Ripped: The Price of Loyalty by Tania Joyce
EPILOGUE
In front of the sold-out crowd at the Gillette Stadium in Boston, Gemma placed her guitar on the rack at the back of the stage. She paused and sucked air in to the depths of her lungs before she unclipped her mic. They were only three-quarters of the way through their show, and no matter how hard she tried, her knees wouldn’t stop trembling. Holding it in front of her mouth, she spoke out to the fans. “Is everybody having a good time?”
She wiped the perspiration off her brow, but couldn’t stop her hand from shaking. The past eleven months under Sony management had taken her and the guys to new levels of stardom, beyond Gemma’s wildest expectations. It had been incredible to record their new album, release two singles, and after months of rehearsals, kick off their new world tour. Now there was only one thing that could make it better.
The arena lights came up, and the crowd roared. Gemma took a few steps toward Kyle on the left-hand side of the stage, but Hunter caught her arm.
“Are you sure about this?” His eyes glistened with concern.
She held her mic out to the side so it couldn’t pick up her voice. “Yes.” She nodded, ignoring the nausea in her stomach. “You got my back?”
“Always.” Hunter ruffled his hand on top of her head.
Kyle looked over at her, held out his hands, and mouthed, “What’s going on?”
She walked over to him and tugged on her in-ear monitor cord. “Just go with the flow. Take your guitar off, please.”
Looking confused, but intrigued, he did so.
Taking his hand, she led him down the runway toward the front of the stage. With a huge grin beaming on her face, she held her mic up to her lips. “Boston . . . can anyone here tell me what is special about today? Something other than it being an exceptionally hot September evening?”
A cacophony of distorted answers hollered across the stadium.
Kyle shook his head. His cheeks flushed red. “Gem, I’m going to kill you.”
She held her hand up to her ear and leaned toward the crowd. “What was that?”
Finally, their responses took some synergy. “It’s Kyle’s birthday”.
“That’s right.” Gemma nodded and turned Kyle around. “So Kyle, if you could be so kind, please take a seat.”
And on cue, a chair rose out of the stage floor via one of the hydraulic platforms.
He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. She gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder, and he sat.
She pointed her finger and waved it across the crowd. “Would you please . . . all join me . . . and Hunter, who’s back there hanging out with our band . . . and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Kyle, who turns twenty-five today.”
The band erupted with music, and the crowd sang along to “Happy Birthday”.
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Kyle,
Happy birthday to you.
At the end of the tune Kyle clapped and went to stand up, but Gemma placed her hand on his shoulder. “Oh, you’re not going anywhere just yet.”
Her stomach flipped. She grabbed the neckline of her damp shirt and shook it to cool her body down. The brush of air against her sweaty skin helped to clear her mind. This was it. She was ready. But first, for a bit of fun.
She raised the mic to her lips once again. “As you all know, Kyle and I have been dating for nearly a year now, but I struggled with what to buy him for his birthday . . . You wanna know what I gave him?”
Girls and guys created megaphones with their hands in front of their mouths and yelled, “Yes.”
She glanced down at Kyle, who covered his eyes with his hand and played along with her interaction perfectly. “I bought him . . . a pair of Star Wars boxer briefs, and a new coffee cup. Do you think that’s okay?”
“No,” they all called out.
“Damn it.” Gemma placed one hand on her hip, her mic poised in her other. “Well, I better come up with something else. If it’s okay with you, do you mind if I sing him a song?”
The crowd erupted and cheered, sending a storm of thunder crashing against her chest. Her heart barreled up to beat in her throat, and she closed her eyes for a second.
ICanDoThis. ICanDoThis. ICanDoThis.
She nodded to Ian, their new production manager, standing at the control panel on the side of the stage. Taking a steady breath, she spoke to the fans again. “I’d like you all to take out your cell phones, turn them on, and wave them in the air for me.”
A spotlight shone down on her and Kyle. The stadium lights dimmed only to be replaced by thousands of tiny lights, transforming the place into a sea of stars. But to Gemma, it was like it was only her and Kyle. That was what she had to focus on. She had to block out everything else. The cameras. The phones. The photos. And all those people watching.
Kyle’s smile broadened, and he rubbed the tip of his chin. “You gonna sing me a song?”
“Yeah,” she whispered.
Adrenaline charged through her veins at Nascar speed when Hunter walked toward her with his acoustic guitar. He stopped shy of the stream of light and waited. When she nodded to him, he strummed the strings and played a dreamy melody.
Gemma wiped her sweaty palm on her jeans, took Kyle by the hand, and he stood. She led him a few steps forward, away from the chair. When she met his warm gaze, her body temperature soared.
She could do this.
It was just a little song.
She licked her lips, swallowed, and sang.
Do you remember, when we met at school?
I was nothing, but a bumbling fool,
Little did I know, the universe had a plan,
Took us to heights, I couldn’t imagine,
For so long, I did not see,
What was right, in front of me.
The silent crowd swayed their arms in time to the music. All the lights shining up at them were magical and made Kyle’s eyes shimmer with golden shards. With a sexy smile playing on his lips, she had to close her eyes or there was no way she’d get to the end of her song. The music from Hunter’s guitar kept strumming in her in-ear monitor and provided the gentle coax she needed. Kyle was all she needed.
You captured my heart, with the touch of your hand,
You changed my life, and made me who I am,
You took my broken heart, pieced me back together,
You healed my soul, now everything’s brighter.
Kyle squeezed her hand, and tears filled her eyes. She nearly lost it, struggling to maintain even breaths. This was harder than she’d thought.
When I’m with you, I see forever,
I hope you feel the same, because I love ya,
I wouldn’t be here, if it wasn’t for you,
So I guess now, there’s only one thing to do.
Her heart beat like a hundred Chinese drums against her ribs. She couldn’t tell who was shaking more, herself or Kyle. His eyes glassed over, and he kissed the back of her hand. His warm lips sent shivers up her arm and down her spine. She clasped onto his hand tighter and gripped onto her mic with the other. Out flowed her lyrics, even though they sounded a little shaky.
I’ll be yours, if you’ll be mine,
You have my heart, ’til the end of time,
So right now, on bended knee,
She dropped down onto one knee and looked up at him.
Kyle McIntyre, will you marry me?
The crowd roared, but the noise was drowned out by the sound of her own pulse thumping in her ears. Kyle fell to his knees in front of her, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her so hard she could barely breathe. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, knocking out her in-ear monitor.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, you crazy woman. I love you so much,” he whispered into her ear. He brushed her sweaty hair back off her face and kissed her again. And again and again.
With fire burning in her cheeks, she sat back on her heels and mouthed. “I love you.”
Gemma’s breath shuddered in her lungs, but she managed to find some composure and held her mic back to her lips. “In case you didn’t hear, he said yes.”
The audience stamped their feet, clapped, and hollered. The lights came up and Kyle helped her to stand. Gemma couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. Hunter came over and gave them both a big hug.
“Congratulations . . . That was fucking awesome. Even I’m crying. And I don’t cry,” he said, wiping his eyes. “Now . . . come on. Sort yourselves out; we have a show to finish.”
Somehow, they made it through their last five songs and rushed off stage into a sea of celebrations. Champagne bottles popped, they received cheers and hugs from their backup band, their entourage and their crew. Before Gemma’s legs buckled beneath her, Kyle caught her in his arms, lifted her up, and spun her around.
“How did you pull this off without me knowing?” he asked, placing her feet back on the ground. It took her a moment for her head to catch up.
She’d done it. She couldn’t believe she’d done it.
“Weeks of planning and a lot of late nights.” The excitement rattled her voice. “Everyone was in on it. Hunt, the crew . . . absolutely everyone.”
Hunter handed her and Kyle a glass of champagne, they chinked them together and drank.
“I couldn’t have done it without your help, Hunt.” Gemma raised her glass to him, then took another drink.
“You owe me one.” Hunter nudged her shoulder. “I can’t believe you went through with it.” All the excitement had him jiggling around on the spot. “You proposed . . . in front of all those people.”
“I know. I can’t believe it either.” Gemma latched her arm around Kyle’s waist and drew him toward her. “But I’ve learned my lesson since the AMAs. When I don’t hide anything from the public or try to cover things up, there’s no gossip, no speculation, and my mother never calls. It’s brilliant.”
Kyle pressed his lips to her head. “This is the best birthday present ever. I honestly never thought you would ask me to marry you.”
Gemma’s cheeks ached from smiling so much. “I’m only ever going to get married once, so we better do it right.”
“Deal,” he said, drawing her in for a tight hug.
“When can we have your engagement party?” Hunter grabbed a champagne bottle off the table nearby and refilled their glasses.
Kyle placed his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “I have no fucking idea. I’m still in shock.”
Gemma clutched onto Kyle’s shirt and drew his hip against hers. “I’ve actually thought of that, too. We have a week off soon before we continue tour. Why don’t we do it then?”
Kyle’s eyes widened. “In four weeks’ time?”
“Sure. Why not? It’s just a party.” Gemma shrugged. “Bec can organize it.” She knocked back her champagne and gasped on the sickly taste sliding down her throat. “But . . . as for getting married . . . that can wait.” She winced and had another drink. While the “M” word was still hard for her to say and caused her heart to palpitate, she couldn’t wait to marry Kyle and spend the rest of her life with him. It was the thought of weddings, white dresses, and the world’s interest in the two of them walking down the aisle that caused a red rash to break out on her skin. “I just proposed in front of thousands of people. Let me deal with one phobia at a time.”
“You take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.” Gemma didn’t think that the grin on his face could get any wider. “You proposed. That’s all that matters.”
Her heart raced. She didn’t think life could get much better than this. But she came back to reality when a tap on her shoulder forced them apart.
“Congratulations. I’m so happy for the both of you.” Sophie hugged them both. “But we have to continue the celebration back at the hotel. Sorry, but it’s time to move.” She swirled her finger in the air. “Let’s get this mob out of here so the road crew can get to work. The car’s waiting for the three of you outside. Security’s in place. Let’s move.”
Clutching onto Kyle’s hand, Gemma followed Hunter down the corridor, waved to the fans lurking outside the venue behind the barricades, and jumped into the waiting SUV. She rested her head against the seat and turned to Kyle. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. So gentle. So soft. So warm. She entwined her fingers with his and got lost in his hypnotic gaze. His eyes were so dark and beautiful, and they owned every part of her soul. She’d do anything for him. He was her soulmate, her best friend, and her music. Their future was together. But right now . . . it was time to party.
***
The first few weeks of tour disappeared, and Gemma and the guys ended up back in New York for a week off before they continued touring for the next eight months—more of the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America were all on the agenda. Gemma showered, threw on her pajamas, and walked into her bedroom to find Kyle reading in bed. He was bare chested wearing his Star Wars boxer-briefs, his skin glowing golden in the soft light.
“Hey.” He put his tablet down and held out his hand.
Gemma crawled onto his lap and pressed her lips to his. “Whatcha reading?”
He slid his hands around her hips. “Aren’t I allowed to have any secrets?”
“Never.”
His eyes twinkled. “If you must know, I was looking at ideas for our wedding.”
She froze. He was looking already? They hadn’t even talked about it, let alone set a date.
“You still want to marry me, don’t you?” He slipped his hand underneath her shirt and rubbed her lower back, sending warm pulses across her skin.
“Yes. But I thought we agreed not to worry about anything until after tour.”
“I’d marry you tomorrow if you let me.” His chin inched forward, and his eyes did that I’m-so-in-love-with-you shimmer that set her soul ablaze.
“We can’t get married before our engagement party. It’s only a few days away.”
“We could.” He shrugged. “We could sneak down to the city clerk’s office.”
Her fingers trembled as she trailed feather-light strokes across his collarbone. “You just want to go sign the papers?” The idea had some merit. “Is that what you want to do?”
He curled a strand of her hair around his finger and tugged it gently. “No.”
Bubbles popped in her tummy. “Then what would be your ideal type of wedding?” Visions of cathedrals and chandeliers and Kyle dressed in a tuxedo, complete with a cravat, sent a shudder through her. She flicked the stupid notion aside, because that was not him at all. “We’ve had enough public displays of affection to last a lifetime, so I personally think something low-key would be nice.”
His warm smile touched her heart. “I agree. And considering our family head count is rather limited, I’d prefer something small, too.”
“What do you have in mind?” Gemma stared at the tablet on the nightstand, her head faint over the whole wedding fiasco. She wanted to marry Kyle more than anything, but how small was small?
“Do you want to see what I had in mind?”
She nodded and slid off his lap to sit beside him. He grabbed the tablet and turned it on, and a picture of a small secluded island with a sole, gorgeous white house, sitting back from the sandy beach and offshore reef, filled the screen.
“This is a private island in Belize,” he said, scrolling through the pictures. “The only way to get there is by boat or helicopter. The media or paparazzi wouldn’t be able to follow us. We could fly a celebrant in for the day. We’d invite Hunt, Kara, Lexi, and Hayden to stay for a few nights. Then we’d send them home and we could have the place to ourselves for as long as we wanted.”
Gemma’s hand splayed across her chest and her eyes watered. The place was so remote, so beautiful—so right. “It’s perfect.”
She kissed the tip of his shoulder and snuggled into him.
“There’s one more thing.” Kyle hesitated before putting his tablet down. “I have something for you.”
He darted off the bed, dug around in the walk-in closet, returned to the side of the bed, and dropped to his knees. He placed a small red jewelry box on the mattress.
Gemma’s heart slammed against her ribs. “Kyle? What did you do? You bought me a ring?”
He twisted the box in his fingers. “I didn’t buy you a ring. But I will if you want me to.”
“Then what’s in the box?”
“If you don’t like this, please don’t feel obligated.” His voice caught in his throat. He opened the box and a dainty carat-sized pear-shaped diamond ring glistened on a black satin cushion. “Because this . . . was my mother’s ring.”
Gemma’s hand shot over her mouth. “Oh, Kyle.” Tears stung her eyes. “It’s the shape of a guitar pick. It’s perfect.”
Kyle drew his brows together, and his gaze darted across her face. “If you want a bigger rock or something different I’ll buy you whatever you want? You don’t have to—”
“Kyle . . .” She placed her hand on his. “It’s beautiful. It really is.”
“Well then.” He grabbed the ring out of the box and took her trembling hand in his. His gorgeous eyes locked onto hers. “Gemma Lonsdale, I can’t wait to be your husband, and for you to be my wife so I can spend the rest of my life with you.” He slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her hand. “I love you. You’re my life, my love, and my music.”
“I love you so much, Kyle. I know it hasn’t been all smooth sailing to get here, but like we wrote in our song ‘Horizon’ all those years ago, we’ve chased a lot of horizons, and caught a few stars. Now we’re here and I’m yours. I hope we keep creating incredible songs together forever, because I can’t imagine life without music or you.”
“So can I book this island for our wedding? How about for twelve months from now?”
She glanced at the image blazing from the tablet, then back to Kyle. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
She brushed his long fringe back off his brow. He crawled onto the bed, edged between her legs, and lay on top of her. Her temperature soared when they connected. Their lips found each other. His kisses, hot and delicious, sent fire skimming through her veins. Every part of her wanted more and more of him. This was love. True love. Like she’d sung in her song when she proposed, the universe had obviously had a plan for them right from the start. It had tried and tested their loyalty, nearly ripped them apart and pushed their trust in one another to extreme limits. And knowing that this was where they ended up, after every knock-back, every success, every broken heart, every experience they’d shared side by side, and all the songs they’d ever written . . . it had all been worth it. Every line and every lyric had led them to find each other.
***
Dear Reader
Thank you for reading RIPPED – The Price of Loyalty. Have you got all the feels after the epic ending?
Gemma and Kyle found each other.
But what about Hunter?
There’s no time to draw breath. Are you ready for the next heart-wrenching tale?
WARNING – Tissues will be required.
Hunter hides behind his ego, but why? What, or who, will it take to tame his wild heart . . . or break it?
He wanted one night of fun. She wanted to forget her problems. A baby wasn’t part of the plan. Time doesn’t always play nice.
If you are ready for a powerful, emotional story that has the potential to cause tears - yes this may make you ugly cry - you'll love RUINED - The Price of Play. This enemies-to-lovers, tragic, rock star romance will leave a permanent mark on your heart.
Get it now.
RUINED – The Price of Play
Thank you
Tania Joyce
P.S. I hope you loved RIPPED. I’d appreciate it if you could take a moment and leave a review. They mean the world to me. I read every one and would love to know what you thought. I’d be forever grateful. Here’s the link.
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OTHER BOOKS BY TANIA JOYCE
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