I push away the frustration of being interrupted. The truth is, I don’t know what I was going to say. I switch gears and smile down at Daisy. “Hey, kid.”
“It’s about time you got home,” she says with a cheeky grin. “You had to send someone else to rescue us.”
Sebastian swims up to the side of the pool. “Hey, man. You missed all the fun. Throw me a beer, will you?”
I ignore his request and walk over to him, kneeling down so that he can see I’m deadly serious.
“So, what part of take care of Daisy and Olivia did you not understand? You selfish prick. Olivia is getting threatening letters from one of my fans, and then her house catches fire. I doubt that’s a coincidence. I asked Ryder to bring them here to keep them safe, and you throw a party? Do you not recall what happened before?” My voice is quiet, controlled, and sharp as a blade.
Daisy puts her hand on my shoulder. “It’s not Sebastian’s fault,” she says. “I was bored and just wanted a little fun. They only invited close friends.”
“It’s not a party, dude. It’s a gathering,” Sebastian says, backing away from me in the pool, his hands held up in innocence. “Besides,” he says, tilting his chin up, “I could be wrong here, but I think this is my place, my property, so I can do whatever the hell I want.” He says it lightly, but I can read the challenge in his eyes.
And fuck, he’s right. Ryder and I both stayed with Sebastian because he needed us to keep his old seedy entourage of druggies and users away, to keep him tethered and stable. He tends to unspool when left alone.
We continue to stay because it’s secure, comfortable, easy. This may only be a place to rest my head in the short stints between movie gigs, but when I’m here, it feels a bit like family, something I know precious little about.
Maybe, though, I’ve been here too long. I insist on paying rent, which Sebastian donates to charity, yet this isn’t really my place as I was just reminded. Perhaps it’s time to find somewhere of my own. A place where I can set the rules.
Ryder swims up to Sebastian. “It’s not just Sebastian’s fault. We all voted on it. The girls haven’t been out of our sight the whole time. We can’t keep them locked up with just us, man. Daisy threatened to have a night out on the town if we didn’t give them a little fun. I figured it was better to have something here than risk them sneaking out.”
“Daisy, you just got here. Do you ever do a damn thing that you’re supposed to?” I turn to her.
She shrugs and sits down next to me, letting her legs dangle in the pool. “Well, I didn’t sneak out. I just said maybe it was a possibility.”
Olivia walks over and sits next to Daisy.
I meet both girls’ eyes. Affection and exasperation fill me. “Why am I the only one taking this seriously?”
Ryder holds up his hand. “I was about to fly to Europe when you asked me to get the girls. I’ve never missed a concert in my life, so no, you aren’t the only one taking this seriously.”
“Really?” Daisy asks. “You missed a concert for us?”
Ryder looks uncomfortable, probably at the hero worship in Daisy’s eyes. “Uh, yeah. A small one.”
I watch the two of them intently. Ryder is a good guy. Hell, a great one. But Daisy had a wicked crush on him that summer she stayed with us. Everyone knew it. I can only pray she’s smarter this time. Ryder thinks of her as an honorary kid sister, as he should. That left her devastated before. I’d hate to see her heartbroken again.
I sigh. “Sebastian, I know this is your place and you get to make the rules, but as long as they stay with you, any party, even if it’s a fucking tea party, needs to be approved by me and Duncan. If we can’t agree to that, then Olivia, Daisy, and I need to go somewhere else. I don’t want to leave, but I have to know everyone is safe until the stalker is caught. It’s your call.”
“Nah, no need to bail. The girls are safest here. Anyway, my agent’s on my shit to live clean and get back into shape for my next movie,” Sebastian says.
Daisy frowns. “Hey, I think you’re all forgetting that Olivia’s the only one who needs security, not me. I haven’t been in any tabloids, and no one is threatening me. I’m just here to support my friend. Well, that and the free trip to LA.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble, guys,” Olivia protests. “This is all really unnecessary.”
“I think you need this, bro.” Sebastian leans over to the large ice bucket, pulls out a beer, and throws it at me.