Read My Heart's Beat (Hard Love & Dark Rock #2) for Free Online Page A

resulted from a combination of mild brain trauma and too much booze and coke.  He gave Joey some anti-seizure pills, and told him no more booze or drugs because they could further the swelling in his brain, and no more vigorous activity or mental stimulation.
    Basically, Joey was supposed to lie in bed with a cold washcloth over his forehead—the lights dim and the room quiet.  And—no surprise—Joey didn't want to do any of that.
    "This is bullshit, man!" he said, trying to sit up in the bed.  "I've taken worse hits than this and kept on rocking."
    "Joey, take it easy for once."  I pushed him back down on the bed.  "It's not gonna kill you if you skip the party for one night.  But it might kill you if you don't."
    "You're such a drama queen sometimes, Trace.  I mean, it's great for writing big, emotional songs.  But it's a bit of a drag when you let it turn you into a worried old lady."
    He tried to sit up again.
    "And speaking of ladies, it's not polite to leave them unattended, you know.  We oughta be back there with our girls, man, especially you.  I'm pretty sure Becca can handle herself, but your doe-eyed chickadee might up and run if you leave her on her own with that pack of wolves in there."
    I felt another little glimmer of worry, and nodded my head.
    "You might be right.  I'd hate it if she did leave, I admit."
    I raised my eyes, my mind drifting.
    "There's something about her, Joey.  Something special.  I look in her eyes, and it almost takes my breath away."
    "Plus, she's got really banging tits."
    I frowned at him.  "God, I don't know why I'm wasting my time trying to explain this to you, especially when I could be back with Anne right now, getting to know her better."
    "I don't know either, man.  If I were you, that's what I'd be doing.  Getting to know her, inside and out."
    "Oh, forget it," I said, standing up.  "Get some rest, Joey.  You're brain is already a goddamned disaster.  You don't want to screw it up even more."
    "Go find your lady, man.  And if you see Becca, tell her I'll be back there as soon as the room stops spinning, and the jackhammer in my brain takes a fucking break."
    "Rest," I said, and gave him my best glare.
    He gave me a toothy grin in response.
    Bernstein and the doctor were out in the hall, talking quietly and smiling to each other like old friends at a reunion.  I shut the door behind me and turned to face them.
    "You convince him to lay low for a while?" Bernstein asked.
    "You know Joey," I said.  "It's next to impossible to convince him of anything."
    He shook his head, his mouth pulling tight at the corners.  "Crazy and reckless is alright when you're young and resilient," he said.  "But the older you get, the harder it is for the body to keep up.  Joey will be thirty-one in another few months.  He needs to learn to be more careful, or he won't make it to forty."
    "Honestly," I said, "Joey doesn't think very far beyond the present.  I'm not sure if he ever even thought he'd make it to thirty.  He's already living past his expectations."
    "Well, for this night at least, he needs to take a break.  I'll stay here for a little while, to make sure he doesn't try to sneak back to the suite."
    "Thanks, Bernstein."
    "No need to thank me, Trace.  Looking after the band, it's what I'm here for."
    He met my eye, and smiled a gentle smile.
    "Speaking of which," he said, "why don't you get back to the party, yourself?  It's nice to see you engaged with the wider world, for a change."
    I smiled back at him.
    "You're a sensitive soul, Trace," he said, "and it makes for great art.  But not all art comes from suffering.  Sometimes, great art comes from joy.  And tonight, for the first time in a long time, you looked like you might have been feeling some joy—or at least the yearning for it."
    He put his hand on my shoulder, hairy knuckles and all.  But I could feel the warmth of it through the cotton shirt.  And that warmth seemed to echo in my