Page 48 of Ruined

My gaze only lingered on him for a few moments before a blonde haired man stepped into the shop behind him.

Asher was also grinning, joking around with his bandmate who followed him in.

Judging by the expression on his face, his bandmate didn't appreciate his humour. That seemed to amuse Asher even more. His grin was so broad he lit up the room.

My heart raced. Part of me wanted to drop everything I was carrying and run over to him. Instead, I was frozen on the spot for a minute or two, watching my brother interact with adoring fans and the other guys in the band, completely oblivious to my presence and scrutiny.

Like Zeke, Asher changed and matured. He kept his hair short, but his chin was covered in a couple of days’ worth of stubble. His eyes were still the same brilliant blue, but he had crinkles around them. He wasn't a gangly boy any more. He was tall and muscular, his biceps thick from hours of drumming.

He wore a black T-shirt, tight over what was clearly a fit body. No wonder women were drooling over him. My brother had grown into the perfect rock god he'd always wanted to be.

I could hardly reconcile the man I glimpsed through the crowds was still the same person I used to share finger paint with, and make plans in whispers to annoy the shit out of Dane. He could have been a completely different person. Why wouldn't he be, I was. A

"Mina?" Gianni said in my ear. "We can stay if you want."

I blinked away the moisture in my eyes and shook my head. "Not today. This is his moment."

He looked so happy, so content. I wouldn't be selfish and steal that from him. I couldn't steal his time from his fans either. They were hanging on every word he said, taking photos and videos while he signed everything they put in front of him.

He leaned in to whisper something in the ear of a cute brunette, who giggled and tugged down the front of her dress so he could sign her breast.

His scowling bandmate scowled even deeper, but didn't hesitate to sign her other breast when it was offered.

"Then we should go," Damon said. He placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me towards the door and out to the street.

Apparently word of the band's presence had got out. People were coming from all directions, going around to the front of the shop, chatting with excitement. Some were even singing what I assumed were their songs. Some stopped to look at me, as if I might be someone famous, being quietly bundled out the back door.

They hurried on when they realised I was no one. Not one of their favourite rock star idols. Just a regular woman out shopping for a guitar on a Wednesday afternoon, who just happened to get caught in a throng of adoring groupies.

Lucky for them, they realised that before they took any photos of me, otherwise things might have gotten ugly.

"I'll bring the car around here," Damon said. "Stay here and stay out of trouble." He strode away, hands in his pockets. He tried to pretend he wasn't hurrying, but his steps were quick and short.

Gianni adjusted the amp he was carrying. The expression on his face was pensive. I hadn't seen him look uncertain before. It took me a while to realise what the cause of that was. It wasn't that he thought my brother would follow us out at any moment, there was more to it.

"You knew, didn't you?" I asked. Not accusing, just wanting him to be honest with me.

"I had an inkling," he admitted. "I didn't realise they'd come inside, but I thought maybe you could catch a glimpse. You weren't in any danger. I made sure of that. We had a lot of security in that crowd."

How should I feel about him going behind my back like that? I didn't like surprises at the best of times, but he meant well and obviously took precautions to ensure my safety. There was absolutely no malice behind his planning.

That didn't automatically make it all right. If Kurt found out, he would have taken full advantage. He could have killed me and my brother. He still might.

"It was nice to see he's living his best life, but never do anything like that again," I said, struggling to keep my voice even.

His face fell. "Of course not. It was dumb."

We didn't say another word until we got back to the house and the gates clanged shut behind us.

CHAPTER 19

MINA

"You did fucking what?" Reuben's voice was low as usual, but laced with a heavy dose of absolute fury. His ice blue eyes snapped with lightning that could have burnt Gianni to a crisp.

Gianni stood his ground. "I had everything under control. I just thought Mina would like to see her brother."

"With cameras and press everywhere," Reuben said. "One image of her would have told Kurt exactly where she was. If she decided to talk to Asher, or he'd seen her, that would have gone viral. Things could very quickly have gotten completely out of control."

---