Read Toxic (Addiction #1) for Free Online Page A

together, sober up, and can go a night without drowning yourself in alcohol, your opinion doesn’t weigh two stones in this group. You’re the reason why we’re in this situation, so frankly, you don’t have a fucking say in who gets to tour with us. Maybe once you wake up in the morning without looking like absolute crap, we’ll consider what you have to say.”
    Rook was speechless…for once in his life. He knew he relied on booze to get him through the night, but that was because all he wanted to do was pass out. If he didn’t pass out into oblivion every night, then that gave him a chance to think. A chance to think about the shit life he had. Yes, he was famous and everyone wanted to be in his shoes, where girls flocked to his sides and offered their pussies for his taking, but he didn’t want that kind of comfort. He had serious parental issues and if he was left to his own thoughts then he would start feeling like a twelve year old boy who couldn’t get his emotions in check. Alcohol and the occasional happy pill were the only things that helped him through his days.  
    There was no use fighting his bandmates, though, because they had already made up their minds. They contacted the label and putting Twisted Perfection on tour with them was already in the works. There was absolutely nothing he could do.  
    “Whatever. Clearly you don’t care about what I have to say about this…”
    “We would if your opinion wasn’t saturated with Jack Daniels,” Landon said.  
    Rook looked to Cruz, his only ally when the Cross brothers started to gang up on him, but Cruz was silent. So much for being brothers from another mother.  
    Tossing his mug in the sink and raking his hand through his hair, he looked at his bandmates, his three best friends, the guys that helped him through every shit thing that happened to him. They were cutting him a break, if he thought about it. They put up with a lot of his misgivings but Rook was always looking out for number one, no matter what. He learned the hard way that when he looked out for someone else, he got burned.  
    He didn’t want the tour to put a wedge between him and his friends though, so he let it go and decided that he would just stick to himself, be the ass that he was and not interact with the opening act. He could easily do that…hopefully.  
    Running his hands over his face, Rook said, “Alright, do what you want to do. Just keep them away from me.”
    His friends knew that was Rook’s version of conceding, so they all high fived and Grey was on the phone before Rook had a chance to even leave the kitchen. Rook needed a hot shower and his guitar, he needed to escape into another world, but he didn’t want his usual vices this time. He wanted his music.  
     
    ***  
     
    It had been one beyond crazy, extremely busy and very stressful week, but they finally made it. Maisy was sitting on a tour bus with Shattered Souls, driving to their first concert on the first leg of their tour. Maisy was unsure of the strings Grey had to pull in order to make it all happen, but whatever he did worked because they were finally doing it; they were finally going somewhere with their careers. They had their big break and Maisy couldn’t believe it was with Shattered Souls, a band they idolized and practically worshipped.  
    They had to sing for the label multiple times during the week, which was very intimidating, but after the fourth showing, they got used to the pressure. Now, if only they could prepare themselves for the sold out arenas they would be playing in.  
    The last week had been a whirlwind of excitement, stress, and lots of time spent in the bathroom thanks to the attack of the nervous shits.  
    As she looked around, she still couldn’t believe she was in a tour bus, with the leading alternative rock band in the country. Shattered Souls were nice enough to share their tour bus with them until the label was able to get a separate bus for them. She knew the