Page 158 of Tempting Fate

I’m the poster queen for emotional avoidance.

Would literally prefer to make myself bleed than face my trauma.

When Lo’s assistant leaves, he comes over to greet Slash. They speak for a few minutes, then Apollo excuses himself. Isaiah follows his brother after reluctantly allowing Nadia to join him. She had to promise to be on her best behaviour when he introduces her to the members of Apologies to Medusa and the accompanying acts. The young prospect doesn’t know what he’s got himself in for. Nadia has been in love with the lead singer of In This Moment since she was thirteen, and unlike me, she’s incapable of hiding her emotions.

I’m left alone with Zeke and Slash.

Great.

As far as I know, the two men haven’t spoken a word to each other since the day Zeke beat the crap out of our best friend. No one will tell me what it was over. However, I’m not dumb enough not to think it was over me. Slash has always been fiercely protective. Not just of me. Of every single person he lets close. Having been on the receiving end of Zeke’s newfound indifference, I figure Slash tried to talk to him about the situation, and my ex-fiancé decided to shut him up with his fists.

“Follow me.” An efficient sounding woman pops her head out the door to tell us. Shaking Zeke’s arm off my waist when I realise that I’m still leaning into him, even though Apollo is gone and the need for pretence is over, I lead the two men inside. The corridors that run below the stadium are packed. Instruments are being rolled toward the stage. A woman runs past, holding an elaborate costume above her head, so the train of the dress doesn’t drag along the floor. Too many people dressed in black to count run around shouting into their earpieces.

I’ve been to Apologies to Medusa’s concerts before, every time they come to Australia and twice in the US, but this is next level.

Despite Apollo trying to downplay it, Isaiah wasn’t kidding.

The band really has arrived in the big time.

“Holy moly. This is hectic.”

“Organised chaos,” Slash agrees.

Zeke says nothing.

We are shown into a private booth that looks directly onto the stage. I take a seat. Propping my elbows on the railing, I lean over it. Below us, the mosh pit is filling up. The seated sections are almost full. It looks like every second person is wearing an Athena mask, Medusa wig, or Apologies to Medusa merchandise.

Even the men.

Every so often, the speakers crackle for sound check.

“It’s like we have a storm cloud hangin’ over our head,” Slash comments as he takes the seat next to mine.

“Huh?”

He jerks his head toward Zeke. “Mr. Personality over there. How much do you wanna bet he doesn’t say a word to either of us tonight?”

“No deal,” I tell him. “He spoke to me earlier. We had to pretend to still be together for Apollo… apparently, Gabriel is keeping him out of the loop.”

“Fuckin’ hell, you could knock me over with a feather… I was sure his vocal cords had withered from lack of use.”

“Apparently not.”

Slash balances an overfull plate of hors d’oeuvres on his knee to pass me a champagne flute. “I’m not surprised Apollo didn’t know about this whole—” He stops to stuff a mini quiche into his mouth. After swallowing, he continues. “—Bloody mess. The old-timers have been keepin’ things pretty low key since Venom bashed Brutus’ face in at the wake.”

This is the first time I’m hearing about a fight between my father and Zeke.

I quaff the bubbly liquid in one go. “Good. I might be pissed at him, I might want to bash his face in, but I hope he broke every bone in Dad’s traitorous body.”

“Not quite,” Zeke interjects. I peer over my shoulder to find that he’s standing behind me. He takes my empty glass and hands me a refill. “Can promise it wasn’t for lack of fuckin’ trying, but.”

Slash stares at Zeke, animosity in his gaze that’s at odds with the nonchalant way he chomps loudly on some kind of canapé. The two men regard each other, neither one apparently ready to break the stalemate. I sigh, then drain the champagne Zeke brought over to me. Holding my skirt down, I slide from the tall seat to my feet.

“I can leave the room if you two want to whip ’em out and measure ’em?”

My ex-fiancé’s head snaps toward me.

I realise what I just did.

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