Page 32 of Dirty Little Mistake

The guys were already passing around water bottles backstage, riding the post-show adrenaline high, that would last most of the night. I wiped sweat from my brow, trading grins with them as my pulse gradually slowed. A familiar laugh cut through the backstage chaos, sharp as a knife, and everything in me went still.

It was Syn.

I rolled my eyes. It didn't surprise me that she was backstage. That was actually exactly where I expected her to be. Even though Jax and I had been extremely protective over her, we'd backed off a little since she'd turned eighteen. Giving her some freedom to make adult choices. If it had been a year ago, I would have given her my shirt to put over the tight little leopard print dress she had on that didn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. Her long black hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and her bright red lips split into a grin. My gaze shifted to see who made her smile, and I froze.

A tatted hand settled on her waist. Sebastian's fingers splayed possessively across her hip, and something dark uncoiled in my chest. The crowd's roar faded to white noise.

I crossed the distance in four steps, shouldering past drunk festival-goers. My fingers locked around Syn's arm, and I pulled her away before my self-control shattered completely.

She stumbled against me. "What the?—"

I waited until we cleared the crowd, grip still iron-tight on her arm. The pulse in my temples matched the distant thrum of bass. "What. The fuck. Are you doing?"

"I'm hanging out with the band." She ripped her arm from my grip before she straightened her dress with quick, angry movements, chin tilted up in defiance. "Don't go all big brother on me right now."

"Are you fucking around with Sebastian?" Sebastian King was one of the three King brothers in the band Royal Nights, and he had a bad reputation; actually, they all did.

"Trystan," Syn growled. "That's none of your business. I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself."

"He has a reputation for treating women like shit, Syn."

"We are all just hanging out." Syn frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "And like I said, I can take care of myself."

My jaw flexed as my gaze flicked back to the group. I knew Syn would stand her own ground, but she was 5'3" and didn't stand a chance against a 6' tall man.

"The guy's a dick." My fingers drummed against my thigh.

"Trystan." Syn pressed her lips together, gesturing toward a cluster of girls near the stage. "I'm just hanging out with my friends."

Every part of my being wanted to drag her back to the campgrounds with me, but I knew in the end, if she wanted to see him, she would.

"If he touches you, I'll kill him."

She rolled her eyes before she turned and mingled back into her group of friends.

Saylor materialized at my shoulder, still shirtless from the show, skin gleaming with sweat. "We'll keep an eye on her."

"Yeah." Creed pushed his drumsticks into his back pocket, flanking my other side. "If he even looks at her stupid, he'll have all of us to deal with, and he knows it."

Lennon spun his guitar pick between his fingers, the black skull design catching stage lights. "And we'll let you know if she throat punches him."

"Don't let it ruin your night with Cam," Saylor said. "We got Syn."

My gaze shifted back at Syn and I nodded. I knew they'd watch out for her.

Creed clapped my shoulder, festival lights casting shadows across his grin. "Go get your girl, man."

I took a few steps backward. "I'll see you assholes in the morning at the airport." Over the sea of bodies, I caught Syn laughing with her friends, Sebastian nowhere in sight. Maybe it really was nothing.

It took me about ten minutes to make my way through the crowd and find Cam.

Our boots crunched over gravel as we slowly strolled back to camp. Cam's fingers brushed mine. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bass from a new band on the stage vibrated through my chest, but all I could think about were those rumors about Sebastian and his ex. The ones that made my stomach turn.

I would die before I let him hurt Syn.

Cam fell into step beside me. "It's something." She caught my restless hand in hers. "You just put on the show of a lifetime, and tomorrow you're leaving to go on tour, and you're so quiet." Her thumb traced the calluses on my palm. "Did something happen?"

---