“Didn’t want to assume anything. You might have bodies back there. I don’t know what you do in your free time,” she replies.
“Eh, not today,” I say with a shrug, closing the back door. “Emptied the bodies out into the river late last night. I had to make sure your chariot was spotless.”
“Oh, am I Cinderella now? Should I leave one of my boots somewhere for you to find?” she jokes.
“Ha. Why? Are you looking to be whisked away from this life by a well-off monarch?” I ask.
Bonnie’s lip slides upward as she looks at me. “Monarchs are usually the ones sitting on their asses on some pompous throne. I’d rather get whisked away by the person actually doing the legwork.” She twirls one of her drumsticks between her fingers, that smile somehow holding me in place.
It takes all of my restraint not to smell her hair when she lifts herself into the SUV. Not to lean in closer and graze my fingers against the soft space above her elbow or the curve of her slender hip as if she needs help climbing in.
“Mind if I play while we ride?” she asks.
I blink out of my daze and say a quick, “Go for it,” before peering over my shoulder to look for Zeb. “Where’s your other half?” I ask.
“Oh, he left in his car early this morning while you were out,” she says.
“He what?” I ask, annoyed that now I’m going to have to have a chat with our guitarist about sneaking off.
Bonnie snickers. “Yeah, I told him you’d be pissed. He didn’t listen. He left while Liam was taking a piss break.”
I’m going to fucking kill him.
Jaw clenched, I take my phone from my pocket, hit Kade’s contact name, and call him.
“Yeah, Gem,” Kade answers.
“Where is he?” I ask.
Kade huffs. “I have him,” he says. “He’s exactly where we lost him the last time. Must not have much reception on the property.”
“Or he’s blocked it,” I mutter. “Okay. As long as you have him.”
“I got him, boss. Might head up that way just to see what he has going on. I’ll keep you in the loop,” he replies.
“Thanks. We’re heading out now,” I say.
I can practically hear him grinning when he says, “Have a good ride home.”
Because he had to block out the security footage from the foyer the other night.
“I hope you can hear me flipping you off,” I say.
“Loud and clear.”
I shake my head as I end the phone call and turn my attention back to Bonnie. She’s watching me from the passenger seat, still toying with her sticks between her hands.
“You find him?” she asks.
“I always find them,” I say before closing her door and making my way to my own.
If I make it all the way through this drive without touching her, I might buy myself something nice as a reward.
I’ve barely pulled out of the spot before Bonnie begins tapping out the new song the band was working on yesterday, starting over a couple of times like she doesn’t like the rhythm.
“James used to hate this,” she says after a few minutes. “Banished me to the backseat for doing it.”
“So you were banished to the backseat for drumming, but he was okay with Reed being an absolute maniac up here,” I say, basing the sentence on the one time I’ve driven Reed around.
