Lead Player - Alex Grayson Page 0,9
“No”.
He chuckles. “You aren’t still scared, are you, Nikki?”
She shoots him a glare so hot it could boil water. “Fuck yes, I’m scared. And if you were smart, you would be too.”
“Just think of it this way.” He grins. “If your parachute fails, you’ll die on impact, so it’s not like you’ll feel any pain.”
See? Even James thinks of it the same way as I do.
“People do survive skydiving when their parachute fails.”
“Yeah but the chances of that happening are pretty damn slim.”
“Well, I’d be the one to survive. Then be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, talking through some computer and getting liquid food shoved down my throat with a tube. Just so you all know, my will states if I become incapacitated, it’s you and Alaina who will be taking care of me. I better not be put in some home or sent to my parents’ house.” She shudders.
With a laugh, Juliet turns back to James. “Where’s Enzo?”
“He had something come up last minute. He’ll meet us there.”
“I still can’t believe he actually made it. I’ve heard so much about him I feel like I’ve already met him.”
With an eye roll, I turn away from them and begin making sure I have everything in my purse.
Enzo Bishop. Lead guitarist and sometimes singer for the popular band called Phenix. Sexy as hell, arrogant, womanizer. I’ve never met the man, but I’ve seen his concerts on TV. And while he’s a damn good guitarist and singer, I’ve also seen the tabloids, many of which have shown him with a new girl each time. I realize the media can be ugly and paint the wrong picture, but from the many stories James has told us about his best friend, I’d bank my money on the media being more accurate than fabricated.
He’s been on tour for the last two years, which is the reason Juliet hasn’t met him. He’s been with Phenix since the band formed ten years ago. Although he loves being part of the band, he has no desire to continue on with them. According to James, he hates touring and has decided to step back so they can hire someone else who does.
Juliet and James scheduled their wedding for when his final tour ended because James wanted his best friend there as his best man.
I have exactly zero interest in meeting him, and even less interest in spending the next week with him. No matter how irritatingly hot he looks. Arrogance isn’t something I tolerate well in men, and I’m pretty sure Enzo will be the epitome of the word.
The shit I put up with for my best friend.
“Oh goodie!” Nikki chirps, clapping her hands and replacing her sour look with a lavish smile. “At least there’s something to look forward to.” She’s had a crush on him since they first became popular. “Come on,” she calls, walking toward the door with a pep to her step. “Let’s get to the yummy part.”
With a head shake, I follow behind her, Juliet, and James. Thanks to James’ reminder of the fifth wheel we’ll be adding to our group, my mood has suddenly plummeted.
I pull my hair back into a ponytail to keep the strands out of my face. Stepping out of the car, I take a look around. My eyes focus on the building with the purple letters in some fancy font that reads Wings Out. Before Juliet mentioned her idea of skydiving, I had already heard about this place, being that we live only an hour away. My stepmom’s brother has a thing for danger. Skydiving was on his bucket list. Wings Out was who he used. It used to be called Blue Skies, until some chick named Emerson Reeves took it over, renamed, and revamped it. I have to admit, I like the name Wings Out more. It seems more fitting and, in a weird way, sounds delicate.
There’s already a small plane on the tarmac and a man with a clipboard is walking around it, I assume going over some type of checklist.
“Didn’t you say you used to come here to Sunnyville when you were younger?” I ask James.
“Yeah. Enzo and I’d come here on weekends. We had a couple of friends in the area.” He looks down at his watch. “We’re a few minutes early. I’ll go let them know we’re here. There’s paperwork we all need to fill out.”
He takes two steps before he comes to a stop. A black car has