Chapter 48

Gage

The evening was going great, but I’d still rather be home with Bentley. I don’t mind admitting I’m a selfish bastard who doesn’t want to share her with anyone.

“See this wasn’t too bad,” Bentley commented. She was sitting beside me at the table. We’d added extra chairs to make room for our group, so Bentley was pressed against my side—an added benefit to the crowded table.

“I was thinking the same thing,” I admitted.

Austin’s fist slammed down on the table, drawing everyone’s attention. He shook his head and said, “It can’t be.” He jumped to his feet and stalked across the room, looking ready to kill. I quickly chased after him with Xander by my side.

“Austin!” I called out, but he ignored me. His entire focus was on the redhead leaning over the bar to talk to the bartender.

Her leather skirt was so short I was surprised it still covered her ass with her leaning so far forward.

“Piper!” Austin shouted.

At the sound of her name, the redhead spun around. When her eyes landed on Austin, I saw a range of emotions. For the space of a heartbeat, she looked happy to see him. That quickly changed to hurt and then settled into anger.

“Isn’t that sweet,” she began with a saccharine smile. “The big rock star remembers my name. What do you want Austin?”

“First, I want to know why you’re dressed like that,” he demanded as he gestured to her leather skirt, spiked-heel boots, and nearly transparent white blouse.

“None of you damn business,” she snapped. When she tried to turn away from him, he caught her shoulders. “Let me go, Austin,” she hissed.

“Not until you’ve answered my questions,” he ground out. “You have no business being in a club dressed like this.”

“Austin.” I placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “We’re drawing a crowd. This is not the sort of thing you want to end up on the internet.”

“That’s right, Austin,” Piper crooned. “You wouldn’t want your precious image to be tarnished, would you? Imagine the pictures of you manhandling a bar tramp ending up all over your fan pages. It will only get worse when they find out my mother used to be your dad’s whore.”

“Don’t,” Austin warned.

“Don’t what?” she asked. “Is it only okay for you to say that kind of thing?”

“Piper,” he breathed out. It seemed he wanted to say more, but Piper cut him off.

“Save it,” she told him with a haughty flip of her hair. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Then why are you at a party for my band?” Austin demanded.

“Call it curiosity,” she replied with a shrug. “I wanted to see the rebound guy in person. Now, why don’t you run along? Like I said before, you wouldn’t want this to end up in the tabloids.”

Austin was beyond pissed. His jaw was clenched with fury.

“How about if we give them something really interesting?” Austin suggested with a smirk. “Since you seem so determined to show the whole bar your ass, why don’t I turn you over my knee and spank you.”

Piper gasped and started to take a step back before thinking better of it. Austin had plenty of time to stop her when she pulled her hand back, but he did nothing as her palm made contact with his cheek. “Fuck you!” she shouted and stormed off in the direction of the elevator.

“Don’t even think about it,” I warned Austin.

“Who the fuck was that?” Xander asked. “Don’t tell me it was no one. She clearly has a lot of anger toward you. What did she mean about your dad and her mom?”

“Let it go,” Austin told him with a frustrated sigh before walking past us and taking his seat at the table.

“Have you ever heard anything about this Piper chick?” Xander asked me.

I shook my head. “This is the first I’ve heard of her, and Austin doesn’t seem interested in talking.”

“She is pissed,” Xander stated, looking over his shoulder to where she was stepping into the elevator. “And hot as fuck.”

“Something tells me Austin would kill you if you tried anything with her,” I pointed out.

“No shit,” Xander replied. “I’ll leave that one alone even if I find out she makes the best waffles in the history of breakfast foods.”

“We should call it a night,” I suggested. “I’m not sure if Piper will come back, but I’m positive Austin won’t behave if she does.”

“You just want to go home and play with Ginger Ann,” Xander accused.

I grinned. “That is an added benefit, but this really is about Austin.”

Xander nodded. “For the record, I don’t blame you for wanting to go home to be with your girl.”

“Don’t tell me you’re looking to settle down,” I said in mock horror.

Xander laughed at my statement. “Not a chance. I got the number of that hot little blonde I was dancing with earlier. Maybe I’ll call her after I drop you off and see if she wants to worship at the altar of Xander. You know what I mean, right?”

“No, and I don’t want to know,” I assured him.

“You’re no fun anymore,” he complained. “Don’t you remember all the women we used to share?”

“We never shared a woman,” I told him.

“And now we never will,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “You’re going to end up marrying Ginger Ann and having a dozen babies. That threesome will never happen.”

“I hate to break this to you, but I never had any interest in seeing you naked.” I told him.

“Lies,” he accused as he took his seat at the table.

“What’s a lie?” Bentley asked, and I groaned, knowing she’d opened us up to one of Xander’s crazy rants about how every one—woman or man—wanted him. At least, Austin was laughing by the end, and we managed to get him out of the club before Piper returned.