Chapter 4

Zeke

I don’t know what I am thinking or what has possessed me. I just cannot get her off my mind—so small, so fragile, the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.

When I touched her, fucking fireworks exploded in the distance, a swirling vortex of roses surrounding us.

I should save the guys a job and rip up my own damn man card, I sound insane. I sound like some chick full of…I haven’t got a clue.

I need to fuck all this bullshit out of my system. It’s been almost twenty-four hours. That has to be what’s wrong with me.

I yank my cell out of my back pocket and scroll through my contacts—Alexis, Allison, Amy, Andrea, Barbie, Brittney, Candi with an ‘I’ not a ‘Y’, Candy with a ‘Y’, Jamie, Jennifer, Jocelyn, Josie, Kim, Lexi.

It goes on and on until I’ve made it through the whole list with not a single one catching my fancy.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, who’s it gonna be?”

I swipe up then down the screen, letting fate pick tonight’s lucky bachelorette…or a wife whose husband is away on business. I ain’t in the mood to be picky.

I hit the call button without looking at the screen and press the phone against my ear.

I hear background noise, but before she can say hello, I start in.

“Hey, beautiful. I was thinking about coming over tonight and letting you make my day a little brighter,” I purr, then wait for the usual giggle that comes after.

It didn’t once occur to me that I also have names of several men in my cell.

“Seriously? That shit gets you laid?” This will be the call I relive in every nightmare of my life. Of all the hundreds of babes in my cell, fate or maybe karma dials Blake.

My heart stops dead. What do I say now?

“Don’t be a dick. Obviously, I dialed the wrong number.” And for as long as I walk the Earth—or until I kill him, whichever came first—he would keep telling people how I called and asked him to brighten my day.

“Hey, maybe it’s a sign.” His voice drops to his version of a sexy purr. “Maybe the good Lord is telling you that after all these years of overcompensating with every chick in town, you’ve been playing for the wrong team.”

Yeah. I’m gonna kill him later.

“Well, I suppose if it’s really what you want, it’s the least I can do. Just remember to bring the whipped cream, and I’ll make it a night you’ll never forget,” Blake says, then laughs louder than a damn hyena.

I hang up, run my hands through my hair, and groan. Twenty-five years and never has a random dial gone so sideways.

I kick myself all the way back to King’s and stand just inside the door to let my eyes adjust. I nod at London, who slings a drink to Blake.

Don’t really know why she doesn’t kick him out rather than listen to him jabber on about the night she could have with him, but since she’s giving as good as she’s getting, I don’t intervene. I’ll handle him later.

“Well, well, well. Mark this day. Zeke Matthews is on time for once.” Caleb makes a show of pulling his cell out of his pocket. “I’m gonna alert the newspapers.”

Blake spins on his stool and looks me up and down. “Hey, hot stuff. You bring the Cool Whip?”

It earns him a round of laughter and me a free beer from London. At this rate, I’ll be drinking free all night. Blake can have his fun, I’ll be too drunk to remember.

“You wish.”

He hops away from the bar like he’s on springs and circles me. “Baby, why you gotta be so cold?”

With a cluck of his tongue against his teeth, he whistles out a breath. “Is that a new shirt? Aww, you went to all that trouble for me? Now, I’m gonna make tonight real special for you.”

He winks and runs his hand down my chest. I smack it away and shake my head.

“I’ll show you real special when I’m kicking your ass. Fuck off, dickhead,” I bark out.

“Baby, why you gotta be so cold? You promised me a heavy make-out sesh. Just because your friends are around doesn’t mean it has to stop. Hell, I’ll even let them all join in.”

That’s it. Rage burns through me. I’m about to give the bastard a session with my fist in his damn mouth.

“Why are you all acting like a pack of bastard hyenas?” We all freeze as Jacob stares us down.

“Get back to doing your shit, otherwise you twatbags can find somewhere else to do your homecoming show. This is why I didn’t want you. I’m too old for this shit.” Jacob storms into his office.

I pierce every one of my so-called ~brothers~ with a death glare.

“Can we get some work done? The show is in three days!” I tell them.

Each one nods in agreement. Blake saunters over after London calls him a pig and storms into the back room. I look at him, raising an eyebrow as he walks past.

“What gives?”

He just shrugs before grabbing the microphone. “Hey Zeke…,” he says. I look at his all too smug face. “You wanna suck on my lollipop?”

~Mother fucker!~

A roar of laughter echoes through the bar again. I’ve gone well past seeing red and launch myself at Blake, ready to wipe the smug look off his cocky face.

Jay joins in to help his twin, then we’re all rolling around on the floor trying to gain the upper hand. Caleb tries to split the three of us apart.

“What the fucking hell did I just say?” Jacob King’s angry baritone echoes in the bar. We all stop mid-punch, mid-kick, and mid-bite. Jay has a stool above his head.

“Is this how you act on the road? When you’re on your way to one of the big gigs? Y’all made it big time. Have several number one fucking hits. You can’t walk outside without being recognized.

“We, your hometown, helped to get y’all there. And y’all decided to take some time away from the limelight and spend it with those who supported you from day one. Put on a show to thank us for having your backs.

“Yet here y’all are rolling around on the fucking floor as if you’re still in kindergarten. Have you all lost your minds? What’s wrong with you boys?

“Seriously, I wanna fucking know, because at this moment…I don’t see why we’re in this situation.”

None of us move. I’m fighting a full-on belly laugh as I watch Jacob’s face turn from light shades of pink to red to purple.

“So, get your fucking asses off my floor, you bunch of idiots, and straighten up my bar up.”

We slowly scramble to our feet. I stick my leg out to trip Blake up. He hits the floor.

“Arrrgh, how am I supposed to play now?”

“Not my problem.”