Page 32 of Anthem of Love and Loathing

The lines around his eyes deepen as he takes in my nudity. “Is giving the whole of downtown a free show a good idea?”

“Why the fuck is she back?”

“I think you’ve already worked out why.” He joins me at the railing.

Because I need her. No, not me. The music. The band. I don’t need her. I would prefer for her to slink away to where ever she came from and never show her face around me again. But... two songs written back-to-back... it’s been a long time since I’ve had that kind of inspiration.

And the beauty of it all is that I don’t have to change anything. I can pretend she’s just another groupie hanging around. So far, I haven’t even needed to be nice to her. Or polite. Or even civil. These songs are coming from a place of raw hate. I’m writing again. And I’d be a fool not to realize why that is. “I don’t like it.”

“I know.”

“You’re a fucking asshole.”

“Yeah well... you’re no pocket of sunshine either, brother,” he says, leaning against the railing.

Moments pass by. I take another puff and exhale deeply. Fuck it. “She can stay.”

Bronx nods. “Thank you. You’re doing the right thing for all of us.”

“That does not mean I’m going to like it.” I turn away from the railing and grind out my joint before flicking the butt into the ashtray. “And don’t expect me to suddenly change my opinion of the traitorous bitch. I’m not going to be nice to her.”

That won’t get songs written.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Once we have enough songs for a new album, she leaves.” I stretch up and scratch the back of my head as I walk inside. I’ll make sure she wishes she never came back long before that. “You need to make that clear to Kodiak.”

The dumb ass is probably halfway addicted to her already.

“Yeah, sure.” Bronx doesn’t sound thrilled by my conditions as he follows me inside, but that’s not my problem. He knew what to expect when he brought her here.

As if I would let either of them keep her. “You too. Don’t get all tangled up in her. You can be such a soppy romantic.”

“I suppose she’s off limits in every way,” he says.

Yes. “Why the hell should I care who fucks her?” I pull my black jeans from off the TV—not sure how they got there—and drag them up my legs. Walking around to the blonde’s side of the bed, I use my foot to bounce the mattress and wake her. “Rise and shine, beautiful.”

Did I ever get her name? I was too preoccupied with telling Kelsey to leave.

She smiles sleepily as she sits up, giving Bronx a full view of her tits. Pushes her hair out of her face. “Morning.”

“Sorry to do this to you. We have a full day today.” After months of preparation, we kick off the tour tonight with a huge opening gig right here in L.A. Everyone will be there. Industry professionals, label execs, and the big boss Carmine Savant.

Straight after that we’re on the buses overnight. We won’t be back for months. I scoop up her dress from the floor and hand it to her. “I’m going to need you to get your sexy ass up and out of here.”

Climbing out of my bed, she shimmies into her dress before hunting around for her panties. When she can’t find them, she grabs her shoes and heads for the door. She stops on the threshold and smiles at me. “Bye, Riot.”

“What else?” I ask Bronx. Since he hasn’t left, he must have more to say.

“Finish getting dressed.” He tosses a T-shirt at my chest. “We have somewhere to go before we go to the venue.”

“Where’s that?” I drag the cotton over my head and smooth it down my abs before grabbing my leather jacket.

“I need to pick something up.”

“Fine.” I drag a hand through my hair as I follow him through a hotel suite littered with empty bottles, and party stragglers. “Are the others coming? We need someone to watch her?”

“Golden is staying,” Bronx says as Kodiak comes out of his room.