The Shifter's Catch

by T. S. Ryder

  Brent had wanted more for himself at thirty, but things had just happened to bring him down. He rode the high that was being lead singer of one of the most popular bands in 2016 and tried not to think about the rest of it. Brent knew that he was awake for the day and got up to hit the toilet and pull on some shorts before he walked out into the living area of the suite.

  Kenzie was right. It was destroyed. He looked around at the broken and upturned furniture and the shattered television on the floor, not to mention the general mess from the party that he’d thrown at the last minute. He pushed a reddened hand through his dirty blond hair, which was hanging down into his face, and closed his eyes slowly as he heard a knock at the door.

  Brent made his way through the destruction and opened it to find Declan Keller standing there in board shorts and a t-shirt, looking as though he’d partied as well. He just didn’t look or probably feel nearly as bad as Brent did. “Were you here last night?”

  “I did the after party with the opening band. Cool guys.” Declan walked inside and whistled as he looked around. “Is Kenzie pissed off? It was Scarlet’s graduation today and she scheduled hard to be there. She could’ve just called me.”

  “I think she wanted to scream at me in person. Hopefully, she can write a check and get back in time for some of it,” Brent replied, as he walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Declan followed him and grabbed some water as he looked closely at his best friend. “I think she’s done with me this time.”

  “This is…five rooms?” Declan asked, and Brent nodded. “You guys are making bank, but you’re dragging the band’s name through the mud right now. The media is all over your shit, and the other guys didn’t ask for any of this.”

  “I know,” Brent responded before he downed the bottle of water. He’d already done a stint in rehab to clear one of his predicaments, but it hadn’t seemed to help. Besides, he wasn’t really addicted to alcohol or drugs as much as he used them to cope with things in his life. Rehab was always a good cover when you got into trouble, though, and it cleared the air, at least until you messed up all over again.

  Declan’s phone chimed and he slipped it out of his pocket. He grinned and punched something in. “Riley’s here. She’s going to hang out with us for a couple of months while you tour if you’re not fired soon.”

  Brent rolled his eyes and drank some more. He was close to Declan’s family and thought that his sister Riley was a good kid. Hell, she was twenty-two now. “How is she?”

  “Dad fucked her out of college money. He said something about Mom being remarried so she can afford it herself. Mom married a plumber this time, and they have their life to live.” Declan looked at him. “I asked her to hang out to get her mind off of things. She only has a couple of years left and hell, maybe I’ll pay for it.” They both knew that she had a promising future in Graphic Design with her talent, but a degree from Parsons in New York wouldn’t hurt her at all.

  “You have Mel,” Brent told him, referring to his fiancée. The two were going to get married in six months, and he was already sending her to school for Journalism. She didn’t work and attended college full time while Declan made the money in the family.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve been pretty pissed off about this.” He sent something on his phone. “She’s going to drop her bag off at my room and come here.”

  “Let’s get some room service and eat before we clean up,” Brent suggested, and Declan shook his head. “I’ll need the energy. We drank a lot last night.”

  Brent walked over to the phone and ordered a few platters of food before he went to take a shower and face reality. Again. He got out and put some clean shorts on with a gray t-shirt and went back into the living room to see Kenzie and Declan talking to a pretty hot little redhead. “Hey there,” he said.

  His eyes almost popped open as bright teal eyes met his, and he realized that Riley was the girl in his room.

  Chapter Two

  “I hear I’m paying for breakfast,” Kenzie said, as she glared at Brent. “You’re covered with this room, but we need to figure out what we’re going to do. Brent?”

  He was staring at Riley but blinked and looked away at Kenzie’s question. Riley was gorgeous now, and it had only been a few years since he’d seen her. “We will. I’m going to eat something and clean this shit up.”

  “I am going to the airport. I have a graduation to go to.” Kenzie left in a huff, and Brent glanced at the clock to see that it was still early in the morning.

  “Riley, you’ve grown up since I saw you last,” Brent told her, as he walked over to her and gave her a one-armed hug. She was taller than before, just a few feet under his six foot one frame, and she had some beautiful little curves. Damn, if she didn’t smell like something sweet, as well.

  “That happens when you’re a famous rock star on the road all of the time,” she replied dryly, as she gave the room a long look. “Really, Brent?” She looked into his eyes, and he turned his face to the floor as disapproval flooded her pretty face. “You’re a talented guy, and this is what you do?”

  “Last time, Ri.” It sounded so weird calling this gorgeous young woman by the nickname that he’d used for years. “Your sister is going to kill me if I don’t chill out.”

  “You got that right,” Declan agreed, as they heard a knock at the door. He opened it and brought in the tray himself after tipping the delivery guy, giving Brent a look as he wheeled it into the center of the room and poured some coffee. “There’s a crowd outside. Way to be low key, Brent.”

  Riley walked over and looked over the platters as Brent tried to force his eyes away from her ass in the skinny jeans that she was wearing. What the fuck was wrong with him? She was like his own sister in some ways, and he pushed his hair back as it started to drip into his eyes before joining them.

  They caught up on what was going on in her life and talked about Mel for a bit before Brent pushed his plate away and poured some more coffee. “I guess I should get this done and get into a new room.” They were in New Orleans for another day before they headed to Texas for a few shows. Brent cleaned up the bottles that had been cleared out of the mini bar and tossed them into the trash before he righted all of the furniture along with Declan. Riley was cleaning up the plates and getting the tray back to the door before she left it outside in the hallway. She started to clean up the little kitchen and throw bags of chips away, as well as even more bottles of alcohol, wrinkling her cute little nose.

  Brent did all that he could before he dropped a few bills onto the kitchen counter and packed his clothes in a hurry. There was a crowd outside, but he hung his head low as Declan and Riley flanked him out of habit. They managed to make it to the elevator alone, and Brent glanced at the paper with the room number in his hand as he pushed the down button. “They’re sticking me in a regular room.”

  “I’m shocked,” Riley told him, and he saw a small smile cross her face. “You won’t do as much damage that way.”

  It was obviously meant as a joke, but Brent felt something like shame flood his veins. Brent hadn’t felt guilt or at least admitted that he felt it through most of the past scandals. There were the destroyed hotel rooms and condos, a few pregnancy reports that thankfully didn’t lead to anything, the many women that he’d been photographed with and countless rumors of what had happened with all of them.

  If his mom was still around, Brent knew that she’d be furious with him. But that was the catalyst to this behavior…her death to ovarian cancer when he was just twelve years old. He’d had nothing tangible for a dad since he’d split early, and while the Kellers were amazing as step-in parents, he still slipped.

  It had been school bands back then and local gigs in Oregon. Nothing big. Somehow, even while he was having trouble with things, Brent had formed Nothing Lasts with a few guys, and they had taken off. By the time he was twenty-four, they had appeared to be going places. Brent started to make real money and tour in better vehicles as he watched a few things disap
pear from his life. Brent only knew to fill the void, and he thought about that as he opened the door to his new room on the first floor. It was small and basic and located close to the lobby. His friends followed him into the room and snickered as they looked around. “It’s a bed, right?” Declan said, as Brent dropped his duffel bag onto the small table and looked around.

  Was that even a king sized bed?

  He was lucky to still be here at all, but Kenzie was a great talker when she needed to be. It might be the band’s last time here, though. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and looked down at the screen. He sent a group text to the band apologizing for the mess and, after a few minutes, only his good friend Gary responded with something along the lines of it being okay. Even Brent could see through that, and he sighed as he stuck the phone back into his shorts.

  “So do you want to go out and see some of the city? We have all day and night,” Declan was telling Riley, as Brent focused on them instead of his band’s disappointment.

  “Sure, I’ve heard it’s gorgeous here. I have a camera that I’d love to break in,” Riley said, as her eyes lit up. She was an excellent photographer and Brent was vaguely surprised that she hadn’t gone into that for a living.

  “Want to go?” Declan asked Brent, looking at his friend. “You seem to be doing better.” Brent usually snapped back after some coffee and breakfast, and he nodded as he glanced around the tiny room.

  He pulled on a baseball cap and some sunglasses before they left and went to Declan’s suite so he could shower. Brent sat at the table with Riley as the other roadie looked at them from across the room where he was working on his laptop. Rumors moved fast, particularly with anyone related to the band and their inner workings. Brent ignored him and tossed the sunglasses onto the wood between them before he glanced up at Riley. “So I like the red.” She was a natural brunette like her siblings, but this bright auburn suited her and made her eyes practically glow as she smiled at him. It was cut into a shorter bob and fell over her pale cheeks.

  “Thanks. My best friend at school wanted to do it.” A dark look crossed her face, and she stared at the table. “Hers is purple.”

  “I’m sorry about school, Ri. I know that Dec will find a way for you to go.” Brent said as she gave him an angry look with shimmering blue eyes.

  “Dec has himself and Mel to take care of, Brent.” A tear slid down her smooth skin, and he reached for her hand.

  “Fuck it, Ri. I’ll pay for you to go to school. You’re brilliant.” She tried to smile as he clasped her hand with his and gave her a soft look.

  “Yeah, right.”

  Declan came back in a new pair of shorts and shirt, and Riley used the bathroom before they headed out. Brent went back into his disguise, and they walked out of the main lobby and headed into the French Quarter as he let out his breath. He’d figure this out somehow and make things right again. Brent watched as Riley managed to find every perfect and odd angle before she lifted her camera to her face and shot it with such focus. Brent was jealous that she had that focus even with things going south with school for her, and he mulled over the idea of paying for it. He only had an apartment back in New York, and he could swing it.

  “I have an idea,” Declan said, as they watched her take another picture of a cobblestone street together.

  Chapter Three

  “What’s that?” Brent asked as he glanced at Declan for a second before taking in the redhead again.

  “You need a cover.” Brent looked at him again. “You’ve done rehab, and since you’re not an addict, that didn’t help. Your problem is just coping better, and I think you need to try a new cover to get out of this one.”

  Brent knew that the band still wasn’t getting back to him, and he reluctantly nodded as Declan looked over at Riley. “Look, I mean this just as a cover, because there’s no way in hell I’d suggest you do it for real, but Riley would make a great cover.”

  “Your sister?” Brent asked in shock since he’d been thinking the things he had since seeing her.

  “You guys have known each other forever, so you’re comfortable. It would just be a few pictures and sightings, but nothing more. Kenzie would know what to do with it,” Declan said, as Brent rolled his eyes.

  “She won’t want me anywhere near Riley.”

  “You don’t see her that way, Brent. She’s a good girl with a great reputation and nothing scandalous in her background. She could clean up your image,” Declan urged him, as Brent looked at her. Dressed in her black jeans and a purple shirt that hung down in front of her, he had to admit that his friend was right. Riley was a good girl and would do him well, but what about the way he was feeling towards her? They couldn’t go past the front they were putting up, and Brent knew that would be hard.

  “We could talk to Kenzie, I guess.” Brent tried to sound casual, and Declan nodded before giving him a warning glance.

  “This is just for a cover. She’s beyond being too good for you and I don’t want you to lay a hand on her.” Brent had heard that Riley was a virgin a few times in the last few years, though looking at her now, it was hard to imagine. “You just need to lay off the groupies and play it out right.”

  “Of course, D. I hear you.”

  Riley walked back over, and he took her in and shook his head slowly. They continued to walk around and see everything, and the guys chatted between photos. Brent tossed around the idea over and over. It was crazy.

  They stopped in a bar for a quick drink and took a table in the back corner so Brent could remove his sunglasses. Declan was sending messages on his phone, and he looked at Brent as his phone rang. Brent saw that it was Kenzie and answered as his best friend walked over to the bar to get them some drinks. “Hey. How was the graduation?”

  “She’s growing up too fast,” his publicist sniffled before she went into her business tone. “So Dec sent me a crazy idea.”

  “He mentioned it to me,” Brent said, and she sighed.

  “I think that it’s a bit risky, but Riley would be perfect for a cover. She’s young enough to be realistic, doesn’t have anything they can trash her for on her record and would do this for you as a friend,” Kenzie told him. Brent acknowledged that she was right with a nod that she couldn’t see. Riley, in all of her disappointment in him, would still help him out because she believed in him. “Just don’t take this too far, if she happens to go for it. She’s my baby sister, Brent.”

  “I’m aware,” he said. He looked up at Riley as she pointed her camera at him to snap a picture.

  “You’re so photogenic,” she gushed, as he ended the call and set the phone on the table. Her phone rang, and she answered it easily with a smile. Riley frowned and stood up to go outside as Brent clenched his fists under the table. That had to be Kenzie with the idea, and a part of him wanted to stand up and put a stop to the entire thing for a moment.

  Declan came back with two beers and a red drink. “Where’s Ri?”

  “I think she’s talking to your sister,” Brent replied, as Declan raised an eyebrow and sat down. “She seemed to think it was a decent idea.”

  “It is,” Declan agreed, as he slid one of the beers towards his friend. “I mean, she’s here, and you guys could just fall into this. It’s almost too easy.”

  They looked up at Riley, who walked back in and slipped into the booth. She took a long drink of the bloody Mary and looked between the guys. Her gaze lingered longer on Brent, and her cheeks flushed and she looked at the table. “That was Kenzie.” She looked at her brother. “You know about her idea?”

  “We both do,” Brent told her, and she stared back at him.

  “What? Oh.” She flushed again, and Brent leaned forward.

  “This is just a front, Ri. Nothing more. The band’s pissed at me, and we’re on this big tour. It would get the chatter quieted down quickly, and it wouldn’t be anything to worry about,” Brent assured her. Then he thought of something else. “Hell, Ri. I’ll pay for school for the year if you do t
his.” He was scared that this was going to affect them and his future, and he felt himself start to sweat. “I can’t mess up with the guys.”

  She stared at him, and Declan looked at him with surprise on his face. “It’s worth that?”

  “Yes,” Brent said. “Besides, you can’t drop out of school. You’re so good at what you do.”

  “Just like you can’t leave the band because you’re so good at what you do,” Riley said, as she smiled at him and looked down at the table. “I mean, it can’t hurt things. It’s a few pictures and sightings, right?”

  “Right,” Declan told her. “Do this for school. You know that Mom and Brad don’t have the cash to send you to Parson’s, and this is easy.” She’d already waited to go, to begin with, while their dad considered sending her after their parents had split up seven years ago.

  “Ugh, okay. I guess I will. How do we start this?” Riley asked, and Brent found himself wanting to smile at her. He held it in and nodded.

  “Brent will be noticed, and you’ll be with him. That’s a good start. After that, the more he’s seen with you, the more people will speculate. Maybe it’ll get their minds off of last night,” Declan suggested, and Riley looked at Brent.

  He could still see the kid in her, but there was so much maturity in those eyes, so much intelligence. She was something, and he smiled at her and nodded. “Yeah. Even today. I’ll take off the sunglasses and see who notices me.”

  “Sounds good.” They enjoyed their drinks as they chatted and when they left, Brent slid the sunglasses back on. He still hated bright sunlight and, looking at Riley, he wanted to give her a little peace before she was dragged into his world. Come to think of it, he was enjoying being anonymous after last night and this morning as well.

  They wandered around a bit more and found a swamp tour that was leaving in a few moments. Riley then noticed all of the old cemeteries and looked at the guys with pleading eyes. “The pictures that I could take!”