Page 4 of Play Fast (Brooklyn Dawn 2)

Oz Taylor was no one’s afterthought. Especially with Vicki in my hands.

Afterward, I headed backstage. I’d just tucked my bottle of liquid bravery against my hip when Lila Crandall, our manager, tapped my arm with one blood-red fingernail.

“Good show. Glad to see you shook off your stumble right before the finale.” She didn’t give me time to get out a response. “Quick band meeting in five.”

“I’m a little busy. Can it wait?”

She cast a cool look at the bottle I didn’t bother to hide. “Your debauchery can wait a few minutes.”

Deliberately, I uncapped the bottle and took a long swig. “You know what can’t wait? You and Lewis and whatever other flunkies do your bidding deciding to use my sister as a promo chip without asking me.”

She arched a brow, cocking her head so that her long blond hair swung perfectly around her shoulders. Another one who was effortlessly cool, when I felt like I was nothing but red-hot anger and ragged edges. “Sorry, our flunkies took the day off, and Daisy actually approached Sabrina about the fundraiser because I was out of the office. Had I been there, I would’ve agreed as well. Do you have a personal grudge against the Teens Against Narcotics charity?”

“No, I don’t. I have a personal grudge against people who aren’t part of the family waltzing in like they have a right to make decisions for us.”

Lila gave me a thin smile. “Feel free to tell Daisy that yourself, since she’s right behind you. But don’t break anything you don’t intend to pay for and don’t be late. You have five.”

She turned on her heel and marched off to gather the rest of her troops.

I nearly walked away. Daisy’s relentless optimism was the last thing I wanted to deal with when all I craved was a dark corner and some peace. And some alone time with the bottle of whisky, who didn’t give me shit.

Then I turned and saw wounded blue eyes looking anywhere but at me and felt even lower than I’d felt all night.

“Look, don’t bother yourself.” She folded her arms over her bare midsection, glimmering with some sort of sparkly body paint. “I wanted to apologize for how the fundraiser idea came together, but you’ve obviously decided I deliberately cut you out.”

“Why didn’t you ask me first before you went to see Lila or Sabrina? Did it ever occur to you how I might feel?”

Shit, I sounded like some emo bastard, all up in his feelings. And I wasn’t that guy.

Most of the time, people accused me of not having enough of them. Of shoving everything down into a black box labeled do not touch. Tonight, everything was spilling out all over.

Always on this night. No wonder I hated it.

“It did, which is why I didn’t ask you.”

I frowned. Had I had more to drink than I realized. “Huh?”

But she was just winding up, her pale cheeks reddening. “Besides, when do you ever talk to me? How many conversations have we had since I’ve been working with your band, hmm?”

“You don’t work with us. You brush on blush and do braids and shit. Not exactly a collaborative effort.”

Dick.

Even as the hurt bloomed across her face, I wanted to bite off my tongue. I had to get out of here before I caused permanent damage.

I wasn’t fit for anyone’s company tonight. Not even my own.

And definitely not sweet little Daisy Flannigan’s.

Two

I didn’t think. I just escaped.

Like a coward.

God only knows what Oz would think of me now. Although judging by what he said, it was hard to imagine him thinking anything worse of me than he did already.

I sprinted down the hall, not even sure where I was going. I wasn’t familiar with this massive building, and I didn’t belong back here in any case. After all, I was just the girl who did blush and braids. Nothing complicated.

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