Page 233 of My Three Billionaire Rockstars

It sounds…

Possible.

Gabe continues gently, “You’d help us coordinate artist stays. Work with local businesses. Preserve the character of the town while making sure people coming here actually respect it.”

Julian grins. “You’d basically become the hot mayor of celebrity drama.”

I point at him. “You’re ruining this pitch.”

“Counterpoint: improving it.”

But I barely hear him.

Because my brain’s moving too fast now. The diner. The town. The compound. The artists.

Purpose.

Not hiding upstairs while life happens around me.

Actually doing something.

“You really think that could work?” I ask.

“All jokes aside?” Gabe says. “Yes. I think you’d be exceptional at it.”

I glance around the table. At these three impossible men in this ridiculous house that I just love.

Then I laugh and shake my head. “This is completely insane.”

Gabe’s mouth curves. “Yes.”

Julian raises his wine glass. “To insanity.”

Xander reaches for me under the table, then, fingers brushing lightly against my knee, and finally, I don’t feel quite so afraid anymore.

FORTY-FOUR

Xander

Rain streaks across the windows of the cab as it crawls through Manhattan traffic, blurring neon signs into smeared color. Outside, horns scream into the night and people rush down sidewalks with their heads tucked against the cold.

None of it touches me.

I sit in the back seat alone, one hand drumming absently against my knee while the skyline rises around me as a memory I’ve spent years trying to outrun.

The driver glances at me once in the mirror. Smart enough not to attempt conversation.

I already know this is going to hurt.

The truth settled into my chest sometime around three in the morning back in Redemption Falls while Willow slept curled against Julian and Gabe upstairs and I sat alone in the studio listening to old demos.

I know how to fix this. Or, at least, redirect it.

The internet’s already moving on from the scandal. The podcast helped. The single announcement helped more. But what would really blow everything else apart?

The Last Rebels.

My brother.