Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“I could go to the venue from the hospital,” I say.
“No,” she says adamantly, sounding strikingly like our mother.
And she’s right, of course.
I must stay.
I must stay with the band. The band has to be my priority.
Not Dragon. Not Brianna.
But the band.
I draw in a breath. “Do you trust me enough to go back to my room and try to focus for a bit?”
“Of course I do.” She kisses my cheek. “Now go. I will see you down at the entrance in forty-seven minutes exactly.”
I nod, leave Brock and Rory’s suite, and head to my own room, which is only one door down.
When Rory got the room for me, after I was suffering terrible jet lag when we first got here, she was bound and determined to make sure she could keep an eye on me. Hence the room next to hers. And I was happy to have it.
Very happy to have it last night, when I fucked Brianna Steel.
Still, I should’ve stayed in the room with Dragon. My original room. And all of this could’ve been avoided—
No! I cannot keep going there.
I must keep my mind on the band.
I lie down on my bed, visualize. Go through our entire concert in my head.
I don’t have to worry about nodding off. Not when the adrenaline is already starting to flow.
I visualize the entire concert, visualize the audience’s thundering applause, visualize…
Brianna Steel.
In the front row.
Standing, like she did last night, her tits filling out that Dragonlock tee.
I jerk upward. “Stop it,” I say aloud.
Then I head to the bathroom, check myself in the mirror, change into my outfit for the concert.
Black jeans. Black shirt. Black boots.
Simple, but it works.
Rory of course will wear something sexy. I hate seeing her dress like that, but even I know it works for the band. My sister is considered the most beautiful woman in our small town. She may as well use it to the band’s advantage.
At least I don’t have to worry about male groupies trying to get in her pants. Brock won’t let anyone near her.
I laugh out loud. I never thought I’d be thankful for a Steel, but I’m grateful that Rory is very much taken.
I make sure I have my phone and wallet. Everything else we need is already at the venue. It will be packed up tonight because tomorrow we move to Edinburgh.
I take the elevator down to the first floor, and when the doors open, I see Maddie standing before me.
I drop my jaw. “What are you doing here?”
“Don’t worry. Brianna is with Dragon. She insisted I come to the concert tonight, Jesse.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. For some strange reason, she really wants to look after Dragon. And you and Rory are my siblings, not hers. I want to see the concert, Jess.”
“We’re leaving now.”
“Well, yeah, you and the band are leaving. I can take a cab to the venue. I want to change.”
I nod. This trip isn’t just about Rory, the band, or me. It’s about Maddie too. It’s about giving our little sister something to remember. She put off her last semester of college for this, and if what she wants is to see our band perform at every concert, that’s what she’ll have.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“For what?”
“For making you sit with Dragon all day.”
She grabs my hand and squeezes it. “Jesse, I was glad to do it. And Brianna’s still there. You don’t have anything to worry about. Dragon’s going to be fine.”
I nod, give her a quick hug, and then watch as she gets into the elevator.
I head to the entrance, where the rest of the band stands. The limo is waiting.
“Thank God,” Rory says.
“You didn’t really think…”
“No, Jesse. I trust you. But there’s something between you and Dragon that the rest of us don’t understand. That’s okay.” She gives me a quick hug. “I know this is killing you. But you need to be in top form tonight, Jess. We need to show all of Emerald Phoenix that they were not wrong to put their faith in us.”
Yeah. Doesn’t seem to be bothering Rory nearly as much that Zane Michaels tried to get our littlest sister in bed last night.
But Jett was mortified, so I know Zane will be keeping his hands to himself for the rest of the tour.
The concert goes great again, and we’re well received, getting another standing ovation from the crowd who came to see Emerald Phoenix.
Rory and I were totally in sync, despite my worries about Dragon. Though I thought I could hear what was lacking in Derek’s percussion performance—Dragon’s unique artistry—I have to admit that he was technical perfection. He came in on time and never missed a beat on every number.
No encore of course, so as soon as we’re gone, I head straight to Derek, holding out my hand. He did an amazing job, so I’m letting the things he said about Dragon and the way he looked at Rory go. Trying to, anyway.