Chapter 38
38
KATRINA
“S o, anyway...” Tesla waves a hand, casually. “I didn’t know the guy was the mayor’s son. Even if I had...” Her lips curl. “Well, I still probably would’ve stolen the car. I might not have driven it off the top of a parking garage.”
Mouths hang open around the ladies’ dressing room. All of us girls are perched on the edges of our seats. Everyone except Goldie, who just smiles, looking like she’s watching her favorite movie for the thousandth time.
I stand in front of a full-length mirror, doing my best not to stab myself in the eye with my mascara wand every time Tesla opens her mouth.
It’s all so... wow .
“Goddamn,” Addison says from the couch against the wall, dressed in jeans and a crisp white tube top, her makeup airbrushed to perfection. Beside her, Harmony scrolls through Gossipa articles on her phone, her mother Laurie sitting beside her, mouth agape. “You’re kind of a badass, Tesla Kyle.”
Tesla bats her lashes. “Once upon a time. I’m a model citizen now. Or... that’s what Stella told me I have to be. At least until the trial. Oh—” She winces. “She also said I’m not supposed to tell anyone about this, so you’re all under oath. Or... something.”
Harmony glances up. “If these comments are legit, there might not even be a trial,” she says, reading aloud: “ As an Atlantan, good luck finding twelve people willing to convict her. That mayor was corrupt trash and his son was no better. Hashtag free Tesla Kyle, all caps . Hashtag our hero. ”
Tesla hums with delight. “Well, that’s nice! And yes, that family was trash.”
“Trial or no,” Jordan says, her arms crossed over her clipboard as she leans against the wall, “your secret’s safe with us. Your... very wild, very crazy, very unbelievable secret.”
“Wild, crazy, and unbelievable,” Goldie says, beaming at Tesla. “That’s my blue.”
Tesla bats her lashes again. Pure adoration.
“Hold on,” Addison cuts in. “So, who was actually in the coffin?”
Tesla gasps so dramatically she nearly falls off her stool. “Oh, my god! I completely forgot the best part!”
Everyone leans in like a campfire story is about to start.
Meanwhile, I turn back to the mirror, giving myself one last check. My sundress hugs my frame with simple elegance—blue, yellow, and white. My hair tumbles over my shoulders in loose waves, catching the light. I gently sweep it back behind my left shoulder and smile, proud of the little enamel pin glinting near my heart.
A yellow lightning bolt.
No matter what happens tonight, Goldie told me when she gave it to me, you’re one of us now.
“Hey, Kat.”
I flinch to my right and find Marla Gorchinsky—no, Marla Botsford —smiling sheepishly as she lifts both hands in surrender.
“Sorry,” she says. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“You didn’t,” I say with a quiet laugh. “I’m just...”
“Nervous?”
“A little, yeah.”
“You’re gonna be great. I mean, you’re always great.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
“And you look beautiful,” she adds. “But more than that, you look happy.”
A flutter rises in my chest. “I think I am. Happy, I mean.”
“Good. That’s...” She trails off as another round of laughter erupts behind us, Tesla still telling her tale. Marla chuckles. “Hell of a story she’s got, huh?”
“Yup.”
“Listen, Katrina.” Marla hesitates, biting her lip. “I, uh... this is probably the worst timing in the world for this, but I wanted to tell you that… I know.”
My spine goes rigid. “You know?”
“About you and Jonah,” she says, keeping her voice low. “What happened between you guys before the wedding. And… before that, too. How you two kissed back in the day.”
“He told you about that?”
Marla nods. “When we first started dating. He said if it ever came up, I deserved to know beforehand. He didn’t want me to get blindsided.”
I look down. “Oh.”
“He didn’t think it would come up again,” she says with a soft chuckle. “But... I guess it did!”
“Marla, I’m sorry,” I say, my stomach coiling.
“It’s okay. Really, truly—it’s okay! Believe me, I know what it’s like to be in love with Jonah Botsford and wonder if he’ll ever... see you.” She smiles. “I know .”
“If you want me to stay away from him, I understand.”
“What? No!” Marla shakes her head. “You think I want to Yoko my favorite band? No way!”
I let out a shaky breath. “No, I guess not.”
“I wanted to clear the air between us. Let you know there are no hard feelings. Not from me, anyway. You’re one of my best friends, Katrina. And you mean so much to Jonah. I don’t want that to change.”
“I don’t want anything to change, either.”
“Cool.” Her eyes flick to the lightning bolt pin, and she grins. “Besides... I think your heart’s already set on someone else.”
“It is,” I say.
“Well, for what it’s worth... I think you two are really cute together. And your voices?” She shudders dramatically. “God, I’ve watched that clip of you guys performing like a thousand times.”
“Yeah?” I smile.
“The way he looked at you?” She grins, dreamy. “Even I got jealous. And I was on my honeymoon with a freakin’ Botsford.”
We laugh. I can’t stop the blush blooming across my face as I step away from the mirror. “Thanks, Marla.” I wrap her in a warm hug. “You make one hell of a Botsford wife.”
She squeezes me back. “And you’re one hot Shock Girl.”
We separate, my heart beating like a drum in my chest. That tether between me and Logan—it coils and tightens, buzzing with anticipation.
“I’m gonna sneak over to the guys’ room,” I say, already backing toward the door.
Marla smirks. “Give Logan a kiss for me.”
I slip out quietly, Tesla’s voice and the girls’ laughter fading behind me. The backstage hall is dim and narrow, the sounds of the audience filtering in through the curtains ahead. The air is tense, charged. Alive in ways that only happen on show night.
A hundred fans in the seats. Millions more watching at home. All waiting for the main event.
Criminal Records versus The Electrics.
The Battle of the Bands.
As I approach the edge of the curtain and peek out into the crowd, the nerves twisting in my chest suddenly... loosen.
Even though we’ve been planning and prepping for this night for months—wishing, hoping, dreaming of victory—I stand in the shadows of the backstage at The Sin and Sand in Las Vegas and realize… it doesn’t matter to me who wins or loses.
I’ve already won.
I have my brother. Our band. Our family.
A family that’s grown so much over the summer. We’ve added Harmony—again. And Harvey Moon. We even picked up Chrissy and August, two people I honestly can’t believe we managed so long without.
And now, Goldie Locke.
Tesla Kyle.
Last but not least, the one closest to my heart...
“Katrina?”
I hear my name behind me. My lips lift into a smile as I turn?—
A hand slaps over my mouth. I jolt back instinctively, but a strong arm hooks around my waist, yanking me forward until I’m flush with a stranger’s body. The smell hits first. Sweat and alcohol, sour and heavy. I look up into a pair of fierce, frenzied eyes and gasp.
“Just the girl I was looking for,” he growls.
It takes a beat, but I recognize him.
Paul Monroe.
I’ve never seen him out of a suit and tie. Never with a thick, ragged beard shadowing his jaw. But I’d know those judgmental eyes anywhere.
“Don’t make a sound,” he whispers, breath hot and stale against my cheek. “Or I’ll wring your pretty little neck.”
Every inch of me goes rigid. His head darts from side to side, scanning the empty hallway for witnesses. But the crew is elsewhere, busy. The others are still in the dressing rooms.
I’m alone.
“I—” I squeak against his palm. “Please don’t hurt me.”
He offers me a look of mock sympathy. “I’m not gonna hurt you, cutie. You and I are just going for a little drive, that’s all. Get out of the city. Onto the open road!” His voice sours. “Once your brother and his band of misfits forfeits the Battle, I’ll let you go.”
“Why?”
His eyes sharpen, glazed with hatred. “You really have to ask, little Benton? Look at me!”
I lock eyes with him, not daring to look away.
“I had everything,” he hisses. “A great job. A new wife. Lots and lots of money. And then— boom, boom.” His smirk slants into something dark and grotesque. “You all had to take me down, so now? I’m returning the favor. And cashing in while I’m at it. This is Vegas, after all—there’s always something to bet on. And I’m all-in on watching your band go down, down, baby.” He yanks my arm. “So, let’s go.”
I dig my heels into the floor. “No?—!”
His grip crushes my wrist. “I said move.”
“No!” I scream, tears rising as panic overtakes me. Old trauma floods to the surface and I thrash against him, my whole body fighting back. “Logan!” I cry.
“Knock it off, you?—”
“Monroe! Let her go!”
He spins us both, his hand shifting to my throat, keeping me pinned against him like a shield.
Behind us, Logan stands in the hallway, fists clenched at his sides.
“Logan—!” My voice cuts off as Monroe squeezes harder.
“Mr. Shock,” Monroe says with oily glee. “Good to see you again. I’d love to stay and chat, but we’ve got places to be.”
Logan steps forward, slow and fearless. Behind him, Knox and Jonah burst out of the dressing room, Bronson a half-step behind them.
“What—” Knox freezes, his voice furious when he sees Monroe. “For fuck’s sake. Really?”
“Yes, really!” Monroe snarls, dragging me back another step, his grip tightening around my throat. “You thought you could steamroll my life, and I’d just let you get away with it?!”
“Dude, get a life,” Knox says. “Seriously.”
Monroe’s thumb digs deeper into my throat, and I wince.
“Knox,” Logan says, catching the pain in my eyes. “Back off.”
“Yes, Knox,” Monroe taunts. “Back off. You wouldn’t want something bad to happen to little sister, would you?”
Knox’s jaw clenches as he meets my gaze. “Let her go,” he says.
“Drop out, let The Electrics declare victory, and I will,” Monroe replies.
“Not gonna happen.”
“Then stay out of my way.” He jerks me toward the exit again. “Or I’ll?—”
“Paul, what the hell?!”
Monroe whirls around at the voice. I twist to look and feel the first wave of relief crash through me.
The ladies’ dressing room door is open. The girls block our exit—Addison and Jordan in front, Goldie and Tesla behind them. Harmony. Marla. And then?—
Laurie.
Harmony’s mother.
And Paul Monroe’s ex-wife.
She storms toward us, face blazing. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she yells. “Release her! Now!”
Monroe startles. “Snugglebug!” he gasps, loosening his grip.
“Snugglebug?” I echo.
Laurie practically growls. “Oh, don’t you dare Snugglebug me, you pathetic little man! Let me guess. Another loan shark’s on your ass and you’ve got nothing left to give?”
“Because you took all my money!”
“You blew your money with your shitty life choices, Paul. God, it never ends with you, does it? You’re already broke and unemployed. Did you really think kidnapping was going to help solve your problems?”
“Laurie, baby… I just need this one last thing?—”
“No, what you need is a lobotomy!”
“La-la,” he whines. “Can’t we?—”
“Oh, my god!” she snaps. “Let. Her. Go!”
With a reluctant grunt, Monroe shoves me forward. I stumble off-balance, thankfully falling straight into Logan’s arms.
“I’ve got you, kitty,” he says, wrapping me up in him, holding me tight. His lips press to my forehead, warm and firm, steadying my feet.
Knox steps closer. “You okay?”
I nod, trembling. But safe.
“Are you hurt?”
I swallow hard to test my throat. “I’m fine,” I say. “Just... he scared me, that’s all.”
“Should we call the cops?” Logan asks, arms still around me.
“Actually...” Knox glances toward the hallway, cringing as Laurie slaps Monroe’s shoulder, barking at him like a woman possessed. “I think Harmony’s mom has this one covered.”
We all watch as Laurie shoves Monroe through the back door and follows him out, her angry voice echoing into the alley until the door slams shut behind them.
Logan strokes my back. “You sure you’re okay?” he asks, holding me close.
I look up into his eyes and smile. “I’m all right.”
He cradles my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing my cheeks, then dips down to kiss me—slow and sweet.
“All right, all right.” Knox groans behind us. “Break it up. Tonight, he’s the enemy.”
I ease back from Logan, but he catches my hand before I can step away fully. His fingers thread through mine, not quite ready to let go.
“Sorry, Knox,” I say, giving my brother a sly grin.
“Right,” Logan echoes. “Sorry, brother.”
“And quit it with that brother crap,” Knox mutters, shooting Logan a glare. “We are not brothers. This—” he waves a finger between us, “—doesn’t make us family.”
“Yet,” Logan says, all charm and trouble.
“Never not ever,” Knox fires back, then jerks a thumb toward the guy’s dressing room. “Come on, Kat. It’s shot time.”
The second his back is turned, I pop up onto my toes and press another kiss to Logan’s lips. He smiles as we linger, letting the warmth between our fingers stretch for as long as possible.
Knox pauses in the doorway, eying me suspiciously as I approach. “The hell you grinning about?” he asks.
“Nothing,” I say, still staring at Logan. “I’m happy.”
“Paul Monroe almost strangled you.”
I shrug.
Knox stares at me like he’s trying to puzzle something out, then finally exhales hard, surrendering.
“Yo, Shock!” he shouts over his shoulder. “You coming or what?”
I smile at my big brother and mouth, thank you.
“Yeah, yeah.” Knox waves at Goldie and Tesla. “Shock Chicks. You, too. Come on. Plenty to go around.”
He disappears inside, leaving the door wide open. I reach for Logan again, and he takes my hand without hesitation. His eyes brim with questions, however, but he doesn’t ask them. He follows as I pull him with me, Goldie and Tesla linking arms behind us.
Inside, we gather for our pre-show ritual. Shot time. It’s sacred to us, something that began in this very room, with just the six of us.
Knox. Jonah. Bronson. Addison. Our manager, Jordan. And me.
Jonah pours the whiskey into plastic cups, handing them out one by one. Jordan slips in beside Bronson, and he automatically drapes an arm over her shoulders.
Before the Break the Rules tour upended our lives in almost every way, this was the core. The six of us, taking on the world together.
But our world’s changed since then.
Marla steps into the circle, taking her place beside her new husband. Jonah kisses her forehead and hands her a cup.
Harvey wraps his arms around Addison from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.
August and Chrissy slide in, too, all flushed cheeks and secret smiles, looking like they just spent seven minutes together in a broom closet somewhere.
Knox pulls Harmony to his side, whispering something in her ear that makes her laugh as she takes a cup of her own.
And me...
I guide Logan into the circle beside me. No one blinks. No one questions it. I hand him a cup like he’s always belonged here. Another for Goldie. And Tesla, too.
“All right,” Knox says, eyes sweeping across the circle—across this messy, beautiful, chosen family we’ve built. “We ready?”
Everyone lifts their cups.
“Three!” I call out.
“Two!” Addison follows.
“One!” Jonah finishes.
“It’s shot time!” we all shout in unison, the room buzzing with the thrill of show night.
Let the Battle of the Bands begin.