Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“No,” I say adamantly. “I want Dragon. He’s a member of this band, Rory. We don’t turn our back on our own. He’s been with the band a long time.”
Rory draws in a breath, lets it out slowly. “And I haven’t. Is that what you’re getting at?”
“No… Yes…” I run my fingers through my hair again. “I don’t know, Ror. Give me a fucking break, okay?”
“What exactly is going on here?” Brock asks when he returns to the table.
“This is band business, Steel.”
“Wait, wait, wait…” Rory shakes her head at me. “Brock is my fiancé, and he’s a financier of our part of the store. You won’t talk to him like that.”
She’s right, of course. I’m being a dickhead, and I know it. “I’m sorry,” I murmur.
Rory shakes her head at me.
Dragon…
Why did Dragon have to fuck up?
Why did I have to sleep with Brianna Steel?
She’s inside me now, like a fucking virus I can’t shake. Or like a poison for which there’s no antidote. A poison that both gives me life and takes it from me with each dose.
And it’s eating at me. Eating at me, clawing at my heart.
The server comes with our tea, and I take a quick sip. The tea burns my tongue.
“Damn,” I say.
“Jesse,” Rory says, “you’ve got to calm down. We’re all sorry about what happened to Dragon. But everything has fallen into place better than any of us could’ve imagined. We still have the chance to make a name for ourselves on this tour.”
“Dragon should be part of it.”
“Yes, he should. But he’s not. Whether he was drugged or he took the drugs himself, the result is the same. Things couldn’t have worked out better.”
Things could’ve worked out better. Brianna could be staying here with Dragon. But then Maddie wouldn’t have anyone to experience the tour with…
Rory’s right. I don’t know why I’m being so obstinate.
Except I do know.
Because as long as Brianna Steel is on this trip, I will continue to be distracted. I can try to force her out of my head. I can focus and perform and do a great job.
But having her here will make it just a little bit more difficult.
And now, without Dragon, I don’t need anything making this more difficult.
I stir my tea, helping it cool, and then I take another sip.
I look my sister in the eye. “Thank you, Ror. Thank you for maintaining a cool head through this. I promise you that from now on, I will be completely focused on every part of this tour.”
Chapter Twelve
Brianna
My jaw nearly drops onto the table. “You gave the ring to my grandmother?”
“We’ve had it appraised,” Donny says. “It’s priceless.”
Ennis nods. “I know. My mum gave it to me. It belonged to her grandmother, who came from Australia. Her name was Lottie Walsh.”
“I’m sure you had a very good reason,” Donny continues, “but I have to ask. Why would you give a priceless heirloom to our grandmother?”
Ennis stares into space for a moment, and just when I’m not sure he’s going to say another word—
“I haven’t brought those memories to the surface in quite some time,” he says. “But I suppose you deserve to know the truth about where the ring came from.”
“Yes, please,” I say. “I’m sure it’s a story of true love.”
Ennis’s eyes mist a little. “It is, dear Brianna. It is.”
“Then tell us,” I plead. I want to hear Ennis’s story since my own story of true love clearly isn’t going to happen.
“Patty was the daughter of pig farmers,” Ennis says, “but such a humble background didn’t matter to me. When we found out Daphne’s first pregnancy—with your uncle Jonah—had been difficult, we were surprised. Patty was taken aback because she and Daphne were quite close. We were visiting Daphne, and of course the subject of Sean Murphy came up. Did you know Patty dated him before me?”
“Jack’s father?” I ask.
“Yes, the one who died at Brad and Daphne’s wedding.” He sighs. “I was in love with Patty from our first encounter, but she held a torch for Sean. Once he died, I wasn’t sure Patty would fall for me.” A smile spreads over his still-handsome face. “But she did.” Then he goes dark. “I suppose I knew something wasn’t right, though I had no idea Patty might be a victim, when we had dinner with your grandparents the next night.”
I watch Ennis then, how his blue eyes sparkle with both happiness and sadness as he brings the memories to the surface.
And when he speaks, his words turn into images before me.
ENNIS
“Miss Daphne,” Belinda, the housekeeper, interrupted. “Phone for you. It’s Mr. Brad.”
Daphne rose from the dinner table, which included both her mother and mother-in-law, plus Patty and me.
Daphne returned a few moments later. “Brad is staying in the city tonight. Says he has an early meeting. But he promises he’ll be home for dinner tomorrow night, so you guys need to come back.”