That only deepens his glower. “Let’s just hope we get them back before the rascal convinces him to buy her a castle and a pony.”
Halting her steps, Quinn spins around to face him. “Castles and ponies are basic bitch shit. And for the record? The only thing I want from my brother is for him to be a part of my life, you anal pore.”
Quinn’s managed to do the impossible, because for once, Chandler’s speechless.
Behind me, Storm and Memphis chuckle.
“That’s one way to call someone an asshole,” Memphis states.
“Yes,” Chandler muses. “Who knew the vagrant could be classy.”
Phoenix’s lips twitch. “I’ll give you five bucks every time you insult Chandler and put him in his place today.”
Quinn’s face lights up and she gives him a fist bump. “Deal.”
Something tells me Phoenix’s wallet will be empty by midnight.
“Goodie,” Chandler mutters under his breath. “At least now the little convict has some goals and ambitions.”
Quinn’s big green eyes narrow into tiny slits. “I have plenty of goals and ambitions, you colon polyp.”
Phoenix hands her a crisp five-dollar bill. “Like what?”
She starts ticking things off with her fingers. “Well, for starters, I’d like to get my own apartment. I’d also like to get my driver’s license and start a foundation dedicated to rescuing animals. And then, of course, there’s my dream career…”
“Which is?” Skylar cuts in.
Quinn dramatically places the back of her hand over her forehead. “I’m going to be an Academy Award-winning actress one day.”
I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting that.
Chandler claps his hands sardonically. “Bravo. You can add fake pregnant teen and impostor sister to your résumé.”
Her hands find her hips and she swivels her head. “At least I’ll be making money off my own talents instead of being a minion who has to earn a living profiting off others.”
Skylar and I share a look as she shuts Chandler up for the second time in five minutes.
If I had any doubts the girl was related to Phoenix, I don’t anymore. She cuts like a knife.
Phoenix hands her a ten-dollar bill this time. “Ouch. Be easy, though. Chandler does a lot for us.”
Regret washes over Quinn’s face and she mumbles a quick, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Chandler says as we head into the greenroom. “You’re like a puppy. Annoying, needy, and smelly…but otherwise harmless.”
With those parting words, he turns on his heel and walks out.
Her mouth drops. “I don’t smell.” Raising her arm, she sniffs her pits. “Do I?”
I’m about to assure her she’s fine, but Phoenix takes hold of my elbow. “I need to talk to you.”
“Is everything okay?”
He swiftly leads me out of the room and into a storage closet backstage.
When I woke up this morning he was already gone and then twenty minutes before sound check he texted me and asked if I could bring Quinn with me to the venue, so I have no idea what he’s been up to all day.
“What’s going—”
I don’t get to finish that sentence because he fuses our mouths together in a scorching kiss I feel all the way down to my toes.
I’m about to scold him because Chandler is lurking around—and tons of other people—but his expression turns serious.
“This morning I rounded up the guys. And then I took your advice and called Vic.”
A spike of anxiety arrows through my chest. Oh no.
Maybe my suggestion backfired and Vic canned him…just like he said might happen.
“I…uh…”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to apologize, but then it occurs to me that this was what I came here to do.
Victory doesn’t taste as sweet as I thought it would, though.
His hand slides to my nape, and he rests his forehead against mine. “We came to an agreement. We nixed ‘Breathe Dust’ and now ‘Don’t Take Your Vitamins’ is the lead single.”
I try not to smile but fail. I’m so happy he’s standing up to Vic and fighting for what he wants.
“That’s awesome.”
“He’s still not sold on ‘Existentialism’ being on the album, but I came up with a way to convince him.”
“How?”
His grin is so mesmerizing it steals my breath. “I’m gonna sing it at the end of the concert tonight…and every other concert after that. Once he realizes I’m right and sees how much our fans love it, he’ll have no choice but to give me what I want and put it on the album.”