Chapter 24
Riot
“What the fuck are you playing at, Sonatina?” I put my guitar down and reach for my champagne glass.
Empty again. I gesture for one of the crew close by to fetch me another.
Kelsey’s not talking to me. Sonatina stole my fucking song without my permission in public which means I was forced into singing it with her like I did rewrite the damn thing for her.
And this champagne is not helping with the migraine like a joint would.
“I told you 'Chokehold' wasn’t for you.”
“But you still sang it with me.” She smiles as she grips my wrist and moves into my space.
She’s been touching me all evening, and I’m getting sick of it. “Hands off, Sonatina.”
“You’re no fun.” She turns her back to me to pack up her special gold plated, diamond encrusted microphone. “Can’t you see what that woman is doing to you?”
“I can see the trouble you’re causing.” I hunt my pockets for my tin.
I need the buzz to relieve the tension and this fucking migraine.
Locating it, I take out an already rolled joint and place it between my lips.
I need to go light this up somewhere away from onlookers.
Once I have my lighter in hand, I put the tin back in my pocket.
Someone puts on the playlist from before our set. My champagne arrives and the joint goes inside my fist. “Thanks.”
I swallow half of it before she has the chance to turn and leave. Shit, I still need to pack up my guitar.
“We could rescue a bottle of Brut. Make a party of it.” Sonatina starts buzzing around me again.
This partnership Carmine wants is going to be the longest collaboration of my life. Putting the drink down, I take a moment to make sure my guitar is locked away in its case. “No.”
“We should at least have a celebration glass. Here, with all these people around. With all these onlookers around how can I possibly do anything untoward? And your girlfriend hasn’t come out. You can stop pretending to be scared of how I make you feel for five minutes, can’t you?”
“You make me feel angry.” I stalk around her. I need to stow my guitar in the room and check on Kelsey.
“See, I knew you felt something,” she says.
“Whatever.” The woman is delusional if she thinks pissing me off is going to tempt me away from Kelsey.
The light is off when I enter the room, but I can make out the shape in the bed. Kelsey doesn’t say anything, but I can’t tell if it’s because she’s asleep or just not talking to me.
“Candy head?”
I get no response, but that does little to clear it up.
“You don’t have to talk to me. That’s fine.” I prop my guitar in the corner. “But I will be back in five minutes, and you better be ready to share the bed.”
Still nothing. Maybe she really is asleep.
I shut the door and wander back outside. I’ll go up behind the barn to have this joint and then go to bed. She can be furious and not talking to me. That’s fine. I have other ways of reminding her that she loves me.
I don’t get more than a quarter of the way to the barn when Sonatina glides into my path with two flutes of champagne. “I really think we should celebrate. We sounded fire tonight.”
Fucking hell. I am so done. Taking the glass she offers, I down the whole thing like a shot and hand her back the glass. “There. We celebrated. Happy?”
I leave her, not giving a shit if she’s happy or not.
The fire pit is glowing when I round the back of the barn. No one is back here tonight, and the feeling of being alone is peace. Joint between my lips, I roll the flint of the lighter until it sparks. The orange flame shoots up, and I put it to the end of the paper, which sizzles and turns black.
The sweet smoke hits my senses. It fills my lungs. I tip my head back as the tension inside me fades under the buzz. The spots dancing in front of my eyes start to fade. My jaw releases.
I fucked up this evening. I should have found a better way to protect Sonatina from Kelsey.
One that didn’t make the woman I adore feel like I wasn’t on her side.
But it’s not so simple. This is my career we’re talking about.
My entire life’s dream. What I’ve been working toward since I was a child. Certain sacrifices have to be made.
Still, I shouldn’t have yelled at her when we took our fight inside. And Sonatina stealing 'Chokehold'… I can only imagine how furious Kelsey currently is.
My stomach lurches. My vision gets worse. It’s more like being on a boat than the floaters from earlier. The migraine is settling in to stay.
The joint burns down to nothing. I flick the remnants into the fire as Bianca, Ethan, and Lincoln stumble around the back of the barn. I don’t think they notice me as Ethan presses Bianca up against the wall of the barn. He starts kissing her and his hand finds its way under her dress.
I stumble to my feet. I wasn’t feeling social before they appeared, I have no interest in being a voyeur to whatever is about to go down.
Lincoln notices me, but he doesn’t say anything as I leave. His attention turns to Ethan and Bianca.
My head is back to fully pounding by the time I stumble up the stairs and in the front door. It’s quiet inside, the party still going outside. Though… actually… I haven’t seen any of my brothers or their partners since…
The bedroom door handle turns in my fist, but the panel is stuck tight. I try it again in case there’s something wrong with the latch. But by the third time it starts to sink in. Kelsey has locked me out.
I thump my fist against the panel. “Kelsey, open this door.”
I don’t know how long I knock before Rook appears in that way he does. He’s been watching me all night, but at some point I straight up forgot he existed.
“She’s not going to let you in tonight.” He gets between me and the door.
“Break it down,” I order.
“Son, I think that’s a terrible idea. Some fights need to be dealt with in the light of day, when you’re sober.”
“I’m not drunk.”
“Perhaps not, but you are stoned. And isn’t it possible that champagne hit you harder than you think?”
“Shit.” I do feel rather wobbly. “Fine.”
“You should take the second room tonight. Jasper and I will be fine in the hallway.”
“No.” I shove him away when he tries to put a hand on my shoulder. “There’s a couch… in the…” shit, what’s that room called again? No matter, I put a palm on the wall to steady myself as I stumble back along the hallway. The couch in Owen’s den is long enough to be reasonably comfortable.
The leather groans when my face kisses it. I roll onto my back and attempt to get comfortable.
I must pass out because I wake to complete darkness. Someone is in the room with me. A blanket is thrown over me, and gentle hands tuck it in.
“I love you, Riot.” Kelsey presses her lips to mine then pulls away. “I love you, but I don’t know how much I can handle now that I’m…”
The need to pass out again is almost overwhelming, but I fight it. “Kelsey.”
“We’ll talk about it after the wedding,” she tells me.
Grabbing her wrist, I keep her from leaving. “I love you. Nothing else should matter. It’s you and me. We fight. We argue. And then we make up.”
“Tomorrow,” she says. “Get some sleep.”
That sounds like a good idea.
I wake up to her lying on my chest a little while later. “Candy head?”
She stayed. That means I’m halfway to forgiven. I press my lips to her temple. Turning her head, she seeks out my mouth.
I wrap my hand around her ponytail and deepen the kiss. Her lips part and my tongue slips inside. She tastes like champagne and peppermint.
Not cherry…
The darkness comes in again. Definitely too much champagne. I’m going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning.
I come too with her in my arms. Her hands are roaming my torso, and her breathing is pitched fast and choppy.
I roll her under me. Press my already hard cock between her thighs. We must have been messing around this whole time. She whimpers and slips her hands under the waistband of my pants to squeeze my glutes.
“Fucking hell.” I groan at her nails breaking skin.
I drag her shirt up to get at her tits. My thumb finds and squeezes her pebbled nipple.
That doesn’t feel right…
I must pass out for longer this time because she’s above me and I’m on my back when I become aware again. Her hand is wrapped around my cock, and it feels fucking good.
“Want to ride you,” she says, settling over me.
There’s something not right… but I can’t get a hold of it. Can’t stay awake long enough to…
I wake to her between me and the back of the couch. She has her leg draped over mine and my arm is around her. I missed it. I hope it was good, but it probably wasn’t. I bury my face in her neck. “I’ll make it up to you, candy head. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll make it up to you…”
When I can stay awake.