“Please, I know how much money you make,” he counters as he closes the door behind them.
Wyatt flicks his gaze between Nate and Ben until the other two guys take the hint to leave. “Sorry about McCrae’s stage dive,” I say as they head to the door, but Nate waves it off.
“Shit, he probably just got us a bunch of new fans with that move.” He starts to say something else but then he bites the corner of his lip and shakes his head. “Ten minutes left, f**ker,” he calls out to Wyatt as he and Ben exit the office.
Finally, I let my shoulders drop. Wyatt leans back against the desk, and I lay my head against his chest. “Lucas would’ve had your balls if you pulled a stunt like that on stage with YTS.”
I feel him shrug. “There’s more important things to me than music.”
And by the way he’s looking down at me—like I’m the only thing he needs at this very moment—I believe him. “Careful saying things like that,” I whisper.
He lifts my fingers to his lips. “But God, it’s true.”
“Is it okay to come in?” a voice says from the door.
We slowly break apart and turn together to face Terra. She leans against the doorframe, looking like a rock goddess in a sequined black tank top and dark skinny jeans. “The band’s ready to go back on.”
Wyatt dips his gaze back to mine, his blue eyes promising me that we’ll continue later. “I’ll see you after the show,” he says before he sprints out of the manager’s office.
Terra’s green eyes linger on his departing form for a few seconds before she turns to me. “So, that was interesting.” Then she blushes and shakes her head. “The, um, little conflict back there, I mean.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s the same thing Ben said.”
“I’m just glad you’re alright.”
She sounds like she genuinely cares that I’m safe, so I smile graciously at her. “Thanks.”
“Do you want to head back out and listen to them or do you want to stick around in here? It’s totally up to you.”
“I’m good to watch. I’m so used to this kind of thing happening in bars that I can almost predict how the night will end before the band starts playing.”
“Shithead radar,” she says, opening the door. “Nice.”
We walk together toward the stage, and the crowd is so wrapped up in the band’s current song that they seem to have moved on from the confrontation between Dillon, Wyatt, and myself. I spot Heidi on the opposite side of the stage, close to where Cal is playing, and she waves me over. Before I can leave, Terra stops me.
“I know you couldn’t make it out last night, but I’m having some after show cocktails at my place.” She glances up at the stage, and though I don’t follow her gaze, I know who her eyes focus in on. I struggle to keep my smile in place. “I hope you and the boys can make it out.”
“We’ll try,” I promise before leaving her to join Heidi.
For the next forty-five minutes, I think of ways to avoid going to the after party that won’t be offensive to the rest of the band. When none come to mind, I decide that I can deal with Terra eye-humping Wyatt. At least for a few hours.
But when the band’s set is finished, and they’ve loaded their equipment, Wyatt finds me in the crowd. He pulls me to him, even though Ben and Terra are only a few feet away from us.
“You know what I said about you being mine tonight?” he asks in a low voice. I nod. “That starts right f**king now.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Where are we going?” I demand as he pulls me toward the Suburban. It’s located at the far end of the bar’s parking lot, and I find myself glancing around cautiously to make sure Dillon’s not waiting out here with a crowbar for Wyatt. Fortunately, we make it to the SUV without running into trouble.
He presses the unlock button on the key fob and opens my door for me. “You’ll see when we get there.”
I cross my arms over my chest, glancing at the entrance to the bar. “Should we at least tell Heidi and Cal?”
“You really think either of them care? Trust me, Ky, they’re big kids. They can take care of themselves.” He points to the leather passenger seat and gives me a wicked smile. “Now, get in.”
He’s quiet as we leave The Twisted Keg. He speeds past our hotel and the restaurant Heidi and I ate at this morning, continuing his silence as we exit the city limits of Albuquerque. My eyebrow shoots up. “I don’t like surprises.”
He tilts his head slightly, his blue eyes burning into me as he grips the steering wheel with one hand. “But it’s taking your mind off of Lucas’s newest bullshit.”
Well, yes. And so far, tonight has been so hectic that I haven’t had time to think about what’s going on with my older brother. “So you think that taking me to God knows where will keep me from reality?”
“Now why the f**k would I want to do that?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” I demand, and he responds by lifting his shoulders. I sit back in my seat, letting the sound of whatever’s playing on Octane fill the quietness inside the Suburban for the next hour. I’m humming along to an Evans Blue song when Wyatt drives past the “Welcome To Santa Fe” sign on the right side of the road.
Turning to look at him, I scoot as far as I can toward the center console and lean over so that my lips graze his ear. “Babe?”
His back straightens and he glances at me out the corner of his eye. “Hmm?”