Nero (Alliance #1)

With an audible exhale, I hold my left arm up and I swear it’s on purpose when she catches one of my arm hairs in the adhesive.

“Enjoy the show!” she calls after me as I stride away.

Finally entering the building, I move through a plain entryway before stepping into a decent-sized concert space. The main floor is standing room only and it’s packed with bodies. And like the ticket guy said, there’s a balcony circling the back half of the venue, giving the spectators up there unobstructed views.

An emcee is announcing that the main act is about to start, meaning I spent the entire time the opening band was playing stuck in line.

Still trying to figure out what we’ll be listening to, I look past the sea of people to the large banner strung up behind the band.

Söta Kakor.

What the fuck is a Söta Kakor?

Then the lights drop and the heavy metal starts.

CHAPTER37

Payton

The music is soloud I can feel every beat of the drum, and strum of guitar, as they vibrate through my bones.

I’ve never been to a concert, but when I pictured it, it wasn’t like this. And it wasn’tthistype of music.

Turns out I like it. I like it a lot.

I missed some of Carlton’s performance, but he is actually really good. I never would have figured him for having a good singing voice, but he does. And he looked at home with a shiny red guitar slung across his chest.

When a round of flashing strobe lights go off, I close my eyes. The laser lights and changing color spotlights on the musicians are one thing, but the strobe lights are just too much for me.

Absorbing the music, I pretend there isn’t a sea of humanity around me. If I think too much about all the people that are in here with me, I’ll slip into a panic. Not that anyone has been mean, or looked at me in any sort of bad way, it’s just more people than I’m used to. And it’s mostly men. Big, hairy, dressed head-to-toe in black men. One more reason why I found a place to stand by the back wall.

I don’t need to be close to the stage, and I don’t want to be anywhere near the people jumping wildly into each other. Plus, I prefer to not have strangers behind me. And with the balcony jutting out above me, this spot feels almost private.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I let my head bob with the beat. And even with the fast beat overwhelming my senses, as always when I close my eyes, my mind wanders to Nero.

Only today, thoughts of him make my heart ache.

I really don’t know what to think about everything that happened in the café.

And when he left that ridiculous voice mail—I’ll be done with work early tonight. I’ll see you at home.—I knew I couldn’t just go home after work. And that only became more clear when I read through the texts he sent to me while I was talking to Carlton.

Unknown: Answer me.

Unknown: Payton.

Unknown: I swear to god, if you smile at him…

Unknown: You are not going to his fucking concert.

Unknown: End this conversation.

Unknown: This is not good for his long-term health.

I eventually added Nero’s contact to my phone. Not because I plan to use it but seeingunknownmade the messages scarier.

So, in order to avoid some sort of confrontation at my apartment, I found myself once again taking the bus to the mall, to spend Nero’s hundred dollars. Only instead of buying body wash, I went to Marshall’s and spent three hours pawing through all the racks looking for an outfit to wear tonight.

On the bus ride, I did some googling and found photos of Söta Kakor in concert so I could zoom in on the people in the crowd and see what they were wearing. The photos were blurry, but I got enough of an idea. And being here in person, I feel pretty good about my purchases.