Page 23 of Reckless Encore

Ryan. Great. Leah’s errand boy had returned.

He reached the door, pulled it wide, and was about to swear a blue streak when the fury in the rhythm guitarist’s expression made him pause.

“The face or the gut?” Ryan growled.

“Huh?” He turned from the door and started back down the hall in search of a chair. He needed to get horizontal. Too much vertical and he would spew.

“Do you want my fist in your face or your gut?” Ryan grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

“What the fuck is your problem?” He swung around, his chest heaving with growing annoyance. “You’re acting like you’re ODing on testosterone.”

His friend usually proclaimed to be a lover, not a fighter, with cringe-worthy pride. But the man trying to stare him down held no comparison. Ryan’s nostrils flared, his eyes spitting fire and rage.

“What’s going on?” Sidney walked from the bedroom, frantically tying a silk robe around her waist.

“You two didn’t show this morning,” Ryan snarled through clenched teeth.

“Give me a break.” Mason yanked his arm free. “Sid and I needed the morning to relax. I thought that’s what we came here for.”

“Give you a break?” Ryan shoved at his chest. “What about Sean and Melody? When are they going to get their break?”

“We’ll organize another—”

“Wedding?” Ryan cut in. “You’re going to organize another wedding for the one you were meant to be at this morning?”

Mason jolted to attention. He stood still, unblinking as his friend approached, getting in his face.

“What do you mean?” Sidney whispered. “I thought the plans for this morning were canceled.”

Shit. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to wipe away the confusion. The only thing he could comprehend was the substantially bigger punishment he would now receive for what he thought had been a tiny white lie.

“You told her it was canceled?” Ryan sneered.

His chest caved.

He had a tendency to fuck things up. No newsflash there. But fucking up something as big as a wedding was a low he hadn’t reached before.

“I didn’t know…” Hestilldidn’t know. “They’re getting married? What about his family? And hers? Are they here, too?”

“No. It was only meant to be the eight of us. Leah and I were the only ones there.”

“Oh, no.” Sidney placed a hand over her mouth.

“I’ll get changed.” Mason started for the bedroom. “We’ll be there in five.”

“It’s too late.”

“Bullshit.” Mason scoffed. “Sean wouldn’t get married without me.”

Ryan inclined his head. “You’re right. Instead, they called the wedding off, and now Sean and Mel are fighting.”

Sidney came forward, her eyes wild. “Where are they?”

Ryan shrugged, the fierce glower still pulling at his brows. “I don’t know. Mel ran off. Sean followed a few minutes later. At the moment, I don’t know where either of them are.”

“I’m going to get dressed.” Sidney rushed for the bedroom, leaving Mason alone with a man who looked more than ready to kill him.

Apparently, the upcoming slaughter was deserved.

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