do, all I had. Sean was right—he was fucking right. I'd been distracted by Drezden, and today, I hadn't once called my brother when I could have.
I brushed him off earlier.
Now he's showing me how it feels.
Drezden appeared beside me, a ghost in the night. When he touched my shoulder, I pushed away. “Come on,” I mumbled, “We need to get ready. We've got a show tonight.”
A show I know Sean won't be watching.
- Chapter Twenty-One -
Drezden
I couldn't sit still backstage.
My eyes hadn't moved from the doorway, waiting to swallow Lola up once more. She'd been whisked off for makeup and wardrobe as soon as Brenda had found us. The scathing look she'd narrowed my way couldn't affect me.
The despair in Lola's beautiful blue centers did.
All because of her fucking brother. My boot tapped the ground over and over. That piece of shit really messes with her head. I'd watched it all go down, and when he'd stormed off, it had taken strict control not to chase after Sean and yank him back to Lola by his hair.
Honestly, it was my fault. I'd been the one who'd delayed her and made her miss Barbed Fire's show. I'd wanted to make her forget about everything—everyone—else. And I did that, I thought triumphantly. The only thing that existed for her in that trailer was me. Lola had crumbled at my feet. She'd gazed up at me, lips parted, chest rising rapidly.
Breathing in sharply, I adjusted my swelling cock in my jeans.
I was surprised when she told me she'd been a virgin. Not angry, not even suspicious; just surprised. I hadn't even suspected I'd been her first. That slice of her is mine now. Smiling to myself, I ran fingers over my forearms. It wouldn't have mattered to me if she'd been innocent or if I'd been her hundredth fuck.
But knowing I'd claimed that side of her?
It fucking thrilled me in a perverse way.
The door opened, Lola striding into view with Brenda at her heels. Her hair was hanging in wild waves, her eyes rimmed dark as tar and lips shiny like blood. She was stunning.
Her old clothes were replaced by skin-tight grey denim. Hard, angular spikes coated her ankle-high boots. In a thin purple and black tank-top, she was a walking vision of sex and power.
I took note of the most important detail; her long, elegant neck was still dappled in my bruises.
Brenda spotted me, her shoes pounding my way audibly as she left Lola in her dust. “I guess I have you to thank, huh?" she said when she was out of earshot of the guitarist. "She refused to let them hide those damn hickies.”
My smirk was a razor. “They look fantastic on her.”
“It's just going to make the fans crazier, even worse than earlier,” Brenda hissed.
A ripple rushed through my chest. With a plastic mask of calmness, I pushed off the wall and stood in front of my manager. “Earlier?”
Skepticism swam across her face. Together, we watched Lola approaching. In the seconds before the guitarist could hear, Brenda whispered, “She didn't tell you yet? Then what were you doing with her that whole time you two were alone—no, don't tell me.” Her voice fell lower. “Some girls messed with Lola today. Messed with her bad. You've got some pissed off, jealous, dangerous fans on your hands, Drez.”
Dangerous. The word lifted the hairs on my neck. Dangerous in what way?
There wasn't time to pry. Lola smoothed the front of her shirt, glancing between us. “Guess we're up soon. Where's my guitar?”
“Here.” Grabbing the case from the wall, Brenda handed it over. I watched how Lola's fingers squeezed the container with fierce protectiveness. “I need to go find Colt and Porter, please don't vanish on me again, okay?”
A roar went up from the stage, drowning out whatever Lola said next. Shaking her head warily, Brenda hurried out of view. In her wake, the screams died enough for Lola and me to finally speak.
Neither of us did.
Looking her guitar case over, Lola kept her eyes down. I didn't understand the awkward air around us; I just knew I loathed it. Whatever happened when they were out was worse than I thought.
Dangerous, Brenda had said. The word rattled me.
Clearing my throat, I slid my fingers under the top of my belt. “You feeling alright?”
“Sure,” she answered too quickly. “Just ready to play. The set for tonight, any changes I should know about?”
Her tone was emotionless. Reaching out, I held her shoulders. “Don't lie to