The Rocker That Needs Me(40)

A small smile tilted my lips as I came to that conclusion, and I raised my hand to wave. I thought I saw relief cross his face, and he started to smile back, but then he turned his head, frowning at something the man at the end of the judge’s table had said…

That was when I saw him. Cole Steel. That was probably the biggest shock of my life. No way! I glanced at Dallas, but she didn’t seem at all fazed about the old rocker’s presence. Maybe it was because she wasn’t easily impressed with superstars. Maybe it was because she was still pissed at Axton. Or maybe it was because she didn’t know that dirt bag’s secrets like I did!

Somehow, I contained my shock. Okay, I was beyond shocked, but no one needed to know it. They didn’t have to know anything. If I kept my cool, then everything would be fine. Cole wouldn’t know who I was, wouldn’t even guess the truth. There was only one feature that we shared, and that wasn’t all that big of a detail to notice.

“You’re going to break your phone if you don’t relax your hold on it,” Dallas told me after a few minutes. “Is it that bad seeing him after so long?”

“Yes,” I whispered, and then shook my head to clear the hatred haze. “No,” I corrected myself, knowing that she had meant Drake and not Cole. “No. It’s actually good to see him. I’ve missed him.”

The sudden crash startled me, and I jumped up, not knowing what to expect. Drake had Cole pressed against the wall holding him up by his throat, and it scared the hell out of me. He was saying something to the older rocker, but it was too low for me to make out. His face was purple he was so mad, and there was a vein popping out in his neck.

Around me, the other fans were becoming rowdy. Axton was still sitting at the judge’s table, seeming reluctant to stop his friend. A producer and two security guards appeared, attempting to pull Drake off of Cole, who was clawing at Drake’s hands while he gasped for air he wasn’t going to get.

I pushed passed Dallas, knocking another woman to the ground as I rushed toward the fight. If you could even call it that! It looked more like Drake dominating some little old man the way Cole Steel looked right now, still pressed against the wall.

“Drake!” I screamed his name as I ran toward him. He seemed to jerk at the sound of my voice but still didn’t release his hold.

I glanced around, frantic. “Shane!” I screamed. “Shane!” Where was he? Before I could reach Drake strong arms wrapped around my waist. “No. Let me go!” I kicked behind me, connecting with someone’s shins.

“Dammit, Lana!” Axton huffed. “Be still!”

“Let go, Ax. He’s going to kill him.” I had never seen so much rage coming from Drake before. “Let. GO!”

“Drake!” Shane’s voice boomed around the room, and I glanced around, relieved to find the younger Stevenson brother. He reached his brother and wrapped his arms around his neck in a sleeper hold. “Let him go, bro.”

Drake struggled as his brother pulled him back. “Fucker!” he bellowed. “You ever talk about her like that again and I will end you!”

Cole put his hands to his bruised throat, coughing as he sucked in life giving oxygen. Shane was still pulling Drake back, getting him as far away from the old man as possible while his brother struggled to get back. “A little help here, Ax!” Shane muttered, out of breath.

I was still trying to get free from Axton’s hold on me. He seemed more eager for Drake to finish what he had started than keeping him back. “Sure. As soon as this little spitfire stops clawing at me, I’ll be right there!”

I reached down and caught Axton off guard when I bit into his forearm. He released me with a string of curses, and I stumbled a few steps before righting myself. Then I was doing what I had meant to do in the first place. I threw myself against Drake.

He went completely still in his brother’s arms. There was only a small hesitation and then he was wrapping me in his arms. I felt his nose skim against my neck as he inhaled deep. Drake’s big body shuddered, and I thrust my fingers through his hair, holding him in place as the rage faded.

Shane released his brother. “Why didn’t you just let her go in the first place?” Shane demanded, glaring at Axton. “She could have had this whole fucking thing taken care of in five seconds flat.”

Axton shrugged. “Maybe I didn’t want her to stop it. Fucker had it coming to him.” Calmly, as if nothing had just happened, he dropped down in his chair once more and pulled out his phone.

Behind me the producers and staff were going crazy. Someone kept asking Cole if he was okay. The group of fans was shown out and someone was demanding to know what was going on. I was only half-aware of it all happening, too lost in the exhilaration of being in Drake’s arms for the first time in forever.