“I have no fucking idea.” I look at Ryan, who’s frowning at me.
“Don’t fucking drink, okay? You’ve been hitting the bottle hard, and I don’t want you to make a dick of yourself if she doesn’t talk to you. She’s trying to protect the band. You’d do good to remember that, Danger.”
“Have you been talking to her?” I furrow my brows.
The way his brows crease together and he gnaws on his bottom lip tells me he’s been busted, but then he awkwardly clears his throat.
“Ryan?”
“Shit! Yes, okay? We talk, not often, maybe once or twice a week. She calls to check on you.”
Slumping, I lean back against the headrest. “Fucking hell… she does care.”
Ryan scoffs. “Of course she cares, dick. She doesn’t want to cause you issues when the shit is still hitting the damn fan. Sure, it’s died down some, but she feels guilty as hell. Some shit went down with her brother at the airport, and she doesn’t want more trouble because of her. She’s really torn up about it, man.”
I turn to Ryan. “What happened to Stuart?”
“The paps got snap happy, and he reacted. Had a meltdown in the airport, and Lunar punched a pap and smashed his camera.”
“What the fuck?Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
He shrugs. “It was all over the tabloids. If you watched it, you’d have seen.”
“That’s not the point, Ryan! You know I don’t watch that shit for a reason. Why didn’t you tell me, or more importantly, why didn’tshetell me?”
Ryan exhales with a grimace. “She told me not to worry you.”
I rub my face. “Fuck!”
Ryan pats my shoulder as we pull into the Doltone House at Hyde Park parking lot. Kane opens the door, and I step out onto the red carpet with my heart pounding. A barrier of ropes holdsback a barrage of screaming fans before Ryan, Matt, and Nate step out of the car and join me down the red carpet.
We smile and stop along the way to pose for some photographs with the event’s official photographers and wave to the crowd while they scream at us. I look over at one girl who’s crying, but then she smiles at me and quickly lifts her top, revealing very perky, braless tits. I huff-laugh as they bounce along with her, and Ryan cheers, taking a photo with his cell.
Rolling my eyes, I turn to him and smack him upside the head. “Dude, she’s probably underage.”
“True, might delete that one. I have plenty more.”
I step into the vast expanse and follow the crowd before we enter the giant ballroom. The sight before me is beyond my expectations. I hadn’t expected such opulence. The venue is adorned in black and gold with glittering chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, casting an aura of elegance with a hint of masculinity. It’s stylish and distinctly Lunar in its design, unlike the typical galas and events I see people attending. This has her unmistakable flair all over it.
Ryan looks at me. “This place is fucking epic, dude. It screams Recoil.”
“Yeah. It does.” I glance around and think about the rock-and-roll vibe it exudes, and I like that she’s chosen something that fits entertainment rather than the typical gala atmosphere. This is why Lunar is one of a kind. She thinks outside the box, and that’s why this foundation of hers will go places. I’m going to make sure of that. I am proud of Lunar, and I hope to see her tonight to tell her just that.
We walk in and are directed to our front-row seats. The guys sit, grabbing their complimentary drinks while I survey the room. Everyone is dressed immaculately. I’ve gone all out and worn my black slacks, black shirt, leather jacket, and a sleek, thin black fucking tie—so not me.
My aim?
To impress her.
To make her as proud of me as I am of her.
But is she still my woman?
That’s a question I cannot answer.
My eyes shift around the buzzing room, taking in the women wearing elegant ball gowns in various designs, but they all look the same to me. Pretty and overworked. Then I catch a glimpse of what can only be described as a heart-pounding, jaw-dropping, cock-twitching, body-tingling, soul-shaking beauty.
This sight before me twists my stomach. Annalise looks like a mother fucking princess, and I want to be her prince, whisking her away to our own kingdom and showering her in kisses all through the night.
