Page 121 of Anthem of Love and Loathing

“How could I forget? The whole time I was just trying to stop thinking about her. But I couldn’t. And it’s taken me way too long to realize it was never because of what I thought she’d done to me. I loved her. I loved her when we were kids, I loved her when she did the only thing she could do and left me, and I love her now. There is nothing you can do to change that.” I drop her. “So whatever you’re trying to do... whatever you hope to get out of me... it’s not happening. We’re done.”

“No.” She straightens her clothes. “We’re not. Not if you want to keep your band topping the charts. Or keep your precious Kelsey from doing prison time. She stole from Savant Records too. Not just you.”

“She didn’t do any of it.”

“Does it matter?” Her expression turns shrewd. “If it looks like she did?”

Fucking hell. “It was you... you set her up.”

“I get what I want.” She smirks. “Daddy makes sure of it. Now you will too.”

My heart sinks. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Your ring on my finger. A little chapel in the desert. Elvis taking us through our vows. The perfect romantic moment our fans will go crazy for. We’ll be the king and queen of the music scene.”

No fucking way... this bitch has lost her ever loving mind. “Over my dead body.”

43

Kelsey

Ican’t believe for a moment I let myself be drawn in by a song he wrote a million years ago.

I can’t believe no one warned me that bitch would be taking to the stage tonight. I’m torn between laughing and crying. Part of me wants to find her and punch her in her smug face again.

I send the door crashing into the wall and storm across the suite to my room. The soft mattress curves around my body as I fall into it.

My phone rings and rings and rings. It stops only to ring again. At first, it was Riot, and I ignored him. Watching him kiss her made it crystal clear that we are totally over. But Bronx and Kodiak and Golden have been ringing too.

Jasper puts his head into the room. “Need me to answer that?”

“No.”

“Need anything?”

“Yes. A big knife I can stab Sonatina with. And maybe Riot too.”

“Sorry. I wish I could. How about I get you another fork?”

“That’s not going to cut it this time.” I want grievous bodily harm. I want blood and guts all over my floor.

He looks at me with sympathy. “How about I get Sam instead?”

“I’m not going to hurt myself,” I grumble. “I want to hurt them.”

“Still not sure that’s a good thing,” he says.

“Okay, then I’ll take being left alone.” I throw a pillow at his head.

He ducks and the door closes.

At least he can do that. I roll my gaze to the ceiling.

The next time my phone rings I pick up. “Yep.”

“Special K, finally,” Golden’s worried voice comes through the speaker. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

“The hotel,” I say. “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”