Assured (Soul Serenade #2)(62)

Lacing my fingers through Cole’s, I allow him to lead me to our bunk. Once we’re settled, my back to his front and his arms around me, I take what feels like my first breath since last night.

“I want to kill him.”

“I know you do, but you can’t. I need you.”

“You should have told me last night.”

“Cole. . . .”

“No, I know why you didn’t. I get it, I do.” He pauses before saying, “I need to see you.”

I roll over, which is not the easiest feat in our cramped space. When we finally get settled, he cups my cheek. The rough pad of this thumb traces across my lips.

“I need to know that you understand what this is. I love you, Stacy. It’s not a crush, not a fling, not just sex. This is more, more than anything has ever been or ever will be. You and me, that’s what’s important. Nothing, not even my career, can touch this, touch us.”

The tears have already started to fall; I’ve lost count of my breakdowns today. His thumb moves from my lips to wipe underneath my eye.

“You come first. I need to know that the next time you need me you will remember this moment right here. No matter what it is, you come first. Always.”

“I love you,” I sob.

Cole tucks me into his chest and I let the tears fall. I cry for the man who is holding me like I’m a precious gift, for his bandmates, for Logan. I cry just to wash away the drama and the emotions of the last twenty-four hours.

With his words, Cole Hampton just made it impossible for me to ever love anyone else. Never. Not the way that I love him. He’s it for me, and that feels amazing.





These last two weeks have been bittersweet. The crowds have been on point, but none of us are really into it. Wilson was arrested, but of course that f*cker made bail. It makes me sick to think that Soul Serenade fans thought we made that happen. That is unfortunately the nature of the beast.

My girl, though, she’s doing great. Her bruises are almost gone except for a few small spots. That’s a relief, considering every time I look at her, at them, it’s a constant reminder of what he did to her. I don’t know what I would have done if it had been worse. More than likely I would have been behind bars with no parole.

After tonight’s show, we’re wheels up until we reach Nashville. It’s going to be good to be home, in my bed. That is as long as Stacy is there with me. I’ve gotten used to sleeping with her tucked in close, and I don’t think I could sleep now without her. She knows I’m committed to her, to us. Beyond that, we’ve not really talked about it.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it, though. I do, every f*cking day. I worry about how things will be when we get home. I see her every day, I hold her every night.

I don’t want that to change.

“Hey, man, you look deep in thought,” Kacen says, dropping into the chair beside me.

We’re waiting for our final sound check of the tour. Tonight, we have two local bands opening for us. We’re just waiting for them to finish up.

“Yeah, got a lot on my mind.”

“Wilson?”

“Mostly. The meeting is in two days. Gav says he’s got it handled. He says that I can’t be there, but I need to be, Kacen. I need to look that Cock Sucker in the eye when I knock him the f*ck out for touching her. I want to kill him,” I seethe.

“I think it’s best if Gavin and I go. We’ve talked about it. We know what to say. We have a plan. You just hang with the girls while we put the wheels in motion.”

“How do I do that? How do I not defend her? Everything in me tells me that I need to lay his ass out.”

“She needs you, Cole. That’s more important. Trust us to take care of this, to ensure that he gets what’s coming to him.”

“Fuck,” I run my fingers through my hair.

“Focus on your girl. She’s what’s important. We got your back. You can’t hold her in jail,” he warns me.

He’s right. Stacy is all that matters. “That’s the other thing,” I confess.

“I figured.”

“I need the number to the relator you used when you bought your house.”

“Buying, are you?”

I nod. “I want to. It’s time to sell the condo and buy a home. One I hope Stacy will be living in with me.”

“It’s something else, isn’t it?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Getting serious. When you’re single, you look at all the guys who are tied down and wonder what the hell they were thinking. Why pass up new ass every night?” He finishes off his bottle of water in one long gulp. “Then you meet her. The one person you can’t seem to spend enough time with. The one you can’t seem to hold long enough, kiss long enough. That one person makes all those other guys look like fools.”

“Pretty much,” I confirm.

“Good talk.” Kacen laughs as he taps me on the shoulder and walks off.

“Hey!” I yell after him. “I need that number.”

“Check your phone.” He smirks and keeps walking.

Digging my phone out of my pocket, sure enough, he texted me the information for the realtor. I quickly save the contact, type a message, and hit Send. No point in putting this off. I know what I want.