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Chapter Three
Declan
“You have gotto be fucking kidding me.”
That acerbic bite in Andi Collins tone ripped through Declan like he had been shot, the sudden impact of seeing her when he hadn’t been prepared made his fingers stumble over the chords. Her gorgeous face was marred by an annoyed frown, her lips pursed to emphasize just how pissed she really was. Her arms folded across her chest pushed her round breasts up and Declan had to concentrate real hard not to let his gaze linger on her cleavage.
Andi Collins was five foot eight with long lean legs, curves that made Declan think of what it would be like to get his hands on them, and even as a horny teenage boy he had wanted to run his fingers through her caramel-coloured hair. Her eyes reminded him of top-shelf whiskey and he had always wanted to get lost in her, even way back then.
Until it had all gone horribly wrong.
Tim looked worried as he glanced at Rhys and Declan would be having a word with him the moment the record executive was out of earshot. Rhys staggered forward, grinning like the dope he was as he went to hug his sister and Andi side-stepped him, the idiot almost losing his balance.
It would serve him right if he face-planted in front of all the record people.
“I was assured by Mr. Collins that Rebel PR was the right company to handle all of Heartache Melody’s dealings. Perhaps this was a mistake.”
Declan’s stomach rolled as he wondered if Rhys had blown this for the band but Andi unfolded her arms and touched her hand to Tim’s arm with a fake ass warm smile that still had Declan wanting to rip Andi’s hand from the slimy guy’s arm.
“It’s no big deal. My brother just has a weird sense of humour. I’m sure if there is any conflict of interest that I can have one of my capable staff take over with the day-to-day management.”
Declan set the guitar aside and got to his feet, with Andi snapping her gaze to him.
“There’s no conflict of interest. It’s Andi or no one.” Declan heard himself say in a tone that had both Jameson Kent and Luna Sullivan looking at him with raised brows.
Tim clapped his hands and started to talk to Andi about studio time, going to London to record the album and all the appearances that they could line up for the band. Declan listened intently as Andi turned to Tim. “Declan has built a perfectly good studio here in Cork where the band feels at home. I think that having a home-grown Irish band record their debut album from their hand-built studio would only add to the appeal.”
Declan almost grinned with the knowledge that Andi knew enough about the band to know they wanted to finish recording the album where the band had started. At the start it had been just him and Rhys, then Jameson had joined when Declan persuaded his next-door neighbour after hearing him shredding a guitar.
They had held open auditions for a drummer and the moment the fiery red-haired Luna Sullivan had sat down behind Declan’s second-hand drum kit and burst intoArctic Monkeys‘brainstorm’, Declan knew he wasn’t letting the girl walk out the door. The girl couldn’t hold a note but she was a powerhouse on the drums.
He might have been shocked that Andi was going to be managing them and he hated to admit it but Rhys had been dead on with his choice. He had spent countless hours talking music and ideas with Andi on the floor of Rhys’ bedroom or staring at the stars out her parent’s back garden. Andi loved music as much as he did, played a little too so it made sense to have someone who knew them watching their back.
Didn’t mean that working alongside the woman who had ghosted him without so much as a reason would be easy. She hadn’t even bothered to offer an explanation before she just wasn’t in school anymore leaving Declan to find out from Rhys that Andi was leaving Ireland to study in the UK.
As Tim went to answer a phone call, Andi introduced herself to Luna, since they had never met in person, and then she hugged Jameson and asked how his nan was doing. They chatted for a few minutes until Rhys came over and slung an arm around his sister, who promptly elbowed him in the stomach.
Luna was grilling Andi about her life in Manchester and if she was really on such friendly terms with Joshua James and had she seen him naked. Andi laughed and shook her head and something loosened in Declan as he heard Andi say she didn’t have time for a relationship, because she was too busy being the boss.
Andi must have sensed him watching her, because she peered over her shoulder, the barest hint of insecurity in her eyes before it vanished and she turned back to the other members of the band.
They had avoided each other for years after he had admittedly been a colossal dickhead and dated an airhead just to get back at her for standing him up. They had been planning to see a concert and he had practised what he wanted to say to Andi for weeks, finally telling her that he was in love with her and she had blown him off.
It had hurt like a muthafucker to have his heart broken.
Declan stood under the entrance of the nightclub, waiting for Andi to arrive. She was late and Andrea Collins was never late to meet up with him. He had texted her a few times telling her he was excited for the gig and couldn’t wait to see her, but it was forty-five minutes after they were supposed to meet and Andi hadn’t shown.
He sent her a few texts to ask was she late but got nothing in return. Declan had been teased by his three younger brothers, the triplets, because he had even brushed his unruly hair and put on some aftershave. His Ma had shooed the demon children away and patted him on the cheek telling him to go with his heart.
And his heart was telling him Andi was it for him.
It was sappy and stupid for an eighteen year old to be thinking like that, but his Ma had met and married his Da by nineteen and they were blissfully happy until his Da had died in a fire while working, leaving his Ma with Declan and the triplets all under ten years old.
Declan shook thoughts of his Da out of his mind as he pulled out his phone and called Andi, only to be told that the customer had her phone switched off. Declan called Rhys instead, his best friend answering on the second ring.
“Deco, what’s up?”
“You any idea when your sister is going to arrive for the gig. I’m freezing my balls off here.”
