Chapter 21
“Is this seat taken?” a warm, melodic masculine voice asked seconds before the stool beside me was claimed.
I had sat at the bar, attempting to take a break and scope out the other band. The opportunity we were given tonight was at a bar roughly forty-five minutes from base. It was an up-and-coming venue that not only had amazing food but events occurring on a nearly daily basis.
They hosted an open mic night every Friday that drew in an impressive crowd. Apparently, Ashby’s was a family-owned restaurant that had several locations in the tri-state area. Since they were known for their amazing mic nights, we had been fortunate to play at that one.
When Ben initially reached out to them, the owners had said they were booked for months. Remy had heard how hard it was for Ben to find anything around us, so he tried to rectify it for us.Imagine our luck when Remy discovered that he had met one of the owners, Boone, at a conference last year.
Typically, the new acts went on first, followed by a relatively well-known local band. If an act wanted to be invited back, they had to “wow” the crowd during their thirty-minute set. If we were being judged by the current act, I was feeling confident we would leave a favorable impression on them.
My band and I had already done our warm-up, and I’d just needed to escape our dressing room for a little while. The provided space was no bigger than a modest bathroom, and it was undeniably cramped once you added Jaxson and Noah to the group—especially after Mike started acting obnoxiously. Needing a breather, I’d found a quiet corner away from the bar, sitting furthest from the entertainment currently performing on stage. It wouldn’t be long before I was joined by my guys. Plus, Terrance, Marcel, Rachel, Dawn, and Anna could see me, so I felt comfortable out here on my own.
I was soaking in the calm before the storm, taking sips of my hot tea with honey and lemon. The trainwreck on stage had stolen enough of my attention that I hadn’t noticed Drake sidling up beside me.
“By your silence, I’m assuming you’re okay with me taking the empty stool,” Drake commented.
I looked up to grin at his silly remark before it slowly faded away. He was wearing a fitted charcoal grey suit, black vest, white button-up, and slim black tie. I had seen Drake dressed up but never to that degree. With his glasses, tamed and styled hair, and swimmer’s physique, he looked like a model straight from a runway.
I hadn’t seen him that morning since Remy and Drake had left our apartment early so they could get back on time for my first gig with the guys—well, after the time jump, that is. They were checking out commercial buildings and exploring other options for the new We 7 they planned to open.
After years of working together but in their own “zones,” Drake had finally agreed to become Remy’s business partner. This was their first venture where Drake would be with Remy the entire way, not just the last stage when the menus were being finalized. It opened Remy up to focus on new investments and gave Drake the opportunity to grow and show others what he was capable of doing.
In addition to the restaurant, they also went to meet the builders. The guys had purchased the land and had met the builder so he could break ground.Once we explored the area, they realized there were many business opportunities just a short drive from where our new home would be built. Remy wanted to open a new restaurant, Troy was exploring a new venture with creating a gym that catered to clients in all walks of life, Jace and Gavin were looking into buildings that might work for the interactive as well as normal escape rooms, and Noah wanted to open up an affordable clinic for the surrounding community. So, needless to say, they— we , they kept telling me—had a lot of balls up in the air.
I should have been slightly overwhelmed considering my determination to graduate, growing our twins, training, spending time with my siblings, and regular band practices, but, oddly enough, it was challenging in the best of ways. It was exactly what I needed after being abducted and feeling like my life had been put on hold. Sometimes it felt like I had little time to breathe, let alone think, but that meant we were no longer in a holding pattern. We didn’t have to hide in fear. We were planning for the future we intended to have.
Drake gave a pointed look at my burgeoning belly. “I would offer to buy you a drink—non-alcoholic of course—but regretfully, it appears that you are spoken for.”
I couldn’t help but notice how his eyes had widened in appreciation as well, and I wanted to preen. I wasn’t dressed like I normally did. This pregnancy had initially made me feel haggard, but my opinion gradually morphed into beautiful once the morning sickness faded. Tonight, I felt sexy, which I hadn’t thought was possible in my condition.
Don’t get me wrong. I knew the men desired me in this condition, and they never made me feel anything less than beautiful. Unfortunately, my intrusive thoughts made me feel unattractive at times, especially as I grew. Tonight was helping me feel less like a human incubator and more like myself.
Again, please don’t misunderstand. I loved being pregnant, and I was learning to embrace the fact that I would be eighteen when I became a mother—far too young to be by today’s society standards. Even with more positive feelings than negative, I still couldn’t help but feel as if I were losing a part of myself through this wonderful journey.
When Anna, Dawn, and Rachel told me they were going to help me get ready for the gig, I had embraced my alter ego’s look.I hadn’t fought it when they styled me in a sexy, edgy, and tempting look.I let go of all my control and trusted them through the process.
Anna had contacted some of her friends, and Dawn and Rachel helped me accessorize the outfit they had put together for tonight. I wore a pleather overall-looking jumpsuit. The hem of the shorts rode high on my thighs. They paired the jumpsuit with a sleeveless metallic silver top beneath it. The arm holes gaped low enough to show the black lace bra I wore beneath the top but not in an over-the-top way. They insisted I wear knee-high black boots with a slight heel, and the silver socks beneath them reached my thighs. The whole combination made my legs look a lot longer than they really were.
They hadn’t just stopped at choosing my outfit. They had chosen my entire look. My hair was currently straight, and my makeup included a heavy smokey eye with varying shades of purple, making my eyes dramatically pop.The dark plum-colored lipstick made my lips look fuller and added to the edgy vibe they were hoping to achieve. To complete the look, they had given me fingerless metallic silver gloves. In terms of jewelry, I wore ostentatious rings on nearly every one of my fingers and long silver earrings that reached my shoulders.
Drake shifted and placed his hands in his pockets in a complete power move, reminding me of his presence. He was role playing, and I was all for it. I gingerly picked up my cup of tea and blew on it, attempting to hide my smile. I only had thirty minutes before I had to be on stage, but I could make it work.But first, I needed to figure out how to play this. When an idea struck, I just went with it.
“He left me,” I said, trying to put some bitterness into my voice,“so I’m single once again.”
Drake moved until he was between the neighboring stool and my body. He leaned his elbow on the bar and lifted a foot to brace on the rung of my bar stool. His thigh brushed mine, and I shivered at the slight contact. “It sounds like you’re better off without him if he’s too stupid to realize the gem he left behind.”
I took a sip of my tea and snorted.“ I might be better off without him, but my body disagrees.”
He lifted a finely arched brow.“Your body?Forgive me, but I know very little about a woman in your condition.”
I turned in my seat and intentionally braced my arms beside his before running a fingertip along his sleeve. “Some women, such as myself, become increasingly horny. My baby’s sperm donor could barely look at me, let alone touch me, once I began to show.”
Making a humming sound in his throat, he moved impossibly closer. He placed one hand over my stomach before threading his fingers through my straightened hair.He brushed his nose against the column of my throat before whispering in my ear. “Your man was a fool, but his loss is my gain. What can I say to convince you to find somewhere private? I want to show you how fucking sexy you really are. I would love to be the man to satiate you and fuck you, if only for tonight.”
All air left my lungs as strong desire wracked my body. I loved making sweet love with Drake, but when he released his alter ego, it was hot as hell. Out of all my men, Drake cursed the least, so it was a shock to hear him utter the dirty words with zero hesitation or awkwardness. His whole demeanor and the way he growled his intentions instantly made my panties wet.
“You’ve already said enough to convince me.” I glanced up, attempting to look up at him through my long dark eyelashes.“Find us a quiet place, and I’m yours for thirty minutes.”
He arched his brow before leaning in to run his nose along my jawline. His husky voice whispered in my ear, “Baby, tonight may be an audition of sorts, but I’m confident I’ll be the only man satisfying you in the future. Once your dumbass ex realizes what he lost and comes crawling back, you won’t even be tempted to allow him back into your life, and when that baby is born, I’ll be the only daddy she’ll ever know.”
In a normal situation, if I were approached by a man in a bar in my condition, I would have thought he was a creep or had a fetish I wasn’t into. To each their own, but in my opinion—not that it really mattered in the long run—some fetishes were a bit much. I’d heard of some men that kept their women pregnant because that was the only time they were attracted to them. I also read how some men would have their partners wear a belly suit because it was the only way they could find satisfaction.I might find that a bit ridiculous, but again, if everyone was consenting to the arrangement, I had no right to judge. After all, most people looking in on my situation might think it was tasteless and sordid.
Drake’s cocky attitude probably would have been a turn-off as well. I would have thrown my tea in his face—okay, maybe not to that extreme because it was still hot. At the very least, I would have told him to get bent and walked away. Or, if I was feeling especially ornery, I would compel him and make him look like an ass in front of the entire bar.
I narrowed my gaze on him. “I thought this was just a hook-up. I don’t recall committing to anything but tonight. You talk a big game, sir, which makes me wonder if you’re overcompensating for something.”
He snaked an arm around my waist, and before I knew it, he was sliding me off the bar stool I was perched upon. Suddenly, he was leading me down a side hallway. He strode past two doorways and stopped at the third, confidently pushing open the door as if he had been heading here all along. I barely had time to realize we were in a supply closet of sorts before he backed me into the closed door, wove his fingers through my hair, and took my lips with a hunger that shocked me.
“I think I’ve changed my mind,” he husked. “I have a feeling one night won’t be nearly enough for me to get my fill of you.”
My shock quickly morphed into hunger, and I met his fervor with my own. The kiss was messy, but oh so perfect. I couldn’t help but nip his bottom lip, and it seemed to unlock the beast within him. His kisses became almost bruising as his deft fingers began to unfasten the silver buttons at my shoulders. I barely registered my outfit falling to my feet before I was lifted and set back down on a hard surface.
I shivered at the contrast between my heated skin and the cold surface. I must be perched on a workbench of sorts.A low husky sound emitted from his throat before his face was eye-level with my bits. He made a deep appreciative sound in the back of his throat and stared at me long enough to cause me to shift self-consciously under his perusal.
His long, lean fingers pushed the black lace thong to the side, barely brushing my sensitive clit. “Such beautiful coverings to conceal such a pretty wet pussy.” He hummed in satisfaction.
His warm breath brushed over my sex as his intense blue eyes met mine.“Is this all for me, pretty baby?”
He flicked out his tongue, so the tip barely grazed over my most sensitive flesh. He made another deep sound of satisfaction. “Tell me you want me to eat your sweet pussy so I can memorize your delicious taste. I want to imprint it on my soul just as your face was the moment I saw you. Tell me you want to cream all over my lips, preparing you for my hungry cock that will stretch you wide.”
For a moment, I was speechless at his boldness. My desire was heightened higher than I thought possible. After a few breaths, I realized he was waiting for a response, and I had to remind myself who I was portraying before I answered.
It was my turn to raise a brow at him. “Sir, this is your audition. You don’t see the casting director advising the hopeful auditioners on what to sing or how to sing it. Do as you see fit to earn the part.”
He gave me a cocky but confident grin before his head was back between my thighs. His determined mouth fell over my sex, and it took me far too long to realize I no longer had the strings of my thong digging into the flesh between my thigh and sex. A brief distracted glance revealed that my panties were now clutched into his fist. Huh? When had he torn those off of me?
My distraction didn’t last long once he began to eat me like a man starved. I didn’t know if it was my heightened pregnancy hormones, his dirty talk, Drake’s alpha male persona, or a combination of all three attributes, but I was ready to go off like a rocket. He had barely gathered my juices on his tongue before I felt my impending orgasm. Drake seemed to know this, and the shock of two of his fingers entering me tipped me over the edge.
I cried out, and those sounds turned to whimpers when he refused to back off. Instead, he curled his fingers up toward my belly button, wiggling them in a come-hither motion as he attacked my nub with feral determination. I attempted to plead for mercy. My clit was far too sensitive. He ignored my whine of protest, and within seconds, his clever fingers and wicked tongue turned my cries into screams.
I was so lost and completely out of my head that I forgot only a thin door separated me from a bar full of people. I was still in a full-blown stupor when he stood with a triumphant smile. He licked his glistening mouth as if he were savoring every drop of me. With a wicked and hungry look in his eyes, he slowly but determinedly unbuckled his belt, unfastened the button on his trousers, and lowered his zipper.
“Show me what you’re working with, sir,” I purred with languid satisfaction.
My words unlocked yet another facet of the beast within, and I barely caught the glimpse of his angry-looking, weeping cock before he was delving into me. The stretching sensation caused me to hiss.Even though I had been so wet, it still took a moment for my body to become accustomed to him.
He paused for a moment, his lips hovering over mine. “I’m a big man. Can my baby be hurt in any way? Are you on any restrictions?”
If this were under normal circumstances, I probably would have laughed or melted in response to the brief tenderness he was showing. Instead, the energy he had surrounded me with kept me in the scene. He was pretending to worry about the baby despite the fact that I was well aware that he knew better.
I nipped at his lip and smiled. “Not unless you’re King Kong and packing a two-foot dick.”
My actions ramped up his savage energy, and soon he was gripping my hips and pistoning into me.I vaguely registered that the surface that I was sitting on was tipping precariously with each thrust. Drake grasped the back of the table at the same time his head dipped down toward mine.
“I might not have a two-foot cock, but you’ll still be feeling me days afterward,” he muttered before his lips fell onto mine.
I could taste myself on his lips, but I didn’t care. I met his intensity with my own. I could feel another orgasm coming, but I wasn’t ready to come yet. I wanted to draw this experience out as long as I could.That was until I thought I heard Ben calling for me. Time wasn’t on my side.
“Is that your name, Blake?” Drake wickedly chuckled.“What happens if you don’t go, Blake?”
He continued to thrust in and out of me, intentionally grinding his pubic bone into my clit with every push.
I realized the new facet of the game and gave him a mock look of ire. “Who says I’m the person they’re looking for? I guess you’ll be left unsatisfied if I am this, Blake. By their urgent calls, I’m assuming they really want to find Blake . If I were Blake, I would have to leave. Since I got mine, you’ll be left unsatisfied.”
Drake smirked. “Or I won’t let you leave until you have two more orgasms and I get at least get one.”
I snorted.“As if you could.”
I intentionally let him think I didn’t believe he was capable of giving me any more orgasms, but it was all part of the game. I knew very well he would deliver on his promises if he was determined to, and by the look in his eyes, he was.
His eyes narrowed at me before a cocky grin spread across his face. “There’s one thing you should know about me, Blake. I’m a super competitive person, and from the sounds of that, you’re challenging me. And, Blake ?” He pushed into me and swiveled his hips in circles.My eyes widened as I realized another orgasm was quickly rushing up on me. “You should know I rarely lose.”
I was unable to give him a snappy retort because I was screaming out another release. How in all that was holy could he give me three orgasms in such short succession? The hands that were gripping the back of his neck grew lax, as if every bone in my body had turned into Jello.
Ben called my name once more, but when I stiffened, Drake reminded me that he hadn’t ended the scene. He chuckled, lowly, wickedly. “That’s two. You better give me one more.”
I was torn between laughing, ending the scene, and reminding him this was our first night here and I had to leave a good impression. I also wanted to take back a little bit of control and make him come before he could give me another one. I was more than satisfied, and I had my wits about me. Mostly. I didn’t know how brainless and boneless he would leave me if I were to have another one.
There was a knock on the door and another call of my name. I had a decision to make. I grinned, making up my mind before I leaned back and braced my hands beside his. “Time’s up, King Kong.” I smirked before using my gift of strength to wrap around his cock.
At the last second, I decided to experiment with a few of my other gifts. My healing wrapped him in additional warmth, and then, at the last second, I pushed extreme feelings of lust at him.
His eyes widened, and my name came out as a choke before he was ramming back into me. He was making low, guttural sounds in the back of his throat, and I grinned in satisfaction when I realized I had won. A small trickle of sweat was beginning to traverse his temple and down his clenched jaw line, and I was so entranced by the show of his masculine beauty I didn’t realize Drake’s eyes were on me. I had no time to prepare or predict what the slow knowing smile meant before it felt like my G-spot was being tapped with just the right intensity and rhythm.
I gasped in shock, not knowing how I could feel his seed pouring into me while something else, something invisible, vibrated against my G-spot. Last I checked, Drake’s penis couldn’t vibrate. He was doing something, but I couldn’t concentrate on what that could be.I lost focus on the scene.
“Drake!” I cried out in surprise, shock, and confusion.
I already knew the orgasm was going to be stronger than all the others. There was no way to stifle my screams even if I wanted to.
Drake’s hips stilled, and he gave me a satisfied smile before he leaned his forehead against mine. The persistent stimulation was still present in my lady bits. I was opening my mouth to scream again, and before he sealed his lips over mine, I caught his cocky comment.
“You’re no longer the only one using your gifts in the bedroom. I didn’t know if I could concentrate my forcefield in that manner, but I’m glad to know I can now.” Then his lips swallowed my screams.
η
“Ready?” Gavin asked me with a smirk and a raise of one dark eyebrow.
Despite what a pain in the ass he could be, I loved having my best friend along with me on this journey. Ben and I had sounded amazing together, but with the addition of Gavin, we were on another level. The fact that we had effortless chemistry was an additional bonus, and I was sure we could make it places.
“You sure you aren’t too tired?” Gavin knowingly inquired.
Unbeknownst to me, Drake had told my guys and the band that he would come to retrieve me. When we hadn’t returned in a timely manner, Jace had “reached out” and reassured them that I was okay. Closer to show time, Ben had become increasingly antsy and decided to come look for me. Luckily, I was decent-ish when he found Drake and I heading toward the room we had been given for the night.
“I was born ready.” I smiled at him. “And I feel invigorated.”
I rolled my eyes at him, and he chuckled. It was in moments like this that I could easily ignore the fact that he didn’t have the face I’d platonically fallen in love with. I knew it was still a daily struggle for him, but like he was there for me in the past, I would be there for him now.
Now, we were waiting to go on stage, andI had been silently praying that we did better than the act before us. I’d heard a few of their songs earlier, and it sounded like their nerves had gotten the best of them. They sounded good, but their discordant notes every now and then were evident even to the untrained ear.
Mike snidely snorted, inserting his way into our conversation.“Just not on time.”
I looked at him but didn’t deign to give him a response. He was trying his best to get under my skin. At first, I thought it was over his saltiness that Remy had helped us book our first legit gig, but I knew it was more than that.
Any normal person would be happy if someone was helping them move closer to their supposed dream, but Mike had been surly. He behaved as if Gavin and I were attempting to commandeer their band despite the fact that we didn’t step on any toes. We’d helped their sound evolve and worked to better the band as a whole, but he was still intimidated by our presence. Luckily, the others were more than welcoming. If anything, they’d begged us to continue to play with them.
His churlish disposition was wearing on me, so I was relieved to discover that his attitude was beginning to wear on the others as well. His peevishness was just digging his hole deeper.
I was sympathetic to the fact that his mom was shit and it was hard for him to grow up without a father. I also understood that he might feel intimidated by the changes the band was going through. There was no way to miss it since he wasn’t quiet about the fact that he didn’t like my or Gavin’s presence.
“You have no room to talk,” Ben jeered, joining us in the wings of the bar.“I can’t remember the last time you were on time for any of our practices.In fact, you skipped a few in the last couple of weeks as well.”
“I can’t help it that I have a life. Not all of us have a child bride we’re too busy grooming,” Mike smugly commented.
Ben was many things. He was sensitive, a musical genius, poetic, and mature beyond his years, but he was never impulsive, quick to anger, or physically aggressive. So, when he leaped around me to take a swing at Mike, it startled me. I took a stuttering step back and was thankful to discover Remy hadn’t left with the other guys to join the patrons in the gastropub.
He was there to catch me while Gavin and Taylor separated Ben and Mike from coming to blows. He gave me a concerned look, but I hastily shook my head. I was fine. I was more concerned about the crap show unfurling before me.
Frankly, Mike’s accusations were unfounded and disgusting. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Ben had approached Pops and Kirk the moment he realized he and Victoria shared the same mark. From the very start, he was well aware of the position he was in and never wanted to look like he was preying on or grooming a minor. He was weeks away from being eighteen, and even though only four years separated them, a romantic relationship wasn’t copasetic at their ages.
All their interactions occurred in a group setting or over dinners. He was trying to befriend her, and as of right now, I knew he held no attraction to her. In fact, his current relationship with her appeared almost brotherly. He teased her and even encouraged her to date. Like Remy, he hadn’t been marked as young as Jaxson and me.
He didn’t want to hinder any of her milestones. He wanted her to go to dances, share kisses with other boys, and indulge in every other rite of passage females typically went through. There was no denying the affection between them, but it never even hinted toward a romantic or inappropriate manner.
“Screw you, bro,” Ben seethed. “You know I’m letting Tori do her own thing. Yes, I hang out with her because she’s my connection, but I don’t look at her like that—”
“Yet,” Mike taunted. “Do you hear how sick that is? You hang out with a thirteen-year-old! You call her Tori when everyone else calls her Vick or Vicky. You bought her shoes this morning, and last week you got her a heating pad. You’re showering her with gifts, hoping she’ll be so love bombed by you that when you take advantage of her, she won’t tell anyone. What does the good senator think about your relationship? Have you guys even told him that a predator is hanging out with his thirteen-year-old daughter?”
Ben ramped up his efforts to get to Mike while his “friend” continued to taunt him and laugh at him. Without me saying anything, Remy left my side to help Gavin and Taylor calm the situation down.
When Gavin and Remy had both the men subdued using their gifts of strength, Taylor ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “Let’s tell the truth here. Mike, you’re so fucking jealous of Ben that you’re creating mountains out of mole hills. He got her shoes because the senator forgot to transfer her money yet again. She needed new running shoes because the soles were falling off her other pair.He got her a heating pad because of woman shit and she was in pain. Are you calling me a perv because I got Ruth one last month? You think I’m grooming my sister or being a decent human being? I was the one who suggested he get her one!
“You guys are so clueless when it comes to females. A single mother raised me, and I have a little sister. Dad dying was hard on us, but at least he instilled enough common sense in me to recognize that my mom and sister should be treated like queens and princesses. Life can be hard enough on them, and I’m ensuring any man that enters their lives has a high bar to meet. Any man that rises above the bar my dad and I set will be worthy of their love.
“Man, we’ve been friends since we were kids, and we have always been able to look the other way when you’ve been a dick to us. We knew we were the only stable people in your life, so we made excuses when you acted out or attempted to influence us into making bad decisions.
“We all subconsciously recognized how jealous you’ve been of Ben. You hate that he has loving parents and an awesome little brother. You hate how easy school comes to him. You tried to get in his head when he became a wide receiver instead of you. You resented the fact that you don’t have the voice to carry our band. We all knew how you resented him when girls you were interested in threw themselves at Ben first. Even though he respected your friendship and never entertained them, you still felt bitter about being their second option for those who fell for your disgusting charms. And now you are so sickeningly jealous because he got his mark.
“You constantly tease Victoria under the guise of flirting with her. When Rick and I called you out on how inappropriate some of your jokes were, you kept pointing out you were still seventeen and she was almost fourteen, like that made it better. You even told us how you would wait until she was legal if you had to! Now that we all know Ben and her will eventually be together, you’re so fucking angry and jealous.”
I couldn’t help but notice that the bar’s manager was approaching us with a concerned look on his face. We were definitely in danger of blowing an opportunity if this escalated any further. Before Mike could spout more of his bullshit, I decided to take control of the situation.
“Whatever bull crap is going on needs to be tabled for now,” I compelled them. “No more arguing. We have a show to put on, and the manager is heading our way. I refuse to allow your quarrel to ruin this opportunity for us.”
Mike struggled to fight against my compulsion, and I couldn’t help but smirk when I realized what he was attempting to do. Mike was volatile on a good day, so I knew he would have zero remorse if he ruined this for us. He would burn down an entire building, even if he were in it too, if he felt justified in his actions. The others might have stood by while he continued to be a yoke around their necks, but in this, I refused to be passive or compliant in any way.
I could see the moment Mike decided to find an alternate punching bag in his journey to retaliation and unfounded righteous anger. “We—” He curled his lip in contempt. “Let’s be real, Blake. The only reason Ben asked you to help us tonight was because everyone knows what happens to those who displease the whore of Babylon.”
“Watch what you say,” Remy and Gavin growled nearly simultaneously while Taylor and Ben rounded on him in anger.
This caused Mike to smile in triumph. I tried to silently tell the guys I could care less about his opinion of me.They never bothered me, and he was free to think what he would. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it or put any weight in his words. He was a small-minded person in desperate need of therapy. I knew that hurt people hurt people, and although I might not have pandered to his bad behavior, I wasn’t blind to the underlying rot that festered in his soul.
He gave me a small perusal, making sure I saw the “disgust” in his gaze. “You must have a golden snatch or a very big bag to carry all the balls you’ve taken. Even the men that you haven’t opened your legs for are panting for you.What do you promise them? Are you dropping to your knees for them too?”
His words incensed Remy. I could see the moment he was preparing to attack Mike, but I couldn’t let that happen. The moment Remy hit him, it would mean Mike had won.
I knew I had to compel him. “Remy, no .”
I had promised not to use my gifts against them, but I had to. The previous act was getting ready to leave the stage, and we were starting to draw the wrong kind of attention. We were seconds away from launching our career. Again. I wouldn’t stoop to Mike’s level or allow anyone else to either.
I smiled at Mike, ensuring he saw that his words had no effect on me, then I pouted to mock him. “What’s wrong, Mike? Jealous? I barely tolerate you. Truth is, even if I were single, I would never be interested in a boy like you . Not only because your dick is probably riddled with diseases but also because everyone knows it’s not worth the ride. Jemmy and a few of your other conquests laugh at you behind your back. Everyone knows you’re a minute man who barely has anything to please a woman. Four inches is a nice size for heels… not so much for a cock.”
Truthfully, I was guessing. I knew he rarely pleased women, only making sure he always got his while seldom making sure the woman got hers. My comments were meant to emasculate him, and although I might regret it later, I was past the point of caring now. He’d never liked me, and I barely tolerated him.
Not everyone in life would like me, and I was never going to become someone else in order to make them. I wouldn’t like everyone I ever met, and that was okay too. Generally, I gave those people the level of respect they gave me and avoided them, which hadn’t been possible in Mike’s case. This confrontation was a long time coming, but I wished it wasn’t here and now.
Most people simply took his brass, antagonistic attitude. What he hadn’t realized, though, was that they took it or ignored him based on the company he kept. Jaxson, Ben, Taylor, and Rick had been his friends since kindergarten. He was too tense to realize that the bridge he was standing on was one strike of a match from going up in flames. He was on borrowed time, and the others had already begun to realize that their enabling behavior hadn’t done him any favors.
The manager finally reached us as the other band filed off the stage. “Everything okay here?”
“Everything’s fine!” Ben quickly reassured him.
“Honestly, Carl—” Mike began to say before I quickly compelled him to silence.
Carl looked at us dubiously before he nodded. “Okay. I’ll introduce you, then the stage is yours for the next thirty minutes.”
The moment he mounted the stairs, I released Mike, who turned and snarled at me. “Fuck you, you whore bitch. And fuck you guys. You’re willing to throw our friendship and band away for someone you’ve known for two minutes!”
Rick, the silent one, was the first to speak up. “You’re throwing it away.”
Taylor huffed. “We’ve been patient enough with your antics.”
Ben pretended like he hadn’t heard a word Mike said. He slung his guitar over his shoulder, turned around, and braced his foot on the bottom step, silently and effectively showing how little he cared about his “friend’s” recent temper tantrum.
Gavin threw an arm over my shoulder while Remy threw an arm around my waist, presenting a united front.
Mike let out a harsh laugh. “I see how it is. Good luck doing the show without me. I’m done with you all. Don’t come crawling back to me when you realize no one can play the bass like I can.”
I bit my tongue to keep from giving him the satisfaction of a response. He’d forgotten that Gavin and I were capable of playing his instrument. We might not have his talent, but we knew the songs well enough for our audience not to notice. We could easily cut out his guitar solos without the audience ever being any wiser.
“Cut the solo, and I’ll play,” Gavin silently told the band, excluding Mike.
When no one responded to his threats, Mike brushed past us. I barely managed to shuffle out of his way, avoiding the shoulder he was going to slam against mine. The only thing that saved him from getting his ass kicked was the fact that we were called up onto the stage.