Rock Redemption (Rock Kiss, #3)(70)

Tugging it gently from his grip, Thea took it to Sarah.

Fox returned half a minute later with ice in a large glass that Molly wrapped up in a hand towel and took into the bedroom.

“Okay,” Thea said when she and Molly returned to the living area of the bus, “tell me what happened so we can figure out what someone might’ve seen, what kind of story they might sell to the tabloids.”

“Vance was in a black mood,” Abe said flatly. “I could see it, decided to follow to make sure she was okay. Then he hit her.”

“Did anyone see you leave?” Thea asked, her eyes on her phone.

Abe rubbed his face again. “I don’t know. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Jim—one of the bodyguards—says he wasn’t followed,” Noah told Thea. “I don’t think this’ll hit the tabloids.”

“If it does, I’m going to spin it as jealousy, two men fighting over a woman.” Thea’s tone brooked no argument. “Sarah stays under until her face heals. I will not have her further abused, this time by the media.”

“She can stay here tonight,” Molly said softly. “Fox and I left the party early, so we’ve already had a couple of hours of sleep.” She leaned into Fox’s embrace as the lead singer stroked her hair.

“We’ll make sure she gets home,” Fox said. “And that she has someone with her.”

Thea nodded as Molly pressed a kiss to Fox’s jaw before going to pick up the tea she’d left to steep. “I better take this to her. She’s still shocky.”

Meanwhile, Thea got on the phone, pulling her assistant out of bed and giving her rapid-fire instructions about watching all possible media outlets for anything concerning Abe, Sarah, or Vance.

Leaving her to it, Noah looked at Abe. Fox and David stepped close enough that the four of them could talk, but Abe wasn’t in a talking frame of mind. David, however, had that stubborn look on his face—the drummer was the quietest of them in many ways, but when he dug his heels in, he dug them in.

“Look man,” he said now, “whatever’s up with you and Sarah—”

“Nothing’s up,” Abe ground out. “She was being hit. I stepped in. I would’ve done it for any woman in that situation.”

“Yeah, fine.” David folded his arms. “But this is Sarah, and the last time you two were together, you went down the rabbit hole.”

Abe’s jaw was granite. “The drugs weren’t Sarah’s fault. She never touched the stuff, hated that I did. Fuck, she even flushed my stash down the toilet when she could find it.”

“I know,” Fox said, “but being with her did something to you.” Putting his hands on his hips, he held Abe’s gaze. “And being with you didn’t make her happy either, so just be careful.”

Hands fisted, Abe didn’t say anything.

“Fuck it.” Noah grabbed the keyboardist’s shoulder. “We’re just trying to look out for you. We’ll look out for her too, make sure she’s all right.” They’d closed ranks around Abe during the divorce, but this was simple human kindness.

Abe gave a jerky nod. “She doesn’t have any family.”

Noah hadn’t known that, felt a sudden stab of guilt at how he’d judged Sarah for being so possessive and clingy of Abe when they’d been together. Young and alone in a vast city, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to hang on to the one person who was hers.

“We’ll take care of everything,” Thea said, having finished her phone call. “Noah, I need you and Kit to hog the media spotlight, make sure no one feels the need to go digging up other juicy news about the band.”

“No problem.” He didn’t think Kit would mind. “I’ll be dropping her home tomorrow, so that’ll give the vultures plenty to salivate over.” He felt Fox’s eyes burn into him as Thea nodded and returned to the bedroom. The lead singer didn’t say anything until after Kit, Thea, and Molly had come out of the bedroom, having left Sarah tucked up in the bed.

Molly stayed in the bus in case Sarah needed anything, while Kit and Thea went across to Noah’s bus to get a cup of coffee. David took Abe for another cooling-off walk; the levelheaded drummer was the best person for it.

“You and Kit,” Fox said quietly, the two of them standing between the buses. “What’s happening there?”

Noah was the one who folded his arms this time. “None of your business.”

“Screw that, Noah. What I said to Abe? Applies double here—you broke her heart.”

Noah flinched at the pitiless words. Fox was the only one who knew what he’d done to Kit, having seen her directly after she found Noah in bed with the groupie. “I won’t hurt her again,” he said to the man who’d been his best friend since they were seven.

“You sure?” Fox raised an eyebrow, dark green eyes unforgiving. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you—the way you look at her. Don’t try to bullshit me that you’re both acting.”

Noah didn’t have an answer for that. He knew he was taking advantage of Kit. “I haven’t lied to her.”

“Have you told her everything?”

“No. She doesn’t need to know.” Noah would go to the grave keeping that information from Kit. “Don’t you tell her,” he said, fisting his hands in Fox’s T-shirt and hauling the other man in. “Don’t you f*cking say a word.”