Page 39 of Rock Hard
Rex stared at the door in disbelief. He was torn between getting answers or getting his ass in gear. Since he had less than twenty-four hours to fly out to Phoenix, get Carly, and meet up with the guys at the next stop, retrieving Carly won out.
One of the benefits of being Rex Løve was that, when he snapped his fingers, people came running to do his bidding. One phone call to the VIP concierge and he had a private jet fueling up and a limo on the way. Another call to the hotel manager and he had secured Chuck as his personal security for the short trip. The stone-faced Chuck didn’t give any indication how he felt about that one way or the other, but the kind of cash Rex was offering made it hard to say no.
Once they were in the air, Rex sat back and took a breath. Now that he knew Carly was safe, anger was slowly edging out the worry. Anger at Valerie for trying to come between him and his cub. Anger at Carly for making him chase her down. Anger at Alice for abandoning him in the first place.
Because of them, he was flying cross-country in the middle of the night instead of getting some much-needed rest and well-deserved pampering. Had anyone stopped to consider how their selfish actions affected him?
Apparently not. As usual.
Fronting one of the most successful bands in modern history wasn’t easy. Sure, he had been born with superb looks and incredible talent, but he was more than just a pretty face and a great voice.
Wasn’t he?
“Get your head out of your ass before it’s too late.”Styxx’s words from only a short while earlier came back on a repeated loop, demanding his attention. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Had Styxx been talking about Alice? Carly? Or had he been referring to something with the band?
Admittedly, things hadn’t been going smoothly, but they were still okay ... weren’t they? Every band experienced a few bumps in the road occasionally; it was just the nature of the beast. They were still touring, still selling, still on top, even if they weren’t as high up as they once were.
Clearly, they had some adjustments to make. When he got back, he would call a band meeting. It had been a while since they’d had one of those. He wanted to hear where the other guys’ heads were.
Other than performing together and doing the occasional promo, they really didn’t talk much anymore. Rex had his own bus, his own suite on tour. Even studio time had become a separate thing. The band went in and laid down their tracks. Then Rex went in and added his when it fit his busy schedule.
Maybe that was part of the problem. At one time, they had been really tight. Everything had been about the music, and they had all shared the same burning desire to make it big. Now that they had, things had changed.
It was still dark when they touched down in Phoenix. A waiting car whisked them to the resort. Rex knew they were in the right place when he saw all the signs promoting the event in and around the lobby.
“Science, Technology, Engineering, Math,” he murmured, glancing over one of the posters. At least he now knew what STEM stood for.
The skinny human male working the reception desk wasn’t very helpful at first, adamant that there were no rooms available. He changed his tune damn quick, though, when Rex produced the black card that matched the one on the account and told him he alreadyhada room.
His cub had good taste, Rex thought as he and Chuck made their way across the lobby, now equipped with key cards of their own. The resort was nice. Classy. Quiet in the predawn hours. Only staff were up and about, preparing for the day.
Delicious, mouth-watering scents wafted their way from the large restaurant off to the left. Stomach rumbling with hunger, Rex made a slight detour, placed an order, and slipped the kid in the funny white hat a hundred bucks to bring it up to the room asap.
All was quiet in the VIP suite when they let themselves in. A small light burned in the kitchenette, enough to ascertain that the living area was empty. Two bedrooms flanked the common sitting area.
Rex’s nose told him that they were in the right place. Alice’s subtle scent and Carly’s sweet adolescent spice hit him first. He inhaled deeply, wrinkling his nose in distaste when he picked up the panther’s funk as well.
Rex’s territorial urges surged, causing his claws to extend. Thankfully for the panther, his scent led to one bedroom and the females’ to the other. If Prowler and Alice had been in the same room ... well, Rex wouldn’t have been responsible for his own actions.
“What now?” Chuck asked.
Rex settled himself on the sofa and yawned. He could be a dick and give them a rude awakening, but he was tired and hungry.
Opting for a brief catnap while they waited for the food, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Now, we wait.”
