Page 73 of Darcy
Her smile returns, and she shocks us all when she tilts her head back and kisses Arlo softly on his lips. “I suppose musicians can be quite noisy. I might have to get ear plugs.”
If it was that much of an issue, I’d build us a studio in the yard.
I cut the thought off before I can fall into mentally planning the perfect space.
Because this is not happening. It’s not the plan.
The plan is safety for my family, a normal fucking job, and a two person relationship where I don’t have to worry about jealousy screwing things up.
Our guitarist is too stunned by her affection to reply, but Slate swoops in. “If you’re handing out kisses,cariño, I want one too.”
Without pause, he pinches her chin between his forefinger and thumb and pulls her in for a kiss that fucking sizzles with chemistry.
I wish it wasn’t so damn hot to watch. My hardon is pressing at the seam of my jeans like a heat-seeking missile focused solely on Darcy. I grimace and turn away, wishing I could adjust myself. Unfortunately, this place is packed, and that means I’m just going to suffer.
When we finally leave the centre, it’s early afternoon, and time for the next part of our surprise. I know for a fact that Dodger booked lunch in the Space Needle, and a part of me can’t wait to see Darcy’s reaction to the revolving restaurant.
All my daydreams of her smiling face fade away as I catch sight of the familiar black escalade waiting for us on the curb outside.
Shit, where’s Darcy?
My head swivels as I try to locate her before Miguel or his cronies can.
“¡Mierda!” Slate curses under his breath at the sight. “Darcy, go back inside. Now.”
Fortunately, her position behind me means that my bulk is keeping her hidden.Stay out of sight,I silently pray. If they don’t notice her, she’s unlikely to get into trouble.
But being Darcy, she has to ask, “What? Why?”
“Baby girl, don’t ask questions, please. Just trust us.” Dodger is already steering her back towards the exit.
There’s a suspicious glint in her eyes that I don’t trust, but she allows herself to be sealed back to safety, just in time for the rear door of the escalade to swing open in invitation.
The message is clear: Get in.
Shit. Time to face the music.
Twenty-Five
Darcy
The second the band gets into the car, I fire up the tracking apps on their phones and watch as their dots coalesce on the map, before heading to the port. My phoneribbitsa second before Arlo’s dot buzzes violently—an alert connected to sudden movement of the gyrometer—before then his dot blinks out entirely.
Shit. Someone destroyed his phone.
At the top of my screen, his final message flashes up.
[HzD]Fr0gg0
Hey, sorry we had to jump out on our date like that. We’re just doing some emergency PR stuff. Head back to our rooms and use Dodger’s card to grab pizza. We’ll see you in the arena.
Aww, that’s kind of sweet that he was sorry for abandoning me, but at the same time, why was his phone destroyed? What the hell is going on? Stepping out into the crowd, I head towards the safety of the busy fountain opposite the science centre, sticking to the shade of the trees, along with the other tourists. A few more taps at my screen activate the mic in Slate’s phone.
I press my speaker against my ear just in time to hear Prophet growl,“That was unnecessary.”
Slate curses.“You really want his face to look fucked up on stage tomorrow night?”
“Hisputasister can hide it.”Miguel dismisses them.“Your druggie friend needs to remember to look at me and not his fucking phone when I’m talking to him.
