Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I won’t make that mistake twice.
I thank my lucky stars for the driver’s impressive skills when our arrival at the private airstrip allows me to exit the vehicle with a dramatic flair. I clamber out of my seat as if my ass is on fire before hotfooting it in the direction of a private jet idling on the runway.
It is on loan from Rise Up, a somewhat “good luck” omen from the men who didn’t have two dimes to rub together before music gave them more than fame.
Since I am leaving Ravenshoe—a star-spotting haunt now as famous as LA—I’m screamed a range of questions during my brisk walk to the stairs leading to the jet. They aren’t from fans wanting a piece of their favorite band. They’re from members of the paparazzi desperate for an exclusive scoop on the group of friends who put Ravenshoe on the map.
“Is it true Noah and Emily’s marriage is on the rocks?”
“Will you be back in time for Nick and Jenni’s wedding? If sources close to the family are correct, it will be sometime within the next three months.”
Wrong. Nick and Jenni are already married. As are Kylie and Slater, Rise Up’s drummer. They just kept it a secret from everyone of no importance to them.
“Can you confirm or deny if Emily is expecting again?”
“Do you want to apologize to Kylie about the mishap that occurred last night?”
That question stops me in my tracks.
After cranking my neck to the middle-aged man livestreaming his “interview,” I ask, “What am I meant to be apologizing about?”
His reply stabs me in the chest. “When you went home with her fiancé.”
“I didn’t go home with anyone last night.” Dirty, filthy sex with a stranger on a rooftop? Different story.
“That isn’t what TMZ is reporting,” says a second pap with half a head of pink hair. “A reliable source informed them that you were seen leaving…”—she checks her notepad—“Mavericks at eleven p.m. on the back of Slater’s bike.” After scrolling on her phone for ten seconds, she spins the screen to face me. “See?”
“That isn’t me.”
I wore a Jenni Holt dress last night. The auburn-haired beauty on the back of Slater’s bike is wearing cutoff jeans and a white singlet top oddly similar to the shirt Kylie, Slater’s wife, had on last night.
“Kylie is mainly brunette, but her hair would understandably look more auburn if it was illuminated by dozens of cameras flashing.”
I barely get two steps away when a snarky comment stops me for the second time. “Did you pre-plan your reply by yourself or while discussing with Slater how to keep your affair a secret from his heavily pregnant partner?”
“Listen, your source is way off the mark. I—”
Before I can complete my statement, a beefy arm wraps around my waist, and I’m carried up the stairs of the private jet.
“No more questions,” the stern voice barks out when the paparazzi follow us.
They only back away when Laken plops me into a seat at the front of the plane before using his body to block their ability to snap my picture.
“I said no more questions!” He shoves the camera of the lead aggressor into his face before forcibly returning them all to the tarmac one push at a time.
With the jet no longer surrounded by the vultures of the media, Knox and River soon join me inside. Knox is too busy barking orders into his cell phone to check if I’m okay, but River hugs me to death like we didn’t greet each other in the same manner only minutes ago, before he takes the seat across from me.
The pride on his face can’t be missed when he slings his eyes to Laken, who is single-handedly manhandling over a dozen paparazzi into submission. “I taught him everything he knows.” His chuckle returns my focus to him. “He’s a fast learner.” He takes his time drifting his almond-shaped eyes over my face before asking sincerely, “Are you okay, Nicole? Those guys can be pretty mean.”
I nod. “Yeah. I’ve grown accustomed to it the past few years. I was just a little surprised they shifted their focus to Slater this time.”
As a flight attendant places a glass of champagne down in front of me, River balances his elbows on the same glossed table. “Not just that.” He nudges his head to the stretched town car, which is seeking an opening in traffic to return to the hotel. “With what happened in there? My brother can be a bit of a hothead, but I figured you’d be well versed on them since you’ve been dealing with Knox for the past year.”
I’m left a little stumped. Not about his assumption that Knox is arrogant. I’m surprised by his admission that Laken is his brother. “I thought you said you only have one brother?”