Kellan was sitting at a table next to the doors that led to the balcony. The view of downtown Charlotte from our hotel room was impressive, with scores of beautiful skyscrapers reaching up to touch the clouds. I didn't give it more than a second's glance this morning though, because Kellan was sitting in the chair completely nak*d, and it was highly distracting. I tossed him a robe. It was a shame to cover up that body, but he might give the poor hotel employee heart failure if she walked in and saw him like that. Kellan smiled at me as he spoke to the DJ on the other line. He didn't put the robe on, but laid it over his lap. Good enough.
Just as I again was considering stealing both of the robes, our food arrived. Having food delivered straight to my bedroom was my favorite part about staying at hotels. There was nothing quite like propping yourself up on soft, plump pillows while a steaming plate of bacon, eggs, cinnamon rolls, orange juice, and coffee was rolled into position beside you. I liked it. It made me feel like a queen. In fact, I planned to find a way to continue the luxury when the tour ended. Maybe hire one of my friends to bring us breakfast in bed every morning, or maybe Rita. I'm sure she wouldn't mind swinging by each and every day for a chance to see Kellan shirtless. Hmmm, on second thought, maybe not.
As Kellan's food was placed in front of him at his table by a male employee, I handed a female employee the bag of laundry I'd scrounged together. It was so nice not have to look for Laundromats everywhere we went. The fresh-faced employee was very professional, but her eyes darted over to Kellan's half-naked body every few seconds. It almost made her seem like she had a nervous tic.
Kellan paused in his conversation to thank them both, then he gave me a quick smirk when he noticed what I'd ordered for him-a Denver omelet. Ignoring his enticing expression, I grabbed my purse so I could tip the employees.
The male employee politely took his bills and left as silently as he'd entered. The female lingered. Wondering if I'd have to turn her around and forcibly push her out the door, I glanced at her nameplate and said, "Thank you, Leanne."
Hearing her name snapped her out of her trance, and she pulled her eyes from Kellan. Cheeks slightly flushed, she smiled and told me, "Let me know if you need anything else," and darted out the door. I supposed the image of Kellan wearing only a fluffy robe across his privates would cause any woman to suffer from a moment of impropriety.
Kellan and I spent the day lounging in our room, enjoying the peace, enjoying the privacy. When it was time to head out for the show, we finally got dressed. Our laundry was clean, dry, and still a little warm. Reluctantly placing the robe on the bed, I slipped on my bra and the freshly washed KK underwear that Anna had gotten for me. Noticing what I was wearing, Kellan paused in zipping up his jeans. "What's that?"
I did a quick spin so he could see the words Rock God on my ass. "This is what the lucky fan gave me. Do you like them?"
Seemingly irritated, Kellan crossed his arms over his chest. "My initials are on your underwear. Of course I like them."
I frowned. "Then why are you scowling at me?"
His face instantly shifted into a devilish grin. "Because you could have been wearing those earlier today, and I could have ripped them off of you with my teeth." As my heart rate increased, Kellan sighed and finished zipping up his pants. "But it's too late now . . . you missed out."
"I'll still be wearing them later," I muttered.
Kellan heard me, and his eyes started burning with interest. I had as much difficulty pulling my gaze away from him as poor Leanne had.
As we all climbed into the dark SUVs that the label loved to rent, I looked around for my sister. I hadn't left my room at all, and I was curious to see how things were going with her and Griffin, now that they were finally exclusive. Matt was beside me in the car while I waited for Kellan. He'd been accosted by a couple of fans outside the hotel and was obliging them with autographs. No doubt Sienna was right by his side. "Have you seen Anna?" I asked Matt.
Matt shook his head. His pale eyes concerned, he asked, "Have you seen Griffin?" When I shook my head, Matt sighed. "If he misses the show I'm gonna kill him."
I patted his shoulder. "He'll be there. He's an idiot, but he's not stupid." Matt gave me an amused smile, and I laughed at my own summation. "How's Rachel?" I asked him.
Grinning, Matt leaned forward in his seat and started telling me all about her. Matt was generally more reserved when he spoke, but there was clear longing in his voice and I immediately understood his sudden openness. Matt and Evan hadn't had a chance to see their loved ones in a while. I knew how that felt, since Kellan and I had gone through it last tour. Matt seemed to need to talk to somebody, so I tuned the world out and gave him all of my attention.
We were stopping at the arena before it had even registered with me that we'd left the hotel. Security whisked us backstage and dumped us into a couple of dressing rooms with instructions that they would come collect everyone when it was time for today's meet-and-greet. Walking up to Kellan's back, I wrapped my arms around his stomach and kissed his shoulder. "I'm going to go look for Anna. Make sure she's okay."
Kellan nodded and flashed a grin. "I'm sure she's quite okay."
I rolled my eyes at his comment, then twisted to leave him. He called out after me, "See you later, KK."
I stopped in my tracks, my cheeks heating. Was he really referencing my underwear? We weren't the only ones in this room! In fact, Deacon was staring right at me, his face amused and confused. Oh well. If Kellan was talking about my under things, at least he'd used a vague reference. To the person not in the know, he could just be saying my initials . . . which I just now realized matched his. Amused by that sudden insight, I twisted back to him. "I look forward to it, KK."
Kellan's eyes widened and I knew he understood what I meant by that subtle innuendo. Feeling a little proud of myself, I set off in search of my hard-to-miss sister.
Oddly enough, I couldn't find her anywhere. And none of the crew had seen her either. Flitting from person to person, I asked everyone I came into contact with if they'd seen a very pregnant girl. Nobody had. I called and texted her about a dozen times, but no response yet. As the minutes stretched longer and longer, I began to get really worried. It wasn't like my sister to miss this. Even yawning and tired, she still showed up to the sound checks and fan greetings.
Thinking she was just waiting in the greeting room like we had yesterday, I started heading that way. All of the winning fans were there, waiting for their brief moment with the rock stars. I scoured their faces, but didn't notice Anna's among them.
To a surge of shrieks, Holeshot walked in, followed closely by the D-Bags. Griffin wasn't among them. Matt looked severely freaked out by the absence of his cousin and was snarling into his cell phone. Evan looked worried too as his gentle eyes swept the room. Kellan was frowning. When he locked eyes with me, he mouthed, "Anna?"
I shook my head. I hadn't found her yet. And apparently, no one had found Griffin yet either. God, what if something was wrong? What if she'd gone into labor this morning? She could be in a hospital right now, giving birth, and I wouldn't know. Surely she would call me. Why hadn't she called me? Where the hell was she?
Pulling out my cell phone, I stepped out of the room so I could start calling hospitals.
Fans filed past me as they completed their time with the stars. Anxious about finding Anna, I turned my back on them. By the time I put my phone back in my purse, I'd called every hospital, clinic, and veterinarian that I could get the number for. Who knows where Griffin would take my sister if she was having a baby. God, I hoped she wasn't in labor.
Hands clenching my stomach, I debated making the hardest phone call of all . . . to our father. He'd been so worried about my safety, I doubt he'd considered the possibility that something could happen to Anna. She'd always been so strong, so tough, so capable of taking care of herself. I doubt Dad even knew she was on tour with me. He was going to lose his mind. He'd call in the National Guard to help find her.
Pulling out my phone again, I sat in a hard folding chair and stared at the screen. Dad was going to officially disown me for losing her.
Kellan came up to me as I was contemplating what to tell Dad. Squatting down, he looked up at me. "No luck?"
I shook my head, tears in my eyes. "What if something happened to her?"
Kellan rubbed my thighs. "She's with Griffin. I'm sure she's fine."
I heard disgusted snorts and glanced over at two lingering fans staring at us. Kellan noticed them too and stood up. They glared at me with open dislike on their faces. As security forced them to move along, I wondered what that was about. Were the Kell-Sex fans so protective of the Kellan-Sienna relationship that Kellan couldn't even console a friend? Geez. They had bigger jealousy problems than I did.
Pushing them out of my mind, I looked up at Kellan. "What do we do?"
Running a hand through his hair, Kellan sighed. "Griffin won't miss the show. He'll be here, and he'll know where Anna is. We wait."
He extended his hand and helped me stand up. Rubbing my back, he led me to the dressing room so I could fret in private.
It felt like days passed while I waited for news of my sister's whereabouts. I tried her cell phone over and over, but she never answered it. Every time I asked Kellan if I should call my parents, he told me to wait another ten minutes. I was getting tired of waiting. So was Matt.
Pacing the room, he barked into his phone, "We're on in twenty minutes, Griffin! Wherever the f**k you are, get back here now!"
I'd never seen Matt angry before. It was a distressing sight. His cheeks were splotched with color, his temperament as prickly as his hair. I suppose part of his fiery behavior was being fueled by concern for his cousin. Even if they bickered like an old married couple, they still loved each other. Matt had to be just as worried as I was.
Stopping his friend from wearing a hole in the carpet, Kellan calmly told Matt, "Relax, he'll be here."
Matt tightened his grip on his cell phone, clearly blaming that inanimate object for Griffin's disappearance. "And what if he's not, Kellan? Do we bail on the show, or go up there without a bassist?"
Scratching his closely cropped head, Evan pointed in the direction of the stage, where Holeshot was finishing up their act. "David said he would play with us if Griffin didn't show."
Matt snapped his head to Evan. "Does he know any of our songs?"
Evan shrugged. "He said he'd fake it."
Matt threw his hands into the air. "Fake it? Wonderful!" Unfurling his fist, Matt took his aggression out on the touch screen of his cell phone while he flicked to Griffin's number. I was sure Matt was damaging the sensitive device and was about to offer to call Griffin for him when Griffin finally walked into the room. Seeing his cousin, Matt lost the final hold on his temper. He chucked his cell phone at him, almost hitting Griffin in the cheek. "Where the f**k have you been!"
Griffin managed to dodge and catch Matt's phone at the same time. Juggling it for a second, he exclaimed, "Jesus, Matt! You almost nailed me in the face!"
Anna walked in right after Griffin. There was an aura about her that I'd never seen before. If I didn't know any better, I'd say my wanderlust sister was completely and totally at peace. Seeing her alive and well made me completely at peace. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I rushed over to engulf her still-with-child frame. "I was worried sick. Where were you?"
Pulling away from me, Anna bit her perfectly plump lip. "Well, don't be mad, but I sort of . . ."
She looked over at Griffin and he smirked back at her. That's when I noticed Griffin's fingers around Matt's phone. One of them was adorned with a very shiny gold ring. I immediately grabbed my sister's hands. Sure enough, she had a freshly placed ring as well. "Oh my God! You got married?"
Anna started giggling while Griffin put his arm around her shoulder. "We did!" Letting out a squeal, she lifted her hand to show all the guys in the room.
Everyone was too shocked to comment. Except me. I was too shocked to say anything other than, "You got married?" again.