Hot Rock Star Daddy An Alpha Male Romance Read online

  I don’t know how to pick the lock and this sense of dread swallows me whole.

  I drop extinguisher and drop in defeat on my hands and knees with my head bowed. I feel the sweat dripping to the floor from the energy I have used.

  “What the hell is happening? Don’t tell me that they are still in there. My God, we could be in there with them if we didn’t go for a coffee run. I’m guessing you have already called the fire department. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a padlock like that. It has to be something industrial.” Jackson is the lead drummer and there is no shortage of women in his life.

  “Where’s Peter?” I feel beaten into submission and I can barely lift my head with the tears threatening to run freely down my face.

  “He wasn’t feeling very good and went back to the hotel to take a few aspirins for his migraine. I watched him drive away in the taxi holding his head. I’m sure this is going to sound sexist, but maybe this needs a masculine touch,” He said while picking up the extinguisher and slamming metal against metal until the sparks are flying.

  I wave my hand dismissively not the least bit worried about his obvious weight advantage doing something I couldn’t.

  “By all means, give it your best shot and I hope to god it works, but I’m not holding my breath. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to make sure those doors don’t open until everybody inside perishes. If the smoke doesn’t get them first then the fire will finish the job,” I said matter of fact no longer holding out any hope.

  “The one thing I won’t do is give up. They are depending on us and we can’t let them down. God damn it, stop feeling sorry for yourself and think of something that will help.” He screams and goes back to smacking the lock.

  “I don’t know what you expect me to do.:

  You scouted this place with the head of security the other day. You must have noticed something that will help us to get our friends out of there alive. Get your head out of your ass and this is no time to grieve.” He’s not sugar coating his response and I wipe the lone tear from my eyes, feeling his words encourage me into action.

  I go back to the front desk and I can see Jackson from where I am standing continuing his relentless efforts. The man’s muscles are bulging and threatening to tear through his shirt soaked through with perspiration. His face has turned red with the efforts, but it does not deter him from what he believes is the right course of action.

  I see the first flicker of the flame above the door. It’s almost beautiful even though it’s the most deadly element in the world.

  Nero fiddled while Rome burned to the ground.

  The great Chicago fire was supposedly caused by a cow tripping over a lantern in a barn.

  The catastrophe of 911 was caused by terrorists taking over commercial airliners and turning them into deadly weapons. It was the fires burning out of control fed by the fuel from the aircraft that made the building unstable and they finally collapsed killing thousands.

  The only saving grace is the casualties will be limited to a select few.

  The place is virtually deserted with only a skeleton crew scheduled to arrive in the next couple of hours. We have the place to ourselves and I fear this is a by-product of what I have set in motion. I don’t know how my mind is going to survive after the death of him and his daughter is reported.

  Benjamin is never an afterthought and he is the brother I never had growing up.

  I finally locate what I’m looking for. It’s a map of the building marking all the exits and detailing the architecture of the building. There’s actually a brief collective story of about how the building was erected.

  I run my fingers along the laminated blueprints on the wall. It all seems pointless and I can’t make heads or tails out of any of it. I almost give up, but I remember what Benjamin said to me which still follows me to this day.

  “The only thing we can count on in life is death and taxes. We might not be able to do anything about taxes, but death is not a foregone conclusion. As long as we have hope, then we can still believe everything will turn out the way that it’s supposed to. I don’t believe fate is final. We make our own luck.” I can only hope I will hear his force again, but that’s not going to happen unless we find something to give them a fighting chance.

  “I don’t know what this thing is made of, but it won’t break. I’m going to take a look around at the other exits, but I get the feeling the same thing is going to be said for them.” Benjamin took off in a tear, holding the fire extinguisher with both hands.

  I have the auditorium blueprint right in front of me. I want them to reveal something. I’m getting frustrated and I’m holding onto the laminated blueprints with both hands. I can hear the glass cracking and my nostrils are flaring with my anger getting the best of me. I slam my head against it hard enough to make my head pound.

  I push back from it still with my hands holding it, but I can’t see anything to help the situation. A few minutes of indecision can be the difference between life and death. Every second counts.

  There is this light coming from a motorist outside. It flashes on a particular spot on the blueprint and I briefly see something I didn’t before. I get a little closer with my eyes wide and I touch the crude drawing of the skylight.

  I gasp with the knowledge staring at me. It’s a long shot and the possibility of Raven thinking the same thing is slim to none, but it’s the only thing I have going for me. It doesn’t even have to be him and it could be Tamara or Benjamin, but I sense the fate of all of them is in his hands.

  “It’s no use and every door is secured with the same damn padlock and chain. I did what I could, but it wasn’t good enough. Tell me what to do and I will do it without question or delay. I’m losing my mind thinking about what they’re going through. If we could find some tools, I could open the doors by taking off the hinges, but it would take time we don’t have.” His words conveyed a desperation and I’m about to give him an inkling of hope to hold onto.

  “There might be a way. I don’t want to give you any false hope, but we have to do something. I can’t just stand here and wait for the fire department. They should already be here, but there’s no point in crying over it. Take a look at this and I would love to have a second pair of eyes,” I convince him to come over and there’s a definite change in his demeanor when he realizes this is going to be a Hail Mary.

  “Those stairs will lead us to the roof. Let’s go before I change my mind. Bring that with us and it might come in handy.” Jackson is referring to the laminated copy of the blueprints, but it’s a bit of a hindrance.

  I find what I’m looking for by rummaging behind the counter. A smaller version in pamphlet form is available for anybody that is safety conscience. It gives them a sense of peace to know where the exits are in case of an emergency.

  I rush to catch up to Benjamin and it proves difficult by the way that he is taking the stairs three at a time. I give him credit for going the extra mile.

  I race up the stairs with my heart pounding determined to keep pace with him even if it means a premature heart attack for the efforts. My body is betraying me, but I force myself through the wall. The stitch in my side burns, but I ignore it until he throws open the hatch to the roof.

  It doesn’t take much to locate the skylight. Smoke has this funny way of getting out through a crack. The person who put in the skylight made some shortcuts by an inferior caulking job which reveals the tendril of smoke coming through those small fissures.

  “I’m not sure this is a good idea and we have no idea how the fire has affected the stability of the roof. Don’t worry, I’m going to look past that and we are going to do this because our friends need us. I know my brother would never give up and that gives me the courage to try just about anything. Find something to break this window.” He still has the fire extinguisher and I tap on it with a metallic clang making him realize what he is looking for is right in his hands.

  He raises it above his
head and is about to bring it down on the fragile glass, but I stop him before he commits to it.

  There’s a latch and I take the precaution of using my sleeve to release it. We both pull it back at the same time, taking a step away when the smoke begins to choke us.

  The smoke rises into the air in black clouds announcing to the world there is something drastically wrong. I don’t say anything, but I did feel a few soft spots underneath my feet threatening to disappear underneath me.

  We both wave our hands back and forth trying to see through the mask of smoke. The flames shoot up into the air singeing my eyebrows and blinding me temporarily with the heat against my eyelids.

  I lose my breath and my balance falling backward. Jackson is there to catch me.

  “Is anybody there?” I hear Raven’s voice and my heart skips a beat.

  We take a few tentative steps closer until we can see them looking up at us.

  I take off my shirt and Jackson follow suit creating a makeshift rope, but the textile strength is questionable.

  We lower it down and there is this tug of resistance with the both of us holding strong with our feet anchored against the skylight frame for leverage.

  A woman’s delicate features emerge covered in black soot. Tamara climbs out and practically kisses the roof making the motion of a cross on her chest.

  It doesn’t even occur to me that my breasts are exposed with only my bra to contain my ample assets. I don’t feel the shame of being half undressed in front of those I don’t want thinking about me in that way.

  I hear this rip, but the makeshift rope holds long enough for Benjamin to climb out to safety.

  This leaves Raven at the mercy of the flames and the smoke rapidly closing in on his location.

  The gravel on the roof scrapes against my shoe, but we have the added component of Benjamin to give us a hand.

  Raven is grunting as he climbs the shirts tied together. I see his face and he smiles meekly before reaching out his hand to grab Benjamin by his forearm.

  “I don’t know how this happened, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. I’m grateful, more than you can ever know, but what made you think to come up here,” He’s choking after every second word and they are all in desperate need of clean oxygen.

  We all hear the same thing and turn to see the familiar sight of a fire fighter carrying an axe. There is no better sight than a fire fighter in full uniform.

  “It’s not safe up here. Follow me and I will get you to safety.” He motions and we step lively until we are going down the stairs and finally coming out to the grateful applause of those who have come to watch the spectacle.

  I hold Raven’s hand and we both look at each other with knowing smiles.

  I want him to kiss me and he does until we are pulled apart by the paramedics who want to make their assessment. We hold each other’s gaze with silent promises to finish what we started.

  Chapter 8

  Raven

  The paramedics want to take us in to be evaluated, but I’m vehement about walking away on my own power.

  I saw something deep in her eyes when we shared the kiss that had everybody clamouring to get a picture.

  I pull off the oxygen mask and against their better judgment leave their care in search of Quinn.

  She waves me over from where she lies on the gurney with the paramedics taking her vitals. I didn’t want to say anything, but every breath draws my eyes to her heaving bosom. The nipples poke obscenely through the material thinly disguising the excitement she has from seeing me.

  “She can’t talk and she has inhaled a lot of smoke. It’s a wonder that you are still standing after what you have been through. I’m guessing it won’t do any good to suggest that you stay a day in the hospital. They probably already tried that and failed to convey the seriousness of what you have gone through.” The man was of ebony heritage with a bald head using the stethoscope around his neck to make sure her heart was in good condition.

  “I’m going to forget you even mentioned that. This whole thing has opened up my eyes and I feel I have to tell her something before I lose my nerve. Can you give us a few moments alone? Man to man we both know how hard it is to say what is on our mind and to be vulnerable with a woman,” I touch the wedding ring on his finger and he nods his head, but I can tell that he’s not very happy about leaving his patient unattended.

  The crowd is cordoned off and the fire is contained to the room with minimal damage. They were able to break the lock with a pair of industrial cutters, but apparently, it took them by surprise.

  “I don’t want you to try to speak until I finish what I have to say. It’s true about what they say when you face the possibility of your death. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes and the only thing I could think about was you and my daughter in those final moments.” I was exposing myself on the cross laying bare my feelings which is hard for me to do.

  She stares at me with the oxygen mask filming up with every breath she takes. It is better that she can’t say anything to discourage me from saying what is on my mind.

  Her body glistens and it’s hard to concentrate when my brain and my heart are fighting each other. It doesn’t help that my libido is raging strong looking at her desirable body on display.

  I take her hand in a gesture to make her see that my words are not coming from a place of insincerity. Her skin is warm to the touch and her fingers slide effortlessly between mine. They tremble and she tries to turn away, but I use my other hand to make her look at me.

  “My sobriety on top of all of this convinces me what I’m doing is right. I want you to come with me and don’t think about it. We can slip away easily and nobody will even notice we are missing. There’s a hotel down the block,” I say softly, leaning closer so that nobody can hear my declaration.

  She nods her head and I carefully take off the oxygen mask, looking back behind me to make sure the paramedic isn’t going to rush to her aid. I help her down until she is standing on shaky legs.

  I spy a paramedic’s uniform encased in plastic in the back of the ambulance. I very casually use my keys in my pocket to slice through the thick plastic before extracting the blue shirt.

  I give it to her and she puts it on, buttoning it up with my eyes taking in the landscape.

  “Keep your eyes to yourself.” She chastises and I turn away with a huge smile on my face.

  It’s a spontaneous moment and I want her more than I do breathing. The excess adrenaline isn’t something I haven’t experienced before.

  The last few days that adrenaline was burned off by taking up jogging. Yoga calmed my mind, but I can only think of one thing that will satiate that need deep inside me. Sex is a good motivator and her body is making me yearn for something that I was blind to. I no longer wear the beer goggles.

  “You can’t blame me. Everybody knows the hero always peeks at the damsel in distress,” I say with my back turned to give her a modicum of privacy.

  “By that logic, you should be the one giving me the show and not the other way around. After all, I was the one who came to your rescue and I think I deserve something of a reward for my heroic efforts,” She teases with her finger playing around the edge of her mouth.

  I have no problem shedding a few layers behind closed doors. It’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.

  “I don’t think you’re going to have to twist my arm.” I put her hand over my shoulder and guide her away from the throngs of people.

  It’s not long before she is able to walk on her own. She impresses me. Her strength and resiliency are to be admired.

  “I know this probably isn’t a good time to bring this up, but I really do need to talk to you about something. It’s going to change the way that you look at me. I would hate for us to do something and then for you to regret it in the morning when you learn the horrible truth,” She gulps and is tugging on my sleeve to get my attention, but she doesn’t
have to work very hard.

  “You’re in shock and whatever it is that you have to tell me, can wait. There’s absolutely nothing that you can say that will ever change the way that I feel about you. I don’t know if this is love, but I do feel lost when you’re not around. I don’t want to put too much pressure on you, but this could be the beginnings of something meaningful,” I said, holding her hand and looking her in the eyes to convey the possibility of more than a professional relationship.

  “You don’t understand and how can you when I don’t understand it myself. I’ve done things that I’m not proud of. We all might have skeletons in our closet, but mine go a little deeper than that. You have to listen to me,” She pleads and I place my finger on her lips to silence her objections thinking this is her last ditch effort to wrestle free from my grasp.

  “I know all that I need to know. Quinn, you’ve been with me for several months and you’ve seen the highs and lows. It boggles my mind the reason why you’re still sticking around, but maybe there is a reason for it. You don’t know this, but you helped me to reunite with my daughter when I couldn’t find the strength to forgive her.” I choke back the emotions trying to remain manly, but still vulnerable at the same time.

  “I made you see life is short and that you might not get the chance to know your daughter. It was neither of your faults. The full blame falls on her mother for keeping you both apart out of spite.” She grabs my arm and sighs deeply while shaking her head back and forth.

  The hotel is practically deserted in the lobby. It might have been a knee-jerk reaction, but I still want to spend time with her. It doesn’t have to be in bed, but my imagination is running over time.

  She quietly enlists the help of the clerk to sign us in under an assumed name. She keeps looking up from the registration forms giving me a knowing smirk of approval.

  “We have a continental breakfast, but I think that you might be using room service. I could be convinced to send you up a complimentary bottle of champagne.” The blond clerk is showing her consideration, but Quinn casually declines the offer for the champagne.