Once a Lover Vol. II Rocker Girls Series

Chapter 1

Three years ago, Hollywood California

Spitfire was a group of five women that were more than best friends, more like sisters. Growing up in foster care together, they had become a family, always sticking together through thick or thin. But it wasn't just them that made up this family; there were also five guys, who just happened to be the legendary band of Death Ever After.

Addison was the lead singer in their little band, but was also the world's best female guitarist and married to James Richardson, the singer of Death Ever After. Lynn, the lead bass for Spitfire, was as crazy as they come, and she was the girlfriend of Nickels Monroe, who was the manager of Death Ever After.

Tia, Addison's little sister, was their mascot but also helped with the miscellaneous things, and she was hopelessly in love with Howie Smith, the drummer of Death Ever After. Mindy Barr was the keyboardist of the band; she was madly in love with guitarist Dax Cox, who always broke her heart and led her on every chance he got. And then there was Margie Philips, the drummer for the group, and girlfriend to Jones Johnson, the lead bass guitarist for Death Ever After.

So many things had changed in the last two years for the girls. Death Ever After had been a global phenomenon for five years. All of the girls' relationships had gone down the drain since the guys had made it big. But Margie made Jones promise that he loved her and she believed him. At first she didn't fault him; fame is what it is. But after the last time, she laid down the law. It was either her or the groupies, and he chose her...or so she thought.

It was a hot summer night. Margie sat on the bench seat of Lynn's 1970s van, as they all drove up to Addison's home in the Hollywood Hills for support. Ad had asked them to come with her for an intervention with her husband and rock god, James Richardson, to get him clean. Since she split up from him, James (or Jimmy to his friends) had gone downhill like a flaming rocket in the mixture of women, drugs and alcohol.

Supposedly Nickels, Dax, Howie, and Jones all made their way to San Francisco, looking at some new talent for their record label, but Jimmy was so deep into the bottle that the guys made him stay behind. Addison thought with the guys gone, it might be the best time for her to talk some sense into her husband before he killed himself.

They pulled through the gate and Margie had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach about how this night was going to play out. Then when they pulled up to the mansion and saw all the guys' cars in the driveway—saying they were shocked was an understatement. "Well, we're here, and it looks like some others showed up too," Margie mumbled.

Ad glanced at Lynn. "Maybe we should just go home?"

Lynn lit up a smoke and growled under her breath. "Fuck no. I'm not playing this game anymore. If they're up to some shit, I want to know about it now," she answered.

"Maybe they're just working on a new album?" Tia offered as an explanation from the back of the van.

"Yeah, maybe. But then why tell all of us that they were in San Francisco? They could've just as easily said they were working at Jimmy's place on a new album," Margie informed Tia, sitting back and wanting to cry.

"Shit!" Lynn swore, flicking her cigarette out the window.

Addison looked over at Lynn, who was sitting in the driver's seat with that crazy look in her eyes, and sighed. "Well, let's do this if we all agree. No sense letting them sugarcoat any bullshit they might come up with if we don't witness it for ourselves."

Margie sat forward and opened the door. "I agree, and if Jones is cheating on me, then I need to know for sure that he is. Otherwise I'll believe his excuses again," she admitted to the girls.