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Riot turns to stone. “Don’t talk to her like that. I swear to God—”

“She’s with me,” I say, before he can say anything that will bring Sonatina’s rage down on us all. Moving my hand to grip Kelsey’s hip, I draw her back to my chest. My other arm goes around her body. I press a kiss to her temple. “Aren’t you, Scary Girl?”

This time it’s Riot who has a problem with the way this conversation is going. Whose gaze lands on my possessive hold on Kelsey. But I don’t really care about his feelings. She needs protecting.

“Yes, and Bronx, and Golden.” Sonatina gestures at each of us. “You’re an absolute whore, aren’t you, Katie? A groupie on Adderall? You even fucked the man who hates you more than anything.” Her smugness grows with every vile word.

“What the hell, Sonatina?” Riot looks like he wants to throttle her. If Sonatina didn’t have her claws so deeply into our lives and our careers, she probably would not be safe right now.

I glare at Riot. How the fuck does she know that?

I make eye contact with Bronx and Golden, who both have what the hell looks on their faces. It isn’t general knowledge. Only Rook and Jasper would have any idea of what’s been happening between all of us. And maybe Doc. Oh, and Coffey of course since he walked into the green room that night while we were group bonding. But both bodyguards, Doc, and the road crew manager are trustworthy. None of them would have leaked this.

Sonatina shouldn’t know that. “Who the fuck told you that?”

Riot shakes his head, a warning in his eyes.

He wants me to shut up. When she’s disrespecting Kelsey like she is. What the hell?

Ignoring Riot and me, Sonatina gets in Kelsey’s face. “It’s like you have no self-respect.”

She’s like a chihuahua. Brave enough to take on a big dog, stupid enough to think she won’t get eaten.

“It’s pitiful, really,” Sonatina adds.

“Would you like me to break your nose again?” Kelsey asks with poisonous sweetness. She wraps both hands around my forearm, her fingers curl and dig into my skin.

“You broke Sonatina’s nose?” Man, I wish I had witnessed that. Every time I learn something new about her, I like her a little bit more.

“Riot, she’s threatening me.” Sonatina clings to his back, using him like a shield. Acting like she’s truly afraid.

Maybe she is. Maybe she has every reason to be.

“Well, you keep trying to provoke her,” he says, trying to disentangle himself once more. “And that’s the last time you will. Because if you ever speak like that to her again, I’ll—”

She whispers something inaudible in his ear. Whatever it is makes him stop. A nerve in his cheek ticks with how tight his jaw gets. He’s cold as he puts an arm around her. “How about I show you to the room?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Sonatina crooks a finger at the downcast woman in the middle of a pile of bags. “Bring them.”

The woman doesn’t look up from the floor as she picks up all the bags and stumbles after Riot and Sonatina.

I feel sorry for Sonatina’s assistant. She seems weary and beaten down. It has to be the worst job in the world.

“What the hell was that?” Golden asks as he and Bronx join us. He shakes his head. “I was ready for you to pop off and smack her right in her lip filler.”

“Would have been well deserved,” Bronx says. “Are you alright, Kells Bells?”

“Sonatina is just lucky that Marco got to me before she did. If I wasn’t so bruised...”

“Aww, come here, Baby Girl.” He opens up his arms. “Are you sore? How’s the head?”

She leaves me to go to him. “Definitely sore. But I’m okay.”

He smothers her with his chest and tattooed arms. “You know we’ve got your back. Whatever this bullshit is, it’s only temporary. He’ll get rid of her the first chance he gets.”

“He can do whatever he wants.” She stares up at her Drummer Boy. Pastes on the kind of smile that tries but doesn’t quite make it. “Even marry her for real if that’s what he wants. We’re nothing to each other. Not anymore.”

The three of us guys look at each other. None of us believe it. And not because she isn’t strong enough to walk away and not look back. She already did that until Bronx drew her back in. But because we all have these front row seats to their emotional fallout.