Chapter One
"That fucking old perv! Who does he think he is?" Raven ranted as she threw herself on the beige leather sofa belonging to her long-time childhood friend, Lucian. "How could he fire me after all I did for that loser!"
"Well, you did punch him in the face, Rave. You're probably lucky he didn't call the cops." Lucian responded, attempting to play devil's advocate.
"He's fucking lucky I didn't call the cops!" Raven's voice trailed an octave higher in her outraged retort. "He touched my ass and asked me out. How old is he? Like 60?"
"I'm pretty certain he's only in his forties, and I'm sure it wasn't that bad." The fury on Raven's face prompted Lucian to pause before he was also on the receiving end of a smack.
Lucian agreed with his friend but hesitated to criticize Joe Gomes publicly. He and his family owned half the entertainment venues in town, including Lucian's current employer, the Thrashers Rock Club on Main Street. He knew that Mr Gomes conducted seedy business and appeared to have half the town in his pocket, but he also had rent to pay and couldn't afford to lose his job over a fight that wasn't his.
Raven, whose real name is Alice but hasn't been called that in years, was not the most diplomatic woman in Sunny Springs. She had been a thorn in Joe Gomes' side since she graduated college last year. Her constant pressure had forced the man to allow a more inclusive uniform in his coffee shops, and she was a member of the group that protested the opening of his new strip club, forcing him to delay the opening multiple times.
Raven knew that Gomes had been looking for any opportunity to terminate her employment, and she had handed it on a platter to him when she punched him across the face with over a dozen witnesses. Her situation worsened when Raven's landlord evicted her without notice, something she suspected the sleazy businessman had something to do with.
The eviction was what brought Raven into her friend's home. Lucian had suggested making amends with her parents, but they barely spoke to her since she told them she liked women. The real truth was that she was bisexual, but she preferred to let everyone believe that she was only into women. "You know if you crash her, Wolf will expect you to commit more to practice."
Raven sighed and tilted her head back on the sofa, knowing her friend was right. She had joined the hard rock garage band Dark Obsession as a favor to Lucian, but two years later, they were still playing in near-empty college bars. The band's leader, Zane Wolfe, came from old money and never had to complete an honest day's work in his life. With an abundance of time on his hands, Wolf constantly pressured the other band members to show more commitment, as if they didn't have bills to pay. Wolf's arrogant antics had brought Raven to the verge of quitting the band, but her recent poor fortune meant she had to delay that for now.
Just as Lucian crashed on the sofa beside his black-haired friend, they both heard the front door slam shut, turning their heads toward the commotion. "That fucking bitch!" A voice bellowed; it was Wolf. "Language, buddy. There are ladies present." Lucian responded as his housemate stormed past. The comment prompted Wolf to halt in his tracks and raise an eyebrow, looking down at the gothic-styled woman on his sofa. "That thing? A lady? Give me a break."
Raven groaned before making a short snappy retort, "Fuck off, Wolf." Despite his furious entrance, he grinned at Raven's response, looking down at her and secretly admiring her appearance. She had a beautiful face behind her full black lips and smoky eye makeup. When she agreed to join his band, he had visions of her looks and marketability skyrocketing the group to international stardom. Still, her combative personality and penchant for hiding her body under drab hoodies and baggy pants meant that those visions remained squarely in his head.
"I was hanging out with Victor down at the carnival and found this crazy old bat inside one of those voodoo fortune teller tents." Lucian rolled his eyes as Wolf began his story. The band leader had a tendency to find ways to squander his money, and Lucian already knew exactly where this story was headed. "This witch tells me she can grant all my wildest wishes for just $200. Can you believe that?" Raven sighed, and Lucian chuckled in amusement.
"Then what? She took your money and told you to get lost?" Lucian sat up to hear how the story ended. "No. Well, yeah. I gave her the money, and then, poof, she's gone!"
"What? You mean she ran away?" Lucian asked quizzically. Wolf shook his head. "No, I mean she disappeared, like completely gone. She disappeared, her tent disappeared, my damn money disappeared!"
Lucian keeled over in a hearty belly laugh. "What have you been smoking, buddy? People don't just up and disappear." He poked fun at his friend's unbelievable story. Wolf just shook his head and started stepping towards the stairs. "What can I say? That's what happened, and now the bitch has my money. Anyway, band practice in 30 minutes. Let's get to work."
Raven audibly groaned when the practice was announced, drawing a cold stare from the band leader before trotting up the stairs. Raven turned her head back to her childhood friend. "Do we really need another practice session? We practiced yesterday, and I have a life beyond singing in that stinking garage."
Lucian placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, trying to do what he could to keep the peace. "I know he is a lot to handle, but if you want a place to crash until you get back on your feet, it's probably best to keep him happy for a little while."
Raven folded her arms. She knew Lucian was right, but the idea of doing anything to make that arrogant, self-serving asshole happy made her feel nauseous. "Fine, but I'm not putting up with his bullshit anymore. If he speaks out of line, I'm done with the band."
Lucian slowly nodded his head in agreement with his friend, but he knew that this was not going to end well.
