Page 52 of Heart of a Rebel

“Ready for what?” Adrian asks.

Rome shrugs a shoulder and plays coy. “Let’s just say we’re not headed upstairs yet.”

He turns me to the right before we hit the elevators and goes down a separate hall. I can feel the wheels turning in Adrian’s head, but I don’t dare look at him or he’s going to see it all over my face.

“Rome.” Adrian’s tone is a warning.

“Chill, bro.” Rome looks over my head at Adrian. “Sebastian and Noah are down here, just changing up the meeting location.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

Adrian is the kind of guy who likes to have control. He decides where we go and when. He keeps us on a tight schedule, rarely wavering. And even if we all kick and scream from time to time about it, we all know it’s for the best. Without him, the band would have fallen apart years ago.

But today we’re throwing the curveballs. Because the band has plans for Adrian, and he’s not escaping them.

Rome breaks free from me and swings his arm wide as we step into the event room. “After you, princess.”

The rest of the band is already gathered, and I can’t help the wide smile that stretches my face. I turn back just in time to absorb Adrian’s reaction. His eyes meet the center of the room and go wide.

“Happy birthday, boss,” Sebastian cheers, setting off some kind of popper that rains confetti down over us.

“You didn’t.”

I burst out laughing and it feels like it’s been weeks since I’ve done that, but I can’t help myself. “Your face.” I point at Adrian. “Yes, we so did.”

Adrian’s narrowed gaze slides in my direction, and he tries really hard to maintain his stone-cold glare, but when he sees me cracking up, a smirk fights its way through.

“I told them you’d hate it,” Merry says, walking up with an amused expression on her face. She hands Adrian a plate with a piece of cake and is clearly enjoying his reaction as much as the rest of us.

Adrian hates his birthday. He wouldn’t even tell us when it was for the first couple of years we knew him. But Sebastian worked his magic and had his connections figure it out. Ever since then, we find ways to surprise him each year just to prove we’ll never let it go. Usually, it’s a week or two before or after his birthday to catch him off guard, never on the actual day, like today. Which is brilliant because there’s no way he was expecting it.

Letting out a sigh, Adrian takes the cake and points the fork at Sebastian. “You’ll pay for this.”

“Not worried.” Sebastian flings an arm around Cassie, who just laughs.

“Let me guess…” Adrian looks at me. “Your idea?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I smile and flutter my eyelashes at him, feigning innocence. There’s no point. Adrian knows I’m behind these celebrations. I can’t help it. Just because he doesn’t think he deserves to celebrate another year around the sun, doesn’t mean he shouldn’t.

“Good job keeping it quiet, princess,” Rome says, brushing his hand over the top of my hair and making me fight him off before he messes it up too bad. “I was sure he’d have figured it out with you two shacking up and all.”

Every part of me hopes the camera crew didn’t hear him and misinterpret what he said.

“Rome—” But he’s already headed across the room, ignoring me.

He grabs a slice of cake from the table and then walks up to Noah, flicking a bite at him just as Noah’s about to lean in and kiss Merry. That only sets her off. Noah might be the peacekeeper, but Merry is wild. She jumps at Rome and shoves a piece of cake flat against his chest in retaliation.

“You’re gonna pay for that, sweetheart.” Rome smiles, heading back to the other table, and just then, all hell breaks loose.

Cake starts flying and I’ll be surprised if the hotel won’t bill us for it. But when I look over at Adrian, thinking he’s going to be irritated at the band for acting like kids, I realize he’s standing right there, smiling at me.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shrugs, but there’s a playfulness in it.

“I see.” Reaching over, I swipe my finger across the frosting on his plate and smile as I dab it on his nose. “Happy birthday, boss man.”

“So, that’s how it’s gonna be?” His eyes darken, as he takes his thumb and wipes the frosting from the tip of his nose.

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