“Just promise me you’ll be careful.” She frowned. “Both of you.”
“Oh, trust me,” I laughed, but it came out strangled. “Baby steps are all I have right now, for anyone.”
“I’d really like to hear your story one day; if you ever want to tell me?”
I smiled but knew it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’d like that. Right, I guess I should go back inside.”
“Okay, I won’t be long.”
I headed back inside, but I didn’t join Letty and the band. I needed a minute to get my head on straight.
I needed to figure out how to protect my heart from Levi Hunter.
• • •
I avoided Levi after that. The party was low-key compared to a lot of industry events, but then, Eva and Letty had made sure to keep it that way.
“What are you doing hiding over here?” Letty asked as I stood over near the bar.
“I’m not hiding, I’m… overseeing.”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “We’re off duty, enjoy yourself.”
“Are we ever off duty?”
“True, but we can still make the most of some downtime.” Letty slid a glass of champagne toward me.
“Thanks,” I pushed it back, “but I want to keep a clear head.”
“It’s not a bad thing around these guys. Although they’ve calmed down a lot since Eva came on the scene.”
“I’ve heard the stories.” The press loved nothing more than running story after story about the band’s latest indiscretion. Wherever they went, chaos seemed to follow. But Letty was right, things had been calmer lately. The press had been more interested in Eva and Rafe’s fledgling relationship than the band.
“I never thought I’d see the day, you know...” She mused, watching as Eva and the guys danced. Levi wasn’t dancing though. He was standing off to the side, skulking.
“She’s good for them,” I said. Anyone could see it.
“Yeah. Eva is the best thing that’s happened to them. All of them. She brings out the best of the band.” Letty hesitated, sliding her gaze to mine. “You know, I’ve seen Levi watching you.”
“He just wants to play with the new shiny intern.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Just be careful. Levi is a tortured soul.”
“Shouldn’t you be warning me to stay away from him? I’m the band’s assistant.”
“Which means you should know when Levi Hunter sets his sights on something, it’s useless telling him to back off. You’re a big girl, Phoebe.” She gave me a knowing look. “I’m not going to pull an Alistair and remind you of the label’s ambiguous policy about inter-staff relations. Just be careful.”
“You don’t have to worry about me,” I said over the lump in my throat.
“Oh, it’s not you I’m worried about.” With that she grabbed another drink, gave me a knowing smile, and joined Molly on the makeshift dance floor.
Maybe they were right. Maybe I did need to be careful. There was no denying the chemistry between us, it crackled every time our eyes caught across the room. But Levi was a recovering addict, fighting his personal demons day in day out. I’d sworn to myself I wouldn’t dance this dance again.
I had a type.
Broken. Tortured... Untouchable.
Instead of working on breaking the cycle, I’d sworn off guys. Except, I’d landed myself an internship at Razorsharp Records and been assigned to Black Hearts. I hadn’t expected that, but I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity of a lifetime either.
“New girl,” Hudson called, “get over here. We’re celebrating.”
“No, I’m okay.” I waved him off.
“Come on, you know you want to.”
“Yeah, Phoebe,” Molly said around a goofy smile. “Come dance with us. Levi’s going to sing again, so you have to.”
He and Rafe had sung earlier. From the reaction on everyone’s face, it had been their way of clearing the air between them after a tense few weeks.
My eyes found Levi, hiding in shadows. Everything grew quiet, the heat in his stare rushing over my skin. I gulped, trying to get air into my lungs. He was looking at me with so much intensity I felt it all the way down to the pit of my stomach.
Rafe was busy talking to the DJ, the two of them messing with a microphone and some wires.
“Pheebs,” Hudson barked, “let’s go.” His words jolted me into action, and I reluctantly went to join them.
“This is fun, right?” Molly laced her arm through mine and grinned at me.
It was something all right.
Rafe beckoned his brother over and handed him a mic before slipping the strap of his guitar over his neck.
My eyes flicked to Eva. She was watching them with so much pride. For a second, I wondered what it was like to be her. To have these four talented, famous guys falling over their feet for her.
The music paused and Levi’s gravelly voice came over the mic. “Damon, my man, this one’s for you.”
But Levi wasn’t looking at Damon, he was staring: Right. At. Me.
“This is called Drown.”
Eyes so deep I fall and fall
Can’t crawl out, and I can’t breathe
These feelings crash over me
Until there’s nothing left of who I used to be
Eye so deep I fall and fall
Can’t escape, and I can’t feel
These feelings crash over me
Until I’m numb inside and cut free
But I’m broken now, I’m dead inside
She can’t save me no matter how hard she tries
But I’m broken now, I’m dead inside
She can’t save me no matter how hard she tries
Down we go… like sinking ships
I’m drowning now… drowning now… drowning yeah…
The song was more upbeat than some of the band’s stuff, but it still had the classic Black Hearts dark undertones. Levi perched on a stool as he bled the lyrics over the mic. Because when Levi performed, it wasn’t just a guy singing, it was a guy baring his soul. I didn’t know for certain—only what my research on the band had uncovered—but I knew most of their songs were penned by Levi and Rafe. And I knew enough about musicians to know they usually drew on their personal experiences for inspiration. Which meant you only had to read between the lines of some of their lyrics to know the Hunter brothers’ childhoods had been grim.
The tempo changed as Levi clutched the mic between his fingers, seducing it with his rough voice. Rafe strummed the guitar with skill and precision, but I only had eyes for Levi. He oozed sex appeal, darkness, and danger.
He was bad choices and good times wrapped up in a sinfully hot package. From the tattoos peeking out beneath his skinny tee to the snake bite piercing glistening in his bottom lip, everything about Levi screamed reckless rock star.
He was everything I needed to stay away from.
Everything I needed to resist.
Levi Hunter lived in the dark...
But me?
I needed to stay in the light.
I’d survived the party.
Barely.