Forbidden Billionaire Rockstar (Raising Havoc Bandmates #4)

2. Jace

2

Jace

The sun beats down on the sleek black hood of my car as I pull up to Brent's house. The air is thick with the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming jasmine. I can hear the faint thrum of traffic from the highway in the distance, a constant reminder of the bustling city beyond this quiet neighborhood.

Mallory's face flashes through my mind. It's been months since that night, but I still can't shake the memory of her touch, her smile, the way she—

No. Stop it, Jace.

I kill the engine, forcing thoughts of Mallory away. She’s off-limits. Brent’s sister.

My best friend’s sister.

Carmen is walking out of the front door as I step out of the car. She gives me a small smile, a clipboard tucked under one arm. Typical Carmen.

The woman has been a machine since she started working for the band, doing her best to make things right after the incident with Mack and Evan. I still can’t believe Evan has agreed to start up a new tour, but I can respect his boundaries now that he and Mia are growing their family. He wants to make sure he can be there for them.

“Jace, glad I ran into you,” Carmen says breathlessly, then pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it out to me. “There’s been a new person added to the roster for the upcoming tour. Sweet Surrender hired a different marketing manager.”

“You look stressed. Have you bothered taking a day to clear your head? You’ve been handling things every day. Surely you can spare a few hours,” I say, cocking my head to the side.

“No time,” she mutters, then points at the paper in my hand. “You and the guys have a last-minute interview tomorrow afternoon with Sweet Surrender. You’ll be talking about the upcoming tour and what it means for everyone. I’ve got to prepare for that.”

I chuckle. “Carmen, we’ve been doing this for a little while now. I think we can manage to do something on our own if it means you get the rest you need. You can’t be at your best if you never sleep.”

Carmen blows out a rough breath and glances back at Brent’s house, frowning. “I really shouldn’t take a break. It’s the last thing you guys need me to do right now with the tour coming up quickly.”

“No, it’s the perfect thing for you to do, and I’m sure everyone else would agree with me.”

As if reading my thoughts, Brent comes sauntering out of his house with his hands stuffed in the pocket of his sweatpants. He looks at Carmen with a frown. “Everything okay?”

“Just trying to convince Carmen here that she should take a break, catch a breath after dealing with so much.”

Brent nods. “He’s not wrong, but I’m assuming that’s why it looks like you’re in a heated discussion.”

Carmen sighs heavily and shakes her head. “I don’t need a break. Everything is going great, perfect even, and I’m not about to screw that up now.”

“More of a reason to need a break,” I mumble.

“As much as I love this,” Carmen says, gesturing between Brent and me while smiling brightly. “I’ve got an interview to prepare for now.”

Before we can object, she scurries along the paved driveway and slides into her car before pulling away. She throws a quick wave our way, then disappears at the bottom of the hill with me and Brent staring at the car.

“So, new hire and an interview,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual. “Any idea who the new marketing manager is?”

Brent shrugs. “Some professional type, I guess. Why are you interested?” He grins, clearly joking.

“Just curious. Seems like this is going to be fun.”

Brent scoffs. “Yeah, I thought we’d be done with the interviews until the tour started up.” He shrugs, not bothered by the sudden change. “Sweet Surrender is going through a lot right now. This is their damage control.”

Brent claps me on the shoulder. His touch is friendly but firm. "You ready to hit the weights, brother?"

I nod, forcing a smile. "Always."

As we walk to his home gym, I can't help but notice the family photos lining the hallway. There's one of Brent and Mallory as kids, her gap-toothed grin making my heart skip a beat. Brent catches me looking and chuckles.

"Man, Mal was such a pain back then. Always tagging along, trying to hang with the big kids."

I laugh. The sound is a bit hollow to my own ears. "Yeah, I remember. She's grown up a lot since then."

Brent gives me a curious look, his brow furrowing slightly. "She has. Sometimes I forget she's not that little girl anymore." He pauses, then adds, "You two seem to get along well these days."

My stomach clenches. I keep my voice casual as I reply, "Yeah, she's cool. You raised her right, big bro."

Brent laughs, the moment passing. But as we start our workout, I can't shake the feeling that I'm walking on thin ice, and it's only a matter of time before it cracks beneath my feet.

Each of us was surprised when Carmen suggested that we add Sweet Surrender to the concert line-up, stressing that it would give them the recognition they deserve. We didn’t hesitate to agree. We know what it’s like to start from the bottom. We’re just lucky we moved up the ranks as quickly as we did.

I can’t even start to imagine how different my life would be if I wasn’t hired by Raising Havoc to join the band. Ryker was an inspiration for me, and I followed his example. I’ve followed his career every step of the way and knew as soon as Raising Havoc mentioned needing a new guitarist that it would be my best bet.

It was a bit rough and unfamiliar in the beginning, but as time went on, I’ve become more open. Brent is one of my closest friends, so I make it a point to come here every morning and exercise with him. Soon enough, we won’t be able to do as much working out, so we’ve been hammering out what we’ll be missing while on the tour.

But joining the band also meant being around Brent more...and, by extension, Mallory. I shake my head. I need to stop thinking about her. She’s just Brent’s little sister. Nothing more.

Right?

“You trust their new hire?”

I haven’t bothered looking at the papers Carmen handed me, but I’m willing to bet the new hire is listed on it, and for some reason, I can’t bring myself to look at it.

Brent shrugs, a frown on his face. “It’s not really my choice, is it? She’s part of their staff, and we have to trust her no matter what.”

We’re silent for a few moments, which gives me plenty of time to get into my head the way I usually do when we’re around each other. Even though he’s the one I’m closest to between all the guys, I haven’t gotten the nerve to tell him about what happened between me and Mallory months ago.

He’s dealt with my harmless flirting when she’s around but sees it as a way to rile her up — it is, but it’s also been more than that. There’s something that calls to me about her; maybe it’s the simple way she smiles in light of everything or the fire she’s got hidden beneath her that only rises to the surface when I’m around.

Brent wouldn’t understand the way I feel around her, and he definitely wouldn’t want to. It’s an unspoken rule — under no circumstances do you go after your best friend’s sister.

The guilt gnaws at me, a constant companion these days. Every time I look at Brent, I feel like I'm betraying him twice over - once for what happened with Mallory and again for keeping it secret. But how can I tell him? The words stick in my throat every time I try. I know I should come clean, but the fear of losing my best friend, of potentially fracturing the band, paralyzes me. And beneath it all, there's a part of me that doesn't want to let go of that night with Mallory, doesn't want to make it "wrong" by confessing. It's all such a mess, and I have no idea how to untangle it.

I’ve thought a lot about that night she and I spent together and what I could’ve done differently so I didn’t have to keep something away from Brent, but nothing would’ve stopped me from approaching her that night.

“We getting started, or what? Julia has this Lamaze class she wants me to go to with her in a few hours.”

“Uh, yeah, it will help to clear my mind for that interview tomorrow, anyway.”

What I’m not telling him is that each morning I come here to workout with him, the memories of Mallory moaning beneath me fade away to nothing, and I don’t have to worry about the fact that I can’t seem to stop thinking about that night.

I’m sure it will all pass. I just need a little more time — which is what I’ve been telling myself every day for the last three months.

I’ve got more important things to focus on, like making sure I’m on my A-game for the interview tomorrow without thoughts of Mallory popping into my head.

***

As we pile into the car for the interview, I find myself wedged between Donny and Evan. Donny's drumming a nervous rhythm on his thighs, while Evan looks lost in thought, probably thinking about Mia and their growing family back home.

"You good, Don?" I ask, nudging him with my elbow.

He stops drumming and flashes me a sheepish grin. "Yeah, just... you know how I get before these things. Never know what they're gonna ask."

"Relax," Brent calls from the front seat, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. "It's just another day at the office. Smile, nod, say something vague about our 'creative process.' Easy."

I can't help but chuckle at Brent's nonchalance. It's part of why he's such a good frontman - nothing seems to faze him.

Evan shifts beside me, his brow furrowed. "Hey, do you guys think we could wrap this up quickly? I promised Mia I'd call her before Liam's home from school."

"Aww, look at our Evan, all domesticated," Donny teases, reaching across me to punch Evan's arm lightly.

"Hey, fatherhood's no joke," I say, feeling a pang of... something. Longing? I push it aside.

Brent turns around in his seat. "Don't worry, we'll get you home to Mia and Liam. But maybe this time, try not to mention your 'newfound inspiration from fatherhood.' The last thing we need is another round of speculation about whether all our new songs are lullabies."

We all laugh, the tension in the car easing a bit. As I join in, I can't help but think how lucky I am to be part of this group.

Carmen, sitting in the passenger seat, clears her throat. "Alright, boys, let's focus. Remember, this interview is crucial for promoting the upcoming tour. Jace, try to keep your answers concise. Donny, please don't go off on any drum solo analogies. Evan, it's okay to mention your family, but let's keep the focus on the band. And Brent..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Be charming but not too charming," Brent finishes with a wink.

I shake my head, grinning despite myself. Same old Brent. If only he knew what was really going on in my head right now.

Carmen jumps out of the car first at the talk show back entrance, her polite smile already plastered on her face even though it’s just us outside. She waves at us, then immediately reaches for the door and ushers us through a long, dark hallway. It doesn’t take long to find the space where everyone is getting ready, makeup being brushed on the faces of the Sweet Surrender guys, and I shiver uncomfortably.

The one thing I will never miss when I retire from this industry is the makeup they force us to wear during interviews. Never made any sense to me, but I’ve learned not to question it too much.

One of them grunts in objection when an artist walks up to him, narrowing his eyes at her like she personally assaulted him, and she immediately flinches away from him to move on to the next guy.

I wish I could do that.

“Lookin’ good, boys,” a voice sing-songs behind me, heels clicking in her wake as she walks closer to our group.

When I turn around, I have to do a double take just to make sure it’s not my mind playing tricks on me — I’ve been thinking about her long enough. I blink, staring at her, and she glances at me before coming to a stop in front of Sweet Surrender with a smile.

“What the—” I bite back the rest of my words, my heart pounding. Mallory. Here. Looking like that. This can’t be happening.

Brent frowns at my question and furrows his brows at me. “Is there a problem?”

I shake my head, turning my attention back to Mallory, who looks like a wet dream come true — a tight skirt that touches the top of her knees yet still showcases her luscious curves, red fuck-me heels any man would be an idiot to tell her to take off, and hair pulled up in an updo that shows off the curve of her neck.

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. This is bad. This is very, very bad.

For a moment, I think about running my tongue along it just as I did the night we spent together, but Trevor, the lead singer, grins at her, and I get this brief moment of jealousy that surges through my bloodstream. I clench my fists together, then storm away from the group before I end up doing something stupid, like punching the stupid grin from his face.

Heavy footsteps fall behind me, and a hand lands on my shoulder before spinning me around. Donny is standing there, a frown on his face and head cocked to the side. “Hey, man, you okay?”

“Great, just jitters over the interviews,” I mutter.

Carmen struts over to us, not sparing a glance at Donny standing in front of me, and shoves a paper at my chest with a manicured finger pointed at my chest. “Read it, memorize it, and kill it with these interview questions. Hopefully, it’s the last one before the concert, or I’ll go crazy from sleep deprivation.”

Donny frowns as she says the words, but he doesn’t get the chance to say anything before she hurries away to give the rest of the guys the same paper.

“Hey,” Donny says, nudging me. “You sure everything’s okay?”

I glance at him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

He shrugs and looks back toward the group. “I don’t know, you looked pretty pissed back there.”

“Nah, just caught off-guard seeing Brent’s little sister here. Did you know she was going to be working for Sweet Surrender?”

“Don’t really care to know shit like that, but I remember Brent telling me she got a job that would really change the trajectory of her career.” He smirks, then claps my back in a friendly way. “This must’ve been what he was talking about.”

“Jace, get over here. They’re going to be ready for you guys in five minutes,” Carmen hisses from across the room, that same nail angled toward a seat in front of the makeup artist waiting for me.

It doesn’t take long for her to brush my skin with some sort of powder, and then I’m standing up with the rest of the guys and heading toward the brightly lit room. There’s a large couch, which can fit Raising Havoc on it easily, then a row of stools situated behind it for Sweet Surrender.

Once we’re all seated, the host, Deanna Jankins, comes strutting onto the platform with an eye-catching smile that reminds me of why she does so well. If I were the many people sitting in front of my television, I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off her either.

Even though she’s got these beautiful blonde locks that skate down her spine, curling at the ends, and her blouse showcases the outline of her breasts, I can’t stop my gaze from falling backstage where the curtains reside.

Mallory is standing there, chewing on the inside of her cheek from nerves, and she locks eyes with me as if she can sense my stare on her. I can hear muffled voices surrounding me, likely Deanna asking a question that everyone else answers, but it all fades away as we continue staring at each other.

My heart rate spikes up and I grip the arm of the couch I’m sitting on. Only when I’m nudged do I snap out of my trance and realize everyone is staring at me, waiting for my answer.

This is even worse than what I thought.

Deanna’s voice returns, asking a question I missed, and one thought repeats in my head.

How am I supposed to survive this tour with Mallory around?

And more importantly, how am I going to keep my hands off her without Brent noticing?

This is not simply bad. This situation is a ticking time bomb.