Page 98 of Sangre
“You want a vodka shot?” Arsen asked as she entered the green room. Benz, Jac, and Gage were sprawled on the two couches, smoking weed and drinking beer. She shook her head.
“You ready for this?” Gage asked.
“For sure. The place is sold out,” she replied as she grabbed a bottled water from the fridge.
“It feels fuckin’ awesome,” Jac said, gesturing her to bring him another beer.
“I can’t wait for Sturgis, then the tour.” Arsen pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
Benz stared straight ahead. He hadn’t acknowledged her since they’d finished with the sound check earlier that afternoon.How the hell are we gonna tour together if he can’t stand the sight of me?She gave Jac a can of Coors then picked up her tote. “I’ll see you guys on stage.” Isla walked out and headed to one of the rooms to do her warm up exercises and meditate—her ritual before every show.
The whistles and cheers from the crowd an hour later meant that Immortal Sÿnn had finished their set, and Iris Blue would take the stage in twenty minutes. Isla went into the green room and smiled at the guys as they pushed themselves up from the couches. As they milled around backstage waiting for the roadies to clear off the equipment of the last band, Isla looked out at the crowd as the background music played.
Isla saw Madison and her boyfriend talking in front of the stage, and spotted Faith and Colt sitting at one of the VIP tables. The crowd kept pushing toward the front stage and she noticed Ella and Zoe shoving their way through the throng. Then Isla noticed Devin standing off to the side, his legs apart, his muscular arms crossed.What the hell is he doing here?She’d seen him a couple of days before at the gym, but he hadn’t spoken to her. He only stared at her, making her so uncomfortable that she cut down her workout just so she could get away from him. Isla felt weird about seeing him in her space. Never once had he mentioned liking Iris Blue’s music or really anything about the band.
“We’re almost ready to go on,” Arsen said behind her. “You feeling the energy?”
Isla nodded. She felt a massive wave of anticipation sweeping across the crowd as people filled in all the spaces on the floor, their eyes focused on the stage, waiting and watching for that first view of Iris Blue walking onstage. Adrenaline pumped through her as her heart raced a mile a minute. She shook out her arms and jumped in place. Then she saw Jon, standing in the middle of the crowd, his dark eyes fixed on the stage. The last thing she’d heard about him from Sangre was that he’d quit his job. She turned around to find Sangre, but saw Mark instead. Before she could tell him about Jon, the stage manager came up to them and held up his hand.
“Get ready. Five, four, three, two, one,” he said.
The background music faded down, and suddenly all the lights went out and there was total blackness. Isla and her band mates scrambled on stage and took their places. Arsen played the first few notes of their opening song and the audience erupted into screams and applause as colored lights lit up the stage and the musicians. Isla picked up the mike and belted out the lyrics, loving how the crowd sang along while they jumped, danced, and swayed. The connection she had with all these strangers was euphoric, and she forgot where she was as she absorbed the music, letting it consume her. When everything worked, performing was better than any drug.
For the next two hours, Iris Blue gave the crowd exactly what they wanted: escape, hard hitting notes, showmanship, and favorite tunes. When they finished their final song, the roar from the crowd was deafening; it’d been a kickass show. The overhead lights went on, and the roadies dashed on stage and began to break down the equipment. Isla followed Jac off the stage and down to the green room. They were on a natural high, pumped with energy, talking nonstop.
Benz grabbed Isla and hugged her tight. “You were fuckin’ incredible, babe.” She hugged him back, and for that moment, they were united in music and camaraderie.
“We all kicked fuckin’ ass out there!” Arsen plopped down on the couch, a bottle of whiskey in his hands. “I’ve got a couple of chicks I’m taking back to the hotel, but first let’s toast the band. We’re on our fuckin’ way.” He poured the amber liquid in five glasses handing them to each member. “To Iris Blue,” he said then downed his shot.
“To Iris Blue,” they repeated in unison.
Benz leaned down. “To you, babe,” he whispered in Isla’s ear before she threw back her shot. “Let’s go back to the hotel and celebrate.”
A low growl from behind her tickled up her spine. She smiled, spun around, and met Sangre’s smoldering eyes. “You did good, honey.” Isla walked over to him and he folded her in his arms. “Let’s you and me celebrate,” he murmured.
Isla gave him a sly smile. “Let me pack up my mike.” She went out and approached one of the roadies and asked him for her microphone. As she wound the cable around it, Skull came over to her with Ella and Zoe in tow.
“Great show,” he said.
“Totally rad,” the two girls gushed.
“Thanks,” Isla said. “Follow me.” She led them to the green room, laughing when the teenagers almost fainted upon seeing Arsen. “Here are some diehard fans of yours—Ella and Zoe.”
Arsen patted the space next to him. “Why don’t you pretty girls come on over?” Isla rolled her eyes. Arsen was the charmer of the group, and women ate it up each and every time. He grabbed a couple of the band’s T-shirts and handed them to the girls. “Compliments of Iris Blue.”
After a while, Arsen, Benz, Jac, and Gage headed to the van. “You sure you don’t wanna celebrate with us?” Benz asked.
“Next time,” she said softly. “I need to talk to some of my friends who’ve been waiting for me at the bar. I’ll see you guys on Monday.”
By the time Isla finished talking with everyone, it was well past one in the morning. When Sangre pulled into her garage, she was relieved that they were home, and all she wanted to do was make love to her man and fall asleep in his arms. They went up to her bedroom and she went over to the window and looked out at the quiet street. Moonlight shone over the trees, lawns, and sidewalks. Isla looked up at the full moon and smiled.Tonight was perfect.
As she stood by the window, she heard Sangre come up behind her, then felt his arms around her hugging her close to him. He bit and kissed her neck, whispering in her ear, “Mine.” She leaned her head back against his chest welcoming the rush of happiness and love as it spread inside her. He cupped her breasts and squeezed them gently.
“Do you have something on your mind?” she said softly.
“When it comes to you, I always have the same thing on my mind. I can’t get enough of you, babe.”
Isla whirled around and snaked her arms around his neck drawing his face close to hers. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him passionately. He slid his hands down her back and cupped her buttocks and lifted her up in his arms. With long strides he took her over to the bed and lay her on the mattress.
