Page 71 of Animal Beats

Right. And pigs fly.

“Río, we need to leave. Now!” I stomp my foot to punctuate my demand.

At long last, the drummer meets me on the pier, and waves at the boat’s passengers. I restrain myself from wanting to whack his ass—not in a playful way.

When we finally reach the street, the car service waits. Opening the door, I motion for him to enter. “After you.”

“I wonder if they have champagne in here.” He jumps in.

I’m surprised smoke isn’t coming out of my ears. I follow him into the vehicle, where my request for no alcohol has been upheld. A sullen drummer looks out the window. Because I don’t want to get into it with him with an audience, I stare out the opposite window and reach out to the calvary. One of them better be around when we arrive.

Ten minutes later, we’ve pulled up to the hotel. With a quick “thanks,” he gets out of the car and heads to the front door, leaving me behind.

What is wrong with him?

I race into the lobby and see his bare torso entering the bar, shirt tucked into his back pocket. I stomp after the stupid drummer.

He orders a Gold Rush as I approach. “He’ll have a diet soda,” I correct.

The bartender peers between us. Río holds up a hundred-dollar bill, and the decision is made. Smirking, he turns his head toward me. “Looks like I won.”

“Yeah. I lost big time. Failed at being your alcohol babysitter. Probably got the band’s label in a tizzy.” Don’t let them replace him. “All in one afternoon.”

“You skipped over winning at orgasms, even though you didn’t deserve them.”

“What the hell has gotten into you, Río?” I explode. “None of your behavior makes any sense. What was I thinking by introducing you to Mila?”

“As you like to remind me, she is your sister.” He taps a beat on his thigh. “I’m not the one who has to live with it.”

The bartender brings him his long-delayed Gold Rush. He takes a sip and nearly comes in his pants.

I’m vibrating with anger, fists at my sides. Callused fingers cover them. Good thing the guitarist finally got here.

Coop and I exchange a look, which conveys that he will handle his best friend from here. About damn time. I offer the guitarist a nod and leave the two in the bar. I need to make sure this afternoon doesn’t turn into something even worse.

As I wait for the elevator to open, the guitar tech joins me. “Hey, Hayden. Have a good day in Lisbon?”

“I don’t think I would qualify it as ‘good.’”

“Río did something stupid again, huh?”

“You could say that.” I glance back at the bar, but I can’t see Río nor Coop. For the better.

“He’s always been a wild one. Hell, he was kicked out of some country in Africa, and now got himself banned from Italy. Who does that?”

“You got me.” Although, his antics at the Trevi Fountain didn’t deserve such outrageous treatment, if you ask me. Trouble seems to find him, not the other way around. Unless you count the boat ride today.

“He’s not as bad as Bennett was before Jenna in the ladies’ department, but Río always had a chick or two hanging off him and never-ending rounds of alcohol. In my opinion, you did great calming him down for a week. He’s never been this sedate.”

Sedate? I’d hardly call Río sedate.

Especially in bed.

I shake my head. Mila deserves better. I deserve better.

The elevator doors open and we enter. “Are you going to tell the others in the band that they should take care of their own drummer? Don’t understand why you were given Río duty in the first place.”

Only the label threatening to pull him from the tour. I don’t share this with him. Not sure who knows this truth outside the band itself and I’m not about to blab to Kieron, of all people. “Luke thought I would be a good influence, I guess.”