Page 40

I follow her out, Khaos right on my heel.

As the door opens, he yanks me, shutting it with Sam on the other side.

Her fists rain down on the wood between us as he slams me against it.

His mouth ravages mine, a kiss of a starving man, his fingers splayed along my ribcage, grip tight.

He sucks the breath right out of me, leaving me gasping for air.

“See you tonight.” He smirks, his lips grazing mine.

Without a response, I push him off me, opening the door again. I leave him with a teasing smile before following an annoyed Sam down the hallway of the hotel. My body has given him everything he’s asked for. He doesn’t need my words. Apparently, I’ve been known to lie.

“Tolerating each other, huh?” Her face evident with disbelief.

“Yeah, kind of like a roommates with benefits situation.” I explain.

Another lie.

We slip into a cab even though the walk is short, Sam doesn’t feel like taking the hike in heels. I, on the other hand, stick to my Converse on show nights because they can be long .

My phone vibrates inside my pocket, pulling it out I find Blane’s name on the caller ID.

“Hey boss.” I answer.

“Ashton.” His voice filters through the speaker. “I see your tour is in Chicago tonight. I’ll be stopping by to check the band out.”

“Oh, great! I’ll see you there.” I tell him, nervously.

“See you there.” He hangs up.

I groan, stepping out of the cab and into the bar with Sam.

“What’s going on?” She asks.

“I haven’t heard from Blane since I started the tour and now he wants to come check out the show... I’m kind of freaking out. I just slept with the lead singer, what if he finds out?” I panic.

“It’s not written on your forehead, Ash. He doesn’t have to know.” She laughs.

The cab parks in front of the bar, letting us out.

“What if Khaos says something to him?” I worry as the hostess greets us and shows us to our table.

We slide into the booth next to each other, dismissing her with a smile.

“Tell him not to. He has to understand that this is still your job.” Sam rationalizes.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

Buzzed and satiated after a five-star meal, we pull up to the Aragon Ballroom. Flashing our passes, we’re ushered in and headed straight for the green room.

Immediately, Sam finds Hypnos throwing herself at him, their mouths instantly connecting.

I watch, curiously and wonder if that’s what Khaos and I look like when we kiss.

There’s an air of playfulness to the two of them like they’re so carefree with their actions, unafraid to let the other too far in.

My fingers subconsciously find my lips, still puffy and bruised from earlier today. Nothing about Khaos and I are playful or carefree. Everything is terrifying and intense.

Black painted arms wrap around my center, my body stiffening.

“What’s wrong?” Khaos croons in my ear, nipping at my neck.

“My boss is coming tonight. I don’t think he should know about us. I don’t want to lose this job.” I peel myself away from him.

“Why would you lose your job?” He counters.

“For unprofessionalism. Please?” I begin to beg, worry settling in deep. “Just while he’s here.”

Khaos mulls it over, a part of him itching to disregard my instinct to deny us, “Okay.”

My eyes perk up, “Yeah?”

He nods, “Yeah. I’ll pretend for just one night that I didn’t just fuck you for hours while you screamed my name over and over and over-”

“Oh my God! I get it.” I laugh, smacking his naked chest, black paint coming away with my hand.

Just as he’s about to grab my waist to pull me in for one last kiss, Blane Pieters walks up behind us. I push him away instantly and spin on my heels.

“Hey boss!” I clear my throat.

“Ashton, how’s it going over here?” He smiles, looking from me to Khaos.

“Great! Let me introduce you to the band members.” I move out of the way.

“Blane, this is Khaos, the lead singer. ”

They shake hands before I introduce him to the rest of the band members.

“I hope you guys don’t mind if I hang out, watch the show. I’ve been keeping up on the Inside Genius blog that Ashton writes, so I feel like I know a little bit about each of you. How has everything been going?” His tone can charm a snake out of its hole.

Kokytos chuckles, “It’s been... interesting, but we’re really happy to have Ash on board.”

Blane smiles over at me, an eyebrow quirked. Luckily, he doesn’t press, letting the innuendo stifle the air.

We make small talk until it’s time for the guys to get on stage. They rush out, the crowd never ceasing to amaze me with their energy. Fans scream and cry, their arms raised in worship, pleading for an ounce of attention.

As the first song on the set starts, Blane turns to me.

“Your articles that you’ve been writing, they’re cute.

They keep the fans entertained, but this project is more than just a Wikipedia page on the band members.

I need something much more substantial, something that would shock their fans. Something like... their faces.”

Sweat slowly coats my body, my heartbeat unsteadies inside my chest. “That’s not something we can do. We signed a contract agreeing that was the one boundary we wouldn’t cross.”

Blane shrugs. “What’s a couple hundred-thousand-dollar lawsuit when we can triple our audience?”

I shake my head, not comprehending what he’s asking. “I just got them to trust me. They’re a really closed off group of guys. I don’t think asking them for their faces is going help. It would ruin their whole reputation.”

“I thought you were rebranding yourself? Ready to take more risks.” Blane mocks me .

“I am, but I don’t-”

“Your job depends on this, Ashton.” He warns.

My stomach twists into knots, my heart squeezing with conflict. I need this job, it’s everything I’ve been working for and even though my feelings for Khaos are conflicting, I can’t do that to him or the guys.

Tension hangs heavy between us, Blane’s order hovering over my head like an anvil threatening to destroy me.

I hardly notice the set has ended until Khaos does something he’s never done before.

Panic strikes me dead center in my chest, his painted fingers caressing his mic.

The crowd is mesmerized by his blackened jaw and demonic mask.

They’re eerily silent, holding their breath as Khaos opens his mouth to speak.

“I don’t ever do this, but being back in my hometown makes me feel a certain way. Does anyone want to hear a new song we’ve been working on?” He asks the crowd.

They go ballistic, realizing they’re the first to ever experience this phenomenon.

Blane turns to me, just as confused as I am.

One because Khaos just released new information to the public, that he’s from Chicago, which he’s never even told me about.

And two because he never shares a new song with fans before it’s released.

Night’s Deadly Deeds isn’t known for their encores or interacting with fans, they embody their God Like pseudo personas at all times.

“I’ve been working on a little something. We’re calling it Ash’s to Ashes.”

The room quiets, allowing heavy chords to reverberate through the venue with sickening strums of Kokytos’ guitar. A deep, vibrating growl bellows from Khaos, riding on the waves of the melody.

“I’ll burn the world down with just one look...

With just one look .

I’ve wrapped you in fingers with a faux promise of pleasure.

Bringing you to the edge, just to pull you back under.

You beg for mercy, for my demon to spare you,

But you’re destined for Khaos, so accept that I own you.

You say that you hate me, my darling I hope that you do

Because the hate that I feel will only incinerate you.

There are so many lies inside those hypnotic blue eyes.

Only exposed when I make your body cry.

You long for my demons, desperate to play

With intentions to win, but never to stay.

Those talons so long, you dive in deep,

Scathing the heart that refuses to beat.

You say that you hate me, my darling I want you to

Because the hate that I feel will only bury you.

Holed up inside of me, he’s been counting down the days

You’ve lured out my demon and he’s ready to play

Pent up with fury from the way he’s been teased

One sight of you makes him want you to bleed

Don’t say you weren’t warned because it’s too late now

He’s here to reap havoc on this world

To reap havoc on you girl.

You say that you hate me, my darling I don’t think you do

(I don’t think you do)

That hate that I feel, isn’t really hate for you

(Isn’t hate for you)

You say that you hate me, my darling I don’t think you do

(I don’t want you to )

That hate that I feel, isn’t really hate for you

(I could never hate you)

I’ll burn down your world with just one look

cause the hate that I feel, is the heart that you took”

The song bleeds with deep growls and screams throughout, masking the words, but I heard every one of them. Blane turns towards me with a taunting smile.

“This is going to be too easy. Ash’s to Ashes, baby. You’ve got this.” He winks before leaving me there with a pit in my stomach.