The Boys in the Band (Reverse Harem)

Chapter 40: Battle of the Bands (Pt 3)

Marshall took in the scene before him and blanched. "What the fuck?" The words fell from his lips, a soft utterance of shock. "Hunter? What are you doing, man?"

Hunter's eyes flicked to Marshall. "Thanks for getting me in, dude. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Marshall looked around. "I had no idea he was going to do anything like this, honest."

"What exactly did you think he was going to do?" Sullivan asked, taking a step toward Marshall.

"He said he wanted to talk to her. I figured he might--" Marshall broke off lamely, shrugging. "I figured--"

"You knew he was batshit crazy and you knew he'd do something insane," Dane interjected angrily. "You hoped he'd take her out of the picture somehow and we'd need you to fill in!"

Marshall's silence said it all.

"But I didn't think he'd hurt her," he finally said. "I just thought he'd, you know, take her somewhere."

"I wish you people would stop talking about me like I wasn't here," Hunter said loudly, making Momoko jump. "I'm right here, and I'm not crazy. I'm just here to take what's mine." He gestured with the hand that held the knife, keeping his other around Momoko's waist. "I need you to move away from the door, please."

When Momoko felt his hand move away from her neck, she kicked up and back from the knee, catching him viciously in the crotch with the heel of her lucky pink pump.

Hunter let out a yell of pain and staggered backward, releasing her in his surprise.

Sully leaped on him, knocking the knife out of his hand and tackling him to the ground, punching him in the jaw for good measure. This, coupled with Momoko's kick, took all the fight out of him.

"A little help over here?" Sully called.

His voice got the security guards in motion, and they ran over to where he sat straddled on top of Hunter, pulling out their handcuffs as they came.

The door opened and organizers of the competition rushed in, just as they heard the distant sound of sirens. They were quickly followed by the band who'd recently performed onstage.

"Shit, we're supposed to be on, right now," Tommy said. "I didn't hear them call us."

"Let's go," Momoko said, swiping at her neck.

The guys looked at her in horror.

"We can't, Peaches," Jude said, putting an arm around her. "You were just nearly killed. You need someone to look at your neck, we have to talk to the police--"

Momoko shrugged his arm off impatiently. "No. We do all that and we miss our slot, and it's all over for us, we're out of the competition. We have to get onstage right now, come on! Hurry, before the police get here, and we don't have a choice anymore!" She grabbed Jude and Sully by the hands and began pulling them from the room.

"Peppermint Silk, this is your third and final call."

Dane and Tommy followed them, looking uncertain, but unwilling to be left behind, and all five headed for the stage, nearly running by the time they were close.

Momoko took the mic and waved to the crowd, which began clapping immediately, though there was pointing, and sounds of uncertainty as people saw the blood dripping from her neck.

"One! Two! One, two, three, four!" Momoko counted, and they were off into "Flower Girl," their next selection. She smiled at her guys as she sang, trying to reassure them. And, probably because they'd rehearsed so much, the song came off without a hitch. When the song ended, the applause was thunderous and immediate.