Page 11 of Second Sets Omnibus

We've searched high and low for an entry into the infamous KC Club in East Point, California, where Seger and Zeppelin West, the famous twin sons of Corbin West, and River's brothers, frequent. They're always scouting for new talent to sign to their label. Getting into The KC Club is next to impossible if you don't know the right people, and we don't know anyone in the industry. Not yet at least.

My dick tightens in my damn pants at the thought of her pussy wrapped around me, and her moans echo in my ears. Her sass. Her fucking small curves. Shit, the way her ass bounced against my hips. Fuck. I’m ready to drop these dickbags off and head back to the outskirts of Central City to find River and tie her down. Does she still live in the same apartment from our childhood? Does she still like to eat those disgusting pink peeps dipped in milk? I swallow the obsession bobbing in my throat and threatening to pull me under.

"Come on, boy. You're going onto better things. Leave the trash behind," my new stepdaddy growls, bruising my arm by throwing me into the back of his SUV. "You're onto bigger and better things now."

I swallow hard, pressing my face into the window as the apartment complex becomes a blip and disappears. My heart breaks into a million pieces. River Blue, I need you. I watch until our new neighborhood comes into view, revealing enormous houses and a shiny lake glistening in the sun.

"Welcome home," the man says with a wide, evil-looking grin.

“What's that supposed to mean? We need him, man. He’s our one connection. He’s our in,” Ash says through gritted teeth. “If we don’t have West, we can’t get in with West Records or the damn exclusive venue. And if we don’t make it into West Records, we’re fucked. We need River West. Remember our goals? Getting out of this shit fuck town and leaving everyone behind? We need him.” Ash closes his eyes, leaning his forehead against the window to calm himself down.

Desperation ebbs from him in waves, and I get it. He's been through hell and back and wants nothing more than to run from this town and start over. Our plan is his saving grace—the one thing that's kept him going. Even if the guilt eats at me daily, I can't disappoint my family. Not now. But what they don't know won't kill them. I have no intention of letting her go. Whatever plan we cook up to get close, I'll keep her closer.

I close my eyes, resting the back of my head against the headrest. “River West isn’t a dude, you fucking morons. River West is the fucking manager chick,” I say, feeling my heart drop into the depths of my fucking stomach.

"Buzztit!" Rad gasps in mock horror and then mumbles about her forcing the tits into hiding and what a goddamn tragedy it was.

“The chick?” Asher gapes. “That chick is a West?” Once realization settles and the shock wears off, he menacingly rubs his chin.

Wheels turn in the depths of his overused brain, grinding to a halt when he comes to the same conclusion I have. We’ll have to befriend her, which means we'll have to be nice. Which shouldn’t be too hard for Rad and me, but the other two? They’re a different entity altogether.

Callum looks at us with calculating eyes and sits back in his seat, putting away his earbuds. "So, the manager who tore up our check and we watched you bone, is the West chick we need toget to the KC Club?" I nod in response. He sighs, running a hand down his face. "Well, this should be fun then," he mutters.

Something settles inside me, chasing away my demons at the thought of her. I couldn't agree with Callum more. It will be fun, and I'll reclaim what's mine.

“So, K, you got our in? Do you think she’d be down to help? Make the call?" Rad asks, leaning forward with hope glistening deep in his brown eyes.

I run a hand down my face. "You think the chick that ripped up our paycheck because I insulted her will roll over and call her estranged family to get us a gig at the KC Club?" I snark, raising a brow.

"My dad is mean," she whispers again, clutching another sent-back letter. "I just wanted to say hi," she says through a sniffle, wiping away the tears streaming down her face.

"He sent it back again? Why do you keep doing it?" I ask, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her in. If her mom is too busy sleeping and won't comfort her, I will. River needs me to help her cope with life, just like I need her.

"I won't anymore," she pouts, growling when she tears up the letter. "That's the last time Daddy will ever hear from me." And from that day forward, I never found River Blue crying over the man who didn't want her in the first place.

Pressing my palms into my eyes, I squeeze them shut, reveling in the vivid memories flowing through my mind. Over the years, I've erased every inch of where I came from—partially due to my stepdad refusing to let me call her or find her across town. Hell, I even tried to ride my bike to her once, but he stopped me within the first mile. Within the first month of living with him, I had a new wardrobe and a brand-new life. Ten-year-old me could never get what I wanted, and River slowly drifted into the past, beaten out of me.

"Don't even think about going back to that side of town," he hisses, heaving his fist in the air. Before I can blink, pain sears through my jaw, and blood spurts from my nose. My mother gasps from the corner of the room, held hostage to witness my punishment. The reality is that she wouldn’t lift a finger to help me, anyway. She’s here for only one thing—the rich lifestyle Nigel has afforded her.

As I lie motionless on the floor, only grunting when his foot collides with my ribs three times, I promise myself I'll forget about her. If this is what happens when I try to ride my bike across town, I'll never try again. I can’t take another fist or kick.

The pain sits with me through the night as I toss and turn, whimpering.

"You can't provoke him," my new stepbrother Asher whispers through the dark. I jolt at his voice, crying out when I sit up. "He'll only hurt you more." Shaking his head, he moves to the side of the bed and sits.

"Yeah?" I whimper, holding my aching ribs.

"Things will go smoother if you just do what he says."

"Is that what you do?" I whisper, earning a scoff.

"I do what I have to do. Now stop making so much noise so I can go to sleep," Ash grumbles, slipping into his bed.

Quiet overtakes the room, the only sound coming from the air conditioning kicking on, blowing across the blinds, knocking them together. Of all the rooms in this house, Nigel insisted we bunk together. Probably to keep a sharper eye on us and lock us together. He didn’t count on us forming a deep bond like brothers normally would.

"Kieran?" Asher asks in a soft voice.

"Yeah?" I rasp, wiping away the tears falling down my cheeks.