Irresistible Refrain

thought. I heard him mutter under his breath, “War owes me big time for this.”

“Spending time today with me was all War’s idea, huh?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied hesitantly picking up on my vibe. “You know how he worries about you.”

Even though I suspected as much, I felt a hot stab of disappointment burn inside my chest. Stupid, Lace, as if Bullet Jackson would chose to spend the day with me if War hadn’t put him up to it. He probably had scores of groupies lined up waiting for him to get them off back at the venue. I shouldn’t have let down my guard with him today. It was too easy though. It always had been. My feelings were always too near the surface with him. That was part of the problem.

I punched my arms violently back inside the sleeves of my top and stabbed my legs into my jeans. When was I going to learn to stop reading more into Bryan’s attention than there was?

“You done in there?” His sudden question startled me.

“Give me just one more minute.” I leaned my forehead against the cold glass of the mirror and closed my eyes tightly willing my emotions back under wraps.

“Ok, but heads up. War just texted. I gave him the address earlier. He’s on his way over. Wants to grab something to eat with us before the show.”

“Great.” I didn’t bother holding in a curse.

“You’re not still pissed, are you?”

“I hate being pushed around,” I grumbled, throwing open the curtain, dresses rehung and laying across my arm. War could be really bullheaded and possessive. Grandiose one time heart-warming gestures notwithstanding, the day to day getting along, the necessity of breathing room and compromise seemed to escape him.

“He means well.” He stood and lazily stretched his arms over his head.

“Really?” I snapped, mad at War, mad at myself that just a tiny glimpse of Bryan’s abdomen made my pulse leap, just plain all around mad. “He meant well accepting the deal memo from RCA without talking to me first, a deal that didn’t include me?”

Bryan eyes widened, but he didn’t respond. I could feel his eyes on my back as I returned the clothes to Janie.

“You didn’t want any of them?” Janie asked me with a puzzled look.

I shook my head, even though it wasn’t true. I’d really liked the hot pink one with the geometric design, but I couldn’t afford it. I needed to be real careful with the money I had left. I probably shouldn’t have tortured myself by trying them on.

After thanking Janie, I exited the shop. I heard Bryan’s footsteps right behind me.

He immediately spun me around as soon as we were outside. “The way the whole thing went down with RCA was bullshit.”

“It’s ok.” Only it wasn’t, not even close. War had been my boyfriend, Dizzy and Tempest my family. I’d depended on them and they’d left me behind. “Dizzy’s explained about all the pressure you guys were under. About all the other offers you’d already turned down because no one wanted a woman in the group.”

“I told War not to accept that deal.” That part was news to me. His fingers tightened on my arms and his grey green eyes stared intently into mine. “But he was so sure that once we were signed he’d be able to convince RCA to give you one of your own.”

“I know that now. But what’s done is done.” I buttoned up my jacket with sharp precise movements. “Like a lot of other things. It wasn’t meant to be. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Yeah?” His gaze moved across my face as if he was working something out in his mind. “Well, I’m sure we all would’ve handled things differently in the past if we could.” His brow creased and his voice lowered to that intimate tone that never failed to make my insides quiver. “What happened to you, Lace? One minute you were with War and then Martin the next?”

I shrugged. “I did what I had to do.” How dare he stand there judging me? What other option had there been? Martin had been my only play. I felt a sudden rush of anger. “That’s what girls like me usually do, right, Bry?” The emphasis I put on the abbreviated version of his name, made his eyes narrow. That was what his family called him. What I used to call him until after that night.

“What the hell does that mean?” His eyes flared and he flicked the unlit cigarette he’d just pulled out to the ground before grabbing ahold of my shoulders. “You’re not a slut, Lace.” He looked perplexed as well as angry as he stared down at me.

“I know that’s what you think. Why keep up the pretense?” I shrugged out of his grasp, stifling the urge to yell or even worse to cry. “I heard what you said to Dizzy after the night we slept together.” The old wound ripped right open, but I didn’t want to keep it covered anymore. It was time we got it all out, all raw and gaping.

I heard the breath whoosh right out of him as if my words had knocked the air out of his lungs. So what if he was shocked that I’d finally brought it up after all this time. I turned away. It was good he knew I knew. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? But suddenly I couldn’t bear to hear the lie in his voice or see the pity in his eyes as he made up excuses for what he’d said.

“Lace, listen.” He moved in front of me stopping my forward progress. I saw the regret on his face before a cold gust of wind whipped a strand of hair into my eyes. They watered instantly and I blinked, reaching up to pull it away, but he beat me to it. Under the spell of the tenderness I read in his gaze, I stood still as a statue while his fingertips skimmed my cheek and brushed it gently aside. “I didn’t...”

“Hey you guys, ready for dinner?”

War’s voice unraveled the spell. I turned to see a taxi had pulled up to the curb beside us. War was leaning out the window. I must have given him a blank stare.

“What’s going on?” Looking confused his gaze slid over to Bryan. “You didn’t what?”

7

After the concert at the Orpheum, we were required to attend the meet and greet with Brutal Strength at the Mantra restaurant next door. Candles flickered, crystal glasses clinked together, and soft music played in the background as the band members from both groups mingled with the few Bostonian’s fortunate enough to get VIP passes.

I’d been nursing a rum and Coke while trying to keep a low profile all evening. I definitely didn’t feel like talking to anyone, except for Lace. My stomach was a mess of acid churning holes after the bombshell she had detonated on me earlier. I yanked a fistful of hair through my fingers. All this time I thought it had been her that changed her mind. I never knew that she’d heard what I’d said. Words I didn’t fucking mean. This was so jacked. I needed to talk to her and explain, but I hadn’t been able to catch her alone.

“Hey, Bullet.” A young woman heavy on the make-up brushed her breasts against my arm. Her nipples were clearly visible through the tight white t-shirt she wore. Oh, hell. I took a step back when just days earlier I would have been full steam ahead. But right now I had absolutely no interest.

Confusion creasing her brow, the woman’s gaze zipped back across the crowded room. War tipped his shot glass in our direction. “War told me you’d take me to the bus,” she said her lips rounding into a pout.

“Not tonight, babe.” I wasn’t pleased that War had sent this girl over like an appetizer to sample while Lace was watching. I wrapped my fingers around her wrists and extracted her arms from my waist. “Why don’t you go try Dizzy? I’d bet he wouldn’t mind giving you a tour.”

“Fine,” she whispered.

As she walked away, my gaze returned across the room to Lace, perched in War’s lap. Her beautiful whisky eyes connected with mine briefly before flitting away. I sighed, my chest burning with regret. No wonder her attitude had changed so dramatically toward me. At least she’d worn the dress, the pink one from the vintage shop. My attempt at a peace offering. Janie had helped me arrange delivery to the hotel. It looked wonderful on her. The fabric clung to her figure like it’d been made for her just as it had when she’d tried it on in the shop.

Her wearing it tonight had to mean something. She could forgive me, couldn’t she?

The long sleeves flared at the elbows and sitting as she was now the bottom hem lay just this side of