Love Defined Read online

  He had another comeback just waiting to spew from his mouth. To my surprise, he pressed his lips together and backed away. We were a couple of levels away from our floor when he released a loud sigh. “You may think you have me figured out, Mia, but you’re not even close.”

  “You’re right, Darius. I don’t know you. I can’t even try to get to know you. From the day we met, you’ve had something against me.”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “Bullshit,” I snapped. “You’ve complained several times about me being your manager, mainly because I’m a woman.”

  “You’re looking at this all wrong, Mia.”

  “Save it. I don’t care what you think anymore.”

  The doors to the elevator opened. I couldn’t exit it fast enough. All I wanted was to climb into bed and call it a night. I still had to reach out to my dad to let him know the singer hadn’t shown up for our meeting. Then I had a couple of reports to run. Sleep was out of the question for at least another hour.

  As I stopped at my door and pulled out my key, I looked toward Darius. His room was across from mine. After he unlocked his door, he leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest.

  I sighed. “What is it now, Darius?”

  “I thought maybe you’d accompany me to my room and make sure I’m all tucked into bed.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.” I focused on my door, twisting the knob just as it unlocked.

  “It’s not about flattery.” He slurred his words. “It’s about accountability. For all you know, I could leave and head back to the bar as soon as you enter your room.”

  Shaking my head, I cracked open my door. “You’re right, Darius. You could leave. Thing is, I’m not your babysitter or your girlfriend. I did you a favor by making you leave.”

  He snorted. “Whatever.”

  I turned to glare at him. “By all means, be my guest and take off. Just remember this. When you get into trouble again, and the police haul your sorry ass to jail, I won’t be bailing you out.”

  “Yeah, right. I’m your client.”

  “Yes, you are, and as your manager, I’ll do what’s best for you. A night in jail may be what you need.”

  His mouth gaped. “Seriously?”

  “You can bet your sweet ass on it. You leave your room and end up in jail, I won’t be bailing you out.”

  I said nothing else. Once I entered my room, I slammed the door behind me. Part of me wanted to walk away, but my curiosity won out. I had to know if Darius took my advice and went to his room.

  When I looked through the peephole, he was staring at my door. I counted in my head, reaching fifteen before he moved. He glanced down the hall, toward the elevators. I held my breath, waiting for him to make his choice to stay or leave. My heart thumped so hard, it felt like it could beat out of my chest.

  Depending on his decision, it would tell me a lot about how our next few months would go. He’d either listen to my advice or go against it. I wasn’t one to give up, but if he was going to ignore me, I wouldn’t think twice about walking away. I owed him nothing.

  Lucky for him, he entered his room. Good. Maybe something I’d said had sunk into his thick skull. It showed he was willing to do the right thing and listen.

  Those hopes were dashed when I noticed the same blonde from the bar walking up to Darius’s door. Boone wasn’t far behind her. The moment Darius reopened his door and let them in, I knew what was in store.

  Damn them both for ignoring my advice and setting themselves up for failure.

  4

  ~Darius~

  I adjusted my seat at the bar and swirled the whiskey inside my glass as I recollected the last seven days of my life. Utter hell was the only way I could describe the stretch of time. Most of it had been spent on the tour bus. Close quarters with a pissed off woman was every man’s worst nightmare, and it came true for the guys and me.

  Mia bitched about everything. The ashtrays were too full. We had too many empty liquor bottles lying around. Oh, and the nudes…. She threw away all the nude photos our fans had given us over the years.

  I wasn’t the only one to get red-assed over her actions. My bandmates were just as angry. I still wasn’t sure which one of them left the dirty boxers near her face when she fell asleep two nights ago. We all waited–impatiently–for Mia to wake and flip her shit when she found them. The fact that she didn’t concerned us more than anything. I feared she was biding her time to pay back each of us.

  She was a spitfire when she needed to be. And as strange as it was, I kind of respected that about her.

  Okay, so the guys and I weren’t making it easy. In truth, we were just living our normal lives. Yeah, there were times we lived like slobs. Other days we picked up after ourselves. This was just part of my game to get her to give up managing us. I didn’t need someone like her running my life. She didn’t know me, and she sure as hell didn’t know what was best for the guys and me.

  The whiskey I downed burned my throat as I set my glass on the bar. People were spread through the hotel ballroom, mixing and mingling. Mia hadn’t arranged another surprise performance. This time she’d upped her game. We were attending an after-party of one of the bands her grandfather helped find success. Consequently, they were one of my favorite bands.

  Plenty of well-known celebrities were in attendance. I recognized a couple of agents and record company executives too. Some I’d met when we were on tour with other groups. Hell, the guys and I had been playing longer than some of the other musicians attending this party, including the guests of honor. Still, we hadn’t found the same success. It’s why obtaining assistance from the Brooks family was important.

  “Need another whiskey neat?” the bartender asked.

  “Yeah, man,” I answered.

  He picked up my glass and left to make my drink. I lost count of how much whiskey I’d consumed after the fourth one, but if the bartender wasn’t cutting me off, I’d keep knocking them back. I could use a joint right now too, but fat chance of that happening. Mia had eyed me for the last hour. If I tried to sneak off for an herbal refreshment, she’d find me. Knowing her, she’d drag me back inside by my ear or some other crazy shit.

  God, that woman drove me insane.

  I shook the thoughts from my mind as the bartender set my drink in front of me. I’d never get shitfaced if he didn’t serve me faster. “Can you bring me two more of those?”

  He barely acknowledged me as he answered, “No problem, sir.”

  When he turned away from the bar, I chugged the liquor in my glass. My body warmed from head to toe as the effects of the whiskey hit me. And not a moment too soon. Being around Mia unsettled me. I didn’t want her managing my band. At the same time, I found myself more intrigued by her. And that body…

  I was mid-gulp when someone tapped my shoulder. The instant I spun around, I regretted it. Mia stood behind me, bright-eyed. Her hair was down. The black dress she wore caused a reaction in my jeans–a powerful one that forced me to shift my focus. I couldn’t look at her any longer, and I sure as shit didn’t understand how I could be attracted to her. Hell, maybe it was just the liquor fucking with me.

  Concentrating on the person beside her, I studied the man decked out in a collared shirt, blazer, and khakis. If I had to bet, I would say he was my age, but in twice as good of shape–or at least twice my size. His short dark hair was spiked slightly at the top, and he wore a pair of gold-brimmed glasses.

  He was what the guys and I would consider a nerd, geek, or whatever term was up to date nowadays. Some women liked that kind of guy. He wasn’t ugly by any standards, and considering where we were, he had to be affiliated with the music industry. The label on his blazer, hell, just the way he carried himself, suggested he was loaded.

  And for whatever reason, seeing Mia’s arm linked with his ignited my anger.

  “Hi, Darius.” She greeted me with a smile. “Are you enjoying yourself this evening?”

  I lifted my drink
and nodded. “The liquor is great, though I’m not much on the atmosphere.”

  “Well, maybe you need to get up and mingle. There are a lot of great, insightful people here, like this man.” She glanced beside her. “I have someone I’d like you to meet. This is Orion Normandy. Orion, this is Darius Stone, the voice behind Rebel Stone.”

  Orion extended his arm and waited for me to shake his hand. I did so begrudgingly. His name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t think of where I’d heard it.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Stone.”

  “Likewise,” I lied through my teeth.

  The silvery sound of Orion’s voice coupled with his air of confidence. I wasn’t sure if he was looking down on me or if his personality was naturally complacent. Maybe it was the alcohol catching up to me or the fact that I didn’t like this guy’s demeanor, but I wanted to knock his teeth down his throat.

  As tempting as the thought was, I took a long swig from my glass, emptying half of its contents down my throat, then set it on the bar. Neither Mia nor Orion had drinks in their hands, but when I’d caught Mia staring at me earlier, she had a glass of champagne. She would need several more before this evening was over.

  “Mia informed me that she’s managing your band,” Orion announced. “How lucky for you to have someone so smart and savvy on your side. She’s a hot commodity now that she’s escaped Brandon’s wing.” He glanced at her with a forced smile, then refocused on me.

  Smug son of a bitch.

  “Give a woman power and she’ll bring a man to his knees.” I stared at Mia as I spoke.

  If she hadn’t picked up on my irritation, she was about to learn the hard way that guys like Orion and I didn’t mesh. She needed to keep her playthings away from me. I would do the same for her.

  Or maybe it was time to up my game...

  “So.” I wiped away the whiskey from the corner of my mouth and looked Orion in the eye. “I gotta know something, and I need the honest truth, man. Can you give me that?”

  “The truth?” Orion asked. When he glanced at Mia, he appeared as confused as she was. Perfect. It was time to strike.

  “Yeah, man. I just want an honest answer.”

  “Of course. What would you like to know?” I didn’t miss the eagerness in his eyes. The poor sap thought he could answer my question. In a way, I wished he could.

  “All right, answer this. Are you hitting that?”

  Orion’s brow dipped lower. “Hitting what?”

  “That.” I leaned my head toward Mia. Her cheeks flushed as she caught on to what I was asking, but Orion hadn’t.

  “Sorry, but I’m not following you.” He laughed half-heartedly.

  “Okay. Let me rephrase the question. Are you and Mia fucking?”

  “Darius, stop,” Mia scolded me, but it was too late.

  Orion glanced at her then lowered his eyes to the floor. “No, Mr. Stone. Mia and I have a professional relationship. I’m an old friend of the family. And I need to get going.”

  “Orion, don’t go.” Mia tugged his arm. “I’m sorry he–”

  “It’s okay, dear. I’ll, uh…” He observed me a moment, then refocused on her. “I’ll be in touch. Have a good evening.”

  “Goodnight.” With her shoulders slumped, she observed him as he walked away. When he was well out of hearing distance, she turned to me and glared. “Do you even know who that man is?”

  “Nope,” I accentuated the word, “and I don’t care.”

  Finishing off the last of my drink, I set the glass on the bar and reached for the other. My fingertips brushed it just as Mia gripped my shoulder and forced me to face her.

  “You should care, Darius. He’s the CEO of one of the biggest music distributors in the world.”

  I winced at her words, yet the more I thought about what she’d revealed, the more frustrated I grew. Why hadn’t she told me who he was right after she introduced us? Was she setting me up for failure?

  “Who gives a shit?” I shrugged out of her grasp. “Isn’t that why we have you as a manager? You’re supposed to be getting our music out there.”

  “Why do you think I brought him over here?”

  Her voice droned inside my head. I wanted to walk away so the throbbing would stop, but when I attempted to move around her, she cut me off. Great. She wasn’t finished bitching at me.

  “I brought you guys here to meet some of the most respected people in the music business. You were supposed to have fun while I worked. Instead, you want to get drunk and act belligerent. This is bullshit.”

  When I remained quiet, she opened the tiny purse dangling from her arm and pulled out her cell phone. After tapping the screen a few times, she placed it to her ear.

  “Hi Percy, this is Mia. Can you bring the car around, please? Mr. Stone will be waiting for you at the front door. Thank you.”

  “Excuse me?” I scoffed. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “You’re drunk.” She didn’t meet my eyes while she tucked her phone back inside her purse. “It’s time to sleep it off, Darius.”

  What in the ever-loving fuck? She may be managing my band, but she wasn't in charge of my life. I refused to give her that power over me.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Mia.” I placed my glass to my lips, finished off my drink, then slammed it down on the bar. “Hell, girl, I’m just getting started.”

  ~Mia~

  Darius Stone was going down.

  I’d had enough of his antics and childish behavior. Everything I did to better his band met opposition from his end. The guy was a mess, and despite his charm and good looks, he would never succeed in this industry with his shitty attitude. Hell, after the obscene remark he’d made to my friend, he’d be lucky if Orion kept his promise to make sure Rebel Stone’s album received plenty of attention.

  What a jackass.

  “Mia?”

  I turned toward the sound of Boone’s voice just as he stopped behind me. “Hi, Boone. What can I do for you?”

  “Nothing personally. I’m having a great time.” He thumbed over his shoulder to what I assumed were the two models sitting at a nearby table. “I actually came over to find out what’s wrong with D?”

  “The better question is, what isn’t wrong with him? The man will not let me do my job.”

  Boone waved off my comment. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around.”

  “Maybe so, but he’s not doing the band any favors, and that ultimately means he’s hurting everyone’s chance of success, including yours.”

  “What did he do this time?” Boone cared about Darius. He always tried to smooth over any bad situation that arose. As much as I appreciated his hard effort, this time, Darius had crossed the line. He had to answer to me.

  “Darius just insulted Orion Normandy, the CEO of one of the largest music distributors.”

  The words sank in as Boone winced. “Ouch. That’s definitely not good.”

  “Damn straight it isn’t.” I huffed out a breath and tried to calm my frayed nerves. “Boone, you seem like a level-headed guy most of the time. If you really want to have success, I need you guys to get in line. Darius is going to self-destruct if someone doesn’t intervene.”

  His lips pressed in a thin line and he nodded. “You’re right. D is self-destructive. The guy’s had his share of problems. I’m not saying that to excuse his behavior. I just think you should know there’s a lot going on in his head.”

  I was about to respond when the music stopped and the buzz of a microphone pierced my ears. When I glanced toward the small stage, my blood turned cold the moment I spotted Darius. He stood in the center, where the DJ set up his equipment, weaving slightly as he squinted toward the crowd.

  “What the fuck?” Boone mumbled. He, like everyone else in the room, stared at Darius.

  “Shit.” A million bad scenarios stormed through my mind. Without saying another word to Boone, I darted from the bar toward the steps leading to the stage. After the argument Da
rius and I had just had, I had a feeling he was about to do something stupid.

  “How’s everyone doing tonight?” Darius asked the room.

  Voices murmured from every direction as people responded, but I didn’t listen. I pushed myself to move faster. The stairs leading to the stage were just a few feet away.

  By the time I reached them and ascended the steps, I stopped at the top, questioning what I was about to do. I had to figure out a way to get him off stage before he embarrassed both of us. I wasn’t sure what was rolling around in that thick skull of his, but he was pushing me to my limit.

  “Who has a glass in their hand?” Darius continued.

  About half the guests raised their glasses, and a few more whistled their confirmation.

  “Sweet,” Darius slurred into the microphone. “Raise those glasses, because tonight we’re celebrating big things. First, I wanna give a shout out to Dark Skies for their new platinum album. Talk about huge. That’s fucking insane y’all.”

  A few more whistles and cheers filled the room. Levi Crush, the lead singer of Dark Skies, raised his glass to everyone who looked at him. I hoped he was just as shitfaced as Darius appeared to be. Maybe then he wouldn’t get pissy about my new client making a scene.

  With his toast over, Darius tipped back his drink. So did everyone else who was participating in his shenanigans. As if most of the guests weren’t already drunk enough, he encouraged them to get wasted right along with him. I was willing to bet that a handful of people, including me, weren’t intoxicated. Others were on far worse shit than alcohol.

  I took a few more steps away from the stairs, toward the spot where Darius hogged the attention. My stomach did somersaults the closer I grew. What progress I’d made tonight to benefit Rebel Stone was on the verge of imploding. It proved what an idiot I was to think I could manage this band and the wild child they kept front and center.

  The instant Darius lowered his glass, I walked onto the stage. The only plan I could muster was to grab the mic and make some sort of joke. Then I’d usher my crazy-ass client off stage and into the car waiting for him outside.