Page 33 of Second Sets Omnibus

Callum nods and licks his lips, abashedly looking toward the bar with a red tint enveloping his cheeks. “We get all that; then we can get the hell away from here.”

“And her?” Kieran asks like the knight in shining armor he is.

I raise a brow at his meaning and shrug. “What about her?” I ask calmly, but I know exactly what he’s going to say.

We went after her for a reason; we can’t abandon ship now. And hell, maybe I don’t want to jump into the churning sea without a safety net to catch us in the end. But there's something about River that draws me into her flame, burning me whole.

“If she gets to know us and falls for us, she can help us achieve all this, and then we make it to the Battle of the Bands? What next? What if we get signed? We can...” Kieran trails off, biting into his bottom lip with unease.

He doesn’t want to leave her here in the dust. With his obsession growing every second, he wants to take her with us. I can see it in his pleading eyes. And who am I to deny my brother? Even if it’s just soothing him until the time comes. From a mile away, I can see the distraction River is going to bring to us in the future. She’ll pull my brothers apart as they eat away at her attention, begging for more bones.

“You want to what? Bring her along, then?” I ask, rubbing my chin, placating every worry he has inside of him. Kieran hyper-fixates on things, obsessing until it’s all he can think about. And that’s what River is—a hyper fixation. “I suppose it could work. Imagine showing up to West Records with an actual West,” I chuckle, but if anything, I placate myself.

We can continue this charade with those facts in mind. River West will serve us well either way. Whether on her glorious knees, sucking cock… I shake my head. Fuck. She’s infecting me, too, but maybe I want to be full of her poison.

Callum shrugs, trying to look as nonchalant as possible, but he fails. A spark ignites in his gray eyes as he looks back toward the bar again, and a grin spreads across his jovial face.

“She’s our ticket out of here,” Callum whispers with sincerity. “From what I’ve observed, she’s organized. She works two jobs, goes to school, and completely manages this bar. If we can gain her trust, then she’ll want to help us organize on her own.” He nods, rolling his lips together with guilt.

My lip twitches when he narrows his eyes on me because he stole the thoughts directly from my mind.

“Exactly,” I say, pointing a finger at him. “That’s exactly what we can offer her, too. A way out.”

“You’re staying?” I raise my brow, a red glow lighting up Kieran's cheeks, and he nods.

“You bet your ass I’m staying,” he says with a grin, rubbing his hands together. “I made a promise, and I’m going to deliveron it.” With that, my brother glides off through the front doors, presumably in the direction of her office again. Only this time, we won’t barge in and disrupt their time together.

I wave, taking a deep breath. I can’t leave Kieran and Rad here. “You want me to drop you off at home while I wait for them?”

Callum’s cheeks tint a darker shade of red, and he shakes his head, clearing his throat. “I have to go to the bathroom,” he rasps in a low voice, pointing toward the bar.

“I’ll be in the Tahoe then whenever you’re done,” I murmur when he scurries away into the bar without a second glance.

Funnily enough, I don’t think he’s going to just use the bathroom.

Turning on my heel, I march to the Tahoe parked across the street and climb in, patiently waiting for my friends to get done with their fuckfest and come home with me. I'll try not to think about Kieran and Rad sharing her. Just the mention of Rad gagging her has my dick hard and pressing against my jeans.

Fuck blue balls, man.

"Geton your damn knees and worship me."

Her voice hums through my mind on repeat, exciting me even more. A deep ache pulsates in my balls, begging me to touch and release the pent-up tension that has been building since yesterday. My dick stands hard and heavy inside my jeans, begging to spring free.

But I don't dare relieve myself. Or move from my position on my knees, digging into the uncomfortable floor.

Closing my eyes, memories flood my mind from the last time I angrily barged my way in here and took all my after-performance frustrations out on her body. Anger fueled my decisions, but desire held me here.

She held me there.

My River Blue.

How could I have forgotten her for so long? It's like Asher's dad swooped into my life and erased everything before the age of ten. Only now, after seeing her again, do I remember my time inthe shitty apartment I was raised in as a kid. The time we spent together under the stars as we hid from our moms.

“When is she coming?” Rad whines, interrupting my peace.

Shifting in her office chair with his eyes closed, his forehead leans against the wood desk. All the alcohol he consumed comes back to bite him in the ass.

Secretly, I hope he falls asleep long before she walks into this room. She's mine. All fucking mine. I'll tattoo my name on her ass if that's what it takes. The last thing I want to do is fucking share her with anyone else. But I know Rad. A little too well.