He jutted out his chin, started to shake his head, but stopped. She could see the indecision in his dark eyes. He ended up crossing his arms over his chest and sitting on the edge of her cutting table.

“Syon means a lot to me. A fucking hell of a lot, and he’s got it bad for you, but you…” His eyes flashed. “You don’t think he’s good enough. That’s what’s pissing me off. He’s going to get his heart shredded by your holier-than-thou ’tude.”

Ramsey considered her. “You’re not the first bitch who looked down her nose at him or me. So don’t expect me to kiss your ass because you don’t like my attitude or the way I live my life. It pisses me the fuck off to see you disapproving of the way my best friend spends his free time. He’s walked through fire to be what he is today and doesn’t owe you shit.”

He started to walk away. Kate lunged after him and hooked his arm. He jumped and turned around to snarl at her.

“You’ve had your say, now it’s my turn,” she informed him.

“Is that right?”

“It is,” Kate snapped. “For the record, I didn’t say Syon wasn’t good enough for me.”

Ramsey snorted.

“What I question is how healthy this environment is for a relationship.” She pointed in the direction of the hallway. “Do you even remember the names of the girls passed out in your bed or wherever you left them?”

Ramsey shook his head without a shred of remorse. “Most of them don’t want me to. They want a buzz and a mind-blowing experience, and they sure as shit don’t want it to follow them back to their nice, respectable lives. You know what I’ve got down the hall? One’s a school teacher. She’s getting married next summer.”

“She told you that?” Kate asked incredulously.

“No.” Ramsey reached for his jacket and pulled three cell phones out of the inside pocket. “I found that little tidbit right…here.” He dangled a smartphone from his fingers. “I was trained to disarm complex programs. These little civilian devices are a piece of cake for me.”

“You hacked their phones? What’s wrong with you?” She paused as his words sank in. “You should tell her fiancé.”

Ramsey only shrugged and slid the phone back into the jacket pocket. “It’s not my shit-pile life. She might even make a good wife, now that she can enjoy her memory of fucking a rock star when hubby can’t go down on her worth crap.”

“That is so messed up, Ramsey. She’s got no right to use you like that.”

“I used her too.”

He was trying to blow it off, but Kate wasn’t buying it. She could see the pain in his eyes. He changed the subject.

“Syon hasn’t touched another woman since he saw you.”

She failed to hide just how much she appreciated hearing that. A little bubble of happiness just rose in her chest and sat there, glowing. Even the knowledge that the time frame under discussion was a whole two days didn’t dampen her joy. Ramsey bit something back after reading her emotions off her face.

“Just…understand this. We spent years playing together before our parents decided to ship us off to the military so we would grow up and lose our adolescent dreams of playing in a band. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us, but this is what we are.” He opened his arms wide. “It’s the fire that’s been in our bellies since we were eight years old. I’m sick of seeing Syon torn between what he loves and his damned desire to please the rest of the world.”

“You’re sick of being judged,” she said as understanding dawned. It was a painfully clear sunrise too. Success didn’t promise happiness, even on the level Toxsin was experiencing it.

Ramsey’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t about me.”

“Yes it is.”

He shook his head, but Kate reached up and cupped his cheek to stop him.

“It’s about you because of the connection you share with Syon.”

Ramsey lifted his chin to sever the contact. “He’s the only family I have, since my blood thinks I’m infecting the youth of America with Satan’s plots…or some shit like that.”

He turned and started stalking toward the door.

“I’ve worked my ass off for what I have too, Ramsey.”

He froze. She watched him fight the urge to turn around and fail. He faced her with a grudging expression.

“Professionalism is the foundation of my business.” She spoke quietly. “Jumping my clients doesn’t fit that image. My reputation is all I have. If you guys trash my performance on this tour, everyone who works for me will suffer. I’ve got a damned good reason to think before acting. Syon made this my workplace. So…I have to hold on to my professionalism.”

He studied her for a long moment. She could see his outer shell cracking, granting her a glimpse of the wounded soul behind his public persona. His lips twitched, just a bit, into a genuine grin. “I’m beginning to see why Syon is fascinated with you.”

“Huh?” Confusion stole her composure as Ramsey strolled back toward her with that sexy prowl of his. She tipped her head back to maintain eye contact and didn’t care for the feeling of exposure that washed through her.

“You have integrity.” He reached out and tapped her on the lips with his index finger.

Kate jumped back, feeling like a live wire had touched her.

Ramsey laughed, low and deep. “That’s sexy. Really sexy. Sucks that you prefer Syon.”

“Yeah, I heard how pitiful your night was as you longed for my company.”

He smiled before moving back toward the door and knocking on the drywall. “It’s not that thin.” His eyes flashed. “What can I say? I do a fantastic job at everything.”

Kate groaned and pointed him toward the hallway. “I’ve got all I need from you, thanks.”

He licked his lower lip. “No, you’re still hungry.”

She raised her voice. “Bye!”

He chuckled knowingly at her before disappearing into the hallway.

She was going to be insane by the end of the tour.

Chapter 3

Syon was avoiding her.

It really pissed her off.

Liar… It stings.

Well, that too.

The other members of Toxsin had come by her suite for fittings, but Cid showed up with Syon’s missing-crotch pants instead of the singer.

“Pull a pattern off these.”

The road manager tossed the garment at her. She caught it but dropped them on the chair next to her. “I don’t clone. I do my own work. Always. I need a fitting.”

Cid was close to fifty by her guess but hiding it extremely well. His body was toned and fit, and only a hint of gray was visible where his hair had grown out at its roots. He fixed her with a hard look.

“You’re here to work on our schedule. Mr. Braden hasn’t had time for a fitting. In case you missed it, he’s a celebrity.”

“My work is custom.” Kate pointed at the two pairs of partially completed pants hanging on a rack, waiting for fittings. “If Syon wants a pair of pants that fit, I need him down here.”

She needed his ass and his hard-on, but she was avoiding thinking about the particulars.

Cid didn’t like her tone. Something slithered through her that left a very unpleasant aftertaste in her mouth. She realized she was getting a glimpse of what it was like to ruffle the feathers of those who considered Syon their bread and butter. If Syon told Cid to be a dick to her, he would without getting a single hair out of place. Cid knew who was signing the paychecks and didn’t give a shit about how many feelings got hurt while he was ensuring his meal ticket. Toxsin was bringing in big money, and that meant there were going to be big sharks swimming in the tank. No one was on tour who didn’t know when to abandon fair play.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

The road manager left with an air of importance and no hint of remorse in his expression.

She should have dived back into the work she had.

Should have, but she walked across the suite and glared out at the San Francisco skyline instead. The sun had gone down hours ago, but the city was far from sleepy. There was a buzz and pulse that she could feel through the double-paned glass windows. Traffic was flowing below her, people thick on the sidewalks. Cafés were open, catering to the night crowd. It seemed too dedicated to spend the night working for someone who couldn’t be bothered to make time for a fitting.