Talon (Ashes & Embers Book 4) (24 page)

T
his note was stashed
in my craft room, with my soap-making supplies. When did he go around hiding all these notes? I want to ransack the house to see if there are more, but finding them at random times when I least expect it is too sweet to wreck. So I channel what little self-control I have and prohibit myself from going on a note-hunting spree.

I spend the next few hours making soaps of all different scents and shapes, the cupcakes making me smile remembering how Talon tried to eat one. I also make a few batches of lotions and lip balm, putting one of those aside for myself since he loves it so much.

While I eat dinner, I check my social media pages and email, and I see that Talon has tagged me in a status update.

I don't read the replies to his statuses anymore because, although most are supportive, there are always a few that are nasty. And of course, those are the ones I tend to focus on the most, so I took Evie's advice to not read them and only read what Talon has typed. And I've read what he's typed about twenty times, my heart bursting in my chest when I zero in on one word I somehow didn't notice at first.

#Love

Does that mean he loves me?!

I send him a text.

A
little before eight p.m.
, I take Pixie and my laptop up into bed with me and use the log-in information to access the website that is going to stream the live concert.

"We're gonna watch Daddy," I say as Pixie curls herself up against my side, facing the laptop. A band called Ever Lust plays first, and I'm surprised to see Finn playing lead guitar. I don't remember Talon telling me that Finn's band opened for them, and I wonder if this could be part of what causes some of the animosity between them.

The stage goes dark for a few minutes, and then red and white lights shine from above as fog drifts up slowly and floats across the stage. Dim lights glow from the floor, lighting up headstones scattered around the stage.

The guys are all standing on stage, not moving, as eerie screams and door-slamming blast from the speakers.

One by one, a spotlight shines down on each of them and they start to play. Their Halloween makeup is spot-on. Talon's face, arms, and chest are painted like a skeleton, all white and black, and his face makeup is seriously creepy. But also incredibly hot in a sick way. I don't even mind that he's not wearing a shirt for this because he looks incredibly spooky and sexy. He's got an old, tattered top hat on his head, his hair flowing out from under it, and I kind of want him to wear it while we have sex because something about it is turning me on in a very bad way.

I grab my phone and send him a text so he can see it later.

The other guys look equally awesome. Asher has tiger makeup, Storm and Mikah are both made up like zombies, and Vandal has what looks like deep gashes and blood with a hatchet sticking out of the side of his head. It must have taken the makeup artist hours to do all this, which is probably why I haven't heard from Talon yet today. He must have been preoccupied with the stage setup and getting all that makeup painted on.

This live show is much different than the one I went to in Boston, which was smaller, with way fewer people. The arena they're playing in right now is huge, and the audience is packed. The stage is also about triple the size, and there are girls wearing sexy black cat costumes dancing around on the stage. I'm not sure if the girls are always on stage with them or if they are just extras for this Halloween theme, but I try not to have a jealous fit when one of them starts shaking her long, fake fuzzy tail right next to Talon and bends over in front of him. I mean, what the hell? Dressing up as a cat shouldn’t induce whorism. I watch Talon as he grins and goes into an amazing guitar solo, and she pounces away, and thankfully, he doesn't watch her ass sashay to the other side of the stage.

Even though I don't know all of the band's songs, I can pick out all the newer songs in the set because they have a slightly different sound. They're less metal and more rock mixed with blues and sort of a seventies-ish tone in some, and all the lyrics are catchy. I'm not quite sure what it would be categorized as, but it's unique and cool and I love it. Talon worked his butt off to write these songs, and I'm so proud of him and how talented he is.

I watch the entire concert, torn between loving the music and getting way too turned on watching my husband strut around like a sexy skeleton. I wonder if I should be a little bit concerned that the strangest things about Talon excite me. Things I never would have thought would make my heart speed up, like his hair, his ink, him wearing guyliner, stomping around on a cemetery stage wearing a hat. A few months ago, I never would have been attracted to any of that, but now…I can't get enough of it. Or him.

A
fter the concert
, I log off and put the laptop on my nightstand, write in my journal, and send Talon a text.

It's near midnight, so I brush my teeth, put on some lotion and get cozy in bed, still sleeping in Tal's shirt. I check my phone, but I have no text or call from him, which is strange because he likes to call every night to say good night before we go to sleep. I can't remember if he's staying at the hotel again tonight or if they are getting back on the tour bus, but I would assume if they are going back on the road tonight then he would be busy and may not have time to call. Or text. Even though that would only take about four seconds to do.

I
wake
up the next morning with my phone on my chest—still devoid of any contact from Talon. Frowning, I type up a quick message to him.

I'm not going to freak out. This is his job, and like any other job, sometimes he might be too busy to text or call. Even for an entire day and night. But I'm not going to worry or let myself get crazy. Because we're past that.

Coffee is calling my name, so I get dressed and go to the kitchen to make a cup, feed Pixie, then dress her in one of her new outfits, and take her picture for her blog. While I'm on the laptop in the craft room, I check the band's social media page and my heart drops to my feet when I see pictures of Talon with one of the cat girls and another beautiful, dark-haired girl. Scanning through all the photos of last night's show, I see some of Mikah with the cat girl too, but Talon is the only one with the other girl, and he's got his arm around her.

I can't stop staring at the picture, analyzing every pixel, looking for hidden clues. His hand isn't touching her ass or her breasts; it's right on her waist. That's good.

He's smiling, but it's not his
I want to fuck you
smile that I know so well now.

Ugh. I hate being like this. This isn't me.

I slam the laptop lid down. I am
not
going to do this. It hasn't even been a week yet—I can't have a meltdown just a few days into our first time apart. I have to trust him.

That girl is gorgeous and exotic looking, though. Tall, dark skin, perky boobs, almond-shaped eyes, the blackest of silky hair. Hell, even I'm attracted to her.

No. I'm not going to let my brain go there. He told me he only wants me now and even rammed it into me up against a household appliance to drive his point home. I have to believe him. And I can't forget the #Love hashtag! That must mean something.

I
bathe Pixie
in a new shampoo that a holistic pet care company sent for us to review, and once she's rinsed and blown-dry, she actually does feel extra soft and even looks whiter, with a hint of coconut scent lingering on her fur. I place her on a tiny black leather chair that Talon bought for her at a children's store for a few photos and type up a quick, positive review to post on her blog. Since I'm back on the laptop, I check Talon's page and the band's page again, but I don't see anything new. I wish the girl in the photo with Talon had been tagged so I could stalk her. I'm not even sure who updates the band page, now that I'm thinking about it.

Evie!

I vaguely recall Talon mentioning that not only does Evie work directly for his mom, but she also does a lot of the marketing and social media updates for the band. So, if she posted this picture, then she must know who this chick is. Flipping my phone around in my hand, I debate whether I should call her and nonchalantly try to get some info about where the guys are and who that girl is. She did say I could call her anytime, so…

"Hi, Asia, what's up?" Evie always sounds sweet on the phone and never busy, rushed, or annoyed like some people do.

"Hi, just called to say hi and see how you're doing."

"I'm good, missing Storm, of course. But he called me this morning and we talked for about half an hour, so that made me feel better."

No fair. If Storm was able to call Evie, why couldn't Talon call me?

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Did you watch the live show online last night? They looked amazing."

"Oh my God, I did, and the Halloween makeup looked outrageous. Storm said it took a while to put on and to wash off. They're doing it for every show, but he did say they were going to talk to the makeup artist about toning it down a little so it doesn't take so long. You know the guys—they can't sit still very long."

"That's the truth. So, who's putting all that makeup on them?"

"There's a makeup artist they hired to go on the tour with them. She's a fan too, so she was happy to go."

Hm. I didn't know about that. Where the heck is she sleeping?

"I didn't know that. I can't picture Talon sitting for that long at all," I say. "Hey, do you update their band pages online?"

"Yeah, usually. Or sometimes Mikah does, but it's usually me. They email me pictures and info from the road, and I upload them."

"That's really cool. Did you post the photos this morning?" Smooth, I am not.

"I did—a bunch from the concert last night, and there was a nice one of Talon with the artist."

"The artist?"

"Yeah, the makeup artist. I thought she'd like seeing her picture posted with the band."

With
my
husband.

"Oh."

"Asia, are you okay? You sound weird. Did the picture bother you?"

"No…" I hesitate, not wanting Evie to think I'm mad at her, because I'm not. "Okay, a little. I just didn't know who she was when I saw it, and I haven't heard from him at all today or yesterday, and now I'm getting really worried. I mean, he's not even answering my texts, and I don't know why because everything was fine. He and Storm had the sleepover and he thought it was really funny, and he's been leaving me these little notes hidden all over the house, and I don't understand why Storm called you but Talon didn't call me." I have to force myself to stop talking because I just verbally barfed way too much of my whining at poor Evie.

"Asia...take a deep breath."

I breathe.

"First, the makeup artist has a girlfriend. A girlfriend. Storm told me she is not in any way flirting with any of the guys. She's a professional makeup artist who also happens to be a fan. She's traveling by herself and meeting them at each venue. She's not staying with them. So please don't worry yourself about her, okay?"

I feel like an idiot. "I'm sorry, Evie. I'm just not used to this."

"I'm the same way, trust me. Probably worse than you, if that makes you feel any better."

"What about the cat girls? Who are they?"

"They're just stage dancers, and sometimes they sing backup. They've been with the band for a while, and they are both married. So, no worries with them either."

"Evie, thank you. I don't mean to sound so paranoid and jealous."

"You don't. You sound like a newly married woman who's been thrust into a lifestyle she wasn't prepared for. I feel the same way. I had no idea who Storm was when we met. It's taking me a while to get used to all of this too."

"When you talked to Storm, did he say anything about Talon? I'm not sure why I haven't heard from him."

"He didn't. I could text him and ask him, though. I don't mind."

"No, don't do that. I don't want him to think I'm checking up on him." Even though I am. "I'm just a little worried."

"I'm sure everything is fine. He was covered in that makeup, so it probably took him a while after the concert to wash it all off. Then he probably just fell asleep. And from what Storm said, they were traveling all day today and on a pretty tight deadline to get to the next venue in time. Try not to worry."