"It was nice meeting you, Cage."
"You as well, Sera. I'll see you soon."
Her eyes widen then a smile slowly forms. "I've no doubt you will," she says before turning to follow Lucy out of the room.
"I knew it," Carlotta says.
"Carlotta," Giovanni scolds. "Don't go matchmaking."
She just laughs. "Oh, Gio, my love, don't you see? I don't even have to." She looks at me and laughs again. Carlotta places her hands on my cheeks. "You're perfect for her and she for you. Glorious," she announces and kisses my cheek.
Giovanni shakes his head and I feel … calm. I'd expect panic having Carlotta Russo tell me that Sera really is it for me, that there's no doubt of who I'm meant to be with. But there's none of it. Only acceptance and peace.
One day Serafina Manzini will be mine. I'm looking forward to that day.
Chapter Five
Jesse
Two years in the past …
"Did you hear that, dude?" Xander asks for the third time. Apparently, no matter how hard I try to ignore him, the fucker's not going away.
I let out a groan and roll over, my hungover brain starting to pound.
"Hear what?"
"Ethan's chick just puked all over his bunk," Xander tells me.
"Not my problem. Where's Jerry? He's the fucking tour manager," I growl as my stomach churns.
"You fired him. Again. But he's on it," Xander tells me with a scoff. "I just thought you might want to know shit's gotten out of control man. Things need to change."
"Fuck," I mutter, sitting up, resting my feet on the floor, and fighting back the nausea. Hangovers are a bitch. I run my hands through my hair. "I know, I know."
"Either we get this shit straightened up or I'm walking after this tour."
I look at Xander, shock running through me. Never, in all the time I've known Xander, have I seen that look on his face.
"You were partying right along with us last night," I remind him.
He nods. "True that, but the chick I banged last night knew when to leave. You all need to remember the fucking rules." He pointedly looks at the occupied space next to me in my bed.
"I was so fucked up. I fucked her and barely got the condom in the trash before I passed out. I told her before we came in it was a fuck-and-run type thing."
"Then what's she still doing here?" Xander asks.
"Fuck, I just told you, Xan!" I shout, getting pissed. "I fucking passed out, all right? I needed a night off from playing everyone's fucking daddy."
"Except hers, right?" Xander sneers.
"Fuck you, man. You step up and take the lead if you don't like the way I'm handling things."
"Nah," he says. "I volunteered, remember? When we first formed the band. And you wanted it, so motherfucker you've got it. Start acting like our fucking leader and lead. These guys are losing it. They're gonna need rehab before long. Fuck, man, Ben was snorting lines with Lucian last night."
"I hate that fucker."
Xander shakes his head. "It's not on Lucian. He didn't force Ben to do any of that bullshit. He knows we don't normally do the hard stuff. Period. Alcohol and occasional weed, yeah-coke, crack, meth? Fuck no. So this is on your bro and you need to step the fuck up before it gets worse. We're going to be touring with these pricks for another three weeks, and either everyone cleans up their shit and remembers the rules we put in place for this very fucking reason, or I'm done."
I just stare at him.
"I mean it man."
"Yeah, I hear you. I hear you," I mutter and scrub my hands over my face. When did things get so out of control? We've been out on four different tours and nothing like this has ever happened before. Nowhere even close.
Xander closes the door behind him and I blow out a breath. Things are so fucked right now. Everyone's spiraling. Fuck.
The chick from last night rolls over onto her stomach.
Fuck it.
I grab a condom, fist my cock until it's hard, and slip it on. I don't bother with preparation or pretenses. She knows how it works and she stayed past her welcome, so now I'm gonna fuck her to blow off some steam and when I blow my load, she's gone.
I lift her hips and slam right into her. She groans and says something I can't make out.
"No talking," I tell her as I pound into her hard and fast, using her body that she's made available to me for just this purpose.
When she starts pushing back to meet my thrusts, I slam harder, feeling the burn of my orgasm coming on fast.
"Clench your pussy," I order and she does. Nice and tight now and I'm gonna blow. Faster, harder, and then I start to come, groaning as the tension in my body from all the fucked up shit going on in my life releases. Yeah, I think as I release another spurt of cum, this is exactly what I needed.
When I'm done, I pull out and toss the condom in the trash.
"You could've at least waited until I came," she whines.
"Why would I want to do that? You overstayed your welcome. Get dressed and get out," I tell her flatly as I pull on my boxers and jeans.
"You're an asshole."
I nod. "I never said otherwise."
"I thought since you let me stay the night, you'd-"
"Whoa, whoa. Back up," I begin. "I didn't let you stay the night. I fucking passed out and you didn't leave like I told you to."
"You know we were good together," she coos.
I want to laugh. "Listen. You wanted to fuck me, you got that. You didn't listen and leave so I took my bonus. It's done, it's over. Get the fuck out."
"Don't you want my number?" she asks, pulling on her shoes.
"Nah."
"But it was so good."
"For you."
"What?" she asks, her eyes wide with surprise.
"It was good for you. For me it was just all right." I shrug.
"You really are an asshole."
"Yep," I say, rocking back on my heels, hands in the front pockets of my jeans.
She grabs her purse. "Next time-"
I shake my head. "Nope. See ya."
I can all-but see the steam rising out of her ears. She stomps on her cheap knock-off heels. Not sure what I'd been thinking with that one.
I scratch my chest. Oh yeah. She blew me at the after party. At least her mouth had good suction. Her pussy was used and abused, but it served its purpose.
I grab a shirt from the pile of clothes in the corner and sniff it. Not too bad. I slip it over my head and walk into the main part of the bus. Jerry's standing there looking severely pissed off and I can't blame the guy. We're a fucking wreck right now. I just hope I can figure out a way to get us all back on track before it's too late-if it isn't already.
Chapter Six
Xander
Past
I see the chick Jesse banged last night come stomping out of the bedroom and smirk. She walks past, muttering what a fucking asshole Jesse is. I take a drink of my Coke. Little does she know, we're all assholes like that. She violated the rules. She knew them, as they all do when they step on board this bus or in any of the hotel rooms. No sleepovers. Fuck and get out.
It's obvious Jesse didn't want her there, but Ethan. He's another story. He's been letting them stay so he can get one last nut off in the morning before we travel for a couple days to the next city. That'd be cool, but the chicks he's been bringing back have been totally fucked up. Drugs and alcohol. It's just a clusterfuck and I'm sick of it.
I get my piece of ass and send the chick on her way. She uses me, I use her, we both walk away happy. Letting them hang out overnight leads them to thinking they can stay even longer than that. No fucking way.
Ethan stumbles out around the same time as Jesse comes out of the bathroom.
"Dude," Jesse mutters. "You clean that shit up. It's on you. Not me, not Jerry. You bring your bitches back here and let them stay. You know that's not how it works."
"Fuck you, man. I saw yours leaving just now," Ethan scoffs.
"I fucking passed out and she didn't leave like I told her to. You know I never have chicks stay."
Ethan smirks. "Yeah, I know the golden rules." His voice is riddled with sarcasm and Jesse steps closer to him.
"I don't know what the fuck is up with you lately, but either you straighten your shit out, or Xander here is walking and I'm going right along with him," Jesse tells him, and I'm barely able to contain my shock. Holy fuck. Jesse leaving the band?
"What the fuck is going on out here?" Ben mutters, looking like death warmed over. His face pale, dark circles around his eyes. He's lost weight. I sneer. Fucking drugs.
"And you!" Jesse shouts. "What the fuck? Snorting coke with fucking Lucian? Have you lost your god damn mind?"
Ben rolls his eyes. "Fuck off, Jesse. It was only a couple times."
"Only a couple times," Jesse mutters, hands on his hips, eyes on the floor. He nods his head then lifts it to meet Ben's gaze. "Well brother, any more times and you're going to be up on that stage on your own. I'm done."