Page 66 of Electric Touch

“Dude needs my help,” he argues.

“No.” Alessa gives Jordan a pointed look before returning to her conversation. Jordan pouts.

“She’s right,” I tell him. “He’ll tear your head off for trying.”

“He’s a pussy cat,” Jordan grins as Alessa scowls at him again. He leans over and kisses her until she stops scowling.

Dylan strikes up a conversation with the woman Alessa was talking to as our bandmate snuggles into Jordan. Despite his crazy ways and her psycho tendencies, they look good together. He’s super attentive to what she needs, maybe sometimes too much. I get the feeling she loves it, even if she tries to look irritated.

The girl with Archer gets up to use the bathroom. He slides over in the booth, looking out at all the people partying. When he gets to his feet, I realise someone is behind me. Archer shakes hands with Patrick Ledger in a way that says they’re friendly. I nod up at him when he checks out who else is in the booth. He’s smiling, but it doesn’t reach his eyes and his hands are shoved straight back into his pockets, once he’s finished greeting Archer.

“You guys are performing?” Archer asks. When a server heads towards us with more shots, Archer waves her away without Patrick catching on.

“Yeah, just four songs,” he says and takes a cigarette out of his pocket. He hangs it from his lip but doesn’t light it. He can’t. It’s illegal to smoke indoors in New York. If he wanted to, no one would stop him. “I haven’t caught up with Aidan to thank him,” Patrick says. “Frenzy is good. It’s been our biggest song this year.”

“He’ll be glad to hear that.”

Patrick nods. He looks anything but happy with what they’re discussing. Frenzy is the song Adam wrote for them. It has been a huge hit for them. I get it. Patrick is a songwriter and while he was gone, the label had someone else creating their music. But it’s none of my business. He doesn’t hang around much longer after greeting Jordan, heading to his own band.

We have more drinks and chat and a few people get up to dance. I head over to the railing to look out at everyone partying on the floor below. We’ve had our pictures taken, we’re showing our support for Dirty Crew. It’s a part of the game.

A hand slinks around my stomach and I turn to a woman beside me. She’s smiling seductively at me, her other hand holding up a cocktail glass with the straw between her lips. I have no clue who she is. To get her out of my space, I take a step back.

“Hi,” she says.

Not interested in the slightest, but I’m not rude. She starts talking to me and I’m only half listening, but I turn side on to face her. I don’t like strangers just grabbing on to me. Blake’s watching, but he makes no move to rescue me. Not that I need it.

When an emcee comes on and announces Dirty Crew, I indicate to her that I’m going to watch the band, but she follows me. I don’t even know her name, nor do I care to know. It’s irritating that they let groupies up here. But I suppose a lot of others want it. Case in point, Jack has two girls with him, and Dylan is with the woman who’d been talking to Alessa from earlier. I’m not sure she is a groupie. Alessa wouldn’t entertain groupies.

Dirty Crew plays an amazing set, and the crowd goes wild for them. They perform the four songs, just like Patrick said, then head off the stage. He engaged a little with the crowd. He is a good front man, but he isn’t the same.

“They’re such an amazing band,” the girl says beside me. I’d forgotten she was there.

“Yeah.”

“Not as good as you, though. Red Alert is my favourite band.”

“Thanks.” I’m sure whoever she is talking to, their band is her favourite.

“So, she’s moved on,” she says, sucking the last of her cocktail up the straw.

I have no idea what she is talking about until she nods behind me towards Riley with her asshole new man. He’s got his arm around her, but he’s talking to another guy on his left. Riley doesn’t look happy. I take some time to study him. Older than us, I’d say mid to late thirties even. He’s wearing a full suit like a total asshole and his hair is gelled back. When he laughs, it jolts Riley. Her head jerks where her hair has caught on his arm. But he doesn’t notice.

What a prick. What the fuck does she see in him?

When she lifts her head, our gazes lock. She turns away first, looking embarrassed. I walk away and crash into the woman beside me. Shit, I thought she left. I’m not in the mood for this shit anymore. I ask her to excuse me and walk away. After using the bathroom, I go to the railing on the other side of the VIP area.

It’s Apollo I see first. You can’t fucking miss him. He’s a giant. Even in his black t-shirt and jeans, you can see the tattoos down his arms and up around his throat. As he knocks back a shot with a grin on his face, our eyes meet. He stares at me and I can’t read his expression.

That’s when I see her beside him. Adrestia has a drink in her hand, laughing with some guy next to her. I stare, seething as the guy touches her arm. And realise I’m about to fucking launch myself over the railing to drag him away from her.

The rage of seeing that asshole touch her, is ten times more than the response of seeing Riley with her boyfriend. That tells me a lot I hadn’t been aware of until this moment.

When Apollo nudges her and says something, Adrestia looks up at me. Her brows lift in surprise, then she waves. Her eyes follow the path from where I stand down to her and she tilts her head, the indication clear. I can’t go down, not with all these people here. Especially not with our new security detail. Blake would tackle me if I even tried.

I turn to Blake, beckoning him over. He looks to where I discretely point them out.

“The huge, tattooed guy and the hot chick next to them. Bring them up, please?”

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