Take Me with You (Take Me #2)(22)
Author: K.A. Linde

That stopped me short.

“Signing?” I asked. My voice came out breathy.

“He’s in there with Hollis right now.”

My mouth dropped open. Donovan was a liar. This couldn’t be true. Grant would never sign with Pacific without at least talking to me about it. I didn’t have any delusions that I would change his mind. This was everything the band wanted, but I wanted to be a part of the process. It was a life-altering decision after all.

An Asian woman came over and tapped Donovan’s shoulder before speaking softly in his ear.

“Well, I have a show to play right now. If it doesn’t work out, stick around. I’d be happy for a revenge fuck or, you know, whatever you’re into.” He threw out the suggestion so casually that I couldn’t even respond before he walked away.

“So, your boyfriend is in a band?” Henry asked with barely concealed humor. “No wonder you didn’t say anything else to your father.”

“I can’t talk about this right now.”

“Do you want to go?”

Yes, I really did. I didn’t want to stand here and wonder if Grant was backstage, talking to Hollis and signing a recording contract. I didn’t want to wonder why he had lied to me and held back information after our big blowup about communicating. He’d known I was coming into the city to meet my father for dinner. Had he used that as his excuse to get out of telling me about it?

This wasn’t exactly something he could hide. I’d find out what was going on one way or another. Eventually, ContraBand would record an album and go on tour. Why hide it?

My overactive brain raced through possibilities that I wanted nothing more than to ignore. I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. Maybe he was just here to talk to Hollis and find out what the fuck he wanted. Maybe it wasn’t a recording contract. Maybe Grant hadn’t come to a decision. Maybe…

Maybe I should leave.

But I couldn’t.

“No, I should stay. You should go.”

“I’m not leaving you here alone.”

“What part of go don’t you understand? I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.”

“You’re the boss’s daughter. I’m not abandoning you in New York City while backstage at a rock concert with some asshole lead singer and your supposed boyfriend. I’ll take my chances with those odds,” Henry said. Crossing his arms, he gave me a look that said arguing with him would be like trying to take down a brick wall with my bare hands.

I threw up my hands in defeat and wandered further backstage. I was stopped almost immediately by a staff member.

“I’m just looking for ContraBand.”

“Sorry. No ContraBand here,” he said. “This is The Drift show.”

“Yeah, I realize.” I tried to contain my sarcasm while I talked to this idiot. It was difficult with the mood I was in. “But another band came in here to talk to the manager for Pacific Entertainment. I’m looking for them.”

“Haven’t seen another band, and the meet-and-greet is over. So, you should probably get to your seats. The Drift will be playing shortly.”

I cursed under my breath and then walked back to Henry.

“No luck?” He gave me this sly smile that said everything I needed to know.

“I’m just going to wait here.”

“Suit yourself.”

Goddamn smug smile.

“Good doing business with you boys,” Hollis said, shaking our hands.

I couldn’t believe this was happening. After all this time, we were going to get signed. Our dreams were becoming a reality. Everything was fucking falling into place. It felt too good to be true. Victory showed on everyone’s faces.

Miller wanted to have a lawyer present before we signed, or we probably would have gone through with the whole thing tonight. The terms Hollis had suggested sounded fucking awesome. I didn’t know how it had happened, but in the space of a conversation, I was sold.

“I’ll be in contact when we have the contract in place.”

Vin was the first out the door, barreling through it like a bulldozer leveling a building. “Fuck yeah. We’re going to be on a fucking world tour soon. I’m going to get all sorts of foreign pussy.”

McAvoy laughed. “More likely, foreign dick.”

Vin punched him, but it was halfhearted. Even Vin couldn’t get upset right now, which was saying something.

I was on cloud nine. “Thanks for dragging me out here tonight,” I told Miller.

“Someone has to be the sane and rational one in the group.”

“Well, it’s not Vin.”

We both looked up at our friend and shook our heads.

“Definitely not.” Miller scratched the back of his head. “I hate to bring this up because I don’t want to burst your bubble. But…Ari?”

My steps slowed. “What about her?”

“You going to talk to her about this? I know it’s none of my fucking business, but I do like the sanity-inducing effect she has on your idiotic self. I don’t want this to come out of left field.”

“Let’s get a fucking drink!” Vin called as we exited the hallway.

“It won’t come out of left field. Ari gets it,” I confidently told him. “It’ll be fine.”

Miller tightly grabbed my shoulder in his hand. “Bro, you sure?”

He nodded his head to the left, and I followed his gaze. I gaped in shock at seeing Ari standing backstage at The Drift show.

What the fuck was she doing here? Did she know the band had driven up here? Had she followed me under the pretenses of seeing her father?

No, I knew she had this dinner with her dad. She couldn’t have known about this show.

Maybe she wasn’t here to see me. Maybe she didn’t even know I was here. Maybe she was here for Donovan.

The rational side of my brain fled the building. If Ari wasn’t here for me, then what the fuck was she doing here?

All I knew was I was going to find out.

I stalked across the room. Ari shifted as if already sensing my eyes on her. Her mouth dropped open in shock, only confirming my belief that she hadn’t even fucking known I was going to be here. My hackles rose, and I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of betrayal. Ever since she had told me she’d kissed someone else while we were apart, I’d had a hard time disconnecting.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded without thinking.

Ari’s defenses immediately went up. “What am I doing here? What are you doing here?”