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The soft launch of their relationship seemed to be going well.
After they’d finished recording the bass track, Nikki cornered him in the supply closet where she hugged him and then threatened him. And then hugged him again.
Honestly, it was on the subdued side of what he’d expected from Nikki.
It was early evening when they decided to call it a day. Mostly because they’d already accomplished so much. They had enough songs recorded for an album. Two actually. All that was left was mixing and mastering.
But also, Zara had waylaid him in the hallway with a kiss so scandalous he was surprised he didn’t burst into flames on the spot.
Getting home and getting her naked became priority one.
Nikki wanted to go home anyway. Baby Amber had developed a bit of a fever after her shots that morning and Nikki wanted to snuggle her baby.
They headed for the exit, talking and laughing about something banal and forgettable. Nikki walked backwards in front of them, Asa had his arm around Zara, Devan brought up the rear, Cas had gone to get the SUV and pull it around back.
It was the familiarity of being at the studio where he worked, of being surrounded by people he knew and trusted, of being so blissfully distracted by Zara’s hand in his back pocket as they walked out the backdoor that made him so incredibly stupid.
Nikki laughed as she crossed the threshold outside. She turned around and stopped suddenly, a choked gasp coming out of her. “Demon!”
Asa and Zara kept walking, bumping into her. Asa hadn’t even processed what was happening before Nikki was using both hands to push him and Zara back towards the door.
“Nikki, what on earth?—?”
“Gogogogogogo,”Nikki hissed.
“Oh wow. I’ve missed you too, Nikki.”
Asa’s blood ran cold. He knew that voice. He hadn’t heard it in a long time and not without it spewing drunken curses at him. But he knew that voice. His arm tightened around Zara and his eyes darted around Nikki, finding the last person he wanted to see.
Shelby stood with her back to the passenger side door of a car he didn’t recognize. Casually posed with one arm crossed over her middle, the other holding up her phone like she was taking pictures or video.
Asa moved Zara behind him and backed toward the door. He glanced over his shoulder to see Devan who had assessed the situation correctly and already had hold of Zara and she was speaking into her wrist. She pulled Zara back into the studio and Nikki followed, shutting the door.
Leaving Asa alone with his sister.
She was in skintight black jeans and a black tank top. Her hair was the color of old rust because she’d bleached and colored it so many times, the ends brittle and broken off. She was only two years older than him but she appeared to be so much more. Her skin was lined by her life choices and a thousand too many cigarettes.
He’d feel pity for her if she wasn’t such an asshole.
“I didn’t realize they moved the location to the gates of hell,” Asa said by way of greeting.
“Hello, little brother. Miss me?”
“Almost as much as I miss having the stomach flu,” he replied.
She narrowed her eyes at him and ran her tongue over her teeth. He glanced at her phone again.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, though he had a pretty good idea. “Is there a used port-a-potty support group in town?”
She curled an unamused lip at him. “I had a hunch and I followed it.” Her expression turned devious. “I was right. You’re fucking the pop star.” She waved her phone at him and arched her eyebrows. “And guess who caught it all on video?”
Squealing tires announced Cas’s arrival and Asa could have kissed the man if he thought he wouldn’t get punched.
Cas brought the SUV to a lurching stop and came around the vehicle, angry gray eyes leveled at Shelby.
Shelby didn’t even flinch.
Cas grabbed her phone out of her hand and threw it on the ground, smashing it.
