Hard Fucking Death Core

TWENTY-TWO (Iselen POV)

"Look at me..." I order her with a harsh tone of voice while cradling her precious face. "Ruby Rose, damn it, look at me!" The singer raises her head and stares at me frowning, shocked by my boldness, my buttocks will suffer the consequences later, most likely... I shouldn't have yelled at her and she's going to punish me but I don't regret it, I'm tired of seeing her walking on tiptoes around me and she's avoided me for two days locked up in her studio. "I'm not telling anyone, there's no reason to feel ashamed just because you've let your guard down... Ruby..." The beautiful woman steps back abruptly, trying to push my hands away while taking a look around to make sure we're alone in this dressing room. "Don't you trust me?" I ask feeling hurt and she sighs, taking her leather jacket off and rubbing her forehead with her fingers.

"Yes, baby girl, of course I trust you..." The singer looks for her pack and lighter nervously. "I'm sorry, my reaction has caused an emotional turmoil in my mind... I've never... It's been years since the last time I cried like that, like a lost child."

"You're not a lost child," I answer cradling her face again and she looks at me pouting but her arms enclose my waist hugging me against her body letting the leather garment fall on the floor. "You're an adult woman, famous for your talent, the leader of the Hardcores, you're strong and confident... But you have the right to relax and feel overwhelmed by the circumstances too, that's not bad, babe... God knows you have reasons to cry and have horrible nightmares... Everything is all right and I won't tell anyone."

"Okay, I'm sorry... This is..."

"New to you... This is how relationships work, Ruby, this is what you wanted: someone supporting you and fighting against monsters by your side." The singer shakes her head while smiling and kisses the tip of my nose gently.

"No, I didn't want a 'someone,' I wanted you by my side but I'm used to be the responsible and protector of this band, when Zu allows me, of course... I'm supposed to be supporting you and taking care of my baby girl now that she lives with me, it feels weird when you do those things for me..." Her funny grimace makes me laugh and I bend down to pick up her jacket while she sighs again.

"You're going to have to get used to it... I'm going to run a bath with rose petals for you and rub your back till you stop crying and pull yourself together every time you need it..." I tap on her torso with my index threateningly and she laughs amused before nodding and winking at me naughtily.

"Okay as long as you get in the bathtub with me..."

"Ruby, they need you upstairs for the sound test... Is anything wrong?" Taylor sticks her head through the door frowning puzzled when noticing the thick atmosphere in the dressing room but Ruby shakes her head and snatches her jacket from my hands.

"Nothing, let's go, we have to work!"

HFDC is going to give five concerts in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this month in front of 77,500 people each day, Zu has informed me proudly that the Rolling Stones only gave four, and tickets were sold out weeks ago. The opening concert of the USA tour is going to be epic, something the Hardcores' fans have never seen before, and Ruby gave me some clues when we were in Rome the night she persuaded me, or rather I persuaded myself, that I couldn't leave her to fight against her monsters alone. Just like she said, the stage has several platforms going up and down, there's fire and colourful lights, massive screens and lasers and plenty of room for the girls to play their instruments, dance, tease the public and everything they have in their minds. In fact, Lzzy is walking around like she's taking measurements of the stage and seems ecstatic looking at her new piano, Zu is busy checking if the platform for her drumkit is stable while Taylor and Mads are leaned on one side sharing a joint.

I decide to get closer to them since, even if I'm supposed to be the band adviser, no one has asked my opinion or needed my advice, decisions concerning the staging of this show and the stage characteristics were made long time ago and I simply told Ruby that I loved it, that I'd never seen such a display in an opera show and couldn't wait to hear her singing. This side of my job is easy, the other one is not and no one can say I'm not earning my salary working hard. The Hardcores give a lot of interviews, not only on TV and radio, but also by email, phone, Zoom, Skype... Dozens of magazines want to write articles about them and their opinions in music, beauty, tabloids and even health magazines, although God knows they aren't a good example of healthy life.