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I let out a ragged exhalation. ‘I’m not at The Gwen.’

‘Why, man? Where are you?’

‘I’m at The Peninsula.’

Levi whistled under his breath.

‘The fuck, why? What’s wrong? I can tell you’re not OK.’

‘Long yarn, brother,’ I muttered, rubbing my aching temples.

His inflection shifted to a solemn rumble.

‘Need an ear?’

I thought about the offer, then exhaled hard.

‘Sure.’

‘Send me your room details,’ Levi said. ‘We don’t have soundcheck until four, so we can afford to disappear for a bit. Can Angel join in?’

‘Maybe,’ I mumbled.

‘How about Jude, Reign and Bishop?’

‘For real, man?’ I sighed.

‘It’ll avoid repeating the story five times, Deke.’

‘Fine,’ I groaned. ‘Bring the circus over.’

They all showed up at my new door an hour later.

I opened the entryway, and they took one collective look at my face before pushing me out onto the terrace.

‘Please explain,’ Reign intoned, leaning his muscled frame against the railing.

So I did.

I told them what I witnessed and our flaming argument afterward.

I also explained my escape, unable to bear to be in the same hotel as her.

‘So tell me, dudes,’ I said, gazing around the circle of my bandmates. ‘Was I the asshole to leave? She called me several times on the phone I threw out of the Uber. Should I have heard her out?’

Reign was brutal.

‘Brother, I have no room in my life for that kind of behavior and would have done exactly what you did.’

Jude shrugged, his expression somber.

‘This is Ana, though. Yes, she fucked up the first time, leaving you before you’d had a chance to work shit out, but betraying you? I don’t buy it.’

Bishop huffed. ‘I’ve always been Team Ana, but it’s hard to spin this because you had to deal with her shady ex and his threats. If you made a pact with her and she reneged on it, then it’s tragic, my guy.’

‘Wait a minute,’ Levi interjected. ‘What if she’s telling the truth? What if Massimo ambushed her? That she had no clue he was coming?’

Angel nodded.