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“No problem.” When he leaned in to hug her again, she laughed and used two fingers against his forehead to push him back. “You guys performing or playing the game?”
“It’s going to be a little jam session. They said we should just keep it casual and fun. They plan on filming it in the gardens outside of the new casino at the sanctuary, so it’s bound to draw a crowd. We have to go get ready to meet them there.”
Nolan’s eyes widened. “Right now?”
“Now.” Sebastian slung his arms around Nolan. “Sunni is already setting up our own livestream,” he said, mentioning their new manager. “So, we have to go get ready.”
“Wait!” Nolan exclaimed before Sebastian could drag him away. “Ayla, you should join us.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” Ayla waved them off. “Have fun!”
As they walked away, Lina leaned in and nudged her. “You didn’t mention you already turned down the livestream last night.”
“No need. It was nice of them to ask the boys to join them, though.”
Artem snorted. “You suggested it, didn’t you?”
If she had brought up how nice it would be if the two bands did something together, it had only been a casual suggestion.
Ayla had known Shout Out Loud for close to two decades. It was rare to have true friendships in their industry, but they were one of the few bands she’d gotten close to over the years. She had even introduced Steven Fletcher, the lead singer, to Kora, the love of his life and keeper of his heart. Kora had been Ayla’s old assistant, but after she had mated with Steven, she had taken over being in charge of his life.
“Are you done here?” Artem asked. “We’re going to have to meet with Evo’s Chief of Security soon.”
Ayla shook her head. “Actually, I have a new song I want to try out.”
Lina’s eyes went wide. “You finished it already? Stars, that was fast!”
“I was struck with inspiration last night. I couldn’t sleep until it was finished.”
“But the band hasn’t even gotten a chance to learn it yet,” Artem pointed out.
“That’s fine. I’m thinking about just doing an acoustic version for now. I can always do a full version or a remix later.”
“I’ll go grab your guitar,” Lina offered before scampering away.
“You sure you want to perform a new song for this concert?” Artem asked after she’d left. “It’s a ballad, right? That doesn’t really go with the upbeat theme you were going for.”
“I feel like I have to play it here. Listen, and you can tell me what you think. You can tell the band they can leave if they want. I’m satisfied that we have a good feel for the room.”
“I’ll go tell them, but they are probably going to want to hear the new song, too. We’ll go sit over there,” he said, nodding toward the front row of seats.
A few minutes later, Ayla was seated on a stool in the center of the stage with a single spotlight shining down on her. It was just her and her guitar, the way she had started out all those years ago. She began to play, bringing the beautiful melody to life before she added her voice to the mix. The lyrics she had written burst out of her like they were being torn straight from her soul.
It was a song of longing, of an endless search for a love just beyond her reach.
She closed her eyes as she sang, surrendering herself to the music, but when she got to the chorus, something changed. She suddenly felt a new energy in the room. Someone was watching her. Ayla opened her eyes again to search the darkness for whoever was out there. Even though she was used to being stared at, she should have felt afraid. She had crazed fans and stalkers who would use an opportunity like this to get to her, but she wasn’t the least bit worried.
Her voice took on a sultry tone as she shamelessly used the lyrics as a lure, beckoning the stranger into her musical web. Her skin tingled with awareness, and her heart started to pound within her chest.
But not in fear.
It was pure excitement.
Suddenly, she realized who she was singing to. She might not know his name or face yet, but she knew who he was to her. He was the keeper of her heart, the male fate had chosen to belong to her…and she couldn’t wait to meet him.
Chapter Four
The moment Zenixstepped into the arena, he knew he was in big fucking trouble. He could feel it, sense it, as the energy raced along his skin and up his spine. He was in danger, but this was a situation unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He wanted to turn around and escape, but it was already too late.
