Page 48 of Reckless

“I want a relationship with my brothers. Well, right now Mindy and Hector and my niece and nephews. I don’t know about Luis. I don’t need to be at war with him. Just for him to stay away unless or until he can apologize and truly understand where I’m coming from.”

He wanted to argue, but instead he said, “So we’ll get them up front and you can see them before Above Me goes on. We’ll keep it brief. Hey hi, hope you like the show. Keep it moving. They have kids and they both have jobs so I’m sure they weren’t planning on hanging out afterward anyway.”

Harlow took his hands and brushed her lips over his knuckles. “Thank you for being so good to me.” She pulled his head down and kissed him until they were both a little out of breath. “I have to go. I told Nora I’d be down shortly. I’ll um, I’ll see you later?”

“Absolutely you will. As usual, meet you at the elevator banks on your floor and we’ll ride together to the venue.” He paused and then said, “If you need me today, for anything at all, text or call. Please.”

Nora answered the door and gave Harlow an up and down look before she hugged her. “Want to go for a walk?

“Yeah. Let’s go grab a coffee and I’ll tell you everything,” Harlow said.

At the end of the telling, Nora sat back, sipping her iced coffee. “And you’re letting them come tonight why?”

“She apologized.”

Nora sighed heavily. “You are such a badassed bitch in so many other parts of your life but when it comes to these fuckos you’re…not. Which makes me extra protective. Mindy apologized? Big fucking deal. DidHectorapologize? It’s his house and his mother and brother who did all that. Did they kickGloriaout? No. You bore the weight of her bullshit like every other time. So, whatever to Mindy apologizing. It’s her kid who is getting the Harlow treatment and Hector still lets your mother into his house? You don’t need any of this bullshit. It’s not yours. I will call them myself and tell them there are no tickets for them tonight and they know why.”

Nora was incredibly protective of her closest circle, especially Harlow and Brian. She would absolutely call Mindy and say all those things. And in a tone that dared anyone to ask why when they should already know.

“My dad would be disappointed in me if I didn’t try one last time.”

“He most certainly would not be,” Nora denied. “He’d be the first person to tell you to cut them off totally once you told him about this situation. I’m on your side. He’s on your side. Miles is on your side.Youshould be on your side too.”

“If there’s such a thing as spite success, we are going to have it tonight. I can’t uninvite them. It doesn’t matter at this point that it was Mindy and not Hector who apologized. By text. I get it. I see it. However, we are going to play our asses off tonight because despite everything Gloria says about me, we are awesome. I want them to see it.”

Understanding settled over Nora’s features. “Ah. Okay. I get it.” She leaned in and hugged Harlow tight. “I think we should play a cover of one of your dad’s songs tonight. Don’t you think?”

“Excellent idea.”

Miles circled her, taking in every detail. She always looked fantastic before she went out on stage, but that night there was more going on. Earlier for soundcheck she’d been wearing jeans and a t-shirt but she’d changed into skintight metallic pants with pointy toed boots. Her shirt was sleeveless and lined down the front with little buttons that upon closer inspection, were tiny skulls.

Her hair was caught back from her face by sparkly pin things, but it was bigger than usual, and her makeup was stage perfect with dark lips and eyes. He only barely managed to hold back his hum of pleasure.

“I’m feeling a little like a bunny being stalked by a wolf,” she said, making everyone standing around them laugh.

“You’re no bunny, Harlow.” He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “But I do like to eat you.”

She gave him an affectionate look and then sobered quickly. “You’re messing with my game face, Miles Brown.”

He paused, looking at her closely and then nodded as he understood. “I got you.” He held a hand out and she put hers in it.

“I’m coming with you when you go out to see Mindy and Hector,” he said as they walked through the long hallways connecting their green rooms to the main stage. He’d spent most of the day thinking about her and the situation she was in. And more importantly how he could help, including staying out of it if necessary.

It wasn’t necessary that day though. He was still surprised by the audacity of Harlow’s brother in coming and leaning on her hospitality after what he’d done to her not even a full twenty-four hours prior.

So he’d stand at her side to let the other two know she had someone who would put her first. Miles had no reason to be nice or make them feel welcome. His purpose was to follow Harlow’s lead and back her up.

“I’m having them brought into a receiving area near the stage,” she said, and he heard nervousness in her tone.

“Okay.”

“That gives a maximum of ten minutes. I won’t invite them to dinner with us afterward. Well, okay, if he apologizes and means it I might.”

He pulled her to a stop and the others kept walking.

“Hey,” he said when they were alone. “You can handle this however you want. You know my feelings, but what matters here areyourfeelings. If you want them to come to dinner afterward, invite them. If you don’t, that’s okay too.”

“I have to be a hardass so stop making me want to cry,” she said, firming her mouth.

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