She laughs cattily. “Girlfriend? You think you’re his girlfriend? Liam doesn’t have those. He hops from woman to woman, taking what he wants and leaving them in his wake.”
“Sounds like you’re jealous.”
She’s surprised. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“He told me he hooked up with you a few times.”
“You think that makes me jealous of you? Think again, honey. Believe me, if I wanted him, I’d have him.”
“Wow. You really think a lot of yourself, don’t you? Now if you’ll excuse me.”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Inside, to meet my boyfriend.”
Her jaw drops. It’s exactly the reaction I was going for. “They’re in rehearsal. You’ll have to wait out here.”
“Seriously?”
“What is it about me having the upper hand that you don’t understand?”
The door opens and Garrett appears. “Hi, Ella. You here to see Liam?”
“Yes, but Ronni doesn’t want to let me pass.”
“Fuck off, Ronni.” Garrett takes me inside, closing the door on her. “Sorry about her. She likes to think she can control everything we do. I was using the bathroom and saw you two talking. Figured you might need rescuing.”
“Thank you. She’s a real piece of work.”
Garrett opens the door to the studio, and I’m bombarded with music. I’m amazed at how soundproof the studio is. Liam’s back is turned to me, and he’s playing guitar. Even in rehearsal, he’s giving it everything he has. His head bobs up and down, and his back tenses, punctuating the high notes. My insides melt. Watching him is like foreplay for me.
He stops playing. “I want to go again. The last part wasn’t quite right. It needs something.”
Crew gestures, and Liam turns. He smiles when he sees me. My heart flutters. Happy.
“Give me ten minutes,” he says. “I need to nail this down.”
“Sure.”
I sit on a stool in the corner. The others stand around and listen. He gazes at me while he plays. I recognize the tune. It’s the one he wrote for Garrett’s lyrics. It’s even better than when he played it for me last week.
He finishes and waits for a reaction. “Fucking yeah,” Garrett says, twirling a drumstick.
“Perfect,” Crew says. “Do it again, exactly the same way. Brad, let’s add you this time.”
Bria comes over to me. “He’s been working on this all morning. I thought it was great all along, but then you walked in and poof! It’s gone from great to amazing.”
I whisper to Bria, “I accidentally told him I was in love with him last night.”
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “So that’s why he’s been in such a good mood today.”
“He has?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“He didn’t say it back.”
“Neither did Crew at first.”
“Really?”
“These guys are dark and mysterious. It takes a certain kind of woman to get to them. Don’t worry, I can see how he feels about you. He’s never looked at a woman the way he looks at you.”
“He doesn’t think he deserves me.”
“That’s why you’re the one for him.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Just listen to him, Ella. Since you came into his life, he plays better than he ever has.”
They stop, and Liam puts his guitar down and comes over. “What’re you grinning about?”
“Nothing. Girl talk.”
Garrett joins us. “Ronni was trying to keep Ella from coming inside.”
Liam stiffens. “Are you kidding me? What did she say to you?” When I tell him, his jaw tightens. “That bitch.” He stalks to the door, anger emanating from every pore.
I go after him. “Liam, don’t. You’ll only fuel the fire.”
“I’m sick of her shit, El.”
“Maybe there’s another way to get back at her,” Bria says. “A more passive-aggressive way.”
Liam stops. “I’m listening.”
“She’s coming to our show on Saturday. Remember those stunts she said we shouldn’t pull? Why don’t you do one?”
“But we’ll be fined,” Liam says.
“Stunts? Fines?” I say. “What are you talking about?”
“Ronni’s trying to keep us on a tight leash. She didn’t appreciate Crew’s public proposal. It wasn’t the first time he’s done something like that. She said we were going to be fined if anything similar happened again.”
I can only imagine what kind of “stunt” he might pull. He doesn’t love me. We’re not even technically a couple. But the thought of him doing something publicly has me tingling all the way down to my toes.
“It’s bullshit,” Crew says. “There’s nothing in the contract about fining us if we don’t behave a certain way. Just because she said that shit and wrote it into the so-called business plan, that doesn’t make it legal.”
“What are you suggesting?” Liam asks.
“I’m not sure,” Bria says. “I’ll think of something. We have all week.”
“Do you want to join us for lunch?” I ask them.
Bria takes Crew’s elbow. “We’re meeting my brother.”
“How about you?” I ask Garrett and Brad.
“I’m good,” they each say.
I turn to Liam. “I guess I’m all yours then.”
He grins. “Exactly the way I like it.”
More tingles ensue.
We pass Ronni on our way out. Liam gives her the evil eye. She looks at her watch. “I trust you’ll be back in an hour.”
“You’re not my mother, Ronni. We’ll be back in two.”
Bria and Crew, walking up ahead, snicker.
Ronni scoffs and turns on her heels, stomping away.
As we walk down the street to a nearby bar and grill, I say, “I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”
“Are you kidding? Irritating Ronni is one of our favorite things to do. As long as we’re stuck with IRL, we might as well have a little fun.”
“What kind of control does she have over you? She can’t really tell you not to date someone, can she?”
He takes my hand. “Hell no. She likes to think she can. Because we’re new at this, she attempts to dictate our every move. Believe me, IRL is making a lot of money off us. She’d be a fool to do anything to jeopardize that.”
I blow out a breath of relief. He doesn’t fail to notice.
“She really got to you, huh?”
“She said I’m ruining your image. She explicitly said, since we have the same last name, people might get the wrong idea.”
“Fuck her, El.”
I tell him what I left out earlier. “She said you weren’t the kind of guy to have a girlfriend.”
“I wasn’t.”
“I might have provoked her by calling you my boyfriend.”
He stops and laughs. “Oh shit, I would have loved to have seen her face.”
“You’re not mad?”
“It’s strange,” he says, skimming a finger down my arm. “I never thought I’d be anyone’s boyfriend.”
“So what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking I might like the sound of it.”
Before I can react, a woman trots up next to us. “Are you Liam Campbell? Like, from Reckless Alibi?”
“The one and only,” he says proudly.
I’ve never been around him when a random person recognized him. It’s happened to Crew and Bria. Understandable, because they’re out in front, singing.
I back away, giving him space. He shoots me a glance that says I’m being ridiculous.
The woman is beyond excited. “Do you mind if I get a picture with you?”
I hold out my hand. “I’ll take it.”
“Oh, would you?”
I point. “Stand there, so the sun isn’t behind you.”
Liam puts his arm around her, and they smile. Then he winks at me.
“Thank you,” the woman says. “I just love your music.” She turns to me. “Are you his girlfriend?”
“Uh, no.”
Liam pulls me close. “Yes.”
“You’re so lucky,” she says to me. She holds up her phone. “Thanks for this.”
“No problem. Thanks for listening to our stuff,” Liam says.
“Oh, my God!” I squeal quietly. “That was awesome. Has it ever happened before? I’ve only seen girls fawn over you after concerts.”
“It’s happened once or twice.”
“There will come a time when you might not be able to go down the street unnoticed.”
“Will that bother you?”
“It will be amazing.”
“I’m not sure you know what you’re saying, El. You saw those crazy fans in Florida.”
“You’ll always have to deal with fans like those.” I glance behind us. “But I think most of them will be like her. And if you want to be successful, it goes with the territory. I understand that. And I want you to get everything you want in life.”
He looks at me like I’m one of those things. “That woman was wrong, you know. I’m the lucky one.”
Chapter Forty-five
Liam
My phone chirps. I roll over in bed and grab it off the nightstand. It’s a text from Crew, telling me to check my bank account. I open the app and my jaw hits the floor. Sitting up, I rub my eyes, not sure I’m seeing straight. I look again. The numbers are clear as day. I run into the living room to see three people smiling at me.
“Is this for real?” I say.
“I’ve been telling you all along,” Garrett says, “we’re gonna be millionaires.”
“We’re not even close yet,” Crew says.
“Yeah, but it’s a good start.”
I have enough now to do what I planned.
“What did Brad have to say?” I ask.
Crew checks his phone. “He hasn’t gotten back to me.”
“He’s so far up Katie’s ass, he probably can’t even read the text,” Garrett says.
“Give him a break,” Bria says. “He’s going to be a dad. He needs a minute to grasp that.”
Garrett shakes his head. “He’s had two weeks.”
“It’s a kid, Garrett, not a new haircut. It might take him a tad longer.”
“You guys want to celebrate?” Crew asks. “Maybe go to the place Bria always talks about?”
Her eyes light up. “The one with the hundred-dollar hamburger? Let’s do it.”
“You guys go ahead,” I say. “I have other plans.”
“Bring Ella,” she says.
“The plans aren’t with Ella.”
Garrett looks around. “But everyone else you know is in this room.”
“I can do shit by myself, you know.”
“What kind of shit?”
“Shit that’s none of your fucking business. Now go eat your hundred-dollar burger and leave me alone. And why the hell would you want to eat there anyway? Didn’t you grow up eating that stuff?”
“You act like my family is the Rockefellers or something. So they have money. A lot of people do.”
“A lot of people don’t have a trust fund.”
“It’s not as much as you think, it’s only a m—” Garrett stops talking mid-sentence, suddenly deep in thought.
“It’s only what?” I prompt.
“Nothing.”
“Are we meeting back here before the gig?” Bria asks. “Or at the club?”
“Didn’t you hear what Ronni said yesterday?” I say. “We’re arriving in a limo again. We’re meeting at IRL.”
She rolls her eyes. “At least we can afford it now.”
I start toward my room. “See you there at seven.”
“You’re really not going to tell us where you’re going?” Garrett asks.
“I’m really not.”
~ ~ ~
“Ella’s not coming?” Bria says when I arrive at IRL.
“She’ll be there, but she’s not riding with us.”
“I should think not,” Ronni says, appearing around the corner. “She’s not part of the band. It wouldn’t be allowed.”
I wish I would have insisted she come with me just to irritate Ronni.
I hear a familiar voice and curse under my breath. I gesture to Dirk. “No way is he going with us.”
Ronni laughs. “I can hardly tell him no. He owns the company.”
“Why in the hell would you want to come?” I ask him. “It’s not like you haven’t heard us play a dozen times.”
“Making sure my investment keeps paying off. Thanks to me, you all got a substantial payment this morning.” He leans into me. “You’re welcome.”
“Like you have anything to do with it, Dirk. You can’t even claim I got my talent from you. We write the songs. We play the music. You coming in and buying a company we already work for doesn’t make you responsible for our success.”
“How easily you forget everything I’ve done for you. The barn, Jeremy, the White Poison gigs. None of that would have happened if it weren’t for me. So suck it up, why don’t you, and give credit where credit is due.”
Garrett steps between us. “We’re grateful for what you’ve done, Dirk. Thank you.”
“Now that’s more like it,” Dirk says and climbs into the limo.
“What is it between you and Dirk?” Garrett asks.
I glare at him. “What is it between you and your brother?”
“No way could it be as bad.”
“I promise you, it’s a whole lot fucking worse.”
I can feel Garrett’s eyes on me as I walk away.
“You should tell him,” Crew says.
“No.”
“He’s one of your best friends. You said you were going to release the video. At least tell him about Luke. It doesn’t have to be about you.”
“I said no.”
“You’ve decided not to release it then?”
“Right now, I’m going to get through tonight.”
He puts a hand on my shoulder. “You know I’ll support whatever you do.”
“I know.”
Brad comes over. “I’ll sit next to Dirk so you don’t have to.”
I stand on the sidewalk until everyone else is inside. Jeremy pokes his head out. “You coming?”
I climb in and sit next to Bria, then put my earbuds in so I don’t have to listen to Dirk.
Twenty minutes later, we pull up to the venue. As always, Ronni has the driver wait until a crowd forms. We exit and sign some autographs on our way in. I look around, disappointed I don’t see Ella.
We’re guided into a back room set up with food and drink. I pull Jeremy aside. “Can you see if Ella is out there? I need to know where she’s sitting.”
“Sure thing.”
He returns a minute later. “Table to the right of the stage, about fifteen feet back. She’s got two friends with her.”
“Thanks.”
He cocks his head. “You’re not going to do anything stupid.”
“Depends on how you define stupid.”
He shakes his head, laughing. “I love my job.”
Ronni shows up. “Okay, people. This is your first show since the tour. Fans are taking notice. Sales are up. You’re rock stars now. Go out there and give them what they came for.”
If one of the five of us had given that little pep talk, we’d be fired up, but we look at her as if she announced we’re getting a tax audit.
“Thanks, Ronni,” Bria says. “We’ve got it from here.”
She pouts and leaves.
“She may be the devil’s whore, but she’s right,” Garrett says, pouring us each a shot. “We’re on our way up. Let’s go out there and enjoy the goddamn ride. Bring it in, guys. On three.”
We each take a glass and huddle around him as he counts it off.
“Let’s get reckless!” we scream.
During the first song, I locate Ella r
ight where Jeremy said she’d be. She’s with Krista and Jenn. I’ve met them both several times over the past few weeks, and I’m pretty sure they couldn’t care less if I’m a douchebag or a cheater. They want their friend to date a rock star.
Sometimes I wonder if she’s told them about me. I didn’t tell her she couldn’t, but I don’t think she has. Most people look at you differently if they know you’re a freak.
She doesn’t, a voice in my head says.
The lights pointing at the stage aren’t as bright as at some of the other venues, and I can see Ella’s face. She’s singing along with every song, chair-dancing to the beat. I can’t wait to be between those legs again.
We have a short break, long enough to get some water, but not so short Ronni can’t come backstage and piss us off a little. “Will you stop staring at her?” she says.
“Who?” I ask innocently.
“Don’t pull that shit with me, Liam. Women notice that sort of thing. They want you to look at them. Do you want them to buy your records?”
“Of course.”
“Then for Christ’s sake, throw them a goddamn bone.”
Bria pulls me aside as we return to the stage. “Give Ronni a little of what she wants. She’ll be happy for about two minutes before you go rogue.”
As I play, I make eye contact with several women. They give me their fuck-me eyes. Three months ago that might have made me hard. I might have taken them backstage and fucked them quick and dirty. Then they would leave, mumbling about what a pervert I am. Some of them are beautiful, but there’s not so much as a tingle going on down there. Not unless I’m looking at Ella. It’s torture keeping my eyes off her.
I glance at Ronni. She gives me an approving nod. Bitch.
I try to make eye contact with more women, but my gaze never strays far from Ella. There’s not a doubt in my mind—I play better when she’s around. My fingers move effortlessly along the frets. My pick never misses a single string. I lock eyes with her during a long riff, feeling like I could play forever.
When the riff is over, I glance at Ronni again. She’s not happy. She points two fingers at her eyes and then gestures to the audience. If looking at Ella is pissing her off, wait until she sees what’s next. It’s nothing big, no grand gesture like what Crew has done, but I’m one hundred percent sure she’s going to lose her shit.
Reckless Invitation (The Reckless Rockstar Series) Page 25