Rocking Kin (Lucy & Harris, #3) - Terri Anne Browning Page 0,41

weeks to take time out from work to get better. She’d been having more and more migraines but the more often she was sick the harder she worked, leaving Kassa alone to the point that she was basically the only one living in the house we’d grown up in. Kassa had school and other activities to hold her attention, but there was no one there to talk to once she got home. No one to tell about her day until she called me and Gray.

“Kassa…” I didn’t know what to say to make her feel better. I couldn’t fly home for Christmas because Tainted Knights was expected to play every week, and if she didn’t want to leave Alicia I knew there was no way I could talk her into getting on a plane to come to California. We both knew that Alicia wasn’t going to take the time off work, not even for the approaching holidays.

“I didn’t call you to cry on your shoulder, Jace,” Kassa grumbled. “I just wanted to check in on you. I haven’t talked to you in a day or so.”

“I lost my phone two days ago,” I explained. It had taken me hours to find it at First Bass. It had fallen out of my pocket and gotten stuck between two cushions. The battery had died so I had been unable to call it so I could listen for the damn thing before the club had opened the night before. I’d been about to start slicing leather cushions when I’d finally found the fucking thing.

“I figured,” she said with a small laugh. “Gray said you were fine when I talked to him, but I know how you two are. To him, fine only means that you are still breathing. Anything else is trivial to you guys.”

I ran a hand through my hair, grinning. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“So, how are things with you and Kin? Getting anywhere with her?”

“I’m working on it,” I assured her.

“Good. I like Kin. She busts your balls. Not many chicks can do that.” There was a pause on her end and I realized she was getting an incoming call. “Crap, that’s Gray. I’d better answer it before he has another hissy.”

“Another one?” I couldn’t keep from asking.

“It’s a long story,” Kassa told me with a groan. “I’ll tell you about it later. I have to take this before he loses his shit and I have to spend three hours talking him out of getting on a damn plane.”

My eyes widened at that but I told my sister I loved her before hanging up. Gray wasn’t normally an emotional kind of guy, but then again, where my sister was concerned he was anything but his normal self. Shaking my head, I finally opened the apartment door and left, hoping that Kin would come to open mike so I could see her again.

Chapter 11

Kin

“Are you planning on going out tonight?”

I lifted my head from my history textbook and lifted a brow at my step-monster. What the hell was she doing in my room? I hadn’t even heard her open the door, but there she was, standing over my bed like she had every right to invade my privacy. “I’m going to First Bass with Lucy.”

Jillian nodded. “Good. Georgia is going with you.”

I sat up on my bed quickly. “No, she isn’t.” No way was I going out with Georgia. Not to First Bass, not anywhere. First Bass, like Lucy’s house, was becoming my safe haven and I wasn’t about to let Georgia spoil that for me. And I sure as hell didn’t want her there to listen to one of my new songs I’d written in the last few weeks.

Jillian crossed her arms over her very fake chest and lifted both her brows at me. “Yes, she is. Georgia needs more exposure. I want her in the tabloids just as much as you are these days. That means she needs to show up at First Bass with you and that Thornton girl. I want to see her on TMZ tomorrow night, McKinley. Being seen with you and the rocker’s kid will accomplish that.”

Before I could even respond to that, Jillian turned and slammed the door behind her as she left my room. Ah, hell. Really?

Well, she’d lost her freaking mind if she thought I would just fall in line with that shit. Pushing my textbook and notes away, I quickly grabbed my guitar case and silently headed for the stairs. I felt like