Page 6 of Sangre
Chapter Two
There were atleast four hundred people watching Isla Rose, bathed in blue and red lights, as she clutched the microphone and closed her eyes. Nerves were trying to take over her body, but instead, she focused on Arsen’s killer riffs, her heart keeping time with Benz’s drumming while she slowly lost herself in the music, in the performance.
It’d been almost seven months since Iris Blue performed live. The effervescence emanating from the fans breathed life into her; it was like liquid energy seeping right through her skin. I fucking miss this!Music pumped through her veins, and she dug deep down inside herself, seeking out the raw emotions needed for the song. The audience went wild. Their cheers, whistles, and screams were nourishment for not only her, but the other band members as well. She knew they’d missed performing just as much as she did. If she could only freeze-frame the enthusiasm, the love, the adulation during a performance, and live in it forever, her life would be perfect. For her, music was life and life was music, but it was all the other noise around her that played havoc with her nerves, her emotions—her soul.
Then Arsen was next to her, his fingers flying as he played scorching riffs and licks. Sweat streamed down his face as strands of his black, shaggy hair stuck to his forehead. The rhythm guitarist rushed over, and the two musicians made their instruments scream as they moved in perfect sync to the rhythm. Gage’s long brown hair flew around as he head-banged to Benz’s expert drumming. As Isla ramped her vocals up to blistering, the guitars blazed with fiery incandescence. Iris Blue was on fire, and Isla lost all sense of everything except for the music.
Two hours and three encores later, they stood together on the stage, arms linking around each other’s shoulders like a chain, as they absorbed the tsunami of applause rolling forward. As Isla raised her head, the spotlights’ bright glare blinded her. Breaking away from her bandmates, she placed her microphone on the stand then brought her hands together and bowed her head slightly. “Thank you all. You’re the best,” she breathed.
The stage went dark, and then the overhead lights came on as roadies scampered behind her, clearing off the equipment. She started to walk away when a female voice cried out, “We love you, Isla Rose. We love Iris Blue!” She turned around and saw two teenage girls pressed against the stage waving a CD at her.
“Do you have a pen?” she asked Benz as he stood at the back of the stage waiting for her.
“You don’t want to start autographing shit. We’ll be here all night.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion, only a pen. Do you have one?”
He slowly walked over to her, the frown on his forehead deepening as several women squealed and clapped the closer he came to the front of the stage. “Here,” he gritted as he shoved a pen in her hand.
“You should sign the CD as well.” She smiled at the girls.
“Fuck that,” he whispered in her ear, waved at the dying crowd, and walked away.
He can be such a jerk!“What’s your name?” she asked one of the girls.
“Ella. I love your music so much. Arsen is the best guitarist ever. Is he still in the building?”
“I’m not sure.”He’s probably got his tongue halfway down the mouth of the stacked redhead who was ogling him during the show.She’d seen Kent, their manager, approach the woman before the end of their last song, and then she saw her walk with him through the crowd. “And what’s your name?” she asked the other girl.
“Zoe. I love all of you. Are you dating Benz?”
“Zoe!” Ella elbowed her side.
“What?” Zoe rubbed her ribs.
Isla shook her head. “It’s okay. The gossip rags love to talk about us. We’re just very close friends.”
“I think it’s so cool that you’re from Alina,” Ella’s voice burst with excitement as she looked at the signed CD.
“I have good memories from growing up here. We’ll probably do another show in town, so if you come, make sure you bring the CD, and I’ll have the rest of the band sign it.”
“Arsen too?” Isla nodded. A wide grin spread over Ella’s face. “You’re the best. That would be cool AF.”
“If I bring my CD, will you all sign it too?” Zoe asked.
“Sure. I better get going. I hope to see you at the next show.” She stepped back and turned to her right, and that’s when she saw him standing to the side of the stage, a bottle of beer in his hand. Mysterious. Masculine. Sexual. A modern-day James Dean dressed in tight jeans, a leather vest over a black T-shirt, and arms covered in tattoos. Dark-blond stubble shaded his chiseled jawline, and a silver eyebrow ring glimmered over a rounded brow. He lifted the bottle to his full lips and drank. The movement mesmerized her.Damn, he’s hot.He fixed his dazzling blue eyes on her, and she was breathless for a moment, unable to turn away from the intensity of his stare.
She should leave, go to the green room and pack up her things, but she couldn’t move; she was rooted to that one spot, watching him as static charges jumped through her body.What the hell’s the matter with me?It was insane, but this guy was putting her emotions in a twist. Enigmatic, rough around the edges, and hotter than hell, he was the type of man who would pull a woman in tight and most definitely end up breaking her heart.No fucking doubt about that.
“Isla?” Benz came over and grasped her elbow. “What the hell are you still doing out here?”
With her gaze still locked on the gorgeous man, she let Benz tug her to him, her back molding against his chest. Muscles deep inside her tightened as the sexy stranger leaned back on his boots, lit up a joint, and winked.
“Let’s go,” Benz said in her ear while he whirled her toward him then curled his arm around her shoulder.
Letting him lead her, she felt the hunk’s stare boring into her back. Before she stepped behind the curtain, she glanced behind her and caught his penetrating gaze as heat burned between her legs. Benz pulled her backstage, ending the most intense and short-lived moment she’d ever shared with a stranger.
“That was a fucking great show,” Benz said, wrapping both arms around her waist. “We need to get back on the circuit real fast. Rough Creek Records still wants us to sign on with them. I don’t want to blow the chance to get with a label.”
