Page 87 of Ravaged For You

AXEL

All my boys arrive at the airport at the same time. Our chauffeured-driven limousines pull up outside the VIP entrance to the airport within minutes of each other as if we choreographed this, but we haven’t. Great minds think alike and all that.

“Perfectly timed,” I announce with a grin as I step out of the vehicle. Drake and Caspian both grin back like cheeky schoolboys. Even Caspian does a satisfied nod as he slides out of his limo, large backpack in his hands like he’s a tourist on vacation.

But this isn’t a vacation. This tour means work.

Drake summons us all over with a flick of his wrist where he embraces us all in a hug.

“Here’s to the start of the best tour yet,” he says as we huddle around each other. We truly are brothers when we can greet each other like this. “Let’s smash the competition and have a fucking good time.”

I turn back to my limo to see Maddie with a smile on her face.

“Watching us?” I ask her.

“Can’t not to,” she replies. “You guys are cute together.”

At least she’s still on speaking terms with me after last night. After I stupidly nearly ruined everything we’ve got going simply because I wanted to kiss her.

Hey, I took my chance and went for it.

And she rejected me.

“We’re rockstars, not dolls. We ain’t cute,” I say.

I’ve gone casual today. Just my hoodie on. I want to be comfortable on this damn flight to Canada.

“The rockstar doth protest too much, methinks,” Maddie replies.

“Shut up.” I pull her bag out from the trunk. No way am I letting some other guy carry her stuff. “Come, have you ever flown on a private plane before?”

Maddie shakes her head. “Nope.”

“Well, now’s your chance. See that?”

“What?”

I point towards the airfield where a sleek jet is waiting to go.

“That’s ours.”

* * *

There’s another jet parked next to ours. A group of people stand outside it, probably waiting to embark, I guess. I don’t give them a second’s notice as we head towards our plane. Well, that’s until Bishop opens his lips and swears.

“Holy fuck, that’s them.”

I squint at the group.

And then I’m swearing as well.

“Yeah, it’s fucking them. I can recognize those cheap skinny jeans and stupid smug faces anywhere.”

Maddie next to me furrows her brow. “Who are they?”

Drake answers for me. The two words I hate most in the English language.

“Tainted Lives.”