Page 89 of Hard Rock Heat

"I'msure you all know why I called this meeting," Augustbegan.

"That's not an ominous start at all," Damonmuttered.

Ian jammed his elbow in his brother's ribs. "He called us all together because you're adumbass."

"I don't see why you wanted us here, too," one of their girlfriends said. The other girls and Inodded.

"We're here because an alteration happened that affects all of us," Augustcontinued.

Several days had passed since the confrontation with Damon and Ian's father. We'd thought everything was fine. Then Damon had gotten a call from August, the band's drummer and leader, calling a band meeting. The chagrin on Damon's face had been almost funny, like a kid being scolded by a parent for sneaking cookies from the cookiejar.

Damon told me I'd been invited to the meeting — the word invited being a polite version of,get your ass overhere.

When Damon and I arrived at band's music studio, the room was already full. Ian was there with Hope, and August was there with his girlfriend Cassie, the one who had mistaken me for my sister at thatparty.

There were four others I'd only briefly met before. A man with bright, fire-engine red hair, clearly dyed, had his arm around a tall young woman with striking dark hair and eyes. With those features, she closely resembled the last man in the room, who was sitting next to a prettybrunette.

The red head was Cameron Thorne, the crazy party animal. I knew his girlfriend was Lily, sister to the lead singer Noah Hart. I believed Jen was the name of the girl next to him, but I could have beenwrong.

Trying to keep track of names and faces was making medizzy.

"Do you want to tell them the story, or should I?" August askedDamon.

"You make me sound like a naughty schoolboy," Damonprotested.

August just stared at himpatiently.

Damon's mouth twisted, disgruntled. "My dad's been blackmailing me for money for years," he said reluctantly. "I never told anyone cause he threatenedIan."

The room wentsilent.

"Your brother's right," Noah spoke up. "You are adumbass."

Damon gave him thefinger.

"What does this have to do with us?" Lilyasked.

"Gareth Drake showed up at my house, falling down drunk," Augustreplied.

"Wait, what?" Damon and Ian both said at the sametime.

"What the hell?" Cameronblurted.

"Oh my god," Jensaid.

Noah just looked takenaback.

"He told me he would press charges against Damon for assault if I didn't give him money." August pressed his lips together. "After what happened last time, he knew I'd do anything to protect theband."

"I hope you told him to fuck off," Noah said. Jen shushedhim.

A bone-chilling smile crept across August's face. "I imparted upon him the consequences if he so much as contacted any one of us again." The scary look on his face faded into concern. "Still. He showed up while Cassie was there. I would hate to think what might happen if he showed up at one of your places while Lily or Jen werethere."

"So what's the plan?" Lilyasked.

"For now I've got people keeping an eye on him," August said. "But I just wanted you all to be aware that this guy is around and trying to causetrouble."

"Sounds like he's been around and trying to cause trouble for years," Cameron muttered. Lily laid a hand on his arm. The tension he held in his shoulders eased, but the frown on his face stayed. "Seriously man, what the hell were you thinking, keeping this from everyone for solong?"