when they call my name | ✔ [𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝑬𝑫𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟎𝟐

christian stone

-

There's still tequila in my system and smoke in my lungs, but her face cuts through the haze like stage lights in a blackout. I should be focused on the gig – the band, the booking, and the next dirty motel with blood on the floor and groupies at the door.

Instead, I'm thinking about the girl at the bar who has no idea she has ruined me.

The roar of the crowd is a wave of noise that's half adrenaline, half madness.

This was it – the high I lived for: the stage, the crowd, the chaos.

We were the Malevolence, the band the world has been waiting for. Our songs – raw, brutal, unapologetic – were born from every dark piece of our souls.

I stood at the front, microphone in hand, eyes scanning the crowd as I riled them up. I could feel it in my chest – the tension that promised something would break tonight.

Behind me, my band was in sync.

Saint Monroe and Tiana Vega on guitar, Ryder Faust on bass, and Xavier Emiris on drums.

I could sense something in their movements, the subtle way they hesitated in their riffs or missed the right note.

Something was about to snap.

I could hear the crowd chanting for us. They loved, feared, and worshipped us, and it wasn't solely for the music. It was the chaos we brought.

I wasn't just singing tonight. I was screaming for something I couldn't name. Anger boiled beneath my skin, and every note I sang was an explosion of rage.

Knox Ledger. The front man of The Irons – the opening band. Although they were nothing special, Knox had a reputation for being a loudmouth, sexist, and misogynist.

He crossed a line tonight.

I saw him across the room, smirking and talking shit to anyone who would listen. He was standing too close to the bar, laughing as if the world revolved around him.

What really set me off was the disgusting remarks he made about my mother and Tiana. The fucker was lucky he wasn't dead already.

"Guess talent skips a generation, huh, Stone?"

Standing now on the edge of the VIP section like he owns the damn place, Knox shouts. "Your mommy was a slut, and now you're playing with that?" He jerks his chin toward Tiana. "Figures. A washed-up groupie and her charity case."

Rage bubbled in me. I could feel my heart pounding against my rib cage, the muscles in my arms tensing as I leaned into the mic, "Say it louder. I want everyone to hear how desperate you sound."

A few in the crowd laugh nervously, unsure if it's part of the show.

I turn to look at Tiana, her jaw tight and her hands curled into fists.

"You don't get to say her name. Not my mom's, and definitely not Tiana's. You wouldn't know talent if it slapped you across the face – and God knows, you've earned it."

Saint strums a sharp chord like a dagger, Ryder thumping behind it.

Just as we surge into the intro of our next song, Knox laughs, cutting through the sound like a siren.

"Hey, Chris! Tell your mom I said thanks for the private show last week! Didn't know she was still so flexible at her age."

The crowd goes quiet. Confused at first, then stunned.

I gripped the mic and stepped closer to the barricade. "Knox Ledger, you're a fucking joke!" I shouted, the crowd going wild as Knox's smirk faltered, but I didn't care. I wasn't looking for a fight. I was looking for destruction.

Benjamin tried to stop me, pulling on my sleeve, but it was too late. I was already off the stage and jumping over the barricade. I didn't hear the band or security calling out for me.

All I heard was my own heartbeat. All I saw was Knox.

He doesn't flinch when I approach. "What the fuck's your problem, Stone? You get your panties in a twist every time someone says something about your precious mommy?"

My hands are shaking, but I'm done holding back. I slam into him, dragging Knox to the ground. My fist connects with his jaw first – once, twice, three times, each one snapping his head sideways. Blood stains my knuckles.

"You think that's funny?" I snarl between punches.

Knox tries to roll away, people in the crowd screaming as I slam him down. My knee pins his chest while I drive my knuckles into his cheekbone with a sickening crack.

Security grabs my shoulders in an attempt to pull me back.

Knox sputters blood and dares a grin. "Didn't know you were such a mama's boy-"

Crack.

The final punch cuts off the rest of the sentence. This time, Knox's nose shatters, and blood pours down his face.

Security finally steps in, hauling me off Knox's body. He's limp, bleeding from half a dozen places. More people scream, but none of it matters to me.

I spit blood onto the ground, eyes locked on Knox. "You ever speak about my mother again," I growl. "I'll make sure your jaw's wired shut for the rest of your pathetic fucking life."

Knox spits blood. "There he is. Just like daddy, huh?"

Ryder's the first one to reach me on the floor, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and dragging me back before I could get another swing in. "Hell, no, you don't."

I'm breathing fire, vision red with my fists still clenched. "Let me go!" I snap, thrashing against him.

"Chris," Ryder grits, holding firm as I fight him. "He's done."

Knox groans, spits, and blood drips from his mouth as security hauls him off the floor.

My chest rises and falls in violent waves. The room comes back into focus. Saint, standing off to the side looking like he might jump in, Tiana's got her phone out, and Xavier's pacing like a caged animal.

The crowd is screaming. Some for me. Some for the chaos.

I look back at Knox, spitting on the floor. "Get him out before I finish what I started!" I scream, voice hoarse with rage.

In the back of my mind, I know that if there is any redemption for me, it's buried beneath the weight of the choices I've made. Until then, I need a distraction.

I need to lose myself in the thoughts of her.

She's dangerous, but I can't stay away... and I don't plan on it.