Page 72 of Our Deceptive Heat

I follow them downstairs and set myself up at the back of the room. Tara pushes Tyr into the front and ignores Digs and Mako completely. Even when they speak to her, she doesn’t acknowledge them. Envy, she watches with a lusty eye, but he is a mountain of ice she has no hope of climbing.

I shift in my seat, trying to rein in the jealous rage that is threatening to spill out of me.

She looks as polished as she always does, but this time, her bra and shirt are barely holding her breasts in, and she keeps leaning towards Tyr.

He’s doing his best to ignore her, but I can see the rage almost vibrating off him. All his tells, the way his jaw is clenched, the line of his shoulders, the clip of his voice.

Envy remains expressionless and doesn’t react to her touch at all. I swear it hurts me more than him.

He acts like the bitch isn’t even there.

Instead, they focus on the fans, smiling and laughing with them. Signing t-shirts, photos, magazines, and skin. They take photo after photo with them, but the clientele isn’t the normal fans we see. These are younger and well dressed.

I glance around. The venue is a bar, and I’ll bet half these girls aren’t even legal. I rub my chin. There’s no food and drinks. The only security we have are Nial and José.

I move towards Nial and lean in close. He has to bend slightly, so I’m close to his ear because he’s just so damn huge.

“Does this seem weird to you? Like these girls aren’t normal Fate’s Choice fans.”

“I heard these are the daughters of a friend of Tara’s that she’s trying to schmooze.”

I grind my teeth. “That explains it.”

Nial grunts. “I didn’t have enough time to get anyone else or look this place up online. I don’t even have the proper transport. So if we need to leave, I gotta leave everyone but the guys behind.” He frowns and glances at José, who nods and moves in closer, his arms spread wide as he moves the crowd back.

“We’ll be fine. Just keep them safe.”

I look at the band. They are working hard, but they must look at me too long because Tara’s glare finds me in the back of the room.

I shudder at the look in her eyes. It’s a mix of rage and calculation, and I just know I’m going to have problems with her.

Slowly, she makes her way to me and stands at the table I’ve claimed for my own. She reaches out and picks up a cherry, spinning it in her fingers before she puts it back.

“What are you even doing here?”

“I’m helping them with their image. You know that, my father informed you.”

I can’t hide the scorn in my voice. How dumb is this bitch?

“Your father is a brilliant man. If you were a tenth of the person your father is-”

I raise a hand, cutting her off. “Are you sleeping with him?”

She blinks, but her eyes look away too quickly. Oh, yes, she is Typhor’s new squeeze and, by the looks of it, is trying to use the guys in the band to make him jealous.

“First off, let me give you some friendly advice. My father will never willingly divorce my mother. Get the idea of being the next Mrs Typhor Raines out of your head right now. Second, he doesn’t care about you or what you want. It’s all about him and what he needs.”

She snarls, but I’m not done.

“And third, if you touch one of the band members, he won’t get mad or jealous. He will simply make it so you can’t work anywhere in the industry again. That’s what Typhor Raines is like.”

Tara just smiles, her calm confidence taking over the anger that had shown through a moment ago.

“You’re just as pathetic as he said you are.”

I’ve made her angry, and now she’s fuming and trying to put me in place, but she’s fucking my dad. She’s just screwed herself.

“He hates all women. You are not special.”

---