Something to Believe In, page 1
Something to Believe In
Rockstars of Blossom Springs
Book 2.5
PJ Fiala
Contents
DEDICATION
Maps
Front Matter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Enjoy this book? You can make a big difference
Also By PJ Fiala
MEET PJ
Copyright
DEDICATION
I’ve had so many wonderful people come into my life and I want you all to know how much I appreciate it. From each and every reader who takes the time out of their days to read my stories and leave reviews, thank you. My beautiful, smart and fun Road Queens, who play games with me, post fun memes, keep the conversation rolling and help me create these captivating characters, places, businesses and more. Thank you ladies for your ideas, support and love. The following characters and places were created by:
* * *
Alison Conville - Axel Peters - Hero
Brenda Hojonski - Steve - Maddyn's ex-husband
Terra Oenning - Maddyn (Mads) Nolen - Heroine
Christa Stigler - Zeke - Roadie for Hart & The Hurricanes
Monique Mousseau Westwood - Shona and the Rebels - Band Hart & Hurricanes open for
Gayle Lazur - Destiny - The Nurse who discharged Maddyn
* * *
To my family, my greatest blessing and unwavering support system. Your love, encouragement, and sacrifices have made this dream possible. And to my husband and best friend, Gene—thank you for standing beside me every step of the way. Your belief in me, your patience, and your love are the foundation of everything I do. Words will never be enough to express how much you mean to me, but I will spend my life showing you.
***
To our veterans and all those currently serving in the armed forces, police, fire departments, and as EMTs—your courage, dedication, and sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to protecting and serving. It is with heartfelt gratitude and deep respect that I honor you here. You are the true heroes, and your contributions inspire every word on these pages.
Maps
Blossom Springs has always felt real to me—so real, I decided to put it on paper!
These maps are hand-drawn by me, showing every landmark, back road, and hidden corner of the town where my heroes and heroines find love and face life’s challenges.
Take a closer look and see if you can spot your favorite scenes from the books.
Because the maps continue to grow, I have them on my website. Click here and welcome to Blossom Springs.
https://www.pjfiala.com/blossom-springs-maps/
Front Matter
USAT bestselling author PJ Fiala delivers steamy, small-town romantic suspense where fame draws both love…and obsession.
Axel Peters has lived by one rule since his last band imploded—no relationships inside the group. But years of playing alongside Maddyn Nolen have made resisting her nearly impossible. When her abusive boyfriend finally goes too far, Axel can’t stop himself from stepping in.
What neither of them expect is the fan who’s been watching Axel’s every move. Obsessed. Possessive. Deadly. And in her mind, Maddyn doesn’t belong anywhere near Axel’s stage—or his heart.
To protect Maddyn, Axel must break every rule he’s ever set…because walking away is no longer an option.
* * *
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Chapter One
Axel leaned his elbows on the bar in the barn. Jami Hart had purchased this barn years ago and converted it into their studio with a lounge area where the band could be alone, unwind without fans and people watching them.
Their performances were so high-energy that after each one, they needed to just come back here and unwind. That was changing these days as they were getting more gigs on the road.
But being home in Blossom Springs, man, nothing felt better. He grinned and rotated his shoulders. Their stars were rising, but he was feeling it these days.
He received a firm pat on the back from Jami Hart as he rounded the bar.
"Hey, bud, how are you doing?"
"I'm good. Just thinking about things."
Jami chuckled. "Don't think too hard, man. Looks like you're gonna hurt yourself." He pulled two beers out of the cooler behind the bar.
Alex chuckled. "Fuck you." He picked up the bottle of beer Jami set in front of him, taking a long pull from the bottle.
Jami chuckled. "So really, what are you thinking about?"
Axel sighed. "I don't like the way the sets are arranged. Something's not right with it. For me, going from such a high-energy drum set from the second set right into the next grouping of high-energy songs is too much. I need something a little more low-key in between there. My shoulders are feeling the pinch. And I don't want to be a whiner or anything, but I need to do something different. Plus, the way they're set up, we end on a ballad. We should leave the crowd high-energy and excited, not ready for bed."
Jami nodded. "Okay, I agree with that. Let's rework the songs."
"Also, Mads seems to struggle with the pitch of that last song going into the next set. I think it'll work better for all of us if we change things around."
Jami nodded. "Of course, of course. If you remember, the only reason we had the songs in the order we do is because it seemed like the momentum was there. But I agree with you. I think we can change them around. And actually, that third set is the highest energy set that we have throughout the whole concert. I think we should change the entire set to be the last set. That could solve our problems right there."
Axel nodded. His heart felt good, as always, that his friend and boss was so easy to talk to, and that they could discuss things and work them out.
Tony Baluco, their former bassist turned band manager, entered the room. "Alright, you two. What's going on?"
Axel glanced at Jami, then turned to his right, where Tony perched himself on a barstool.
"We're just talking about changing the sets around a little."
Tony nodded. "That's good. Make it work for y'all. I meant what's up with Mads?"
Axel turned to look at the door to the outside. He shook his head. "I don't know. I think that jackass she's been dating texted her, and she had to leave."
Jami took a swig of his beer, but he locked his eyes on the door.
Tony shook his head and muttered something unintelligible. "Yeah, Livia mentioned something about him being a jackass."
Axel rotated his head and shoulders. Tension was setting in again, and it wasn't the drumming this time.
Tony wrapped his knuckles on the bar. "I have great news. We just got six phenomenal gigs. I mean phenomenal. Hang on to your hats, kids. This is it. We're rising to the top."
Axel chuckled, and Jami reached across the bar and shook Tony's hand. "You're doing a phenomenal job booking us, Tony."
"Thanks. I think we are all in agreement about how well things are going. We've been happy over the years doing what we did, but we all have the same vision, and that's rising to the top. Now that you and Sean are writing our songs, it's happening. These weren't hard gigs to get. And once we've completed them, I'll be looking at a six-month tour next year."
Axel slapped Tony on the back and laughed. "That's what I'm talking about."
Tony grinned as Jami slid a beer across the bar to him and then lifted his bottle. "Cheers." Then swallowed nearly half of his beer.
Jami tossed his empty bottle into the recycle bin and grabbed another from the cooler behind the bar. Jami nodded at him, and Axel lifted his empty bottle. His shoulders burned right now. He should be home soaking in the tub. He'd been soaking in Epsom salts recently. It helped with the soreness and muscle fatigue. One more beer and he'd go soak.
Jami slid the bottle across the top of the bar, and Axel nodded. "Thanks."
Jami grinned. It was that grin, a half-grin he'd describe it as, that the women went wild for. He'd grin on stage, and the women would scream their heads off. As the drummer, he was at the back, and he saw
Except they had a no-fraternization policy. Band members weren't supposed to hook up with each other. It tore bands apart. Big bands. They'd all agreed they didn't want things to get messy, so they abided by that rule. That was until Livia joined the band last year. Tony fell in love with her at first sight. He said he'd leave if Jami and the rest of them didn't let him and Livia stay together, and since he was doing a bang-up job as their manager, and Livia's voice was outstanding, they all agreed. But how many times could that actually work out for this small band? He would not be the one to ruin a good thing, just when it was paying off!
The door to the outside opened, and Maddyn stepped inside. He watched her in the mirror behind the bar. It looked like she'd been crying. He whipped around on his stool and stared across the room at Maddyn. Beautiful, sexy Maddyn with the voice of an angel. Earlier, she had pulled her long dark hair back in a ponytail, but now it was askew. And she stood stock-still in the dim light of the barn. Axel jumped off his stool and stalked toward her slowly, afraid she'd bolt. Her eyes were glistening with moisture; her hair was more messed up than her ponytail. But what really pissed him off was the bright red handprint on her cheek.
His rage rose to the top so fast he was nearly dizzy. "Did that fucker hit you?" It came out almost as a growl.
Her eyes rounded as she looked into his. Her lips quivered. Jami came to stand next to him. Tony was on the other side of Jami. Livia stepped out of the studio and froze as they all stared at Mads.
Mads opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Livia ran to Maddyn's side and hugged her friend tightly. Maddyn burst into tears, and it was as if he had the Hulk inside of him. He stalked to the door and pushed it open with such force that it swung back, hit the side of the barn, and slammed closed again.
Chapter Two
Maddyn hugged her friend, Livia. It felt good to have warm, caring arms around her.
Livia whispered, "Did he hit you, Mads?"
All she could do was nod. It came so fast and furiously; she didn't have time to duck. He raged about her being five minutes late. Five fucking minutes.
"Okay," Livia whispered. "You're done with him, right?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Maddyn pulled back and saw that Axel and Jami had left the barn. Tony too.
She took a deep breath. "Don't let them go after him."
Livia looked into her eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Yes. But he's volatile and unpredictable. I don't want anyone getting hurt."
"You stay here."
Livia stepped through the door of the barn, leaving her in the dim light and silence. She leaned against the wall of the barn; the cool, sturdy walls supported her. Her legs were shaking so badly she wasn't sure she'd make it to the sofa in the lounge.
She heard her friends and co-workers nearing the door and inhaled another deep breath. She pushed herself off the wall and shuffled to the nearest sofa. They had four sofas surrounding a large square coffee table. It allowed all of them to sit and relax, and, to be honest, it felt like the safest place in the world right now.
The door opened, and her friends came back in. One by one, they joined her on the sofas. Axel sat across from her, Tony to her right with Livia. Sean left the studio and saw them on the sofas and flopped down on her left. Jami brought drinks from the coolers for everyone and plopped them on the coffee table before sitting on the sofa next to her.
Without a word, Jami put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his support. Her eyes landed on Axel's as he watched her. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, then licked his lips. He asked softly, "What happened?"
"I was five minutes late."
Axel's eyes rounded. Axel was incredibly handsome. She'd stared at him more than once over the last few years. But he was her friend and co-worker, and they had to remain professional.
"Five minutes late?" he asked slowly.
She swallowed. "He doesn't like me to keep him waiting."
Axel's eyebrows shot up in the air. "Fuck no, Mads." His voice rose. "You are not at fault for anything. Especially not being late. You're working. We're working." He motioned around to all of them. "He does not tell us when we're finished with practice. We tell him. Actually, I'll tell that motherfucker."
She smiled at Axel's anger. Not that she was happy he was angry, but it made her heart swell that he was mad on her behalf.
Axel stood and stepped around the coffee table to sit on it in front of her. She took a deep breath. The look in his eyes changed. There was an intensity in them she'd rarely seen. Maybe never. His hands rested palm to palm, as if he were praying. "Please tell me this is the first time he's done this."
She licked her lips and tried swallowing the lump in her throat. She sat up straight, and Jami removed his arm from her shoulders. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sean lean in, waiting for her answer. She felt incredibly stupid.
"No," she whispered.
Axel's hands reached out for hers, and he held them softly. "Please don't ever see him again. If he ever hurts you again, I'll need to kill him, and then I can't go on tour with you all."
She grinned at his joke. At least it was halfway a joke. "I won't."
Then Axel surprised her again. "Okay." He squeezed her hands. "I'm sorry you ever went through anything violent with that dirtbag. Or anyone, for that matter. But certainly not this piece of shit."
She nodded as her eyes filled with tears. He cared. She knew they all cared, but Axel's level of care seemed special. And it tugged at her heart in all the ways it shouldn't.
The door whipped open, and a loud, angry voice yelled, "Get your scrawny ass out here."
Axel jumped up so fast that it didn't register in her mind what was happening. Sean and Tony followed him. She heard several loud punches as fists landed against someone. Jami ran to the door, and Maddyn couldn't just sit there; she and Livia followed their bandmates outside.
Just as she stepped out of the door, she saw Axel lift Doug off the ground by his shirt and the back of his pants and toss him across the ground, where he landed with a loud thud against the side of his car.
"If you go near Mads ever again, I'll make sure you'll never be able to use your hands. Got it, you son of a bitch?"
Doug slid to the ground and stared blankly ahead. She wasn't sure if he'd hit his head against the car, but he'd certainly received several blows to the face based on the red welts and dark spots on his cheeks, lips, and around his left eye.
She stood stone-still, watching Axel stalk toward him. Livia took her hand, and they hung on tightly to each other as Axel reached down and grabbed a handful of Doug's shirt and lifted him to his feet. He opened the driver's door and tossed Doug inside as if he weighed nothing. "I'll give you to the count of five to get your fucking ass out of this driveway. One."
Doug shook his head. He looked at her. She lifted her chin and stared.
"Two."
Doug swallowed and started his car.
