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I met Romeo’s eyes first and dropped my voice. “If you need to get out of here, it’s fine. I’ll meet you at your house after.”
“I’ll be okay.” He said the words, but I could feel the slight tremors running through his body. With all the people around, it wasn’t easy for him to be here. He wanted to continue pushing himself. He’d said without doing that, he’d retreat into his comfort zone more. Going out and doing things a little at a time helped him. But this wasn’t a small venue. We were at a stadium. It was massive and people rushed past us every few minutes. I’d told him it would be like this, but he insisted on coming to support me.
“If you’re not, go. Don’t stay for me. I want you happy.”
He graced me with a small smile. “When I’m with you and Tris, I am.”
I nodded and focused on Tristan. “You doing okay?” I had no reason to think he wasn’t, but I still needed to check.
His smile could have lit the room. “I’m good. I can’t wait to see you play.”
“I’m going to play for you both. Only you. No matter what you hear or what people try to tell you, you’re who matter to me.” There were other fans who would be back here after the concert. Autographs would be signed. Fans would try to get close. People would come on to us. It was what happened. I needed Tristan and Romeo to understand those people weren’t who I wanted.
Romeo placed his palm gently on my cheek. “You don’t have to convince us, Dash. We know who you belong to.” His voice was soft while his eyes held jealousy, which I reveled in. I pulled them each in for a quick kiss.
Slater clapped me on the shoulder, letting me know we needed to go. He did the same to Casper. “Let’s go, son. We have a show to perform.”
Casper glared at him before dropping a kiss on Elic’s lips. Slater’s nickname for Casper had been son for years because of Casper being the youngest in the band. It was also a way for Slater to show he cared. He loved Casper like a brother. He also liked to tease him as much.
I bounced on my feet as our band was announced. A roar went through the crowd, which only got louder as we came into view. Reed always walked on last. He was who they gravitated to.
“Hello, Dremest!” he yelled into the microphone once we took our places. “We love playing for the home crowd, so we’re going to put on a hell of a show. Get loud, sing with us, and show us how much you love our music. Let’s go, Dash!”
My beat started us off with Slater and Casper joining in and finally Reed. From my vantage point, I got to see them perform.
My brother would close his eyes and get lost in the music like it was an extension of his soul. It was amazing to witness. So many times, his anxiety took over, but up here, it melted away and Slater poured everything he had into playing his guitar. Each chord, each stroke of the strings, he was at peace. He and Romeo had that in common. They found a place where they could thrive away from what troubled them.
Casper played the lead guitar. It didn’t matter what the tempo of the song was; he kept his bad-boy persona in place, giving the crowd all his moody glares. If only they knew just how deeply Casper Ashford cared about his loved ones.
While the rest of us would provide vocals as needed, Reed was the man with the voice of gods. If they could, the fans would climb onto the stage to get closer to him. Every word, every lyric, he sang them like if he didn’t get the words out, they’d break free on their own.
I played like I did every time—with everything in me. I put my entire body into it and loved every fucking minute of it. There was no point in me putting on a shirt, considering how damn hot it was. Not only was the temperature high, but under the lights above us, I roasted.
Song after song we played, easily flowing from one to the other while the crowd didn’t calm. They sang along with their favorites, their bodies moving with the music. We liked variety when we played. Some songs were slower, causing the crowd to sway gently. Others were heavier, making them jump around. Whatever the song was, they were into it.
My hair, which I left long and loose, soon drenched with sweat. I liked to shake it and drive the fans wild. No matter how many times I did it, they screamed loudly. I did it strategically as certain chords were played, or lyrics were sung. Fuck, I could be up here day and night. I was in my element, in a space where Ibelonged. There wasn’t a better job on the planet as far as I was concerned.
Every once in a while, I let my gaze drift to the side so I could see Romeo and Tristan. They had their arms around each other. I’d shoot them a wink or a grin. It was something I caught Casper and Reed doing for Elic too. With the world knowing Reed and Casper were in love, there was no need to hide the way Casper looked at Reed on stage when Reed wasn’t focusing on him.
We finally wrapped up, and each went to the front of the stage to thank the fans for turning out. We waved and Reed spoke to them.
It was incredible, exiting the stage into the arms of the men I loved. Yeah, I loved them. I hadn’t told them yet, outside of confessing I was falling for them. But it was love. Soul deep, they owned my heart. AnI wanted to give them everything they ever wantedkind of love.
Romeo wore the biggest smile. He wasn’t fully relaxed, but he didn’t shake against me when I held them. They surprised me by wanting to touch me with how gross I was. They, as well as Elic, were ushered into our private room while the rest of the band and I greeted fans backstage.
By the time we were done and on our way outside, I was past tired on my way toHow the hell am I still standing?And here I had big plans to get into bed with Tristan and Romeo for another reason. I was worn out.
Bruno stood off to the side. I didn’t think he wanted JJ to notice him and connect the dots between Romeo and JJ’s father. All the guys who came stayed the rest of the evening and were filing out with us into the area where the fans weren’t allowed.
The air hung heavy, the humidity still present, resting like a blanket on my skin as I stepped into the night. I needed a shower and a comfortable bed. I was about to ask Tristan and Romeo ifthey wanted to come back to my house. They hadn’t been there yet. Even if all we did was hold each other, I wanted it.
A loud pop wrenched through the air. We stopped and turned toward the sound. There were two more in rapid succession before we realized what it was. Bruno, however, was all over it and came rushing for us, pushing us down before the others hit the ground beside us. Security ran toward us, pulling us up and ushering us back inside.
In a city as big as Dremest, gunshots happened. The city wasn’t bad, and crime was minimal, but we were on the western side. The one not ruled by Jordan and a heavy artillery. His men weren’t here to be dispatched to handle what was going on. The police were already responding, sirens blaring in the distance. They were on scene to help with traffic as people left.
We were back inside the building, with the door slamming behind us. A room to our left had an open door with a security guard motioning us inside.
That was when JJ noticed Bruno, who came into the room with us and stood between Romeo and Tristan. JJ’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you protecting?”
