Beyond the Stix (Warrior Black #2)

Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

John

“I’m glad Tobias called me,” Ben says as he lowers the radio. “I’ve been thinking about you lately.”

“You have?” I glance at Ben for a moment before returning my gaze to the road. I once found his tall, slim figure and his beautiful elfin face attractive. But he’s no comparison to Connor’s rugged exterior and penetrating green eyes.

Even the soft accent of black that outlines Ben’s bright, light amber eyes can’t distract me enough to have sex with this guy again.

“Yes. I miss your marks on me.” He waggles his brows. “Want me to pull over?”

“I told you, Ben, that I appreciate you giving me a ride to Black Rock, especially since you’re heading in the same direction. But this is all that will be. A car ride. Nothing more.”

“Really?” His lips drop into a frown. “It wasn’t that long ago that you craved my touch.”

“No, you craved getting fucked, and I wanted to do the fucking. But not anymore. I’m not your guy—never was,” I say plainly so that Ben won’t mistake my meaning.

“Jesus Christ, John. All you had to do is say no nicely, and I would have got it. When did you turn into such an asshole?” he huffs, his body stiffening as he takes the curve around Route 447 until he merges on Route 34, leaving Gerlach behind us.

I glance back at the rear window, hoping to see the bus. But all there is, as the dark swallows us up, is the fading light of the small town.

“What are you looking at?” Ben wiggles in his seat as he, too, looks back.

Confessing to my ex-lover that I’m into Connor in a bad way, but he wants nothing to do with me anymore, would be a bad idea. It would be the in Ben would use to attempt to get back into my life.

“Nothing,” I say, then turn quiet.

“Come on. You’re generally not this grumpy. We have about thirty minutes before we get to our destination. Talk to me. You know I hate driving in the dark,” Ben pleads with a pout.

I roll my eyes. His tactics to engage me usually don’t work. But I have too much of Connor in my head this time. While I don’t normally ask for anyone’s opinions or help, especially not Ben’s, talking to him might get me some advice on what I have to do next to get Connor to talk to me. To trust me again.

“I have this guy…” Damn. I’m not sure how to explain everything that happened. “Did you trust me?”

“Oh. Now I understand why you won’t fuck me,” he clips out, before his face turns sullen.

I sigh. “I’m sorry for being an asshole. I just—I like him. He’s different. And I don’t want anything to jeopardize what I have with him.”

Ben darts a wounded look my way before returning his eyes to the road. “I knew one day someone would catch your eye. I just thought it’d be me.”

“Ben.”

“No. I understand. So, you like him that much?”

“Yes.” I don’t want to admit that I have fallen for the band member I’m supposed to be protecting—not without confessing my feelings to Connor first. But that means I’d have to grow a pair of balls to open up to Connor and tell him about how I feel.

“Which one is it? I know it’s not Raven, the lead singer,” Ben says with a nonchalant attitude. “Tobias snatched that one up last year.”

“How do you know?”

“Please. I heard all about it. I know my friend and his taste. And he’s head over heels in love with Danny. But you? I can’t decide if it’s the bassist, the keyboardist, or the lead guitarist… No,” he chirps. “It’s the drummer. Am I right? Wildman.”

What the hell?

“How did you figure that out?”

“Because he’s your type.”

“I have a type?”

Ben taps a finger to his temples. “I know you, John.”

“Okay? I guess you do.”

“Then my next question is why are you here with me when I know the band is back on the bus we just left in Gerlach?” I meet Ben’s knowing gaze. “You screwed up, Brand. What did you do?”

A groan leaves my lips. “That’s two questions.”

Ben pulls over to the side of the road. “Spill.”

“What are you doing?” I glare at him. “Keep driving.”

“No.” Ben shifts his body and faces me. “I want to help.”

“You do?” I ask cautiously, a little suspicious of his motives.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You’re the one who spilled about your feelings for the Wildman. So, tell me.” He folds his arms across his chest and eyes me.

I shake my head, and wonder how I got stuck in this frustrating position. “I looked through his phone,” I confess. I’m not about to bring up Jessup.

“You done fucked up big time. Why did you—never mind. What you need to do is grovel. Like a lot.” Ben pulls back onto the road. “It’s the only way to get him back.”

“He doesn’t want to see me,” I confess, the crack in my chest expanding.

“I wouldn’t either, especially after you broke his trust. But why do I feel like there’s more?”

“I can’t talk about it,” I say. Then my phone pings, and my heart leaps up to my throat, thinking it’s Connor, reaching out to me.

I pull out my phone and before I can see the screen, Ben says, “It’s not Connor.”

I glance down and sure enough, it isn’t him. It’s an unknown number.

Unknown: Good riddance to you.

“Who is it?” Ben asks as he tries to glance down at my screen.

Instead of answering him, I hit Tobias’s number, and he picks up immediately.

“You haven’t been gone that long,” he says in a whispered chuckle. “Miss me already?”

“I got a text from an unknown number.”

“What does it say?”

“Good riddance to you,” I repeat. “Did you get Connor a new number?”

“No, I didn’t. Who do?—”

I cut Tobias off. “It’s Jessup—I know it. And I have a feeling he’s following the bus. Because there’s no other way he’d know I’m not on it.”

“Where did he get your unlisted cell number?”

I mull the question over, and immediately know from who. “I’d bet on Connor’s mom Amanda. I gave it to her in case she couldn’t get a hold of Connor.”

“Shit. Of course, Amanda would give it him, if she thinks something’s wrong.”

“Or that Jessup called her and lied to get it,” I say, picturing that scenario.

“Most likely, since Connor turned off his phone,” he rumbles out. “Hold on, I want to tell Danny.”

“No. I don’t want him, Connor, or the rest of the band to know that Jessup might be following them. Let’s keep up the pretense—stick to the plan we formulated. It’s better that they think I’m gone. Then it’ll be easy enough for me to keep an eye out and track that bastard—if he comes around the band.”

“Where are you right now?” he asks.

I look at Ben. “Where are we?”

He shrugs. “About fifteen minutes from the entrance?”

“Did you hear that?” I ask.

“Okay. Text me when you get there.”

“Will do. And Tobias?” I rub the back of my neck, a steely resolve settling into my blood.

“Yeah?”

“Make sure Connor is covered.” I can deal with not being close to Connor. But hell will freeze over before I let Jessup get near him.

“Will do. Pen’s on him.”