A storm.
Baz’s voice dropped low. “Listen…Mark’s our brother…just as much as he’s yours. Doesn’t matter we don’t share the same blood. He’s family. But we’re trying to get our shit together. Things are finally really happening for the band. Ash, Lyrik, and I…we all kicked, but Lyrik’s still struggling bad, trying to get his life together after all the shit that went down. Can’t have Mark spiraling like this. Worried he’s gonna drag the rest of the crew right back down with him.”
A wave of helplessness crashed over Zee. “What the hell do we do? I mean…I’ve been trying, begging him to see reason. He’s good for a few weeks, and then it’s this all over again.”
Zee toed at a pebble on the pitted pavement, wary of what to say, wondering if he should bring it up or let it lie. He glanced up at Baz. “He came to me a couple months back…said he’d gotten himself into some trouble. Involved with some bad people. You know anything about it?”
A frown cut a path through Baz’s expression before he anxiously rubbed at his chin. “Nah, man. Don’t know what’s been going on with him. You know Mark. He’s always quiet. Keepin’ to himself. But anytime someone’s dealing in that world? You can rest assured the people he’s gonna be hanging with aren’t gonna be saints.”
Zee’s nod felt reluctant. “Yeah…probably.” Hands stuffed in his pockets, he lifted his shoulders to his ears. “So what the hell do we do? How do we help him? He can’t keep going on like this.”
Baz blinked at him. “He’s got to want to. Problem is coaxing him to that place.”
Zee’s head rocked back against the top of his car, face turned toward the sky, the stars obliterated by the city lights.
But he knew they were there.
Waiting with all their promises.
With all the good things the world had to give.
His brother deserved it all.
Zee made a silent wish.
Please, give me back my brother.
Chapter Forty-Two
Zee
Hostility rippled through the air like heat waves. Baz was standing at the window, looking out on the city while Lyrik sat on a plush chair across the room, rubbing his palms together. Ash was in the kitchen, banging shit around.
Each of them trying to come to terms in their own way.
Liam sat on the rug at my feet, wearing headphones and watching a kid’s movie on the iPad I’d given him to keep him entertained.
It wasn’t like I had any toys lying around, considering part of the deal was Veronica would never let me bring him to my place.
We needed to remedy that, and soon.
First, I needed to wade through all the mistakes I’d ever made, find a solution, and pray to God the guys would forgive me for what I’d done.
If they didn’t, it would rip out my fucking heart, same as the way Alexis’s reaction left me feeling tattered and torn.
My heart didn’t matter. My focus needed to be on this kid.
This kid I’d done my fucking best to be a dad for. To take care of him the way he deserved. No question, I’d failed miserably. He deserved so much better than being caught in the middle of this.
Baz spoke toward the window. “All this time…all these years…and not a goddamned word, Zee. Not one?” Agony was written on his face when he turned to look back at me.
Nervously, I sat forward, scratching at my beard as I struggled to find an explanation for the choices I’d made.
“It was the only way Veronica let me have a relationship with him. She said if I was stepping up and taking Mark’s place in the band, she didn’t want him anywhere near that kind of life. That it’d stolen Mark from her, and she wouldn’t allow her son to be ruined by it.”
Should’ve known better than all of that. The girl acting the victim. Needing money to get out of the bad side of town.
Was pretty sure she’d been running back down there all along.
From the kitchen, Ash scoffed and banged shut a drawer. “And I’m sure that’s exactly how that bitch kept you eating out of her hand, isn’t it? Making demands? Twisting things to go her way? Knew it the second she came waltzing in behind Mark that she was no good. Not all that hard to put a finger on her type.”
“Yeah,” I said. “We knew from the start none of you would ever go for it which was why we kept it a secret.”
Baz turned all the way around. “We could’ve helped you. Why the hell did you ever think you had to go this alone?”
My gaze darted to Anthony, back to Baz, and I prepared to make my confessions. “Because it was my fault.”
“What was your fault?”
“All of it.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Zee ~ Twenty Years Old
“You have to show. We hit the road tomorrow. Need to see you before I go.”
Anxiously, Zee peered back through the bathroom door, through the murky light and into the bedroom where Julie was asleep in their bed. He’d crept into the confines of the bathroom so he could take the call and not disturb her since it was close to midnight.
He kept his voice quieted. “Don’t know that I can make it this time. All this last minute, late night shit has been putting a stress on Julie.”
“Forget Julie tonight. I’m gonna be gone for the next six months. She won’t have to worry about putting up with me.”
Zee rubbed a hand over the top of his head. “Who’s over there?”
“Just a few friends. Rest of the band are off spending time with family before we hit the road.”
“You’re not high?”
“Do I sound like I’m high?”
Zee hefted a regretful sigh, hating that he even had to bring it up. “No, you don’t.”
“Then get over here.”
Zee peeked out again at Julie’s silhouette, before he blew out a resigned breath. “Fine…I’ll be over there in a few.”
“There’s my little brother.”
Zee ended the call and slinked back into the bedroom, silent as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt over his head before he quietly snuck out the door.
He just hoped he didn’t regret it.
Zee shouldered through the house packed with faces he didn’t recognize, searching for the one face he wanted to see. The one person who held the power over him to drag him out in the middle of the night without telling his girlfriend where he was going.
Pushing through the pulsing crowd, Zee knew that compulsion was greater than just obligation. There was something special about him and Mark. Their brotherhood was something that mattered.
Mark would always be Zee’s hero and Zee would always be his rock.
Zee found Mark and Veronica slung back on a couch, the girl draped around him like some kind of shiny, overpriced trinket. Gorgeous, but by the look on her face, never worth the cost.
Mark rushed to stand when he saw Zee approaching. “Hell yeah, the little brother is here. We can officially get this party started.”