Perfect Ruin (Unyielding #2)(107)
“My girl has agreed to be mine in the eyes of the law, but she’s been mine since I first laid eyes on her.”
“When she was illegal,” Tyler hooted, and everyone laughed except Deck, but there was a slight pull at the corner of his mouth.
“We have history. Some not so good, but it’s history and it’s ours. She’s been a pain in my ass for years.” There was laughter. “And I suspect for many more.” More laughter. “But there was never a time I didn’t want her. Never a time I didn’t love her. And there will never be a time.” I sighed, along with all the other girls in the room. “I keep my shit private.” There was a subtle chuckle from the crowd. “But the fact that I love her, that’s not private. That’s something I want everyone to know.” I smiled and Kai huffed, but when I glanced up at him, he was nodding as he watched Deck, eyes showing admiration. “Love you, Georgie.”
Georgie slipped past me, and I caught a glimpse of tears staining her cheeks. It was a lot for Deck to get up there and talk because he was private. But Georgie wasn’t and Deck did it for her.
In two leaps she was on stage and in Deck’s arms. He staggered back a step because she went full throttle into him with her legs wrapping around his waist and arms hooking his neck before her mouth was on his. She kissed him and then he took control and kissed her while everyone cheered.
“Sing!” Tyler shouted.
That got a mild laugh out of Deck as he lowered Georgie to her feet, but didn’t let her go. “Thank you to everyone for coming. And I’m not going to sing but these guys made a special trip back to Toronto from their tour in order to play for us tonight.”
That’s when the crowd went wild as Sculpt, aka Logan, Ream, Crisis and Kite came out on stage. Deck relinquished Georgie to the boys as they each hugged her. There was a beautiful blonde girl on the side stage who had her eyes locked on Crisis. He turned and winked at her before he picked up his guitar.
Deck and Georgie came off the stage, and then the place went wild as the band hit it with their current number one song aptly named “Avalanche.” But it wasn’t about the bar, it was a love story of how a girl’s heart shattered when the guy she loved died. Like an unstoppable avalanche, her life altered from joy and hope to suffocating in despair. It was haunting and beautiful at the same time, but it was the ending that brought tears to my eyes when the girl found a speck of light through the darkness and fought back. When she learned to live again.
I swayed to the music while Kai held me, and I’d never been happier. We stayed like that for two songs before I turned into him and tilted my head up about to ask him if we could leave because I wanted Kai to take me home.
But before my eyes met his, I caught a glimpse of Catalina up against the wall in the shadows of the bar. A man towered over her, one hand on her hip and the other above her head, his palm resting on the wall. They were fifty feet away from me, and there was a dim yellow light above them. It was obvious Catalina was in shock, because her eyes were wide and her body defensive as she had her hands up on his chest as if to ward him off.
He was talking rapidly, and from his tense, muscled body, he was angry, but I was unable to see his face. I gasped when he pushed back then punched the wall beside her.
Catalina said something then reached out, her hands curling into his shirt. He didn’t move for a second, and then his shoulders sagged and he stepped back into her. His head bowed then dropped into the curve of her neck.
“Babe? What’s up?” Kai asked, his arms giving me a gentle squeeze.
“I think Catalina is having trouble with one of the guests. Or not. I’m not sure.”
His eyes darted to where I was looking and he stiffened. “Fuck.”
“You know who it is?” I couldn’t see the guy’s face, but Kai obviously didn’t need to.
“Connor,” Kai said.
The End