Page 58 of Ballads of Lines Blurred

Dash got out next with Romeo and Tristan. I felt for Romeo. This wasn’t his thing. He didn’t like crowds or a lot of people. He said it was important to Dash, so it was to him as well. I could tell on the ride over how bad his anxiety got, and it gave a bit of a nudge to my own. That happened sometimes. When another had anxiety near me, mine decided it was a good time to show up.

I exited with a wave and held my hand for Milo. He quickly took it and got out of the car. His hair was burnt orange now. Whatever color he decided to make it, I thought he looked handsome.

Cody took my hand next, letting me help him out of the car, even though neither of them needed it. I had to take a step back and take them both in. It wasn’t the first time I’d done it tonight. To say they were gorgeous was an understatement. In tuxes tailored to their bodies, they were a sight to behold.

Milo leaned close, placing his hand on my lapel. “I know that look, rock star. Save it for later.” He winked.

God, I wanted to kiss them both. I almost did until I heard someone yell, “Milo, what’s it like working at a strip club?” It wasn’t the worst they could have asked, but it wasn’t the media’s damn business.

Ever since we went public, the media was having a field day, to the point I had to hire security to keep them away from my house. With Cody being a Dremest, one of the wealthiest families and the namesake of the city, and Milo coming from a wealthy family, we were under the spotlight. Not that my brother, Casper, and Reed weren’t when they went public with their relationships. But we were getting it worse. Some of it had to do with Cody and Milo losing their parents. Some had to do with the amount of money we had, though none of us flaunted it. Hell, Cody wouldn’t even let his fathers pay for much. He wanted to do it on his own. Milo made enough that he kept a lot of his inheritance tied up in investments.

Finally, they targeted me. Being a member of Ruined & Relinquished always came with the celebrity status and getting my photo taken when I was out. I was under the microscope again. Even my cousin’s death was brought up, which made me sick to my stomach, and reminded me why I didn’t like people knowing my business.

Milo turned and gave the crowd of photographers and reporters a brilliant smile. “I have the best job in the world. Not only do I get to do what I love, but I have an amazing view while doing it.” He handled it like he’d been doing this his whole life.

Other questions were shouted. Now that he answered one, they wanted more information, more quotes for their articles. We didn’t give them that, instead going into the building where the sound outside drowned out when the doors closed.

The inside of the hotel screamed luxury with polished marble floors, a long desk to the left to greet new arrivals and check out those leaving. Couches were strategically placed and appeared brand new, although were probably years old. We followed the signs for the ballroom past the elevators, down the hall. Paintings hung on the walls, beautiful landscapes of the city we were in and beyond. I’d been told I had a lot of talent, but I was nothing compared to the artists who could bring a scene to life like these.

The rest of the guys waited just inside the ballroom for us. Long tables lined two of the walls with what could be bid on.

Dash rubbed his hands together. “I’ve already got my eye on a few things.”

“We just got here,” Casper said. “How do you even know what there is?”

“He asked Dex, who sent him a list of the donated items,” Romeo stated.

“Of course, he did.”

Before we could look over the items, a woman with a camera introduced herself to us as working for the foundation. We posed for pictures with our men and with just the four of us in the band. She thanked us and moved on to the next arrivals, giving us breathing room. It was nice to be out without cameras or phones pointed at us all the time.

My brother took off to the first table, his eyes scanning for something. I turned to look over each item. There was everything from European vacations, to two weeks in a cabin by a lake, to artwork like we saw on the way in, to season tickets to the Dremest sports teams.

“Oh my god,” Milo faux gasped. “It’s a guitar signed by Slater Meadows. I have to bid on it.”

I grinned. “You’re ridiculous.”

We browsed a variety of items. I stopped when I got to one Xaiden had donated. It was an intensive one-on-one class with him where he taught not only how to fight but also gave a year membership to the gym. I bid on it.

“You don’t have to suck up to Xaiden,” Cody chuckled beside me.

“I’m not. It’s a good idea to learn to fight. I’ve never learned properly.”

“You could ask him, and he’ll show you. Or I could teach you.”

“This is for charity though.”

Cody pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You’re a good man.”

“What do you two think about a spa weekend?” Milo asked. “We get to lie around naked, get rubbed, and relax.”

“If you’re naked, the only people who should be rubbing you is us,” Cody said.

“You know what I mean. I think we could use the getaway. No phones, no outside influences. Just us.”

“I like it,” I told him.

Milo grinned and wrote down a bid.

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