Chapter 26

"Ilove our fans, I really fucking do, but I wanted nothing more than to leave that meet and greet and just be alone with Jade," Zane grumbles as we head down for sound check.

Thankfully, Gianna didn't fight Zane when he told her we refuse to have fans at the sound checks anymore while on this tour. It was too much. As much as we love our fans, two VIP meets in one night is just a lot. So, she had it switched to before the show.

"Where did she take off to anyway?" Griffin asks. "I saw her talking to Calvin. She looked pissed, and then they left."

"I'll kick his fucking ass if he did anything to upset her," Zane growls.

"I'm sure she's fine. I texted him to make sure she came to sound check. He replied back saying they were already there."

"Good. I don't know why Gianna started that bullshit with the fans coming to sound check. I enjoy just messing around and blowing off steam before a show. Having that kind of attention on us isn't what we need," Zane continues to complain as we head backstage.

This is our second show since we've found Jade. So far, things have been completely different with how we normally do things.

Zane isn't drunk, Griffin isn't high, and I'm horny as fuck. Something I really wish Jade would have been able to help me out with.

Griffin offered to have a quickie in our dressing room after the meet and greet, but that meant more time away from Jade and knowing we only had another two hours before the show started, I wanted all the time I could get with her. We can have crazy sex after.

I shiver just thinking about it.

"Hey," Calvin greets us.

"Hey. Where's Jade?" I ask Calvin.

"She's here." He gives us a small smile. "She wanted to see what it felt like being up on stage."

We step around the corner to find her standing in the middle of the massive stage. She looks so gorgeous tonight. Although she always does. She's dressed in a black and red plaid punk rock dress with lots of layers.

Her tits look so damn good, it takes everything in me to focus on the fans and not eye up her breasts at the VIP meet. But that's the least modest part of her dress. I mean, it goes all the way down to her knees. Underneath, her legs are covered in these sexily ripped black fishnet stockings. She's a damn sweet treat that we all want to take a bite out of.

Her long red curly hair shines under the stage light, casting a glow over her like an angel.

"Looking good, Trouble. Thinking about joining the band?" Zane chuckles as we join her.

She spins around, the smile on her face making my heart skip a beat. She's stunning. "I don't know, big guy. If I were to do that, you would be out of a job."

"How so?" Zane asks, cocking a brow. I grin at their banter. It's like their way of flirting. It's fucking hot.

"Because the fans would love my voice better and just vote you out of the band. And I'm not here to steal anyone"s job," she teases, raising her hands. "I'm just here for a good time."

"You sure do think highly of yourself, don't you?" Zane snorts. "Be careful, Trouble, your delusion is showing."

"It's okay to feel intimidated by me, big guy." She gives him a sympathetic look.

He rolls his eyes, but a smirk plays on his lips. "Can you even sing?"

"Can I sing?" she gasps, putting a hand on her chest. "I'm offended. Of course, I can sing. You've all heard me."

"Yes, but that was years ago," Griffin adds in. "I think you"re going to have to prove it to us, Jelly Bean. It's only fair."

"You wanna hear me sing?" she asks, raising a brow.

"More than anything," I answer with a grin. I remember her voice from way back when. She was phenomenal. We tried to convince her that if we ever got big, she would have to join the band, but she refused. Said she enjoyed singing when it was just us in the school music room, but she'd rather watch us than chase a dream that wasn't really hers.

"Alright then. Warning, I don't sing rock." She narrows her eyes at all of us. "So, don't shit on my song choice."

"Yeah, yeah. Go on, Trouble, prove me right." Zane smirks.

Jade flips him off, making us all chuckle. She goes over to Calvin, and they share a few words, then Calvin hands her a mic before making his way over to the sound board.

"I've chosen one from years ago, but it's still one of my favorites," she tells us, a slightly nervous look showing on her face; the playfulness from before is completely gone.

The music starts up, and I immediately know what song it is. Stay by Alessia Cara and Zedd.

My eyes flick over to the guys. Griffin looks over at me, but Zane stares at her with an unreadable look. It's a song we all know the lyrics to.

While it meant something back then, I know it's going to mean something completely different now.

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and starts to sing.

Her body is a little stiff at first, her voice shaking a bit, but as the beat picks up, her body starts to move like she"s unable to stop herself from dancing.

When there"s a break in lyrics she laughs and starts to dance around us, but then the lyrics start up again and the next part packs a punch that hits a lot harder than she will ever know.

The lyrics are about not being good at letting go, and not wanting to spend the night alone.

My heart sinks, thinking about all those years she was alone. All those years she thought we didn't want her. And the fact is, she didn't let go or move on. She held onto that pain to the point she tried to erase us from her memory, even if she wasn't successful.

While my stomach sinks at the memory, she's all bright smiles, enjoying herself as she sings. I can tell she"s trying to mask the underlying meaning of this song and how it relates to us.

Zane's jaw is clenched tight, his hands fisted at his side. He's trying his damn hardest not to pull her into his arms and smother her with his need to make things better.

When the song is over she laughs, panting a little. She was amazing. Would it be cliche to say she has a voice of an angel? "Damn, that was fun. But how do you do it, all those songs in one night? Just singing that one song has me out of breath."

"Vocal practice," Griffin answers for Zane, who still looks a little bit feral. I can tell he's regretting challenging her to sing.

"I'm going to have to get a bit of that." She laughs. "Now, I'm going to get out of your way and let you guys do your thing. Thanks for that, though. That was the most fun I've had in a while." She gives all of us a kiss on the cheek before heading over to Calvin. He wraps his arm around her, kissing the side of her head as they walk away.

I feel like a part of me goes with them. I know the guys feel the same way. And after what happened last night, none of us want her out of our sight.

But Calvin said he's going to be glued to her side, and they will watch from backstage this time. That way, if the crowd gets too rowdy, she's safe.

SOUND CHECK GOES BYquickly and smoothly. We hang out with Jade backstage until it's time to go on.

"She's going to be fine," I tell Zane as his eyes stay glued to where Jade is standing off to the side with Calvin.

"She just fucking got attacked last night," he growls, ripping his attention away from her and over to me.

"Yes, and she's fine. She's been looked over, and we've been by her side all day. Plus, she said she would kick our asses if we cancelled this show."

"I don't like how she's just brushing this off like it wasn't a big deal." Zane sighs heavily.

"She's not brushing it off. She's just a hell of a lot stronger than what you"re giving her credit for."

"I'm her alpha. It's in my fucking DNA to make sure she's safe and protected. I already failed her, I won't do it again." He glares at me, running a hand through his inky locks.

"Enough of this," Griffin says. "We can argue later. We've got a show to do."

"Fuck. Fine." Zane grabs my face and kisses me hard before doing the same to Griffin. We both laugh, a euphoric feeling flowing through all of us.

"Ready?" Zane asks us, a huge grin on his face, and I can't help but mirror his mood.

"Hell yeah!" I scream over the shouting crowd.

"Then let"s fucking do this!" Griffin shouts.

The moment we step out on the stage, the crowd goes crazy; they are almost deafening. I grin, chuckling as I twirl my drum stick in one hand and wave to the crowd with the other.

"Hello, London!" Zane shouts into the mic. "We are Tattered Souls and we're here to blow your fucking minds!"

Taking a seat, I get in position and off we go.

The first song is one of our hits. Something that made it to the top of the chart within our first year. It's all about heartbreak and losing the one we love.

By the time we're done, sweat pours down my back and face. My heart is pounding as adrenaline races through my veins.

There's something about being out here on stage that lets all my worries drift away. There"s this buzz, this high I get from the energy of the crowd. It will never get old. We plan on doing this until we take our last damn breath, which will probably be on a stage.

Needing to make sure Jade is still okay, I look over to see her still standing there with Calvin. She's got this smile on her face that makes my heart skip a beat and my stomach flip. God, this woman is my everything.

When she meets my gaze, I wink and chuckle when her response is to bite her lower lip while giving me a little wave. Fuck, she has no idea how sexy she is when she does that. I want to suck that lip into my mouth and nibble on it until she's a mewling mess underneath me.

"Alright, this next song is an oldie. One so old no one has ever heard it before," Zane says to the crowd before casting Griffin and me a look.

My brows raise. Is he for real?

Looking back to Jade, her eyes are locked on Zane, a curious look in her eyes.

"This is a song we wrote back in high school. It's about the most important girl in our lives. The one who's owned our hearts from the moment we laid eyes on her," Zane continues, causing Jade's eyes to widen.

While Jade has heard most of our amateur work, she has never heard this one. We only ever worked on it on the days she had to get extra help at lunch.

The crowd goes insane, and I know the press will be mentioning something about this mystery girl who has Tattered Souls head over heels for her.

Zane gives us a nod, and I take a few moments to remember how it goes. Then I grin, and it all comes rushing back.

LIPS PARTED, EYES GLUEDon Zane while he sings, my heart pounds wildly in my chest as I listen to the lyrics of a song I didn't know existed. Zane said it was from back in high school, but this, this I've never heard before.

It starts with Everett playing a bit of drums with Griffin on the guitar. The beat is slow, sensual, and when Zane's raspy voice steps in, my breath catches in my throat.

She looks like an angel, but got that fire in her eyes

Her lips so tempting, they have me on my knees

Her voice like a siren, having me begging please

Biting my lower lip, my hand tightens around Calvin's.

Let me take a bite of that forbidden fruit. Always there, right out of reach

Come ease my pain, take everything that I am

My heart and soul is yours to do with as you please

Baby, you have me on my knees, begging you please

The song goes on about a girl who they love but can't have. How it kills them to have her within their grasp but unable to touch her.

This song is about me, I know that in my heart. And if I heard it back when we were kids, it would have changed so damn much.

By the time the song is done, there are tears spilling down my cheeks. My heart is so full but yet, a part of me is sad about the past.

"You okay, Darling?" Calvin asks, leaning down to speak into my ear to be heard over the roaring crowd.

Turning my damp eyes up at him, I nod. "I'm fine."

"They really do love you," he tells me with a small smile.

"I love them too." He nods and kisses my forehead. I turn back as Zane finishes up the song.

The crowd goes nuts, as they do for every song the guys sing.

I grin, watching my men—my alphas, my best friends—living out their dream. They look so at home on stage, like it's where they were always meant to be. I'm so fucking happy for them.

As much as I love to sing, this isn't something I'd want to do as a career, but maybe they will let me in on a few songs. I mean, a girl's got to try, because singing earlier for them was amazing.

Zane starts up another song, dragging the mic around the stage as he pours his heart and soul into the lyrics.

I take in all of them. The way Everett focuses while playing, this adorable grin on his face that makes my belly warm.

Griffin pours his heart and soul into that guitar. He's like a dance as his fingers move along the strings, his head bobbing, body swaying.

I can't help but start to dance along. Since they kidnapped me, I may have been listening to their music without them knowing. And yes, I'm still calling it that because that"s what it was. I'm just not mad about it anymore.

Despite what happened last night, I feel amazing. I'm happy, smiling so damn wide all the time. I look up to find Calvin singing along to the song too.

He catches me looking and gives me a playful glare making me laugh.

As my eyes scan the crowd, watching all the fans jump around and sing along, but then something catches my eye.

There's a woman in the front row, a small child in her arms. Squinting, I'm almost positive the child is crying. The mother"s face is desperate, and as I look around her, I realize that the crowd is crushing the mother against the barricade.

My eyes widen as fear spikes through me. Where the fuck is security?! Shouldn't they be paying attention to stuff like this?

Without thinking, I take off. "Jade!" Calvin calls after me, but I ignore him.

The guys keep playing as I rush past Griffin and jump down off the stage and over to the woman and child.

"Give her to me," I scream over the music and crowd. She nods frantically, handing over her crying child. My heart breaks listening to the sobs from the little girl, but adrenaline has me determined to get both of them to safety.

"I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"

"Please," she pleads. "I can't breathe."

Holding onto the little girl tightly, I start to scream at the people around here to get back.

"We can't!" one guy calls out, his face a mask of worry. "They're all pushing forward."

"Can you help her over the gate?" I ask him and his buddies.

"We can try."

They grab onto the woman and start to lift her. She's full on sobbing now and frustrated tears spill down my face. I've heard of things happening at concerts like this but seeing it in person is horrifying.

"I got you." Calvin appears at my side and helps the girl over.

When she makes it, she collapses into a fit of sobs in Calvin's arms.

"What the fuck was that?" I scream at him, anger filling me. "Where the fuck is security?"

"I don't know." His jaw tightens, lifting the woman into his arms. "But I sure as fuck plan to find out."

Someone from the band's crew rushes over. "Take her. Keep her with her mother." I look at Calvin. "Get her checked out."

"I can't leave you alone," Calvin insists.

"I don't give a fuck about me, Calvin," I snap. "This woman could have gotten severely hurt or fucking died. And what about her kid? Go. Now."

"Fucking hell, woman," he growls at me but listens nonetheless. I hand the child over to the woman and both she and Calvin leave around the stage.

The music has stopped but the room is still filled with chaos.

Anger fuels my veins, and I hop back up onto the stage. I storm over to Zane who has a wild, confused look on his face. "What is going on?" he demands, but I snatch the mic from his hand.

"Listen up!" I snap, and the crowd starts to simmer down. Mostly because they want to know who the pissed off omega is that has the audacity to interrupt the show. "There are families with children here. Show some respect for the people around you. This isn't a mosh pit, everyone on the floor should be in seats! Not rushing to the front like a pack of crazed animals. If you want them to continue, I'd advise you to sit the fuck down!"

The crowd breaks out into whispers as I spin around to face the guys. Chest heaving, eyes wild. "Do not keep this concert going unless they are sitting down, do you understand me?" Zane nods.

"What happened?"

"A woman and her child almost got crushed," I seethe and his eyes widen.

"Are they okay?" he asks, looking out at the crowd.

"Yeah, no thanks to your security. Why the fuck was there hardly anyone down there, and why the fuck did no one help that woman? Who the hell is in charge of that?"

Zane's jaw clenches, eyes flashing with rage. "Gianna," he sneers, and that"s all I need to know.

"Finish your show," is all I say before storming backstage.

I'm a crazed woman on a mission as I make my way toward the green room, hoping to find that bitch there.

Thankfully, she appears before me, so I don't have to hunt her down. "Are you fucking crazy!" she snaps. "How dare you interrupt the concert. I should have you ejected from here and locked up!"

"Fuck you!" I spit. "Where the fuck were the security that should have been down on the floor?"

"That"s none of your business," she spits. "You have no right to that information."

"There was no one down there," I scream. "A woman and her child could have gotten hurt!"

She scoffs. "It's a rock concert. What did she expect? If she wanted to be a shitty mom and risk her child, she deserves what she gets."

Chest heaving in anger, my hand makes contact with her cheek, making her head snap to the side as I slap her across the face.

She gasps, her hand flying to her cheek. "You bitch!"

"You"re fired," I snarl.

Her eyes widen. "You can't do that!"

My eyes snap over to Calvin as he heads toward us. "I swear to God, Calvin. Fire this bitch or I'm gone."

I don't wait for his response as I storm down the hall toward the guys' dressing room.

I've tried my best to play nice with that crazy cunt, but I'm done. She should have been fired a long time ago. And if the guys want me to stick around—well, it's me or her.

I'm not trying to tell them what to do or dictate their career, but how the hell haven't they seen how toxic and controlling this woman is?

If they don't get rid of her, I fucking will.