Page 27 of Rock Hard
Chapter Eleven
“Great performance!”Valerie gushed as Rex walked backstage.
He glared at her, narrowing his eyes until some of her phony smile faded.
The show had been anything but great. He had missed his cues and fucked up the licks in at least two songs. The crowd had felt it, too.
Live concerts were a symbiotic thing. He gave to his fans through his voice and his music. They intensified the vibe and sent it back in their screams, their voices, their energy. Their adoration was his crack. He craved it just as a junkie craved his next fix, but tonight’s hit had been subpar at best. His heart hadn’t been in it, and they had picked up on that.
Rex continued past Valerie, growling a warning when she tried to stop him by digging her claws into his arm.
“What about the encore?”
Encore?Was she kidding? Even the requisite chants from the sold-out crowd were weak, about as heartfelt as his lackluster performance.
“No encore tonight.”
“But—”
“No. Encore.”
Her thin, penciled-in brows knitted together before smoothing out again. She released his arm and petted his skin. He shrunk away from her touch, earning himself another scowl.
“Right. It’s good to leave them wanting once in a while,” she said, the familiar words striking a painful chord. “Come backstage. I’ve invited some new friends to the party. They’ll help you relax.”
Rex grunted and let Valerie lead him toward the backstage party. Even here, the vibe had changed from what it once was. No longer was it a good time, upbeat, post-show atmosphere. It was harder. Edgier. Colder.Greedier.
He looked around at the empty eyes and bared skin and felt disgust welling up inside him. Whether it was for himself or them, he didn’t know. Either way, he wanted no part of it.
He turned and slipped out the back door. The fact that no security guards went with him was just another reminder of how bad things had gotten. Alice would never have allowed half those people backstage, especially the young fans who weren’t any older than Carly, despite their tats and piercings and makeup. Alice would have made sure the hardcore shit stayed where it belonged—away from him and his guys. And she would have ensured that securitydid their fucking jobs.
More importantly, shit nights like this one wouldn’t have happened, because he would still have the music in his soul.
He waited for the anger to rise again, just as it did every time he thought about Alice walking away and taking the music with her. He would welcome the enmity like a familiar friend, glad for the way it filled the void.
But the rage didn’t come. The void stayed empty. The music remained silent.
For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do. Those things he had come to count on weren’t there anymore. Alice. The music. The high he got from performing.
By the time he reached the penthouse suite, his mood had turned even darker. Either his mind was playing tricks on him, or the universe was conspiring against him. He could even swear he smelled Alice’s distinctive feminine fragrance in the elevator.
This shit had to stop. He had to get over this obsession with Alice and pull himself together. He didn’t need her. He didn’t need anyone. He was Rex Fucking Løve, goddammit.
Then he walked into the living room andsawher.Alice. Were his eyes in on the mindfuck now, too?
He paused in the doorway, certain he was seeing things. Alice had no reason to be in his suite ... unless, of course, she hadfinallycome to her senses and realized exactly where she belonged.
He was afraid to move, afraid if he did, she would disappear.
Her head was down, her fingers tapping on the small device she held in her hands.
Rex knew the moment she sensed his presence. She stilled then snapped her eyes up to his.
“Rex! What are you doing here?”
A talking mirage? Or the real deal? Given the way her body tensed as if ready to flee, she was really there and not a product of his imagination. If it were one of his dreams, she would be ripping her clothes off and running into his arms.
“I was about to ask you the same thing. Last time I checked, this was my suite.”
