So they used to go to private karaoke competitions.”
“I thought she hated karaoke. That’s what Jess just told me.”
“She hates karaoke with talentless people. No offense,” he added to Mary Marie, who hadn’t been listening, so appeared a tad confused. “But the people Stevie played with at these earlier events were rock stars and well-known musicians. It was just their way of enjoying themselves without the pressure of fans. Just a bunch of ridiculously rich and talented people hanging out . . . singing karaoke. And, of course, her sisters had to go because Stevie was underage. The MacKilligan sisters didn’t always win the competitions, but they always entertained.”
The sisters finished and the crowd in the club completely lost their minds. But the ladies simply bowed and got off the stage.
Stevie walked through the still-applauding crowd to their booth and squeezed herself in.
At first, she didn’t say anything. Just sat there, calmly.
Then she looked across the booth to the Brunettis, locked her gaze on a glowering Mary Marie . . . and smiled.
* * *
The fight started when Stevie wouldn’t back down from the cats glaring at her.
Shen couldn’t help but remember when he’d first met Stevie in the Queens house living room. His first impression was of a shy, sweet “girl.” It took him a couple of weeks, but he finally figured out she was anything but that.
So when the threats and pushing started, he dashed over to the booth and grabbed Kyle, yanking him to safety near Blayne, Gwen, and their extremely large mates, Bo and Lock. A few seconds later, they were joined by Coop, Cherise, Oriana, and Johnny DeSerio, who’d only just arrived a few minutes before.
Jess stepped in to stop the fight before the club’s wolf security was forced to intervene. The club employees were part of a wolf Pack that was more gang than Pack, even riding custom Harley-Davidsons like they were in their own versions of Sons of Anarchy. So Shen knew they were not wolves to fuck with. They wouldn’t back down in the face of a little roaring and snarling between lions and honey badgers.
“Everyone calm down!” Jess yelled, waving her hands between the screaming factions.
“This is such bullshit!” Mary Marie Brunetti complained. “You brought in some ringer with a big musical background. This was supposed to be fun.”
“You didn’t seem to have a problem with my singing before I performed,” Stevie reminded Mary Marie.
“Well, I have a problem with it now.”
“‘Well, I have a problem with it now’ because you’re better than me,” Max mimicked in a high-pitched voice.
Mary Marie stepped up to Max. “You got something to say to me, bitch?”
“Yeah,” Max replied. “You don’t get away from my baby sister, I’m unloading my anal glands right here. I’ve done it once today,” she added, “I will do it again!”
“Okay,” Jess ordered, instantly stepping in. “There will be no anal gland anything. Here or anywhere.”
Charlie gave a quick jerk of her head and Max stepped back.
“Now,” Jess continued, focused on Mary Marie and her sisters, “the votes aren’t in. But if the MacKilligans win, they will win fair and square. So you’ll just have to suck it the fuck up.”
“Or what?” Mary Marie sneered. “What are you and your dogs going to do?”
And, like that, the wild dogs went from dancing and drinking to surrounding the Brunetti Pride and yelling. So much yelling. And yipping. A lot of yipping. Because they were, after all, African wild dogs and that’s what they did. Stuck together and barked a lot.
Until the lions backed off and walked away. Once they’d returned to their booth, the wild dogs returned to their good time, and thankfully, no anal glands were unloaded that night.
chapter TWENTY-FOUR
When the She-lions finally calmed down, they issued a challenge to the MacKilligans. Kind of a sing-off. Well . . . they issued a challenge to Stevie, specifically, which was fine with her. She was having a great time. It had been a while since she’d performed on a stage.
The Brunettis went up first, nailing a version of a Destiny’s Child song that had the crowd pretty impressed.
Then it was Stevie’s turn.
“What are you going to sing?” Coop had asked.
“Not sure yet. Maybe play something with the band.”
He’d grinned. “Want to play with us?”
“Play with you?”
He shrugged. “We have a little band. Me and Cherise. We’re mostly all here. Two of our regulars are touring in China right now, but we can still go on without them. And we all play