I fumed as I lay in my spacious king-sized bed next to my sleeping husband. I wasn’t even enjoying the fifteen hundred thread–count sheets or the ultra-warm down comforter. The silky silver tassels attached to the corners of my pillow were nothing more than stress-relievers as I repeatedly ran my fingers through them. Griffin was a certified, Grade-A asshole. If my father didn’t first, I may put a hit out on him. I was sure I could talk Kellan into helping me hide the body.
Every sense I had was focused on the hallway, because the moment I heard Griffin’s arrival at the hotel, I was going to pounce on him. And Kellan wasn’t going to be able to stop me this time. Nothing would stop me this time. Even hotel security would have trouble containing me. Griffin had gone too far.
I knew Kellan was right. I knew the choice to be a decent human being was Griffin’s alone, but Jesus Christ, Anna was about to pop out his child any day now. The least he could do was wait until after his son was born to resume banging random babes. And he wasn’t exactly the brightest bulb in the box. Did he use condoms? What if he knocked one of the bimbos up? What if he caught something and spread it to my sister? It was all so disgustingly horrifying. It jacked up my already revving temper.
My feet were twitchy and restless as I waited. Kellan was peacefully sleeping beside me, which didn’t help my anger any. How could he be so calm about the whole thing? Guys were weird. But, then again, Griffin and Anna were weird. They’d never really been committed to each other. I just thought . . . with the pregnancy, and Griffin’s streak of monogamy . . . I had just hoped things were different. Maybe the only anger I should be feeling was toward myself, for assuming he’d matured.
No. Griffin was an asshole.
I leapt out of bed when I finally heard voices in the hallway. So help me God, Griffin was going to pay for this. Not even sure if it was him I was hearing, I yanked open the heavy outer door. Head down and hands in his pockets, Griffin was right in front of me as I stomped into the hallway. Smiling that fate wanted me to kick his ass, I pushed him into the far wall. Showing up out of nowhere and flinging myself at him got Griffin’s attention. His face was pale white as he bumped into the hotel room door opposite mine.
Seeing the confusion on his face made my vision streak with red. Grade-A Asshole was going to get an earful, along with every other person on this floor who was trying to sleep. But I didn’t care. My sister’s honor was at stake. A small part of me noted the hypocrisy in my actions, but the inferno in me drowned that part out. “You are the biggest son of a bitch I have ever met!”
Being screeched at this early in the morning knocked the surprise off of Griffin’s face. Scowling, he yelled back, “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
Matt had been walking in front of Griffin, Evan behind him. They both took a step toward me when I lunged for Griffin. Maybe seeing that I was going to throttle the bassist, Evan held me in his arms. “My sister is going to have your baby any second, and you’re out screwing whores in bathrooms! I hope Anna finally wises up and kicks your ass to the curb!”
Griffin’s face clouded over. “Yeah, like Denny kicked yours?” he snarled.
“Griffin!” Kellan was standing bare-chested in our doorway. My screaming may have woken him up, but it was Griffin’s comment that had his blood pumping. His eyes were narrowed to icy pinpoints.
Griffin cast Kellan an annoyed, but cautious, glance. I took his moment of silence to shout back, “Minutes after Anna admits that she loves you, you find some cheap floozies to go down on you? What the hell’s wrong with you?”
I could feel Evan’s hands on my arms being replaced by Kellan’s, but I didn’t care. Kellan would have to gag me to shut me up at that point. Griffin stepped toward me, and the mood in the air shifted. Evan and Matt simultaneously put a hand on each of his arms, warning him to keep it together. Leaning into my face, Griffin yelled, “I didn’t do anything with either of those girls, okay? So back the fuck off!”
Glaring, I spit out, “Right. And I’m supposed to believe that. I saw you.”
His mood changing again, Griffin sighed. Voice still agitated, but quieter than before, he told me, “Yeah, we started going at it. I had both girls primed, panties on the floor, dying to jump me, but all I could think about was Anna.” Raising his hands in the air, his voice picked up strength and volume. “I didn’t want to fuck either of those girls because I’m in love with your fucking sister! Are you happy now, bitch! I’m fucking whipped . . . just like these other pussies.” He indicated his band mates.
My jaw dropped. I couldn’t even respond to that.
Someone else did respond, though. “You’re in love with me?”
Every head shifted to the open hotel room door that Anna was leaning against. The energy in the air shifted again as Griffin locked eyes with her. Matt and Evan released him as he whispered, “Yes.” Looking a little dejected, like he was admitting defeat, he muttered, “I’m in love with you, and I don’t want anybody else.” His brow furrowed, like he didn’t understand how random hookups had suddenly lost their appeal.