Page 120 of 4-Ever

Ronin

My boo was incredible.

And sure, maybe my line was cheesier than fuck, but it was the truth. Faise’s passionate plea sparked a fire in me like nothing and no one else. And I needed that kick in the ass tonight.

We all did.

The fact that it was my boyfriend doing the kicking, though, was a surprise. He was the last person I expected to rally us. Normally, that was Brodie’s domain. But watching Faise step into his power? The way he fought for us?

Sexiest thing ever. I didn’t think I could fall harder. But I did.

A half hour later, we were on stage, facing the biggest crowd of our career. With over sixty thousand people inside the stadium, the roar of the crowd was incredible. It was hot as fuck already, because hello, California in July. And it only got steamier when the lights hit us full force, and we started playing. We kicked off this concert with Nine Gone Wrong.

I’ll never forget that moment when the fans belted out the first chorus. The energy around us soared. Goosebumps popped up all over my skin as I looked around at my bandmates and recognized the awe in their expressions too. At everything we’d accomplished. At how far we’d come.

Then Holls joined Brodie at the mic, performing our latest song, Running Start. The song he’d written for Dawson. The crowd went nuts, cheering and clapping when Holls called his fiancé on stage.

By the time we’d reached two and a half hours in, everything except our pants—or in Brodie’s case, his kilt—was thrown off and into the crowd. We were drenched in sweat, exhausted, but never so fucking happy.

By that time, Killmine had arrived, and Nate and his boys joined us to sing a duet of Filthy Pain.

After that, we left them on stage as we took a much-needed break. We hydrated in the wings and watched Killmine live up to their name, totally rocking their set. It was so cool to see how far they’d come since their first performance with us back in October.

When we hit the stage again, we were amped up. And thankfully, the sun was starting to set so the temperature finally dropped. Nate and the boys joined us for our last song, Never Look Back. We were all sweaty and shirtless by that point.

Well, everyone except Nate, who strutted back out in in his jeans and a black leather jacket. Grabbing the mic, Nate thanked our crew, and called out Tommy and Ace. We encouraged both guys to step out of the wings and take a bow with us. After all, we couldn’t do a show like this this without them.

Faise was still sitting behind his kit, so I walked around and held my sweaty hand out to him, encouraging him to stand up. When he did, I slid my arm around his waist and pulled him out to center stage. Nate passed me the mic.

“Let’s hear another round, please, for this incredibly talented man.”

Faise shook his head but waved to the crowd.

“Faise is not just my best friend, and my bandmate, but he is, in fact, the love of my life.”

There were cheers and whistles and more applause as I leaned down to kiss him.

Suddenly, fireworks exploded overhead.

And our celebration? It had just begun.

EPILOGUE

FAISE

A YEAR LATER

“Come on, boo!” Ronin called out. “We’re gonna be late!”

I was already sweating through my shirt, despite the air conditioning, and my suit jacket was next. Damn restrictive clothing.

“This is the last time I ever wear a suit,” I grumbled.

“Stop complaining,” Ronin replied. “You look sexy as fuck.”

I stared at my reflection in the bedroom mirror. The black suit fit me perfectly, but I hardly recognized myself. Anything except jeans, t-shirts and running shoes was totally out of character.

“This shirt collar is choking me. And not in a sexy, kinky way.”

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