  “Pass.” It was clear that Pops preferred a clear head, even if he had to suffer for it. Still, I had to try.

  The only other person I knew with such a strong aversion to pain medication was my sister, though her reaction was much different. She became comatose, which wasn’t nearly as entertaining.

  “Did you see Angel last night?” Pops asked.

  Just the mention of Anna had me more alert than the caffeine running through my veins. Pops had no way of knowing that I’d thought of little else since meeting her last night. I couldn’t shake her. The lilt of her voice, the creaminess of her skin, and the way her lush tits had filled out that bikini top were all seared into my brain. But as amazing as all of those things were, the feel of her in my arms had completely ruined me. She’d fit as if she belonged there, and I’d hated letting her go. Hours later, I still itched to touch her again.

  “We all met her last night. How much do you remember?” I assumed the pain meds had affected his memory along with his inhibitions. It was a safe bet since he hadn’t mentioned Lance’s videos yet.

  “Not much after getting to the ER,” he admitted. “I wanted to thank her.”

  “You did, but you were pretty out of it.”

  Groaning, he rubbed a hand along his jaw. “It doesn’t count if I don’t remember it.” He looked up at me from his coffee. “She was amazing. Without any hesitation, she jumped in and saved my life.”

  Having heard all of the details of the accident from Anna while she spoke with the police and again from Pops once the pain meds had worn off last night, guilt had slowly crept in. Anna had acted so selflessly, making a difference in all of our lives. And what had she gotten for her trouble? A moody prick who treated her poorly, making assumptions and acting like a judgmental jackass.

  Needing to move, I rinsed out my coffee mug and loaded a few more items into the dishwasher. Unfortunately, my thoughts followed. It was a poor excuse, but fame had come with plenty of people looking to use me. Everyone I met wanted a favor, an introduction, a connection, or money. Over time, connecting with new people had become a challenge. And it had only gotten worse after Krissy had exploited our relationship. Then Bianca and the media had caused people to assume the worst of me without even asking for my side of the story.

  And I had done the same thing to Anna. Fuck. Me.

  Even though my public image was one of a heartless asshole, I’d never allowed it to cross into my personal life. Until now. It was a reality check, for sure, because that’s not who I was. I took care of those around me, especially those who took care of us. That’s how I was raised.

  My house had always been open to anyone needing a place to go for a friendly chat or a little moral support. Hell, we wouldn’t even have a band if it weren’t for the fact that all of the other guys had come to hang out and get away from their own homes back in high school.

  Knowing my shitty mood could only be blamed for so much, I analyzed the situation from every angle. My initial distrust of Anna had stemmed from an assumption that she was with Pops and potentially using him in some way. Before making the connection between the girl on the phone and the siren in the hospital waiting room, I had been utterly smitten. I’d wanted her and had been ready to actively pursue her, something I had not done in a long time.

  Then those two worlds collided.

  Suspicions swirled to taint my lust-at-first-sight buzz, which pissed me off. I was mad at her for being the girl on the phone. I was mad at myself for wanting her despite my doubts. And I was mad, in general, for getting my hopes up and having them crushed so quickly.

  The final result: assuming really had made an ass out of me.

  By the time I’d realized the error of my ways, the damage had been done. Even through my anger, I had seen the pain in her eyes following my accusations. Hell, I’d had a front-row seat.

  Unfortunately, any attempt at an apology last night had been rejected, leaving me weighed down with regret. Hoping to make things right and purge this remorseful feeling from my system, I offered Pops the perfect solution.

  “Eli and I drove Anna back to her motel last night. We know where she’s staying if you want to try to find her.” I waited as he seemed to think that over. “Plus, I loaned her my jacket and should go pick it up.”

  Honestly, I didn’t give a damn about the jacket but would use any lame excuse I could think of to see her. First and foremost, I needed to apologize because it was the right thing to do. And if there was even the slightest chance that I could salvage the opportunity to pursue things further with her, namely getting her into my bed for the weekend, I would make it the best apology in the history of apologies.

  “Okay. Let’s do it." Pops reached for his crutches and eased off of the barstool.

  Eli, Callie, and Lance came in through the patio door as I found the van keys.

  “Where are you going?” Callie asked.

  “To see Angel,” Pops answered.

  “Good,” Eli said. “I’m coming too.”

  “Why? Are your Spidey senses tingling?” Lance asked with a smirk. Along with Eli’s uncanny ability to read people, he noticed subtle things and put clues together that most people missed. It was practically a sixth sense.

  Eli shrugged. “Some things didn’t add up.”

  “What things?” My guilty conscience ate at me, hoping there wasn’t more to her story to make me feel worse than I already did.

  “A few things. She mentioned having to be at work early this morning, which makes me think she lives here, but she’s staying in a motel. Then she dropped her keys as she got out of the van last night. They were metal, like commercial keys to a building, not an electronic keycard. And she really didn’t want us to walk her to her room. It just seemed off.”

  “She probably didn’t want Jaxon walking her to her room because he was being a total dick last night.”

  Lance calling me out in front of Pops was like being ratted out to my dad. And just like my dad, Pops gave me the look that all parents had mastered to make their kids squirm and confess their sins. Yes, I was a twenty-seven-year-old, badass rock star, but nobody messed with Pops. Despite my initial mistrust, Anna had asked for nothing except a ride home. And I was man enough to admit when I was wrong.

  “I still ow
e her an apology.”

  Pops simply nodded. “Then we better get going.”

  As I parked in the lot of Anna’s motel, my first impression from last night only worsened. In the dark, it had looked presentable enough, but in the light of day, it showed signs of disrepair and wasn’t very welcoming. Walking further onto the property didn’t help my opinion either. There were overgrown plants along the sidewalks and weeds growing in the cracks. Cigarette butts littered the ground alongside discarded liquor bottles as we followed the path. The smell of chlorine and sunscreen hit me as we got closer to the pool, where a few families were relaxing around the deck as kids splashed. People also filled the beach, so I scanned the crowd. But there was no sign of Anna.

  “Well, Sherlock, what’s next?”

  Eli’s eyes were already following the uniformed woman who was pushing a cart towards a small outbuilding. Without a word, he jogged down the path to meet her, holding the door as she maneuvered the cart inside. Pops and I caught up just as she was thanking him.

  “You’re welcome,” Eli said, giving her his most charming smile. “I was hoping you could help us.”

  “Certainly, sir. What do you need?”

  “We’re looking for someone. She’s either a guest or an employee here. Her name is Anna.”

  Tanisha, according to her name tag, looked us over, carefully considering Eli’s request. Her gaze landed on Pops and his injured leg.

  “Are you Pops?”

  “Yes! She told you about me?”

  “She did.” Looking at Eli, Tanisha smiled warmly. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “What do you want with Anna?”

  Pops was the first to speak up. “I just want to see her again and thank her for saving my life last night.”

  “It sounds like it was a scary situation. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Do you know where she is?” I asked, an unexpected sense of urgency coming over me.

  Debate warred on Tanisha’s face before finally relenting. “Room 215.” She pointed across the courtyard, to the room on the second floor with a housekeeping cart by the door. “Make sure she doesn’t work through her lunch break.”

  “We will,” I promised, already heading in the direction of the elevator. My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I let the call go to voicemail when I saw Bianca’s name on the screen. That would have to wait.

  Exiting onto the second floor, we easily found the right room. The curtains were drawn open, providing a clear view through the large window. At first glance, only a man was visible, and I thought maybe we had missed Anna. Then the man shifted to reveal her pinned against the wall, his hand fisting her breast.

  “What the fuck?” I raged, wanting to charge into the room and break the man’s hand for daring to touch her. My blood pumped, primed for a fight, but Anna didn’t seem to be resisting him at all. Her expression was neutral, revealing nothing.

  “Give her a minute,” Eli advised as he and Pops also watched the scene play out.

  Anna and the man were talking calmly, but then she flinched as his hand became more aggressive. When he grabbed her face, it became clear that she was in trouble.

  “Time’s up.” I began banging on the glass, wishing my fist was connecting with his face instead.

  Startled by the sound, the man turned toward the window. Anna took advantage of the distraction and kneed him in the balls. Hard. Clutching his crotch, he fell to the floor while she ran for the door. I rushed to meet her in the doorway and pulled her to me. In fight-or-flight mode, she twisted and turned in my arms, trying to escape more perceived danger.

  “Anna, relax.” Given the circumstances, my voice was surprisingly calm. “It’s Jaxon. You’re safe now.”

  She froze in my arms except for her rapid breathing. Her heart pounded against my chest, like a frightened animal. Mine matched it beat for beat. The image of that bastard hurting her had me seeing red. Holding her tightly, I ran a hand up and down her back to soothe us both. This was not how I envisioned having her in my arms again, but I wasn’t letting go.

  Needing to confront her attacker, I gently walked her back into the room with Eli and Pops following. The man was still on the floor in the fetal position, moaning in pain. Anna grabbed fistfuls of my t-shirt and buried herself further into my hold.

  “Well done, Anna,” Eli complimented.

  Pops moved to stand over the man and looked like he wanted to inflict further injuries.

  “Are you alright?” Pops asked. Her grip on me loosened as she turned towards him. She nodded her head and released an uneven shudder. “What happened? Who is he?”

  “That’s Bryce, one of the motel owners,” Anna began shakily. “He-”

  “You’re trespassing,” Bryce wheezed around the testicle that was probably lodged in this throat. Then he carefully made his way to a standing position and pointed a finger at me. “You need to leave before I call the police.”

  My temper flared. “Are you fucking kidding me? You were assaulting your employee!”

  “I’d be happy to call,” Pops said, taking out his phone. “Let’s see which complaint they take more seriously.”

  “I wasn’t assaulting her. You misunderstood the situation. Tell them, Anna.” His eyes narrowed in a way that said there would be definite repercussions if she didn’t agree with him.

  Anna remained quiet. Why was she so afraid of losing a shitty job? Or worse, what kind of power did this man have over her?

  “Anna, did you want this man touching you?” Eli asked.

  “No! I’ve told him to leave me alone. I was trying to get away from him, but he wouldn’t let me go.”

  Bryce scoffed as though the whole notion was ridiculous. “She’s such a drama queen.” He limped towards the door, pausing to look at Anna. “Be sure to count this as your break. We’ll talk again later.”

  I broke away from Anna and stepped directly into Bryce’s path. His eyes went wide as I grabbed him by the throat and backed him into the wall where Anna had been.

  “Not so fun being overpowered is it?” I asked, staring into his eyes

  “He’s not worth it,” Anna warned, grasping my wrist in an attempt to pry me from him.

  “No, he’s not,” I agreed. “But you are.” I tightened my hold until his face darkened and he was gasping for breath. “If you come within ten feet of her ever again, I will fucking hunt you down and lay you out. Are we clear?”

  “Jaxon, stop!” Finally sparing her a glance, I could see the worry lining her face. Worry for me or worry for Bryce, I couldn’t tell. Still, I was determined to wait him out. When he finally nodded, I allowed him to scurry around me.

  As the door closed, Eli urged Anna to sit on the edge of the bed. He took the space beside her while I paced, barely holding myself back from going after that asshole and beating him senseless.

  “You guys should go.” Her tone was flat, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

  “You have to quit,” I told her.

  “I can’t.” It was barely a whisper, and she refused to look me in the eye.

  “Of course, you can. It’s just a job. You can find another one.”

  “No, I literally can’t quit.”

  “Why?” Pops asked.

  Anna’s head fell forward to rest in her hands.

  “We want to help,” Eli said. “Please let us.”

  “I can’t quit because I’m not technically employed here. I’m more like an indentured servant.”

  “You owe him money,” Eli clarified.

  Anna nodded quietly. Then she told us that she’d been stranded here with an outstanding bill and about the deal she’d made with the owners. The more she talked, the more my heart hurt for her. And the more my fists clenched at the thought of that asshole taking advantage of her situation and trying to proposition her.

  As Anna’s story ended, Tanisha rushed in. “Are you okay? I saw Bryce leaving.”

  “I’m okay,” Anna reassured her.


  “Thank goodness. Bryce is an awful man. He leaves me alone because he’s afraid of my husband. But Anna doesn’t have anyone to watch out for her.”

  “She does now.” I was shocked to hear the words, especially since they’d come from my own mouth. However, I knew they were true. Her actions last night tied her to us, and I couldn’t walk away without knowing she’d be alright. Turning to Anna, I said, “Get your stuff, you’re not staying here.”

  Speechless, her gaze moved over all of us.

  “Go,” Tanisha directed. “I’ll finish up in here.”

  Expecting an argument, it was more concerning that Anna didn’t utter a word. The elevator ride back down was silent. She barely seemed to register anything around her as she led us back into the little outbuilding where we’d met Tanisha. Heading past the industrial laundry machines, she went straight into the back room, shutting the door.

  “What’s the plan?” Eli asked.

  “No fucking clue,” I admitted, though the fact that the band was still looking for an assistant seemed to flash in my mind like a neon light. However, I wasn’t quite ready to say it out loud. Sure, seeing Bryce’s mistreatment of her had ignited my protective side. And I still wanted to get her into my bed. That didn’t mean I was ready to invite her to live on our tour bus.

  “Does she know who you are?” Pops asked.

  “No. And I’d like to keep it that way until we know a little more about her.”

  “I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Eli argued as he held up a hand to stop me from interrupting. “But I understand where you’re coming from.”

  Anna emerged wearing denim shorts, a plain pink t-shirt, and matching flip-flops. Her hair was in a loose braid that hung over one shoulder, making her look so damned sweet. Forget being cautious. I wanted to take her as far away from this place as possible and make sure nothing bad ever happened to her again.

  “I just need a minute,” she mumbled, motioning for us to follow her back into the little room.

  Realizing that it was where Anna had been living, my anger towards Bryce skyrocketed again. It was a fucking closet. Oblivious to my mood, Anna gathered her meager belongings that were tucked in between supplies on the shelves. She lifted my jacket from her pillow and handed it to me. The slight blush in her cheeks made me wonder if she had slept with it, and the thought turned me on way more than it should have.