“Oh fuck.” Chase stared back at me with wide eyes, and it took every fiber of my being to not pummel him.
A line of mostly females wrapped around the fucking building. We knew the bar was a hot spot, but the Devil’s Lair signs some of them held, along with the paparazzi that were all eagerly positioned facing the door with their huge lens pointed and ready, meant it wasn’t popularity pulling in the crowd.
Meanwhile, the cause of this fuckfest stared in disbelief. “She said she wasn’t going to tell anyone.” Chase’s gaze ping-ponged between us all while hoping for some sort of validation.
Ignoring him, I turned toward the driver. “Don’t stop and keep driving, please.”
He took a moment to stare at me and my friends, and I could practically see the dollar signs in the depths of his pupils. My parents were going to shit themselves. Arguing with my father that no one knew me and going as far as having the guys all promise we would remain low key apparently meant shit to Chase.
“Maybe there’s a back entrance.” Chase focused his widened eyes on me. “We made a commitment.”
“Tough shit.”
“Shane, we have to.”
Losing my cool, I seethed through gritted teeth, “Are you stupid?” And as I asked him that, I knew this wasn’t all on him. Yes, it may not have occurred to me that Lauren or maybe even her father took our dumb asses as an opportunity to make money, but in hindsight, it should have.
I knew better. I’d been raised to know better.
“I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.” A firm grip on my shoulder meant he wasn’t mad at me.
“What do you want to do?” Harrison asked while watching the mob as we drove by.
My gaze bounced between him and the driver, who continued to stare at me suspiciously. This was bad. “Can you take us back to the hotel, please?” He gave me a stiff nod and made the first right to backtrack where we’d come from.
“But we promised to play tonight,” Joey reminded me.
“Not under these circumstances… and not with me.” The three of them scowled, forcing me to cut my eyes at the driver in hopes they understood and kept their mouths shut. Thankfully, they got the message, and for the rest of the short drive they remained silent until he deposited us and our instruments at the hotel’s entrance.
Chase turned gray when it suddenly hit him. He’d been in my life long enough to know the very fine line I needed to navigate because of who my parents were.
I waited until we were safely in our room before announcing, “We’re fucked. Not only is it known that I’m here, but there’s also no doubt that the prick who drove us is on the phone right now tipping people off that we’re staying here. We’re probably going to have to pack and move to another hotel,” I admitted. “I’ll call my father. He’ll know what to do.” Never trust me again, I thought to myself.
Part of me couldn’t blame my friends for the disappointment written all over their faces, and I was sure they once again wondered why they were even friends with me. This wasn’t the first time I’d wondered the same myself.
“I guess my parents had a point,” I said, tapping on my phone, and they all shook their heads.
“This is on us. We weren’t thinking.” Joey spoke for the three of them. “Your parents did try to warn us. I guess with all the hot chicks around we could blame the lack of blood flow to our brains.”
Before I could say he’d made a good point, my father’s deep voice came over the line. Chaotic background noise forced him to yell, “Hey, Son. Hold on.” I heard footsteps and a door slamming shut before he asked at a lower volume, “Everything all right?”
“We’re fine… but something sort of happened.”
A pause came before he asked, “What?”
I explained it all to him, and his silence meant he wasn’t happy. “We’re going to find another hotel and check out.”
“Don’t go anywhere yet. I’ll call Lori. She’s in Texas with Cannon. You can probably stay at their place.” My gaze flicked to my friends. Staying at the condo right on the beach in Malibu would appease them. “I also anticipated something like this would happen. Oscar has a colleague on call for you guys. Trevor will be tailing you here on out until you get your butts on a plane come Monday.”
“Okay,” I said petulantly. “I’m really sorry, Dad.”
I heard him drag in a huge breath of air. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You understand why Mom and I were so hard on you before you left?”
“Yeah, I get it.” I stared at my friends one by one. “We all get it.”
“Good. You can have a good time and still be safe as well. There isn’t a law against that, Shane.”
“I know.”
“If you want to play while you’re there, I can arrange for that to happen properly. In a place we trust not to capitalize on your last name. Just say the word.”
“Okay. Let me talk to the guys.”
“Sit tight until I call you back with directions. I love you, Shane.”
“Love you too.”
“He’s pissed?” Chase asked when I lowered my phone.
“A little… but he gets it.” I filled them in on all my dad said.
Chase was the first to speak. “I guess that’s not terrible.”
“No, it’s not,” I said on a relieved sigh. “Could be worse. He could be sending us tickets to fly home tonight.”
“Your folks are going to hate me.”
Not denying his claim, I shrugged. “They’ll get over it. If not, you’re gone soon, and I haven’t yet decided if they ever have to see you again.” The way his eyes widened in shock caused me to laugh out loud for the first time all day. “You’re such an asshole. Like I could get rid of you.”
Eleven holy shits and a few hours later, we were out on the deck sipping beers and watching the surf. The place was unreal. Sure, my parents had a massive home on the beach, but this ultramodern condo was more my style. I could picture myself living there with Alivia, loving life.
“Not too shabby, Lair,” Joey said, tipping his bottle in my direction. “I’m glad your aunt Lori is so cool.”
Lori had called to tell us we could spread out among the four bedrooms and make ourselves at home. She also said the fridge in the garage was stocked with beer, and as long as we were at the house, we could have a few, emphasis on few… but not to tell my parents.
“She’s very cool.”
“You’re lucky to have such cool humans in your life,” Chase said.
“You’re lucky I didn’t kick the shit out of you,” I countered.
“Calm down. Things turned out for the best,” he added proudly, like the outcome was his doing. Well, I guessed if he hadn’t opened his big fat mouth, we wouldn’t be slumming it in my mom’s best friend’s condo for the rest of our stay… but still. “Your family rocks… no pun intended.”
Rolling my eyes at him, I internally had to agree.
After a few phone calls, Dad had our new plans set into motion. Meanwhile, Mom checked us out of the hotel as we were picked up in a private car and whisked to Malibu. She arranged groceries to be delivered… mainly drinks, snacks, and easy food that we could handle without burning the place down.