Page 3 of Dangerous Love

Two weeks in a row, stud. If she’s not into you, I don’t know who is.

“Hi.” Her eyes travelled up and down my body.

“Enjoyed the show?” I had to admit, for some reason, the guitar attracted women like bees to a big freaking jar of honey.

“I loved it. Awesome new song too.” She took a step closer, her teeth biting on her bottom lip.

“Thanks. Means a lot.” My gaze landed on her mouth.

She took another step until I could feel her breath by my ear. “Can I get you a drink? You must be thirsty.” She placed her hand on my forearm, ignoring the beads of sweat dripping off me.

Go clean up, you animal. You reek. Then, you can have your after-party reward.

My lips curled. I smiled at the vision. Having Little Red Riding Hood naked under me wouldn’t be a bad way to end the night.“I tell you what? Give me fifteen, and I’ll meet you at the bar.” I pointed to the counter on the other side of the restaurant.She blushed, her fingers lingering on my arm for an extra second, before she sashayed her way there. I watched her perfect heart-shaped ass sway through the room until it disappeared, then I made it to the staff area.

I pushed the door in, my guitar under one arm, sheet music under the other, and exhaled as the air-con in the staff room cooled me down on the spot. I dumped my stuff on the small couch right before I fell back on the seat, sprayed myself with deodorant, and swapped my shirt for a clean one. Then, I closed my eyes, relaxing my head against the cushion, and waited for the post-show butterflies to die down.

“A little bird told me that we’re already bursting at the seams for your next gig.”

Freak.My neck spasmed as I jolted on the couch, my eyes scanning the room for Avery’s voice. When I spotted him by the bench making a coffee, I straightened, my ankle resting on my other knee. “When did you sneak in?” I chuckled.

“Another great night.” Avery whistled, his spoon stirring the hot liquid. “You’re becoming a local talent, kid.”

A grin formed on my face, a mix of excitement and surprise. I loved my music and I loved performing, but I was still pretty green in the scheme of things. As much as I tried to act all humble, it was a big deal. “It’s crazy, hey?”

He nodded. “You’re just good at it. Maybe those pretty-boy looks help too.” He smirked.

I tossed my dirty shirt at him, and he avoided it just in time. “Hey, don’t blame me for still having the youth you don’t,” I teased.

My shirt landed back at my feet, Avery’s laughter resonating in the room. “At the expense of wisdom, kid. Trust me, I’m still ahead.”

Behind our regular claims for alpha status, I loved Avery. He’d been a great mentor, and I was grateful for the opportunity he’d given me here. “Thanks, man. For everything. I still can’t believe how much I’m loving this.”

“Good thing, because we’re booked out on your Fridays for the next three weeks.”

“Wow.” I took a deep breath, working on accepting my good karma. The last few years had been mayhem. Between Jarryd’s trial and Hal recruiting Avery to bring me back into the fold, so many people had got hurt because of my family, but for the first time in my entire existence, my life was mine to steer. Career, music, and peace. I loved where it was headed. “You know I’m grateful, right?” I scraped the guitar pick against the top of my thigh as I continued. “You’ve become the closest thing to a big brother I could have ever asked for.”

Avery sighed, a half smile on his face at the wordsbig brother. He settled on a seat next to me. “You’re a good kid. Everything you got, you worked for it, so don’t give me any credit.”

Silence filled the air while Avery sipped on his coffee, the elephant in the room growing by the second. The guitar pick grazed my leg a little harder now.Apologise for using the word brother. Tell him you didn’t mean it.Buzzing stirred in the pit of my stomach at the guilt I’d carried around for the last three years.Just freaking ask him about her.I took a settling breath, my heart rate increasing at the thought, then our eyes met.

I sighed. “How is she?”

Avery ran a hand over his face, lines deepening on his forehead. “I actually wanted to talk to you about her.”

I cocked an eyebrow. Until now, the topic of Sienna had remained in unspoken territory ever since the standoff between everyone and my father. “It’s not like you to volunteer information about her.”

He huffed. “You’re my last resort.”

Panic spread at rapid speed. Something must have happened for Avery to bring her up to me. Even worse, if I was his last resort after breaking her heart. “Is she okay?”

“She’s alive and safe, if that’s the question.”

I exhaled, my chest sinking. Sienna was known for her impulsive moves, and nothing was ever off the table with her. The look on his face wasn’t relief though. “But…?”

“Something’s off with her. She’s isolating herself and there’s nothing we can do to change her mind. Even Grace only gets polite nods.”

“Why me?” I narrowed my eyes. The last time I checked, they’d all told me to back the hell away from her, considering how fragile she’d been through the whole ordeal.

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