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“Yeah,” Kin said, dropping her blue gaze down to the beer in her hands. “I think I need to talk this out with all of you.”
Frustrated and wanting to talk to her about the deal she was being offered, to give her advice or just an ear to bitch in, I took a step toward her. Derrick moved to block me, standing protectively in front of her.
Did he think I was going to hurt her? My hands fisted at my sides, and I tried to remind myself I would only alienate Kin if I punched out her almost-uncle.
“Good Lord!” London’s voice suddenly cut through the tension. “That bathroom line was fucking ridiculous. I nearly pissed my pants waiting… The beers are here. Yay! Thanks, Z-man.”
Zander lifted his beer with a wink. “I’ve got a soft spot for pretty blondes.”
“You’re awful,” Annabelle said with a roll of her eyes.
“Relax, baby. The only blonde I’m going home with is your beautiful ass.”
She blushed, blowing him a kiss.
While Zander and Annabelle were having their exchange, I noticed Derrick’s eyes were now glued on London. Or rather, her ass as she bent over the ice chest and grabbed four beers. Straightening, she handed one each to Roanna and Sin and returned to the chair with one for herself and Aubree. But before she could sit down, Derrick had moved and pulled her around to face him.
She opened her mouth, yet whatever verbal ball-buster she was about to throw at him dried on her tongue as she looked up at him and met his gaze. “What’s your name?”
London blinked up at him, then swallowed hard before answering. “London.” Then she shook her head and shrugged off his hold on her arm. “Who is this guy?” she asked Aubree as she flopped down beside her band sister.
“Kin’s weird ‘uncle.’” Aubree made air quotes, making it sound dirty, and I couldn’t hold back the growl that rumbled in my chest.
“I always knew she was freaky like that.”
“I’m right here,” Kin snapped at the Blonde. Standing, she put her now empty bottle on the side table. “Derrick, I’m leaving. You can either come with me and take me home, or I’ll call an Uber.”
“I don’t like you taking an Uber,” I told her, moving forward. “Let me take you home.”
“Ubers are perfectly safe,” she snapped at me. “I never heard you complaining in the past.”
“Because you were always with Lucy, and that meant Marcus was there to keep you safe. Let me take you home,” I repeated.
“I’ve taken Ubers plenty of times all by myself, asshole. I don’t need you to hold my hand.”
“When have you ever needed to take an Uber?” I demanded, frustrated that this was what we were actually arguing over.
“All those times you zoned out on me and forgot I was even beside you and I got pissed and just wanted to go home.” Her smile was bitter. “Uber was my best friend when I was stranded with you because I was stupid enough to put up with your shit.”
“What?” I was suddenly gutted, realizing I’d put her through even more than I ever realized. Damn it, was there no end to my fuckups? “I don’t remember any of that, Kin.”
“I’m not surprised,” she muttered, pain lacing her voice so thickly my throat filled with a lump.
“I got ya, sweetheart,” Derrick said, seeming to snap out of whatever daze he’d been momentarily under. With one last look at London, he caught Kin’s hand, tucking her close. “Everyone, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for the beer, Zander.” He tipped his head at Annabelle, shot me a glare, then started to walk away.
He was walking off with his hand locked around my girlfriend’s, keeping her close like she was the most precious person in the world to him. A savage sound left my throat, and I was moving to follow them before I even realized what I was doing.
“Ease there, bro.” Gray’s voice hit me at the same time his arms locked around my shoulders from behind, trapping my arms at my sides. “Can’t let you go off killing people.”
The prison time might have been worth it if it meant I got to break Derrick’s neck.
Chapter 20
Kin
I wasn’t in much mood to discuss the record deal as I sat down to lunch with Aunt Emmie and Annabelle the next afternoon. After fielding calls from Jace all night once I got home, then again earlier that morning, I wasn’t sure how stable my irrational anger at a man I’d only met once really was.
Annabelle and Aunt Emmie seemed completely at ease, however. Ordering their lunch like they were starving and discussing Lucy and Hayat and how glad Aunt Emmie was that Jesse could relax a little now that the baby had been born and Lucy was doing so well. Amara was next on their conversation list, and I wished she were there with us, but she’d had a last-minute doctors appointment.
