Chapter 33
33
KATRINA
“W e’re almost twenty-four hours away from the most exciting rock battle of a generation!” Jonny Red says through the radio app on my phone. “Criminal Records are taking on The Electrics at the Sin and Sand in Las Vegas tomorrow night, and the city is buzzing with anticipation! Knox versus Logan! The Shock Girls versus... whatever the Criminal Records ladies call themselves. But I think the most exciting match-up of the night is between frontman Logan Shock and little Katrina Benton!”
I glare at my phone, sipping my club soda alone while the others chat across the bar.
Really wish people would stop putting little in front of my name like that.
“What say you, music fans?” Jonny Red keeps going. “Is it true love or just another publicity stunt?”
“Oh, fuck off,” I murmur.
“Either way, no matter the victor, it’s gonna be one awkward Thanksgiving, that’s for sure! Catch the Battle of the Bands live right here on K-RED ? —”
I jab the screen to shut the app off before glancing toward the front doors of the Sin and Sand. The bar is currently closed. We aren’t here for fun. We’re here to iron out the last details with Pam before the tomorrow’s Battle of the Bands, and the Electrics are supposed to be meeting us here.
Any minute now.
“Well, well, well,” Addison teases, plopping onto the stool next to mine. “Now you know how it feels.”
“How what feels?”
“Having to spend a week away from your honey before the big day,” she says, nudging me with her elbow. “I see you squirming over here. Don’t lie.”
I smile, blushing. “Okay, yeah. It’s been a few days since we’ve seen each other. But I’m fine.”
She winks. “Sure you are.”
I laugh softly. “I’m fine, Addy! It’s not like I haven’t had plenty to keep me occupied.”
“Right. So easy not to think about him while you’re preparing to take him and his band down in a music competition.”
I sigh. “I have lousy taste in men, don’t I?”
“Not gonna lie to you, sweetie. It ain’t great.” She smirks over my shoulder. “Could be worse, though.”
Harmony drops onto the stool beside me, smiling widely. “Hi!”
I bite back a laugh as Addison chuckles beside me. “Hey, Harmony.”
“So, Knox sent me over here to find out where your ugly douchebag troll of a boyfriend is,” she says. “His words, not mine.”
“Hey!” Addison says, giving my shoulder a supportive pat. “That’s one less hateful adjective than last time! Maybe he’s coming around.”
“Yeah. Any day now.” I sigh. “I don’t know where he is. Last I heard, he said they’d show.”
“Only a few minutes late,” Addison says. “They’ll be here.”
“Yeah.” I check my phone. No unread texts. No missed calls. “They’ll be here.”
Harmony gives my back a gentle rub before heading off to relay the news—or lack thereof.
Then the front doors swing open, bathing the walls with afternoon sunlight. I twist on my stool, my heart jumping as Logan walks in. He holds the door open for Tesla, Goldie, and last, Priscilla, letting them pass before he closes it behind him.
My gentleman.
“So, what was it like?” Addison asks.
“What was what like?” I ask, turning to her.
Addison wiggles her brow suggestively as she looks at Logan.
“Oh.” I blush. “It was… good. Real good.”
“Yeah.” She nods like she’s known it all along. “That tracks.”
“Katriiiina!” Tesla squeals, beelining toward us. “Hey!”
She throws her arms around my neck, nearly knocking me off the stool. I cling to her for balance, laughing as I hug her back.
“Ugh, this sucks,” she says.
“What does?”
She pulls back, rolling her eyes. “We haven’t hung out all week. We miss you.”
“Yeah. I miss you guys, too.”
“Duh. We’re awesome.” She gives her blue hair a playful flip before turning to Addison. “Hello, there.”
“Hi,” Addison replies, stiff.
Tesla clocks the tension immediately. “I know. I know . We haven’t really talked since I totally came onto your hot boyfriend back in Colorado, but I wanna put it all out there: it meant nothing.”
“Nothing?” Addison arches a brow.
“It was all part of that totally dumb plot to spy on you guys or whatever. I hated it. Not that it did anything. Your boy is stupid loyal. It was actually quite impressive.”
Addison narrows her eyes. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah!” Tesla laughs. “Can’t blame the guy, though. I mean, if I had my chance with the Addison Abbey—the woman personally responsible for Money Bag ’s fifty-two second electric guitar solo—I wouldn’t fuck it up, either. So, we cool?”
Addison stares at her for a long beat, then finally blinks and smiles. “Yeah, we’re cool,” she says, hopping off her seat. “I’ll go let Pam know you’re here.”
“Awesome!” Tesla cheers, sliding onto Addison’s now-empty stool beside me. Once Addison’s out of earshot, she lowers her voice. “Are we cool?”
I chuckle. “She wouldn’t have said so otherwise.”
“Good.” Tesla exhales, visibly relieved. “Because she is a goddess and I would die if she didn’t love me.”
“You said exactly the right thing.”
Behind her, Logan approaches. Just like that, the rest of the bar fades from my awareness.
“Hey,” I say, my whole body homing in on him.
“Hey.” He leans in and brushes his lips against my forehead, but they don’t linger. They don’t even really land.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he says, his eyes fixed on Knox, Jonah, and the others seated by the stage.
They glance over. Every one of them looks away just as fast.
“Well, this is off to a good start,” Goldie mutters behind him.
“Agreed,” Logan says. “Let’s get this over with.”
He turns and heads toward the empty chairs across from the others.
I look at Tesla.
“It’s not you,” she says with a sigh. “He’s been like this for days.”
“Like what, exactly?”
“Just… off, I guess. I think he’s worried.”
“About what?”
She grins, eyes flaring with mock drama. “About us kicking your ass so hard in this Battle you never want to speak to him again.”
I chuckle. “Maybe.”
Her fingers absently twirl through a strand of my hair. “It’s just more of that pride. He’ll be our Logan again in no time.”
I smile, stealing a glance across the bar at him, hoping she’s right.
I slide off my stool, Tesla and Goldie each patting my back as we part ways—me heading toward my band, them drifting back to Logan’s side.
After a few minutes, Pam appears from backstage, her heavy boots thudding dully against the floor as she walks out. She’s wearing a slouchy pair of overalls, a far cry from the fierce punk aesthetic she usually sports.
“Hello, everybody!” she says brightly as Jordan and Priscilla fall into step beside her. “Good to see you all again.” Her smile is warm, more elementary school teacher than club owner. “I promise this won’t take long. I don’t usually require a pre-show meet-n-greet, but this ain’t no ordinary gig. It’s a competition. A friendly one. And I want us all on the same page to keep it that way. Agreed?”
There’s a general murmur of agreement all around.
Knox stays silent, however, his eyes sharp, locked across the room on Logan.
“Knox?” Jordan nudges.
“Yeah,” he says. “We’ll be friendly… assuming they show up on time.”
“There was a wreck off The Strip,” Logan replies. “Traffic held us up.”
“We still made it.”
“Knox,” Jordan says again, her tone sharper this time.
Priscilla shoots Logan the same look.
“Sorry for the tardiness, Pam,” Tesla says pleasantly, stepping in.
“It’s all right,” Pam replies, waving it off. “A few minutes ain’t hurt nobody. We’re all here now, so let’s move on. I’ve been chatting with your managers for a while now, hammering out the details, so nothing I’m about to say should come as a shock to anybody—pun intended.”
She chuckles at her own joke, then powers forward.
“Here are the rules for tomorrow night’s event. Rule number one I’ve already said, but I’m gonna say it again anyway: this is a friendly competition. We’re all music lovers here. And you all know I don’t take kindly to those throwing punches in my bar, so I won’t remind you again to keep your tempers in check.”
She pauses, eyes flicking to Knox and Logan. Can’t blame her—they’ve both been arrested for exactly that before.
“Rule number two: there’ll be a coin toss on stage to decide who goes first. Seemed the fairest way to do it.” She gestures toward Harmony and Harvey in our section. “The lovely Harmony Max and Harvey Moon have agreed to warm up the crowd beforehand. Unless The Electrics object?”
Logan shakes his head. “No objections.”
“Very good.” Pam nods. “You two will hit the stage at six forty-five sharp.”
Harmony and Harvey exchange a glance and a nod. “We’ll be there,” Harmony says.
“Excellent. Rule number three: Ten-minute sets. Three songs each. You can go under, but not over. Not a lot of time, but I doubt either of you will struggle to make an impression. Audience reaction determines the score. Winner take all.”
Knox raises a hand, snapping his fingers once. “How do we know the scoring will be fair?”
“Yes,” Logan adds. “How do we know the audience isn’t stacked with local Criminal Records shills?”
Knox snorts. “You think we’d rig a competition we could win in our sleep?”
“Actually, yes.”
Pam cuts in, her voice firm. “All ticket holders filled out a questionnaire to be accepted. If anyone showed too much bias for either side, they were denied.”
Knox lets out a sharp laugh. “Surprised you found anyone who openly admitted to being an Electrics fan.”
“Oh, it’s quite easy, actually,” Logan says smoothly. “Just look for the ones with taste.”
Goldie snorts.
“Oh, really?” Knox sits forward.
“Knox,” Jordan warns.
Jonah tugs at Knox’s sleeve, giving him a quiet look. Knox rolls his eyes and sits back, hands raised in surrender.
“Please continue, Pam.”
“Thank you, Mr. Benton,” she says, her patience thinning at the edges. “We’ve done our best to make this as fair as possible. Unless either party has an objection or a better idea, then I’ll say the rules are settled law.”
She lets the pause hang in the air, scanning the room.
“Okay, then.” She smiles again in the silence. “Any questions?”
“Yeah,” Knox says, leaning forward once more. “Will there be merch tables?”
“Sure.” Pam shrugs. “I’ve got no problem with that, if that’s what you want to do.”
Logan chuckles. “Can’t pass up the chance to line your pockets a little more, huh, Knox?”
My brother smirks. “Well, when we win?—”
“If you win,” Logan cuts in.
“When we win,” Knox repeats, louder, “there should be a place where all these mythical superfans of yours can go support a real band after your disappointing performance.”
“Haven’t heard a complaint yet,” Logan says, his voice low and sharp. “Certainly not from your sister.”
Knox’s face hardens.
I inhale sharply. “Logan.”
He doesn’t even look at me. His eyes stay locked on Knox, waiting, daring him to snap.
“The fuck you say to me?” Knox asks, falling for it.
“You set it up, mate.”
“And you just couldn’t help yourself.”
“What can I say?” Logan’s smirk deepens. “Katrina’s quite the woman.”
“Don’t say her name,” Knox says. “Don’t even look at her.”
“You know, Knox, I’m curious. Are you this hostile with every man who’s made out with your sister, or just the ones who aren’t your best friend?”
“Logan!” My heart seizes up, my blood running cold.
Knox goes quiet. “What?” he asks.
I catch Jonah’s eyes as they go wide with panic. “Nothing,” I say quickly. “He’s messing with you, Knox. Logan, knock it off.”
Logan’s smug smirk stays locked on Knox and Jonah, like he’s waiting to see who snaps first.
Knox turns to Jonah. “What’s he talking about, Jo?”
Jonah hesitates. “I have no idea, man.”
Logan chuckles, a low, humorless sound. “Oh, you didn’t know, Knox?”
“Logan, stop!” I beg.
Tesla’s worried eyes flit between us. “What are you doing, Logan?” she whispers to him.
“No,” Knox mutters, shaking his head. “What’s he talking about?”
“Nothing,” I say again, but my voice comes out so small.
Knox’s glare sharpens on Jonah. “Jo. What is he talking about?”
Jonah looks at me. I shake my head, silently pleading, but I can see the crack forming in his resolve.
“Okay,” Jonah says, voice steady but low. “Knox, it’s not what you think.”
“What’s not what I think?” Knox asks.
“It...” I swallow hard, my heart pounding as Knox pivots toward me. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Hey, guys,” Jordan interjects, stepping forward on the stage. “How about we continue this conversation another time?”
“No. Fuck that,” Knox growls. “I need someone to tell me exactly what’s going on right now.”
“Nothing’s going on,” Jonah says. “It was a long time ago.”
I look at Logan. His eyes are dark, empty, pointed at the ground. Tesla and Goldie watch us with wide-eyed silence. The others, too. The whole room feels like it’s holding its breath, waiting to see what happens next.
A soft touch lands on my arm. Addison gives a gentle squeeze, a silent anchor while the world spins sideways.
“What was a long time ago?” Knox asks, eyes drilling into me. “Kat, you wanna chip in here?”
“We...” My voice trembles. “Jonah and I… kissed.”
Knox doesn’t even blink.
Pam clears her throat awkwardly. “I’m afraid I agree with Ms. Peck here. If there’s nothing else to discuss concerning our show tomorrow night, I’m going to have to ask you to take this conversation outside.”
“I’m sorry, Pam,” Jordan says, stepping in to smooth it over. She offers her hand, which Pam shakes stiffly. “We’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Take care, hun,” Pam replies.
“Oh, we’ll try.”
Knox bolts out of his chair, storming past all of us toward the exit. I scramble after him, heart in my throat, feeling Jonah right behind me.
“Knox,” Jonah says as we spill outside into the humid afternoon sun. “Let me explain.”
Knox spins on his heel, his shoes scraping across the asphalt. “Oh, please do.”
“Yes, Katrina and I kissed,” Jonah says, calm but firm. “But like she said, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“When?”
Addison lingers at my side with Harvey, while Bronson keeps close to Jordan and Priscilla by the door. All eyes are on them. On me.
“It was years ago,” Jonah says.
“When, Jo?! When did you kiss my little sister?”
“It was after she left home. A few weeks, maybe.”
Knox’s face twists. “You kissed my barely legal little sister?”
“It wasn’t his fault!” I say, stepping forward. “It was all my idea.”
“Your idea?” His voice spikes.
“I wanted to know what it was like. So I asked Jonah to...” I trail off. “It was just the one time.”
“One time is one too many times to fool around with your best friend’s little sister!” Knox shouts, his voice echoing across the parking lot.
“We didn’t fool around!” Jonah says. “It was just kissing.”
“Kiss ing? As in, more than once?”
Jonah sighs. “Come on, Knox.”
“No, tell me.” Knox steps closer, fists at his sides. “How many times have you kissed my sister, Jonah?”
“I don’t know,” Jonah admits.
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t exactly keep count in the moment, Knox.”
“Well, how long was the moment, then?”
“I dunno. An hour?”
“An hour?! You kissed my sister for an hour?!”
“Half-hour, maybe? I don’t remember! It was years ago!”
“Oh! So now kissing my sister ain’t even worth remembering?”
Jonah frowns. “Are you pissed I kissed her or that I didn’t kiss her more?”
“Yes!”
Jonah throws his hands up. “Knox.”
“Is this the real reason you rushed back from your honeymoon?” Knox seethes. “To play her white knight? What’s your wife gonna say about this, huh?”
Jonah sighs. “Knox, it’s not?—”
Knox snaps back to me. I flinch as his glare hits like a whip.
“How about you?” he asks. “You have anything to say for yourself?”
“No,” I whisper, my voice shaking.
“Knox,” Addison says, slipping in front of me. “Maybe we should?—”
“Did you know about this?” he asks her.
“No. But I think we all need to chill before someone says or does something they’ll regret.”
“What? Like this?”
Knox spins and throws a punch. It lands hard against Jonah’s cheek, almost sending him stumbling back onto the ground.
“Knox!” I scream. “What the hell is the matter with you?!”
But he doesn’t hear me. Or he doesn’t care. He launches at Jonah. They hit the pavement hard, fists flying in a blur of rage.
Bronson and Harvey bolt forward, doing their best to separate them. Behind me, I hear the sharp, intrusive clicks of cameras. Paparazzi have descended, lying in wait at The Sin and Sand, hoping for exactly this, I imagine.
“Knox! Jonah!” Jordan’s voice rings out over the chaos. “Stop!”
I jerk away from the scene, tears burning hot on my cheeks as I scan the lot, looking for him.
Logan.
We lock eyes. It should bring me comfort, but it doesn’t. His expression is blank, his lips fixed in a hard, thin line. Tesla and Goldie talk at him, but he doesn’t respond. He just stares at me.
I walk toward him.
“Kat, where are you going?” Addison calls from behind me.
I don’t stop. I’m too hurt to be careful. Too angry to stay quiet.
Logan doesn’t look away as I approach.
“Why?” I ask, my voice cracking. “Why did you do that?”
He says nothing.
“Logan, why did you do that? You knew what would happen if Knox found out!”
“Yes, I did,” he says flatly.
“Then, why?—”
“You’re a big girl, Katrina. Figure it out.”
My heart stops. I can feel the truth curling around the edges of his words, sharp and cold.
“Logan, I don’t...” I swallow hard. “Tell me it’s not true.”
Tell me they were wrong about you.
Tell me you really care.
Tell me you weren’t lying to me this whole time.
Tesla steps forward. “Katrina?—”
“Tell me it was real.” My voice shakes. “Please, Logan, tell me this wasn’t...”
“Wasn’t what?” His voice is a blade now. “Just a game? An easy way to pass the time?” He smirks. “What did you expect, kitty?”
Tears spill freely down my cheeks. “But I thought...”
“You thought wrong.”
“Logan,” Goldie says quietly, a warning in her voice.
“I trusted you,” I whisper.
That cruel look stays in his eyes as he turns away. “We got what we came here for,” he says to them. “Let’s go.”
I don’t move. I watch him walk away, watch him climb into their car.
Goldie hesitates, then follows. Priscilla, too.
“Kat,” Tesla says softly, staying behind. She reaches out a hand. “I’m?—”
“Stay away from me,” I snap, jerking away.
She recoils, hurt flashing in her big eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispers before leaving with them.
I look away, turning back toward the others. Bronson stands between Knox and Jonah as they continue shouting, clothes torn, knuckles bloodied. Jordan’s trying to get through to them. Harmony tries holding a cloth to Knox’s eye, but he bats her away. Addison stands with Harvey, his arms around her protectively.
And me?
I stand alone.
Heart shattered. Soul hollow.
Every word Logan said echoing in my head. Every touch. Every kiss.
It was all a lie.
And I fell for it.
My friends tried to tell me. I didn’t listen. I didn’t see it.
I couldn’t.
I can’t.
I can’t.
I walk away, their voices fading into the distance behind me.