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Levi grabbed a mug and then reached for the coffee pot, leaving room for a splash of milk. As he stirred the coffee, he leaned back against the counter to face me.
“Heard you had a rough night.”
“Wasn’t the best.”
He regarded me carefully, those keen eyes not missing a thing. “So, you didn’t get what you wanted and thought you’d make things better by drinking and starting a scene. In public. Where I’d have to clean up after you.”
“Oh, give me a fucking break,” I said, setting my mug to the side and bracing my hands on the island behind me. “You act like I went looking for trouble.”
“Didn’t you?”
“No.”
“Then why invite Viper?”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Because he’s my best fucking friend. Because I wanted him there, and I knew he’d be straight with me. And because—” I cut myself off there, not wanting to say that the main reason I’d invited Viper out was because he’d gone through the difficult shit with Halo and I wanted some hope that Levi and I had a chance.
Levi’s face softened ever so slightly, like he knew exactly what I wasn’t saying. “Look, Killian… You’re the one I don’t have to worry about. Please don’t make me start now.”
It was enough to make me feel guilty. Almost.
“I appreciate what you did,” he continued, “but I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”
Before I could say anything, Jagger walked in, the last piece of our dysfunctional family complete.
“We’ll finish this later.” Levi inclined his head toward the couches, and just like that, our conversation was closed, and it was time for why we were all really there.
Full house. Here we go.
Halo and Viper avoided eye contact with Slade and Jagger, each duo taking opposite couches while I dropped into the oversized chair and kicked my legs out onto the coffee table. Levi stayed standing at the head of the room, waiting until he had everyone’s attention to begin what I was sure would be an epic lecture. Shit, we deserved it.
Levi surveyed each of us and sighed, crossing his arms. “I don’t need to tell you why we’re all here.”
“Then why waste our time?” Viper said, reverting to being a shit, apparently.
Levi narrowed his eyes. “I don’t need to tell you, but I’m going to anyway. Because you all can’t seem to get your heads out of your asses yourselves.”
I saw Halo’s brow pop up, and then he put his hand over Viper’s leg as if to say, Don’t start.
“A year ago you were all treading water. You didn’t even have a band anymore, not one people wanted to pay to see. Am I right?” Levi looked around, waiting for an answer, and I mumbled a yes as the others did the same. “Then what happened? You get a new singer, your album explodes, you go on a world tour for months, making more money than you’ve seen in years, and you’ve seen a shit-ton. You’re riding high. You’ve got the world at your feet, and whatever you don’t have, you know damn well I’ll make happen for you.”
Sitting down on the edge of an armchair, Levi placed his elbows on his knees. “I get it. Relationships are hard. Friendships are hard. Sometimes the lines get crossed, but you’ve got to stay focused. You want to just throw away all your success over your egos? Seriously?”
Levi turned his attention to Jagger and Slade. “You two. What the hell were you thinking? Halo’s your brother and bandmate, and you went behind his back. You should’ve been man enough to go to him and tell him what was happening. At least have enough respect for him to do that.”
“Exactly fuckin’ right,” Viper spat, and Levi turned in his direction.
“And you two.” Levi shook his head. “Halo, your sister’s business isn’t your fucking business. I get why you’re mad, and I would be too, but you’ve gotta let it go.”
“But they’re—” Halo started, but Levi put his hand up.
“In love with her. Is that right, guys?”
Slade and Jagger nodded.
“There you go. They’re in love with her,” Levi said. “And the two of them combined isn’t nearly as traumatizing as Viper, and your sister got on board with that fairly quickly.”
Viper leaned forward. “The fuck?”
“Don’t even get me started on you. I’d run out of time.”
I couldn’t help snorting, because damn if he wasn’t right about that.
Levi’s gaze settled on me. “You think that’s funny? You think you’re any less responsible for the mess we’re in?”
“Excuse me?”
“The punch heard around the world. That’s what’s all over the internet right now, courtesy of your little tantrum last night.”
Little…tantrum? Was he fucking kidding?
Before I could say anything, Viper said, “And why do you think that happened in the first place, Levi? You sure as hell don’t have a problem telling the rest of us what assholes we are right now, but what about you? You think you’re faultless?” Viper shook his head. “Bullshit.”
