“This is the shittiest rehearsal ever,” Azrael says to me, and his tone is rough as sandpaper.
He sets down his guitar and removes the cigarette from his ear. He props it between his lips, lights it, and inhales the nicotine into his lungs likes it’s the best thing on the planet. Then he blows smoke through his nose and a cloud of white smoke fogs the air. He isn’t as ripped as me but he’s toned. His skin is mocha.
“The last two rounds sucked. My cat could have played a lot better than you.” Easton frowns at me. He hits the switch on the mike and places it back on the stand. He’s an evil bastard and a world-class dick. He makes Hitler look like a saint. He’s angry at everyone and everything and shits on anyone who gets in his way. His kind of anger makes him depressed.
I keep my facial expression blank and my shoulders tense. Fuck Easton for always expecting perfection out of people.
“Cut him some slack, Easton.” Aurora’s voice is softer than fine silk, and she shakes her head so hard that I think it’ll snap from her neck. “What mood are we gonna get today? The crazy one? The broody one? Or the angry one?” She tucks her pink guitar behind her back and grabs her pink skateboard, decorated in Tokidoki stickers, from next to her book bag, tucking it under her arm.
Aurora is a skater girl at heart. Her body is tiny, but she’s very curvy with a round ass. A nose ring shaped like a flower is stuck in her right nostril. Her eyes are the color of wet concrete and her skin is pale as ice. And her baby-doll face looks young and innocent. She’s from New York City and fresh out of high school, and a jailbait in my opinion. I don’t fuck women younger than twenty-one. My motto is “If you’re not old enough to drink then you’re not old enough to ride my dick.”
“The ‘I don’t give a shit’ mood,” he mocks in her tone as he shoves his fingers through his coal black hair. He looks like a dehydrated pale vampire. He relaxes on the couch. “I don’t need to get in his ass, but I need to get into yours. Why the fuck you kept getting off-key last night? The purpose of your job is to be on rhythm.” He rakes his eyes over her small tits and her face. His eyes eat her up like candy. Her shoulders stiffen and her face turns redder than blood.
Why does he love to give her shit? I don’t know. Everyone and their momma knows Easton wants to give her dick. Azrael puts out his cancer stick in the ashtray and watches them like a hawk.
“I had a shitty week, okay?” she says through clenched molars. “Now, leave me the hell alone.”
“Listen here, Sunshine.” He plucks her skateboard from her hand and sets it on the carpet, then he yanks her down on his lap. Her breath hitches, and she swallows hard. He grips her chin. They play this cat and mouse game with each other. Watching them interact reminds me that I haven’t had pussy in a month. The last time I got my dick wet, I was drunk and slept with a groupie. I don’t remember her name nor face. Just remember she could suck dick like an experienced porn star.
“Get your head out of your ass or we’ll replace you faster than you can blink. We have millions of fans counting on us to deliver them great music. You’re not performing at the trailer-trash dump that you were born in. You’re doing big things and going big places.” He cocks his head to the side.
“Let her go,” Azrael says, glaring at Easton like he’s ready to rip his head off. He always tries to protect Aurora from the world, like he’s her guardian angel. East cuts his eyes to him.
Azrael and Easton aren’t close. Azrael tolerates him because he’s my friend. Every day, East is always doing stuff to taunt Aurora. I don’t know what his deal is with her, but I’ve never seen him so riled up or give an ounce of fuck about a woman. He barely gave a shit about his ex-girl.
Aurora mouths thank you to Azrael and grabs her stuff and leaves the basement.
“Careful, Az,” Easton tsks. “Stay away from my toy.”
Azrael glares at Easton as if he wants to kill him with his bare hands. He isn’t much of a shit-talker. He’ll wait until East strikes him first, then he’ll let loose his rage.
“Just fuck her already,” I say to East, and Azrael grinds his molars and the vein in his forehead throbs.
“I want to break her first,” he says.
I lift my eyebrow and wrinkle my nose. “Why?”
“Because I want to, and I can.” Azrael and I glance at him as if he lost his mind. “Because she’s weak and needs tough skin.”
“And that’s your job?” Azrael says, shaking his head. Easton glares at him and his nostrils flare.
“It’s my fucking business. She has to be great like…” Tears gloss his eyes as he speaks about Natasha. I swallow the lump clogging my throat. Natasha was the only light in his life. The only one that put him in his place when he’s acting like a piece of shit. “The fans are already shitting on her on social media saying she’s not as good as her.” His voice is low and thick.
“You’re a fucking lunatic,” I say, tapping my foot to a tuneless beat. He needs to be locked up in a padded room with a straight jacket.
He chuckles and his eyes are back to looking empty. “True. But I’m not into stalking the woman I’m craving,”
My shoulders relax as I lean against the wall. I made him ride with me last night to a restaurant Sadie was at, and I saw
