Page 8 of Beyond the Stix
“Who in the hell do you think you are? I’m Markus’s brother, Jessup Wild. I have every right to be in there,” he hisses in my face.
I don’t want to cause an incident in the hallway, but I’ll do whatever I need to ensure this man remains outside the room until Connor’s done. “Sir?—”
“I don’t give a?—”
“John,” Connor growls. His voice is taut like an overdrawn bow. I realize immediately that his fingers are gripping the backof my shirt like a life line. “Get me the fuck out of here, right now.”
“Connor,” Jessup’s tone changes from aggressive to gentle wonderment. “Oh, man, I’m so glad to see you. Let’s talk.”
“Stay the fuck away from me, asshole,” Connor snarls. “Now, John.”
My name is a command I can’t ignore and so I place my body between Connor and this Jessup. “Step back, sir.” Using my hand to stop him from touching the drummer, I guide us away from the room.
“Connor, wait. Don’t ignore me, damn it,” Jessup calls out, following us. “You can’t hide from me anymore.”
“Stay away from me,” Connor shouts, but his steps falter as he glances over his shoulder. “I never told him the truth.”
“I know,” Jessup replies, stops in his tracks, and then retreats back the way he came.
Connor’s comment gives me pause, but that doesn’t stop me from wrapping my left arm around his waist, quickly leading him down the hall, toward the waiting room, where the rest of Warrior Black and their bodyguards have convened each day.
“Where do you want to go?” I ask as he leads us past the waiting room, and every pair of eyes in that little group homes in on us.
“Connor,” Danny calls, rushing out of the room and reaching for his friend. “Where are you going?” Deep concern furrows the singer’s brows.
“Danny,Jessup’shere.” Connor grates out between clenched teeth.
The singer’s eyes go wide and he quickly looks around us. “Tobias,” Danny barks and his partner is at his side in seconds.
“Yes?” he responds with swift urgency.
“We need to get out of here like now,” Danny demands before refocusing on Connor, and adding with conviction, “He won’t get near you.”
More so than ever, I want to know what Jessup did to Connor. Whatever that guy did—it had to be bad. This has to be the guy Connor’s father wanted the concert tickets for.
Now, the other band members crowd around Connor and Danny like a shield.
Tobias turns to me, Cal, Pen, and Dom. “Pen, you’re with me. Rest of you meet me in front of the hospital.” Then they take off.
“Where’s he going?” Callum asks.
I keep looking over my shoulder to make sure Jessup’s retreat wasn’t some tactic to come barreling in and get to Connor. But I don’t see him around us.Good. Because the last thing any of us wants is a problem or a physical altercation in the hospital.
Cal, Dom, and I take a protective stance around the band the best we can, all the while keeping an eye out for Jessup.
As much as my curiosity is piqued about what happened between Connor and his uncle, I need to get Connor out of here. But if it seems that word travels fast in the rock world, apparently the same is true of the hospital. Right as we step out of the elevator, we can see the paparazzi that have converged at the entrance and block our exit.
THREE
Connor
Warningbells go off in my head as John whisks me away from Jessup. That familiar lurch twisting around in my gut eases the moment we enter the elevator and the doors slide closed.
With my friends and our bodyguards stepping out of the elevator first, I don’t see the swarm of people outside the main entrance of the hospital, but I can hear muted noise.
“Why didn’t Tobias give us a head’s up?” Dom questions, looking to John.
“I don’t know but I’ll find out.” John takes out his cell phone and puts it to his ear.