Page 10 of Love Loathe Devotion (Tightrope #3)

I carry Laney into my tour trailer, the soft glow of the dimmed lights casting shadows across her pale face.

I feel her friend trailing closely behind me, her worry and fear for Laney seeping out of her, but I ignore her my focus on Laney.

She feels so small in my arms, her body still sluggish from whatever the bastard gave her.

I’ve barely let her go since the doctor left, but now, as I gently lower her onto the bed, I hesitate.

My fingertips brush over her cheek, the softness of her skin stark against the rage still simmering in my chest. Seeing her in my bed fills me with an unexpected satisfaction, a primal possessiveness that settles deep in my bones. She’s where she belongs.

The trailer is a testament to the kind of life I live—sleek, modern, and dripping with luxury.

Dark wood paneling lines the walls, soft recessed lighting casts a warm glow over plush leather seating and a stocked bar in the corner.

A massive flat-screen TV is mounted on one side, next to a built-in sound system playing low, ambient music.

The bedroom area, where I lay Laney down, has a king-sized bed covered in high-thread-count sheets, its rich, charcoal-colored comforter pristine and inviting.

A private en-suite bathroom boasts a rainfall shower and a vanity that could rival a high-end hotel.

Laney blinks up at me sleepily, exhaustion pulling at her, and I stroke her hair back. “You rest, sweetheart. I got you.”

Christie hovers at the door, concern etched across her face. “I can help her change,” she offers softly. “Sit with her.”

Reluctantly, I nod, forcing myself to step back. I don’t want to leave, not even for a second, but Christie is her friend. “Yeah,” I say gruffly. “Make sure she’s comfortable.”

As Christie helps Laney, I stand near the door, arms crossed tightly over my chest, forcing myself to give them privacy. I watch as Laney’s eyelids flutter shut, her breathing evening out.

“She’s out,” Christie whispers, carefully pulling the blanket over Laney. She turns to me. “I can stay with her if you have things to do… or I can take her home.”

My jaw tightens. The idea of Laney leaving my sight makes my gut twist. “Stay with her until she’s rested. Then I’ll have you both taken home.”

Christie hesitates, then nods. “Thank you… for taking care of her.” Her voice hitches with a sob before she wrestles it under control. “I should never have left her alone, even for a second, but I…I guess I got caught up in things backstage and we got split up.”

My gaze darkens. “You never have to thank me for taking care of Laney,” I say firmly. “That’s never a question and you have nothing to feel bad about, this is not on you.”

It’s on me, it never should have been allowed to happen.

Christie gives me a small smile before turning back to Laney, settling into a chair beside the bed. I linger a moment longer, unwilling to step away, but the fire burning in my gut demands retribution. I need to handle unfinished business.

I force myself out of the trailer, my movements rigid as I stalk across the lot.

The security team has taken the bastard to an empty trailer, away from prying eyes.

Each step closer sends adrenaline coursing through my veins, my fists already clenching at my sides.

I want blood. Want to make sure the scumbag understands what it means to touch something that belongs to me.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I yank it out without slowing my pace. “What?”

“Eddie,” Nico’s voice comes through, smooth but laced with interest. “Just heard what happened. You need me to take care of this trash for you?”

I clench my jaw, stepping up onto the trailer’s steps. I exhale through my nose, trying to rein in the inferno raging inside me. “Appreciate it, but I’ll handle it.”

Nico chuckles darkly. “You sure? We’re good at making problems disappear.”

I smile despite myself. “I know. But this one’s personal.”

A pause. Then, “Understood. Call me if you change your mind.”

I end the call and shove my phone back into my pocket before throwing open the trailer door.

The moment I step inside, the air thickens with tension.

My security team stands like stone pillars, their faces unreadable.

My entire team has been hand-picked and vetted by Nico, so I have to ask how the fuck this prick got near Laney in the first place, but first, I have to handle this.

In the middle of the room, the bastard is bound to a chair, his face already bruised from the initial beating he received.

Holding out my hand, I take the file my team has comprised on the prick—David Peters.

Nothing stands out, but I know men like him often leave victims with no idea or memory of who they are.

Handing it back, I step forward, my fists itching, my body coiled tight with fury. I crack my knuckles, my voice low, lethal. “You touched the wrong girl.”

The roadie lifts his swollen eyes, his breath ragged. “I-I didn’t—”

I strike fast, my fist connecting with the guy’s jaw in a sickening crunch. The chair rocks back, his groan barely audible over the blood roaring in my ears.

I loom over him, my voice dark with promise. “I should kill you for what you did.”

The roadie whimpers, blood dripping from his mouth. “Please—”

I grab the front of his shirt, yanking him forward. “You think you can touch her and walk away? Drug her? Leave her helpless?” My voice is venom, each word coated in pure hatred. “You don’t get to fucking breathe the same air as her.”

His head lolls, his breath hitching. Then, he makes the worst mistake of his life. “She—she wanted it. She was—”

I see red. I let go of his shirt only to throw a brutal right hook that knocks his head to the side. Then another punch. And another. My knuckles split from the impact, but I don’t care. I want to destroy him.

His cries turn to garbled gasps, blood spilling from his nose and mouth. I finally step back, my chest rising and falling hard as I try to regain control of myself. I wipe my busted knuckles on my jeans, my voice ice-cold as I turn to my security team. “Hand him over to Nico Mancini.”

The roadie’s swollen eyes go wide with pure, unfiltered terror. “No—no, please! Not them! I’ll—I’ll disappear, I swear! You’ll never see me again, just—please, not them!”

I smirk, dark and satisfied. “Should’ve thought of that before you laid your hands on her.”

The security team nods, dragging the sobbing, pleading roadie out of the trailer. I roll my shoulders, flexing my sore fingers. I’m not done with this bastard. Not by a long shot.

But right now, there’s only one person who matters.

I turn, heading to the band’s trailer to wash up. As I step inside, Dizzy emerges from the bedroom, scratching his stomach and walking toward the fridge in nothing but his boxers. He squints at me, taking in my bloody hands and the tension still radiating off me.

“You good?” Dizzy asks, grabbing a beer and cracking it open.

I exhale sharply, heading to the sink. “Yeah. Just dealing with a problem.”

Dizzy nods, taking a swig. “If you need anything, holler.”

“Thanks, Dizz.”

I clean up quickly, washing the blood from my knuckles and running a damp towel over my face. Exhaustion claws at me, the adrenaline is starting to wear off. I dry my hands and leave, heading straight for my own trailer.

When I step inside, Christie is still by Laney’s side. She looks up at me and sighs. “She’s sleeping peacefully.”

I nod. “I’ll take over now. I’ll have someone drive you home.”

She studies me for a long moment. “You really like her, don’t you?”

I don’t hesitate. “Yeah, I do.”

She bites her lip before whispering, “Please don’t hurt her.”

My eyes soften, my voice unwavering, as I answer her friend. “I won’t.”

She nods, then grabs her things as I send a text to my head of security to have someone take Christie home and make sure she’s safe for the night. The woman matters to Laney, so now she matters to me.

I sink into the chair beside Laney, my body heavy with exhaustion, but I don’t take my eyes off her.

Her features are relaxed in sleep, her body soft with none of the fear and tension from before.

Rage flutters through me again as the scene I walked in on replays in my head.

If I’d been any slower then he would’ve done god knows what to her.

The thought makes me want to go back and pound his face until even his mother won’t recognize him, but Laney needs me more.

And that matters more than anything else right now.

In the span of a few hours, this woman has gone from being someone I’m attracted to, to being my entire world.

It’s hard to process, but the feeling settles peacefully inside me as if it was always meant to live there.

Laney is mine and nobody, not even my friendship with Lucas, will come between me and the woman who has stolen my heart.

I know she needs time, not everyone is like me, but I’ll give her whatever time she needs to fall in love with me.

Until then, I’ll watch over her all night, making sure she’s safe. Nothing will ever hurt her again—not while I’m breathing.