Page 73 of Anthem of Love and Loathing

“You’re going to do it, aren’t you?” Golden asks.

“What choice do I have?” I take the bottle from him. L.A. Riot is our dream. It is everything. I almost failed it by being blind to what Kelsey was capable of because I loved her. I won’t make that mistake ever again.

“Motherfucker,” Bronx mutters.

I don’t tell them that she’s threatening to join us on tour. That will happen over my dead body. “I don’t know about you three, but it’s time for me to get entirely too fucked up.” I dig my fingers into my pocket where my tin is stocked with weed and pills. I pop two pills and chase them with tequila.

“I’m going to head out in a couple of minutes. There’s a better party across town I wouldn’t mind catching,” Bronx says.

“I’m going to join you,” Golden says. “Kodiak, what about you?”

“I’m in,” the big man says.

I’m not in the mood for this party or any party. But Sonatina will pitch a fit if I leave too soon. “Got to give that hour she thinks I owe her.”

Thankfully, I can do that while out on the balcony, smoking my jay. I drink more tequila as I head outside to wait for the buzz to kick in.

My phone vibrates. I check it to see that the bros before psychos message chat I have with my brothers is blowing up.

There’s also something from Kelsey. A video to all four of us.

Bros before Psychos can wait. I open up Kelsey’s video. The image is of my hotel room. I can see the desk and my guitar. There’s no action. Nothing really to see. I turn the sound up.

Her breathy moans fill my ears.

Fucking hell. Is she doing what I think she is? I peer at the screen like doing so will change my view. She gets closer and closer.

My cock twitches.

I left her that toy, so she’d stay away from my bandmates. I didn’t expect this.

She cries out. “Kodiak.”

And that’s when the first icon pops up on the screen, reminding me she shared this with all of us. One after the other all three icons land on the video.

They’re all getting to hear her.

My phone squeaks in my tightened fist. My first instinct is to throw it off the building. But no, that’s not what I’m going to do.

If she wants to be a fucking brat, I’ll be more than happy to tame her. I type out a text to send back.

Then I delete it from the group chat and send it in a private message.

You won’t find it funny when I have you bent over my knee for this later, brat.

When she doesn’t respond straight away, I am certain it’s not because she’s scared, and I send another.

Payback is going to be a bitch.

And another.

You won’t be thinking about him by the time I’m finished with you.

Sonatina comes out onto the balcony with a couple of glasses of champagne effectively putting a halt to my messaging.

“What do you want?” I wish the bitch would disappear.

“Peace offering,” She presses one of the glasses into my hand, then steals my roach and takes a puff before putting it back between my lips. “I don’t want to be enemies, Riot. I want to be partners. Collaborators. Friends.”