Beyond the Stix (Warrior Black #2)

Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

John

As I climb onto the bus, I see Connor crawl into one of the lower bunks, while Danny and Tobias take up one of the back bedrooms. Callum crashes in the other. But I swear Dom and Pen went in after the bassist. As for Bobby and Rafe, they are hanging out in the living area with the rest of the security team.

Seeing Connor’s raw emotions, there’s no way I’m leaving him alone to battle his grief. So, I climb in, ready for him to tell me to get out. Instead, he remains quiet—aside from an occasional sniffle. Eventually, Connor does fall asleep.

I’m about to settle in when Connor’s phone begins buzzing and I grit my teeth. Gently, so as to not wake Connor, I pull his cell from the back pocket of his jeans and carefully climb out of the bunk.

Standing in the hallway, I slide my finger across the screen, and use the password I spied Connor using to access the phone. I tap out the five digit code, and open the messages. Christ, there are dozens and dozens of texts from Jessup.

“We’re stopping.” Tobias approaches with his eyes lasered on the phone in my hand.

“Why?” I ask, my attention dropping back to the cell. I grip it tightly, like it’s Connor’s uncle’s neck.

“The driver accidently took us the long way around. We have to stop in the town of Gerlach to fuel up. Do you need any provisions while we’re there?”

“No. But Connor might.” I glance at my friend who’s eyeing the cell in my hand again, and he knows it’s not mine.

“Is Connor okay?”

“No, not really. How about Danny?”

Tobias shakes his head. “I’m worried if we get any more bad news from Dean about Ron, Danny’s going to break down to the point that he might not be able to sing this weekend.”

“Currently, my worry is on Connor’s uncle,” I admit, feeling my anger boiling up, but I quickly tap it down. “That son of a bitch keeps texting him.”

“Do you think Jessup is up to no good?” Tobias asks, his thoughts on the same wave length as mine. “Would he show up at Black Rock?”

“That’s a possibility. Jessup has been harassing Connor since the funeral. No wonder he asked for a new number. He has over fifty texts from Jessup since this morning. And from the looks of it, Jessup sent a shit-ton more in the past few days,” I explain, while I scroll through the messages. “Christ, he keeps asking him to hang out. Go to dinner. The asshole is acting like they are dating.”

“What does Connor say about it?”

I glance up at my friend, who’s staring at me with a frown that rivals my own.

“He doesn’t realize that you know about the text messages, does he?”

I slowly shake my head.

“Did you at least tell him about Lee doing a deep dive on his uncle?”

I drop my eyes back to the messages. “No. I want to tell him after we see what Lee finds.”

“But he hasn’t found anything… yet ,” Tobias chips out.

“No. Nothing nefarious that can implicate him,” I say in a low growl. “The bastard’s entire past is so pristine, that I can’t believe he’s even real.”

“Well, then if I was you, I’d tell Connor that you know about the texts and what you’ve asked Lee to do. Soon. Before you get into deeper shit than you’re already in.”

Then an idea hits me. “Maybe I should call his mother and ask?—”

“What. The. Fuck!” Connor rips open the curtains and climbs out. His green eyes are blazing with indignation. He snatches his cell out of my hand and glances between the screen and then at me with incredulity. “You went through my phone? You intruded on my privacy? And then you did what—search Jessup’s background like he’s some serial killer?”

“Connor—” I begin to say, but he cuts me off with a slash of his hand.

“I don’t want to hear it, John,” he snarls. “I trusted you, and you threw it back in my face.”

“But Con—” I close the space between us, but he shuffles back.

“Stay the fuck away from me,” he spits out the words like they’re cobra venom. “The last thing I want is to be near you. The last thing I want is for my mother to find out that my uncle could have molested me when I was a kid—she doesn’t need to know that shit, especially after losing her husband of thirty-five years,” Connor screams, and I have to swallow down the pain rising at the back of my throat.

The second Connor’s secret is out, collective gasps and curses come from every direction.

“What the hell?” Callum strides up to Connor. “Your damn uncle touched you—when?”

The rest of the band crowds around Connor like a protective swarm, everyone talking at the same time.

Tobias pulls me away from the band, but I try to fight his hold. “I need to explain my reasons to Connor.”

But the disgusted look on the drummer’s face puts a halt to my resistance and I follow Tobias to the front of the bus.

“Give him a moment,” Tobias suggests, but it sounds more like an order.

I don’t say anything, just stand there trying to figure out how to explain to Connor why I was looking in his phone and investigating his uncle. He needs to know how I feel about him and that I’d do anything to protect him.

Danny strides up, anger flaring in his eyes, and the focus is on me. “Connor doesn’t want you on the bus anymore,” he says flatly, before turning his attention to his boyfriend. “He doesn’t care how.”

“Babe—”

“No, babe . Connor doesn’t want him here, and I have to agree… for now.” Danny’s face softens slightly. “John, it’s for the best.” He then whirls around and stalks back to the group.

This isn’t what I expected when I stepped onto the bus today. Now, more than ever I regret my actions, but it’s too late.

“I guess I’m getting off at Gerlach.” I exhale a heavy breath, feeling more defeated than ever.

“I’ll call Ben.” Tobias grabs my shoulder.

I glare at my friend for all of three seconds before shock at that familiar name hits my brain. “Ben? Like Ben Augustine?”

“Yeah. He texted me earlier today that he’s coming to see the shows.” Tobias shrugs like it’s no big fucking deal. But it is.

“He’s the last person I want to see now.” And that’s a real understatement. No one wants to see their last hookup… Okay, more than a hookup. Still, it didn’t work out for us. However, to see Ben again after three years, out of the blue, is going to be awkward.

And awfully convenient.

“Don’t think too hard on this, John. Ben coming is strictly coincidental,” Tobias says assuredly. “And give Danny some time to talk to Connor. Out of everyone here, he can talk Connor off the ledge.”

It doesn’t matter what I tell Tobias. I lost Connor’s trust the moment I took his cell phone and opened it. But maybe he’s right about Danny. And in time, maybe Connor can learn to trust me again.

Jesus. You fucked up royally .

From the moment we hooked up in the shower, I have questioned if I’m doing the right thing by continuing to be around him. But ever since I admitted to myself that I’m falling for Connor, there’s no going back. So, I’ll bide my time, and hopefully Tobias is right.

“John, I assure you, there’s no way that fucking Jessup will get near Connor. We’ll make sure of it,” Tobias promises.

“Thanks.” But Tobias’s reassurance doesn’t ease my worry. The one thing I learned from being on my own at a young age was to trust my instincts, and they are saying that I can’t leave Connor—even if there’s security around him. Even if I die protecting what’s mine.

And yes, Connor is mine. He just doesn’t know it.