Chapter Nineteen #2
“Yeah, looking forward to it, but nervous too. I just hope you all get along okay.”
I furrow my brows. “Why wouldn’t we?”
He shakes his head quickly. “No reason. You will. I mean… there’s no reason you wouldn’t. I just…” He sighs. “Oh fuck. I’m nervous.”
I giggle, loving this vulnerable, softer version of him. He’s always so tough, so commanding. But I know how much Gran and Kiera mean to him, so this is a big deal.
“How long is the drive from the airport?” I ask.
“Just over an hour, give or take,” he replies as Amanda opens the doors.
Casey barrels past us, sniffing the air like she’s on a food safari. “I smell popcorn, bacon and cheddar with a bit of spice… maybe all together. That’s the popcorn I want to try,” she declares, racing off the jet.
Kristy rolls her eyes and follows her.
Andi groans behind them. “Girl’s got the nose of a dog and the stomach of a pig. How she stays that skinny is beyond me.”
Andi walks off, shaking her head, and Alana turns to me with a smile. “Have fun in Ligonier. I’ll miss you.”
I hug Alana tightly. “I’ll only be gone a couple of days. You’ll barely notice I’m missing.”
She pulls back, nodding. “I know. I’m just used to seeing you every day. I’m glad I have Kristy to keep me company.”
“You okay?” I ask gently.
She gives a bright smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Fine. Just plodding along as usual. You know me.”
I glance toward Mercs, who’s grabbing our bags and heading for the door. He winks at me, giving me space. He knows I need a second with my step-sister.
Alana watches him pass.
“Keep the crew in line for me, will you?” he says with a grin.
“Sure thing, Mercs. Have a great break,” she calls, waving as he heads out.
I turn to her again. “Okay… spill. What’s up?”
She sighs, slumping into a chair. “Honestly? I’m feeling a little… redundant.”
My stomach sinks. “What? Why?”
“The band’s great. We sound amazing. But in interviews, no one talks to me. I help Luke with PR, but even he’s sidelining me. Kristy’s smashing social media. And you…” she pauses. “You have Mercs now.”
My chest caves. I reach for her, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Oh my Gaia, Alana. Don’t ever say that. We’d fall apart without you. You’re the only one with a level head in amongst all this chaos.”
I pull back, our eyes locking as hers fill with tears. “If Luke’s giving you a hard time, tell him to come to me. I want you to do more PR, not less. You’re incredible at it.”
Her shoulders shake slightly, her body taut with emotion. She’s really struggling, and it kills me to watch it play out in front of me.
“Okay, that’s it, I’m staying. I’ll cancel Ligonier. You and I are having sister bonding time.”
Her eyes go wide. “No. No way. I couldn’t do that to you, Effa.
You’ve been so excited to meet Kiera and Gran.
Please go. It would make me feel worse if you stayed.
I’ll be fine, I’ve got Kristy. You can call and tell me all about it.
And maybe how you and Kiera gang up on Mercs, making him feel inferior. That’ll make me happy.”
I hesitate because my instincts say stay. But I also know Alana. If I miss this trip, she’ll blame herself for the rest of the tour.
Shaking my head, I pull her in again. “You better check in with me every few hours. Deal?”
“For sure. I’ll be okay.”
“You are not redundant, Alana. I don’t know who made you feel that way, but it sure as hell wasn’t me. If I have, even a little, I’m so sorry. We need you. Always.”
She leans in and kisses my cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now, go get laid or something.”
“Effa!” she gasps, scandalized, and I burst into laughter. Her innocence is the best thing ever.
Chuckling, I grab her hand, and we walk down the stairs onto the tarmac. Luke and Mercs are waiting beside the cars.
I lean in and hug Alana once more. “Don’t let Luke give you crap. He’s a douche, remember? And we can fire him if he gets too full of himself.”
She giggles, and the sound settles my nerves.
Luke watches us, brows creased like he knows exactly what we’ve been talking about.
I purse my lips at him, just enough to let him know I’m not impressed.
He swallows and shifts his attention to Alana, placing a hand on her back before he ushers her to the car like the world’s most stressed-out event planner.
“Have a good break, you two. Don’t do anything stupid,” Luke calls.
Mercs chuckles beside me as I walk toward him. “Depends on your definition of stupid, Luke,” I fire back. He blinks, slightly thrown by my tone, then climbs into the Hummer.
Mercs raises a brow, smirking. “Something going on with Luke?”
I sigh as he opens the back door, and we climb in together. “Not just Luke. I think Alana’s feeling left out. It’s all of us. I hate leaving her when she’s hurting.”
He takes my hand and squeezes. “You can stay, Effa. Gran and Kiera will understand.”
I nod. “I know, but Alana won’t. I tried. She practically guilt-tripped me into going. So I’ll be checking in constantly. I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
He slides close until our legs are pressed together and he wraps an arm around me, tucking my head to his shoulder. “Wouldn’t want it any other way. Kristy’ll keep an eye on her, and I’ll ask Tank and Jay to check in too.”
Smiling, I melt into him. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”
The car starts moving, taking us toward Ligonier, toward the next part of this wild ride.
Mercs strokes my arm gently, and the motion calms me. Then he leans in close. “Have you had much to do with Jett lately?”
My ears perk up.
I sit straighter.
That’s… random.
“Why do you ask?” I tilt my head.
He shrugs. “Just noticed you guys were talking a lot, and then not at all.”
I narrow my eyes, my brain ticking. “Funny, I was wondering the same thing. Thought that was Raoul’s influence, under Luke’s instruction.”
Mercs looks away just a fraction too quickly.
I jab a finger at him. “You! What did you do?”
He winces. “Okay, yes. But I honestly didn’t think he’d drop it that easily. I expected more of a fight.”
“Mercs…”
“He saw us. On the rafters. Everything. And he made it clear he wasn’t happy. Said he was gonna cause trouble, so I told him to back off. That you weren’t available, and I wasn’t going to roll over. Then I talked to Luke and asked him to watch Jett around you.”
I blink. “Wait, so that’s why Luke and Raoul were talking about security? I overheard them, and we had a quick chat about Raoul watching over me. But I didn’t think that included Jett not talking to me… at all.”
He nods. “Yeah. Because I asked.”
I exhale slowly. “You should’ve talked to me first. Don’t you think I deserve a say in who I’m around?”
“No. Not when it comes to guys like Jett. He’s manipulative, Effa. A threat.”
“A threat?” I scoff. “It’s Jett. Sure, he’s odd. Maybe a little pushy. But dangerous? I think that’s a stretch.”
Mercs’ sighs, his voice softer. “I love how you see the good in people. But Effa, there is no good in him, not when it comes to you. He wants you, and I won’t let that happen.”
I swallow, unsure how to respond. I’m annoyed that Mercs left me out of the loop. But I also know he did it because he cares.
I reach for his hand as silence settles between us, and he squeezes gently.
I’m frustrated.
But my heart?
It’s fluttering.