Page 73 of The Rogues

The entire group is silent as my offer lingers in the air. Maybe I just stepped my toe into uncharted waters, but I felt the need to do something. I couldn’t stand to see the sadness on Florence’s face, or the frustration on Cyrus’s.

I sink into myself, suddenly unsure, but then Cyrus sighs. “Okay. You’re going to stay with Josie and the other members of Vicious Velvet.”

Florence’s squeal echoes down the corridor, her happiness exploding from her body. She jumps onto her brother, hugging him despite his protests. He struggles, trying to push her off, but I see the tiny smile he tries to hide as she finally succeeds.

Florence skips past me, greeting the guys but not hugging them. Maybe she’s being cautious because I’m another omega in the room, or maybe she is used to being at a distance with her brother’s bond mates, but the gesture is nice nonetheless.

“You okay, Alpha?” I let slip to Cyrus when the others head down the corridor, and his eyes blaze with heat.

Without a warning, he pulls me into his body. I let out a gasp before his lips smother it, the kiss chaste but heated as fire spreads through my limbs. When he pulls back, his eyes are dilated, his chest is rising and falling in uneven breaths.

“What was that?” I ask with a pant.

He smirks. “Your kindness gets me hard.”

And then he lets me go, heading down the corridor and leaving me gobsmacked.

TWENTY-FOUR

The black SUVs pull up behind the venue just before midnight, their tires rolling over the wet asphalt with a squelch. We should all be exhausted, but Florence mentioned wanting to go clubbing and the rest of the girls hopped onto the idea immediately. And even though I’m not usually one for the club scene, I agreed.

I want to get to know Cyrus’s sister more. Just from spending the last few hours with her, I can tell she’s a joy to be around. She’s peppy, silly, and has a touch of sass that screams “don’t mess with me.” I was nervous about bringing her to our room while the guys performed, but she instantly clicked with the others so naturally. Cleo was the only one a little bit short with her after finding out who she was, but Lark and Nicola were nothing but gracious. The former seemed to smile more to balance out Cleo’s awkwardness and Nicola had another ball of energy to bounce ideas with.

Florence and Nicola bonded over their love for plush pendants after the Brit noticed Nicola’s most prized possession, her plush raccoon that she calls Fern. I’ve never seen my bandmate’s eyes light up with so much appreciation. I knew then that Florence had won her over.

Halfway through the set, I took Florence out to the wing beside the stage so she could see them up close. She sang every song, belted every note, and watched her brother singing with stars in her eyes.

She loves him; that much is obvious, but the adoration in her eyes surpassed that. It’s like all the memories of their childhood flashed over her as she admired them. I could see all of it, could see how much this means to her that Cyrus has found his place in the world.

She’s proud, and getting to see just how much was a gift I didn’t expect to receive.

Now, as we stand by the back exit, Florence and Nicola clutching each other’s hands and squealing about some kind of new movie that’s coming out, I feel calm. The night might not be over, but it feels like everything is moving more smoothly. Like I can shake off the burden of supervising for the night and just have fun.

The guys roll out as the girls start piling into one of the vans. Despite the lingering humidity from the rainfall, Cyrus’s dark chocolate scent calls out to me like a beacon. It wraps me up in a cozy blanket and lulls me as he comes up to my side.

“Where are you guys heading off to?” he asks.

“Florence wanted to go clubbing since the age limit is eighteen here.” I break the news to him with a small smile. “The girls agreed to take her out.”

Instead of the protectiveness I expect, he nods, considering. “I could go for some dancing.”

I arch a brow. “Really? After your encore? I thought you’d be all rock starred out.”

Cyrus sports a cocky smile. “I have lots of stamina.”

My face flushes and a laugh catches in my throat. Luckily, Malaki saves me from having to answer by poking his head between us.

“Did I hear something about a club?”

“Yeah, we’re going to one!” Florence’s head appears out of the van door. “Are you coming or not?”

“Hell yeah!” he exclaims, jumping into the van without a second thought. Jamie laughs behind us, his head shaking with amusement.

“Looks like we’re going out,” he comments, stepping forward to get in the front seat.

I turn around to look at the others. Remi is already getting in the second van. When we catch eyes, he winks, and the casual sexiness of it sends a shock of energy down my spine. Lennon steps toward me slowly, a small dose of anxiety showing in his features.

“I’ll probably head back,” Lennon says, his lips flattening as he tries to gauge my reaction to that. “The concert took it out of me tonight.”