Page 25 of Sins of a Rebel

“I’ll take another, please.” I hold my finger up.

She nods, turning and disappearing through the crowd.

I shoulder past Victoria to where our equipment is set up near the stage. I reach for my guitar and lift the strap over my head, adjusting it under my arm. I grip the pick in my fingers, flicking the strings.

The sound of the guitar plays around the room, garnering some attention. When I glance up, it’s as if my body is in tune with where she is, and my eyes meet Kyla’s.

She’s sitting at the table across from Madden, joining him and Brix. She breaks my eye contact when she notices me look in her direction, glancing down at something on the table in front of her.

She must’ve spotted me talking to Victoria.

“What are you doing later tonight?” Victoria coos.

“No idea,” I grunt, adjusting the tuning peg and plucking the string to check the sound.

Her hand brushes over my forearm and up my shoulder, and my eyes follow her move before flashing over to her.

She bats her eyelashes at me seductively. I spot Brix behind her approaching.

I nod. “Stick around after the show, and maybe I’ll take you up on it.”

Her face beams, a grin taking over, and she bounces on her feet. “I’ll be right here.”

“You know, for as much shit as you talk about me with Ivy, you don’t have any room to talk about how you treat Kyla,” Brix growls.

“What in the hell are you talking about? You don’t know shit about my relationship with Kyla.”

“I don’t?” He smirks. His lip curls on the edge, and it grates on my nerves.

“Nah, man, you don’t know shit.” I snarl, following him into the back room away from the crowd.

“You don’t think she talks to Ivy and hasn’t brought it up to me?”

I narrow my eyes on him. “What did she say?”

“Listen, this is my final warning. You stay the fuck out of my relationship with Ivy, and I’ll stay out of yours.”

I put my hands up. There’s an anger in his voice I haven’t heard before, and I concede. It’s not worth ruining our friendship over anyway.

“I’m not gonna tell you what to do when it comes to Kyla. You’re a big fuckin’ boy and can take care of yourself. I’ll warn you, though. If Madden finds out about you fuckin’ his sister and then turning around bringing groupies home with you, he’s going to wring your ass out to dry.”

“Chill the fuck out, will ya?”

Brix chuckles, shaking his head. “I’m just sayin’, we both know how much loyalty means to him. He’s loyal to you and the band, but all that will fly out the fuckin’ window when he figures out you’re mistreating his sister.”

“All right, I fuckin’ hear you. Dear God. Are you sure you’re gettin’ laid? I swear, something’s got your panties in a wad. Why don’t you call Ivy back here and ask her for a hand?”

He rolls his eyes, stalking behind me and back into the bar.

We take the stage not long after, and as always, the packed crowd at Whiskey Barrel doesn’t disappoint. Although Brix doesn’t get into it like he used to, gyrating and feeding into the wild fans lining the front of the stage, they give it right back to him.

Madden starts us off on drums, and I follow him on the bass guitar, nodding my head in time to the beat.

I stare at the crowd, the row of women lining the front of the stage clamoring for a chance to touch me. The humidity in the bar is so thick, leaving beads of sweat dotting my brow.

Our set ends in a crescendo of drums and guitar riffs. Brix jumps off the stage into the crowd as they chant and beg for more. Adrenaline races through my body. If it weren’t for wanting to give my wrist and fingers a break, I’d go all night.

It’s after midnight when we wrap up. I’m ready to grab another cold one and relax. A brunette across the bar seems to capture Madden’s attention, so when Kyla approaches me, he doesn’t notice us talking.

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