“Thank you. So are you.”
“You want me to make one offer to 22 Goats?”
“Yes, I do. For your own good.”
“And are you gonna break my legs if I don’t?”
“Yes, I am. In multiple places. With a baseball bat.”
Reed laughs. “God help me. Fine. Consider it done. I was just fucking with you, actually—just wanted to see what you’d say.”
“That wasn’t very nice.”
“I’m not always nice.” He flashes me a truly wicked smile. “Now, throw back the rest of that mai tai and put your glass down, hot stuff. I wanna dance with a smokin’ hot badass to celebrate my brand new band.”
I throw back the rest of my drink, as instructed, and then let Reed lead me by the hand toward an area that’s become a makeshift dance floor.
“I’ll dance with you, Reed,” I shout over the music as we get closer to the blaring speakers. “But that’s all you get. I’ve seen you onTMZ—I know exactly what you are.”
Reed guffaws at that and pulls me to him. “Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet, baby. I’m a pussycat, I swear.”
49
Ryan
Iglance over to the spot where Tessa’s been standing watching the 22 Goats show, the same way I’ve done at least ten times in the last thirty minutes, and, much to my dismay, this time, she’s not there anymore.
I scan the small club, looking for her, only to find her in the middle of the crowd, doing the unthinkable: dancing with motherfucking Reed Rivers.
Oh, hell to the fucking no.
I disengage from my mother’s arm and take two heated steps toward the happy couple, intending to physically shove that fucker away from my girl, and then stop short, suddenly remembering he’s the man who holds my brother’s rock-star dreams in the palm of his hand. Fuck!
I march back to my family, grab my sister’s arm, and motion across the room to Reed and Tessa.
Kat looks over to where I’m indicating and, immediately, her facial expression matches mine. “Motherfucker!” she yells over the loud music. “Fuck no.”
I lean into my diabolical sister’s ear so there’s no mistaking my words despite the loud music. “Get that fucker away from my girl, Kum Cake.
“I got this, Rum Cake,” she says, her eyes narrowing. “Go out by the front entrance and wait. Your girl’s gonna walk through that door in a minute.”
I don’t hesitate. Off I go.
I wait outside the front entrance of the club in the warm, fragrant night for what seems like for-fucking-ever, clenching and unclenching my fists while forcing myself not to storm back inside the place and claim what’s rightfully mine.
Thank God, just when I’ve decided to go back in there and handle things myself, Tessa comes out the front door of the club.
Immediately, I ambush her. I grab her by the arm and pull her around a corner, in search of a private spot where no one will see what I’m about to do to her.
“Wait,” Tessa says, trying in vain to pull away from me. “I can’t go anywhere with you. Kat asked me to get her—”
“Kat lied. Whatever my sister told you to get you to walk out that door, she was lying. She was sending you out here for me.”
“You told Kat about us?”
“No. Kat’s playing matchmaker, remember?” It’s a true statement, technically. I didn’t tell my sister about us—she figured it out on her own.
Tessa relaxes under my grip. “Where are you taking me?” she asks.
