Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (bts books to read TXT) 📕

level-headed one while Jeff wants to blast out. “With a packed house, if things go wrong, it’ll be a nightmare.”

“Nothing’s going to go wrong,” Jeff says dismissively, getting a little heated. “Rox needs to impress the record exec tonight, don’t you, Rox? And pyro’s part of that. We had it perfect from the first rehearsal. There’s nothing to it.”

I place my hands on my hips, biting my lower lip. I want to use the props, but now that the heat of the performance is on, it’s only adding to my anxiety. “Let’s just not use them,” I decide. “It’s too risky and we don’t need it.”

“But . . .” Jeff starts to protest.

“No pyro, and that’s final!” I snap, harsher than I intend to.

Gregg grins as Jeff looks like he wants to argue, but he looks away when I scowl fiercely at him. “All right, Rox, it’s your show. No pyro.”

“Thank you,” I say, feeling butterflies flitter in my stomach. “I’m sorry, guys, I didn’t mean to be bitchy. I’m just nervous, and I really didn’t need the bickering right now.” I motion to my bandmates, and we huddle, saying a quick prayer. Just like old times.

We’re just finishing when I hear Nathan take the mic on stage. “Club Jasmine . . .”

The DJ, who’s going to be taking over after the concert, hits my ‘introduction music’, and the crowd starts to roar. Nathan lets the sound build for a few moments, and I can see through the side curtain as he grins. “Tonight, we’ve upped the ante for you. First, let’s give a hot Club Jasmine welcome to The Roxxers!”

There’s a roar of applause as my bandmates take the stage.

I feel like I’m going to faint as Nathan’s voice booms.

“And now, the woman you’ve all been waiting for. The hottest sensation to hit this part of the country in a decade. She puts the pop in pop princess, the work in twerk. Ladies and gentlemen, and special guests . . . she’s baaaaa-aaaaaaack!”

The crowd’s roar is like a physical wave, and I can feel it filling my body with energy. You can do this, girl. Everything’s going to be fine. “ROXY!”

Nathan walks off stage, and as he passes by, I grab his arm. “Nathan!”

“Yeah?”

“Nix the pyro! Tell them, no pyro!”

I don’t have time for more. The crowd is chanting my name, but I see Nathan give me a nod, and I feel a bit of relief. The moment I step out on stage, I’m swept away. I grin, all of my nervousness falling away as I wave to the crowd. “Club Jasmine, let’s get Roxed!”

The crowd roars again as Wes starts the synth notes for Toxic, and I stalk toward the front of the stage, my ass swaying side to side as I start.

Everything goes perfectly. I have them in the palm of my hand by the chorus, and I work it, spinning and twirling while singing my heart out. I’ve been training hard for this, and all those morning runs and dance practices after work have paid off. I’m not winded at all when the final notes hit, and the crowd eats it up.

“Thank you!” I cheer, not even pausing as Gregg switches over to the percussion introduction to Rockabye. This is a new one for me at Club Jasmine, and the crowd loves it, especially as Jeff does his reggae-style verses while jamming on the bass guitar. I planned this song for the fact that it is a duet. It gives me a chance to catch my breath before going high-energy for the next few songs.

It’s the performance of my life.

I walk to the center of the stage, blinded by the spotlight, sweat trickling down my forehead and sides. Despite being sweaty as hell, I feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time, energized by my performance. “Club Jasmine, are you having fun tonight?” A resounding yeah roars back at me. “I can’t hear you!” I yell, cupping my ear. “Can I get a hell yeah?”

“Hell yeah!”

I laugh. “All right, this next song is for some very special guests tonight,” I tell the audience as I look out into the crowd. Through the glare, I can make out the women I love, all of them looking at me with pride in their eyes and smiles on their faces. “I won’t embarrass them by saying their names, but they know who they are.”

I turn my back to the crowd and raise my mic hand in the hair. “Hit it!”

The song starts, and I start jamming, dropping it low to the floor and bringing it back up again, pumping myself up for this high-energy song. Just as I’m about to sing the opening bar, I’m surrounded by a shower of sparks that blots out the entire stage, and a loud popping noise assaults my ears.

Followed by the blaring of a fire alarm.

“Everybody OUT!” the DJ screams, and suddenly, I realize someone used the pyro anyway and started a fire! I’m frozen in shock as I watch the audience descend into chaos.

Flames are racing up the curtains and there’s a rush of screaming people trying to get out the doors. I let out a cry when something falls near me, flames whooshing from it. Almost numbly, I see Gregg, Jeff, and Wes abandon their instruments to head for the fire exit on the side of the stage.

After a moment, I shake off my shock and start to head that way. But before I can cross the stage, one of the speakers falls, sparks and flame erupting in front of me as it hits the stage. Crying out, I hurl myself out of the way just in time.

I roll off the stage to land in the middle of what feels like a stampede, people kicking me, and I can feel someone stumble, stepping on my back as they rush for the exit. I scream, worried that the next step is going to be someone breaking my leg or worse,