Chapter 42
“ I can’t do this.” I mean, what the fuck am I thinking? I’m sorry for acting like an asshole to Peace. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still an asshole.
I spin around on the drive.
“Yes, you can.” Carson grabs my arm, preventing me from taking off in the opposite direction from the Jinkins’ house.
“Man up.” Harmony moves in front of me and waves her finger in my face. “You better apologize or else.”
“Sheath the claws, wildcat.” Carson releases me and gets ahold of her. “Bo’s got this.” Yet he glances at me and raises a brow. “Right?”
“Yeah. Sure. I got it.” I say the words they both want to hear. But my heart goes nuts knowing Peace is only a short distance away.
“Let’s do this.” Carson aims his gaze at the house. “Lead the way, babe.”
“Not your babe.” She marches toward the front door, her nose in the air.
“Not yet.” Carson goes along with her, leaning back to check out her ass.
“The alarm will be on.” On the front stoop, Harmony removes a key from her purse. “I’ll disarm it. My parents should already be asleep. But we need to be very quiet.” She glances at Carson, catching him ogling her backside.
“Give it a rest, Romeo.” She shakes her head.
“Not a chance.” He grins unapologetically. “Been sporting a chubby since I first laid eyes on you.” He grabs his junk. “There’s only one sure method to get this bad boy to settle down.”
“Yeah, you need a cold shower,” she retorts.
Opening the door, she steps inside and types the code into the alarm pad. She sets her purse on an entryway table and ushers us in.
“Not what I envisioned,” Carson decides. After a longer glance around the rotunda with the family photos and sweeping staircase, he moseys closer to Harmony and cops a feel.
“Keep your hands to yourself.” She glares at him.
“Stop being so irresistibly sexy, and I will.”
“Carson.” Exasperated, she shakes her head.
“Car,” he insists. “And don’t pretend you don’t like it. Some palace you got here. It’s even more impressive than the Jacksons’ place in Vancouver.”
“It’s okay, I guess.” Harmony shrugs, and I have the thought that only a person who has never struggled to make ends meet could ever dismiss the extravagance of a place like hers. It’s a cynical thought and a self-directed one. It wasn’t so long ago that I was as jaded as Harmony.
“All this space on the lake.” Carson whistles low. “Must be tough.”
“It has its drawbacks.” Her stilettos clack on the hardwood as she heads for the stairs.
“Got no swimming pool, huh?” he asks with his foot on the step right behind her.
“When I want to swim,” she shares, “I go to the lake.”
“Let’s go swimming. Tonight. Me and you.” He moves onto the same step and places his hand over hers where it rests on the rail. “I’m sure my buddy Jacks could use some privacy while he makes his apology to your sister.”
She cocks her head as if to give that some consideration, which surprises me. She has shot him down repeatedly since she sobered.
“We could raid your parents’ liquor cabinet.” He runs his thumb over her knuckles and her lids lower. Looks like she might be into him after all. “Make it a party.”
“Okay.” She slides her gaze over to me. “Can you find your way to Peace’s room from here?”
“Yeah.” I remember everything about this house and Peace.
“All right. Say what you need to. Then get out,” she orders. “My dad’s asleep but trust me, you don’t want to wake him. If he catches you in my sister’s room?—”
“I can handle your dad,” I cut her off, bristling at the idea that she thinks I can’t take him, especially after witnessing firsthand what I did to Mark tonight. I sweep my thumb over my bruised jaw and wince. It’s still tender. I let the prick get one free shot. I felt like I deserved some pain on account of being shitty to Peace.
“I wasn’t referring to physically.” She arches a brow. “You’re in a band. An up-and-coming one. Dad has tons of connections in the industry. If I were you, I’d be very careful not to piss him off.”
“Right. Gotcha.” I didn’t think about that. My mind is only on one task: making peace with Peace.
“Okay, Casanova. C’mon.” Harmony changes course. Heading down the stairs, she beckons to Carson.
“Hey, Car,” I call, needing to tell him something.
“Yeah.” He stops in the middle of the foyer and glances up at me. Harmony has already disappeared.
“No doing drugs with War’s daughter.” None of us need that kind of trouble. “Got it?”
“Why the fuck not?” Carson doesn’t see things the way I do.
“Because,” I explain, “she’s Peace’s sister and not some random groupie. Because her father is who he is, and he has the power to screw you. You don’t want to give him a reason to dig into your past.”
“I was underage when that bullshit went down.” He frowns. “The label did a background check. They didn’t find jack. Those records are sealed.”
“Car,” I cajole. “C’mon, just be smart.”
“Sober, you’re such a killjoy.” He makes a face.
“Just don’t take the chance, man.”
“Hear you. Harmony and I are going to have a little fun. No one’s going to get hurt.” He turns away and lifts a hand in the air. My brows draw together, watching him walk down the same hallway Harmony entered. I think about following him. His little fun might be big trouble. But I realize I can’t force him to see things my way. He’s my friend. I’m concerned. The path he’s on with substance abuse is like his parents’. They chose drugs over raising their son, and he ended up in the foster care system. Plus, getting caught with the stuff as a youth earned Cason a stint in juvie. A brief one since the charge was only possession, but I really wish he decided like I have that the downside with drugs just isn’t worth it.
I rake a hand through my hair. Pulling in a big breath, I decide not to do any more stalling. I owe Peace an apology. She changed the trajectory of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. I must make this right.