Fight, Jamiee - Ellie R. Hunter Page 0,12

he can.”

Deep down, I know all this. “I’ll talk to him when I get back.”

“And Mom and Dad?”

“I’ll deal with them after.”

My mom’s going to cry, and my father’s going to want to commit murder. The least I can do is be strong enough mentally to live through it.

Hearing the cab driver honk the horn, I make my way down the stairs as David climbs the steps of the front porch after putting my belongings in the trunk and I give him a quick hug before jumping in the back seat.

I still can’t believe Freddie has gotten himself into trouble over this. The last thing I expected was for him to track down Deacon. Not because he hurt him, but because he’s the one in trouble now. Deacon’s never been held accountable for the shit he causes.

Freddie looked so angry in the online video, while Deacon looked the vulnerable victim. It’s like I never knew either of them at all. He’s Freddie Tucker, the bassist for Four Fallen Souls: womanizer, party animal. But to me, in private, he was something else. Something much more than his reputation.

For a while, I thought the night we shared on my birthday would be a one-time thing, but here he is, tapping on my door as not to wake anyone else in the cabin. Last night was the last show on their European tour, and tomorrow we’re due to fly home. Damon invited me out with them to keep me busy because our parents complained I was partying too hard. Their golden boy left out how much partying would occur on the tour, but in their eyes, he’s a good brother, and he would keep an eye on me. I didn’t mind tagging along, not when I got to have Freddie to myself when the others were otherwise occupied.

The door slowly opens, and the man himself slips in and closes the door behind him, flipping the lock over.

I watch him creep across the room and pull back the sheets, thinking I’m asleep. The bed dips under his weight, and his warm arm slides under me, pulling me closer to him.

“Jamiee,” he whispers.

“Hmm?”

“Wake up, sweet thing.”

His hand runs up my thigh and glides over my hip, giving me chills wherever he touches. Being around him during the day while the guys are hovering is a form of torture I wasn’t ready for on this trip. But when he’s with me, and we’re alone, it’s all worth it.

“I wasn’t sleeping. I’ve been waiting for you.”

I’ll always wait for him.

“I thought Damon and Baz were never going to crash,” he growls.

“Where’s River?”

“Not sure. He didn’t come back after the show. Now, enough talking.”

I’m fine with that. As long as he’s here with me and between my legs, I could never say another word, and still be extremely happy.

I should’ve expected someone to be at the airport when I landed, and I’m grateful it was Harry, not Damon. Though, as soon as I step into the hotel suite, he’s collecting me in his arms. It’s then—even though he has questions—I finally relax. Damon makes me feel safe. He’s a kind soul who’s always looking out for me. I shouldn’t give him such a hard time.

When he finally releases me, Alice takes his place.

“I’ll do my best to keep him off your back,” she whispers before pulling away, then says loudly,

“So, how was your flight?”

“It wasn’t so bad.”

“Forget about your flight. You need to start talking, because looking at your eye, I’m fit to kill someone.”

I turn to my brother, fully prepared to tell him everything. I’m not hiding anything from my family any longer. Walking across the suite, Freddie’s absence is difficult not to notice.

River tips his chin at me from across the room as I sit down.

“I broke up with Deacon and he did this,” I say bluntly, pointing to my eye. “I called Freddie because I couldn’t call you. I knew he would come and not tell you if I asked him to keep it to himself.”

Damon goes to jump in, but Alice beats him to it with a kinder tone. He glares at her, but his face quickly softens.

“He hit you because you wanted to end it with him?”

Nodding, I look down at my hands. I’m not ashamed to speak, but it’s harder than I originally thought it would be.

“No matter what happens to Freddie, he did the right thing,” River insists, and Damon nods in agreement. It’s humiliating.

“Has he done this before?” Alice questions.

My