The days I had to leave her behind at home, she would cry. I hated hearing her distant sobs in the hallway as I exited our apartment. I knew Mom would never hurt her. She would never lay a hand on her, no matter how messed up she was.
I would meet up with Axel and Rowan on the street, and we’d set up and start playing on the busy sidewalks. We spent hours, days, months singing and making pennies. Until a man stopped in his tracks and started listening. He wasn’t normal—I could tell by his fancy clothes.
After we finished the song, the man walked up to us and handed us a card.
A card to a record label.
We packed up our shit. I took Stella and moved to LA to start a new chapter in our lives.
The world knows us as Triple Threat. Three guys in a rock band. Ready to destroy anyone and anything in our path.
CHAPTER3
AMELIA
My hand shields my eyes from the blinding lights that flash from every direction. Each determined step I take is to get as far away from these people as possible.
“Times Three, look over here!” someone shouts from my right.
I don’t sneak a peek in their direction—a lesson my mom taught me a while ago. If you don’t give them a single glance, you won’t give them the satisfaction they crave. For all I know, they could catch me mid-yawn and post it on the internet so everyone could make fun of me. It’s happened before, and I wanted to bury myself alive.
Feeling a hand on my lower back, I relax when I smell her pineapple-coconut perfume.
“A couple more steps,” Trinity whispers encouragingly.
I hear how she attempts to hide the trembling in her voice. No matter how hard my brother tries to get her used to this life, she’ll never be fully happy, living a life like ours.
Leaving behind the flashing lights, I climb into our awaiting car.
“Jesus Christ,” Elijah groans as he plops down next to me. Throwing his arm across his eyes, he sighs.
Trinity takes a seat ahead of me. Dropping her head against the window, she closes her eyes and breathes out a sigh of relief. Elijah and I share a worried glance as Leonidas steps into the car a minute later.
“Why weren’t you behind us?” Elijah asks blankly.
Causing trouble probably …
Leonidas sends him a glare over his shoulder before taking a seat next to his girlfriend. Well, they’re practically married. I give them a year until my brother asks the question. He makes her head rest on his shoulder instead of the window as he grips her neck lightly.
I want what they have so badly.
A sick part of me is jealous of Leonidas and Trinity’s relationship. I love how they just click and seem like soul mates. I swear they even communicate with just a look.
“She’s exhausted,” Leonidas mumbles, looking down at her now-sleeping face. “I hate putting her through this much stress.”
“If she couldn’t handle it or didn’t love you, she wouldn’t be here.” Elijah shrugs. “Besides, she loves me too much to be back in Toronto.”
The land of maple syrup and Shawn Mendes …
If Trinity heard me say that, she would hit me with her shoe. I learned quickly when a Canadian is angry, all that pent-up aggression comes out in full force. Run in the opposite direction and protect yourself from the maple syrup bottle aimed at your head.
Just joking. Okay, maybe I’m not.
“I would rather be in Toronto with her than have her go through that crowd of animals again,” Leonidas mutters low under his breath.
“Amen,” Elijah and I say at the same time.
Elijah sends me a shocked look. “You really need to stop doing that.”
