Destined, A Lair Novel (Lair Series Book 4) Read online

When I looked up, crystal-blue eyes watched me intently.

  Chapter Eight

  Alivia

  Nerves had me twisting the silver bangle he’d given me. I could tell he was keeping something from me. But then again, I was guilty of the same.

  That bitch was at it again. Unless she never stopped, and I just hadn’t gotten wind of it. Either way, I had, like, a week reprieve before she slipped back into her old habits.

  But… she was right.

  Knowing Shane loved me as I was meant I’d made no effort in my hair, or makeup, how I dressed. I was always a roll-out-of-bed-and-go kind of girl.

  When that text appeared from Judy, I hadn’t trusted it. Kim hadn’t, either, and had immediately called her. Once we’d gotten the reason Judy betrayed Molly, I’d been left feeling no better about myself. In hindsight, getting my hair straightened and my makeup done was a dumb thing to do. I let Molly get to me, once again.

  And I couldn’t blame Shane for his shocked reaction. On the ride over to Granite, I’d felt like an imposter. Even though Molly would never know how much she’d messed with my head, I’d felt sick knowing I’d let her. So, as my mom and Leila complimented my new look, I vowed I was done letting that nasty girl get the best of me.

  With my eyes trained on him, Shane tucked his phone into his back pocket and forced a smile. “I am so ready for this party,” he said to me before focusing on our parents. “Thank you, guys, for throwing it.”

  “You kids worked hard and deserve to celebrate,” my mom responded.

  “Too bad Chuck E. Cheese couldn’t accommodate us,” Dad droned. “That was my suggestion.” I rolled my eyes as he pointed out the window and added, “Not sure this crap would be happening at a kids’ pizza joint.” The car rolled up in front of the bar, revealing the reason for my dad’s words.

  Leila released a frustrated huff. “Someone must have tipped them off.”

  The stress on Jack’s face was visible when he said, “Okay, kids. Heads down. Don’t engage.”

  Shane and I both nodded. We were used to chaotic scenes, paparazzi waiting for the perfect shot or fans waiting to be acknowledged. But I’ve never been able to adapt to this part of my father’s fame.

  One of my first memories of him when he’d come into my life was having to push our way through a mob scene to get to his building. Back then, based on the drama that followed my father, it was a constant struggle. Those out-of-control, need-to-get-the-story situations were less rare, until the media got information that Devil’s Lair would be present for an event or party… like now.

  We silently filed out—first my parents, then Shane and me, with Jack and Leila behind us. Shane took my hand as a barrage of questions came at us, making it hard to even decipher what they were saying.

  The flashes, the screaming, the panic swelling in my chest caused me to stumble. Shane’s hand tightened around mine, and Oscar instantly flanked my right side. His presence comforted me. Even though Granite’s security had the mass contained behind velvet ropes a few feet from the entrance, they were too close for my comfort. It took only one ballsy fan to run out, and then all hell would break loose. Oscar’s massive frame would also shield us from any photo opportunities that would be plastered all over the gossip sites the next day.

  The outside of the building was nothing special, and it looked more like a warehouse than Manhattan’s hot spot… until we stepped into the lobby. Greeted by a man I assumed was the manager, he hugged our moms and shook hands with our dads.

  When he turned to Shane and me, I smiled. “I’m Vinny. Welcome to Granite and congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” we both said in unison.

  Vinny produced two lime-green wristbands. “I hate to do this to you, but—” He shrugged, leaving the statement hanging. Shane and I responded by offering our wrists. “You’re all set.”

  “Is it okay if I give her a quick tour?” Shane asked him before glancing to our parents, who nodded their consent.

  “Sure… sure. Have fun,” Vinny answered with a wave of his hand toward a black glass door.

  Shane led me through it, and the faint music we’d heard in the lobby thumped louder, with a heavy bass tone. Speaking wasn’t possible as we walked around the dance club, taking it all in.

  Once we got back into the elevator and headed to the second floor, Shane said, “This floor has a wraparound balcony that looks down on the dance floor. My dad said there are a bunch of rooms with the same view that could be booked for private parties.” He waggled his eyebrows as if that was a possibility for us.

  “Keep wishing.”

  “Next year… you and I are getting one of those rooms,” he said with a grin.

  Another tour, including the rooms he mentioned, had us back to where we started. Seconds later the elevator opened to the rooftop bar, where our party was being held.

  “Oh my God,” I said on a gasp. Glass walls and ceiling made it appear as if the bar floated above the New York City skyline. A DJ on stage had our parents’ latest single playing over the speakers. Long tables with chafing dishes lined the wall, facing a cool granite stone bar. Small tables tucked around the sleek black marble dance floor, lit with flickering candles, made the room cozy despite all the stone and glass. “This is amazing.”

  Shane nodded through his grin. “Right? Describing it doesn’t do it justice.”

  “Not at all.”

  “Mom and Dad said years ago the ceiling was all open, but that meant they couldn’t have events in the cold weather. So the owner had the whole thing encased in glass.” My eyes swept over the enclosure, the light fixtures shimmering like stars and enhancing the night sky above.

  I turned toward our parents, who watched my reaction with smiles on their faces. “Thank you, guys. This is beautiful.”

  “You’re very welcome,” Jack said. “Although, except for footing half the bill, your dad had nothing to do with it.”

  Dad blinked at Jack a few times and then released a monotone “Bite me.”

  As Shane pointed out other things for me to see, our moms took off to ensure the food was ready to go. It just occurred to me that we were the first ones there. “I thought you said Chase was here.”

  Shane stared at me. “No. He asked how far away we were.” He then gripped my hand tighter and added, “Come. I want to show you something else before everyone gets here.”

  As he tugged me across the empty dance floor toward a hallway, Jack asked, “Showing her the overhang?”

  “Yeah.” Shane’s eyes flicked to where my dad was chatting with one of the bartenders. “Can you distract him, Dad?”

  “I’ll try.” That propelled Shane to tug me harder and faster.

  After hurrying down a dimly lit hall that held the bathrooms, I said, a bit panicked, “There is no way I’m having sex with you in this overhang thingy, Shane.”

  Twisting his head, he stared at me over his shoulder and frowned. “Although that is such a sweet sentiment, that’s not what we’re going to do.”

  He then pushed through a frosted-glass door onto a patio. Not unlike the rooftop bar, glass surrounded the whole space. But where it differed was in the open air above the half-glass banisters—and in the glass floor beneath our feet.

  It was so unexpected that my steps faltered as nerves took over logic, suggesting we weren’t on safe footing.

  “It’s okay,” Shane prompted, pulling me farther across the area. “Cool, right?”

  “Amazing,” I said in awe, looking down at traffic and pedestrians. Realizing they could easily be looking up at me, I pressed my thighs together, not wanting to give anyone a view of my lace thong. “Can they see us?”

  “No. When you’re down on the street and look up, it looks like an ordinary balcony.” Shane positioned us at the glass wall and pressed up behind me. With his arms encasing my arms and his cheek pressed against mine, a chill ran over me. “Cold?” he asked.

  “No. It’s your effect on me.”

  “Yeah?” He
smirked. “We can probably manage to—”

  “No, we can’t,” I cut him off.

  “Fine.”

  “But thank you for showing me this. It’s so cool.”

  “The real reason I wanted to show you was because my mom fell in love with my dad on this very spot.”

  He smiled as my lips parted. “Really? That’s so sweet.”

  “Yeah. Dad told me my aunt Lizzy threw him a surprise birthday party here before their first tour began that fall. Mom was new with the band, and since her birthday was the day before my dad’s, she partied a bit too hard and got drunk on Jell-O shots. Dad found her out here getting air. One thing led to another, and they kissed. Dad claims he kissed her so well that she fell in love. But my mom said it was most definitely the shots that made her give in to his charms. They both agreed their kiss started a flirtation between them that ultimately ended with a relationship.”

  “I love that story.”

  “I love you.” Shane turned me around before cupping my face. “And I know you already love me. So let’s see if we can create our own memory.” He pressed our lips together, and at the touch of his tongue I opened for him as he tangled it with mine.

  A bolt of white-hot desire shot right through me. It’d been too long since we truly had time alone. I desperately ached for him. It was cruel to have an amazing sex-filled weekend that gave us both a taste of something amazing, only to go weeks without doing more than making out. Well, except for the one rushed time in his bathroom before the troops descended on his beach house.

  That frustration was proved through the moan I released into his mouth. It told him just how much he riled me up, and when he pressed his hips against me, it made the situation far worse.

  But just as I’d begun writhing against him, seeking some sort of relief, a deep voice said, “Ahem…”

  Shane’s gaze was wild as he lifted his head and stepped away from me. Without turning toward the doorway, he groaned. “Oh, hello, Uncle Trey.”

  Over Shane’s shoulder, my father stepped closer and tilted his head. “What’re you doing?”

  “Talking,” Shane quickly supplied, and I had to roll my lips over my teeth to suppress the giggle.

  “Talk time is over. Your friends are here.”

  Looking past Shane, I raised a brow and said, “We’ll be right there, Dad.” It took four seconds for him to nod and leave. I knew that he knew I was no longer a virgin. My mom had told him so after he’d acted like an ass because Shane and I were in my room for too long. Like I would screw Shane with my father down the hall.

  “He really is a cockblocker,” Shane said grumpily.

  “Ignore him… and for the record…” I nuzzled my nose across Shane’s jaw. “I was very close to coming before my father interrupted.”

  My news seemed to anger him more. “The moment we have the opportunity, I’m fucking you.” He pecked my lips one more time before adding, “Fair warning that may happen in the back of my car, because I’m that desperate.”

  A few hours in and our party wasn’t close to winding down. Mom and Leila had gone all out planning the perfect night, with good music, amazing food, and even a photo booth. No doubt our friends would be talking about this night for weeks to come.

  Even our parents were having a blast with their bandmates, colleagues in the music business, and several musicians signed by JLL Productions.

  Every one of our friends we had invited were also there… except Judy. Kim told me she’d extended an invite to her after we’d gotten that screenshot. I tried not to think too hard on why she had been a no-show. It didn’t matter. I was done with those skanks.

  The party that I had dreaded most of the day turned out to be just what I needed. Sure, the glass of champagne my mom allowed me to have had helped take the edge off my nerves, but Shane was responsible for most of it.

  We danced, ate, laughed. The entire time a brilliant smile lit up his face. I’d never seen him so happy. Graduation was definitely something to be excited about, but Shane took it to another level. You’d think the guy had just gotten out of jail. According to him, he had.

  Surprisingly enough, the reaction my new look had received from our male classmates, Chase included, had lessened my self-consciousness. Although the leering did make me a bit uncomfortable. And when Chase’s gaze lingered a few seconds too long, Shane clenched a fistful of his shirt and sneered, “I’ll fuck you up, man.”

  Thankfully, Kim hadn’t seen the exchange.

  The DJ flipping to a slower musical genre gave us a reprieve. My feet were killing me from a long stretch of hip-hop hits geared for the younger crowd. As the dance floor cleared, the classic rock song had the older generation taking over… embarrassingly so.

  After grabbing cold drinks, we retreated to a table as far away from them as possible. Truly, I could’ve done without watching my parents grinding against each other, and Shane’s were no better.

  Since Chase and Kim were deep in conversation with our other friends, Shane tugged me onto his lap and said into my ear, “I need you.” Even if he hadn’t said that, the bulge below my ass would’ve given him away.

  “I’m not sure what you think I can do about that dilemma.”

  His gaze swept around the party. “There’s an office in the back… unlocked. I scoped it out.”

  Thinking he was kidding, I grinned at him, but his expression was dead serious. “Shane. Don’t be stupid. I know you’re horny, and I’m horny, but do you have a death wish?”

  “It’s the perfect time to slip away,” he argued. “Cake has been cut, pictures taken, and toasts given.” His chin lifted toward the dance floor. “They won’t miss us.”

  “Happy people! We have a surprise for you all!” the DJ said above the music while a tall man with a guitar strapped to his back stalked across the stage. When he stepped into the spotlight, the DJ added, “Welcome, Cannon Davis!”

  The bar instantly erupted with thunderous applause just as our entire table emptied to rush toward the stage.

  “Fuck me.” Shane thumped his head against my shoulder. The man exuded pure sexual energy, and my boyfriend wasn’t thrilled that I was such a fan.

  Sure, Cannon was a hot-as-hell rocker and JLL’s biggest signed musician, but he was the only rock star I knew who didn’t feel like a member of my family. I’d met him several times since he’d become attached to Leila’s best friend, Lori, who also happened to be his agent. Even someone like me, who’d grown up around rock stars, got tongue-tied around him.

  “Hey, y’all!” Cannon said with a wave of his hand. He cupped a hand over his eyes, searching the guests. “Where are Shane and Alivia at?”

  I reluctantly raised a hand. “We’re here.”

  “Congratulations, you two!” he called out before jumping into one of his hit songs, smiling as the girls in our class swooned over him. To the side, Leila and Jack were hugging Lori, while my mom and dad stood a few feet away, looking on. She was Dad’s ex, after all.

  Kim’s eyes bulged from where she sat next to Chase. “Did you know Cannon was coming?” she yelled across to me.

  “Nope.”

  “I’ll be back.” In a flash, Kim ditched Chase and rushed toward where the rest of our friends were huddled.

  Chase caught Shane’s gaze and shook his head. “What’s the big deal with this dude?”

  Shane shrugged like a petulant child. “Fuck if I know.” He couldn’t be serious. Shane knew exactly what the big deal was with Cannon… and I suspected a lot of Shane’s ire had to do with jealousy. I’d have to remind my boyfriend he had nothing to be jealous about, because in five years, I envisioned Shane having a similar life as Cannon. Actually, as a singing bass guitarist, something that wasn’t common, in my opinion Shane had more going for him than Cannon. But I was biased.

  Feeling rude for sitting at the back of the room, I said, “We really should go up there.”

  The scowl he graced me with made it clear that wasn’t something he would do. �
��You go… I’ll sit here and mourn the hard-on he just killed.”

  Chapter Nine

  Shane

  While my dad and Uncle Evan were deep in conversation, I pulled my buzzing phone from my pocket and smirked at the name appearing on the screen. As I took the path around the side of the house, I barked, “Why haven’t you called me back?”

  “Dude… I’m calling you back now,” Jett said, as though I was stupid.

  “Days later. Seriously, what the fuck?”

  “Things have been crazy since graduation. You know how it goes… partying… fucking—”

  “I don’t want to hear it, Jett. Your girlfriend needs to cut the shit.”

  “Temporary girlfriend,” Jett corrected. Losing what little patience I had, I quickly reminded him of the terms of our little agreement. “Chill… I know. I had no idea she did that.”

  “Well, handle it, Jett.” I hung up without a goodbye. The entire situation gave me a sick feeling. I had to keep reminding myself I was doing a good thing… all while ignoring the little voice in my head, asking, Then why didn’t you tell Liv?

  Determined to not have those two ruining my day, I walked back to where I’d been sitting with Dad and Uncle Evan on the patio.

  “Is dinner almost ready?” my uncle asked when I reappeared. The questioning look on my face had him adding, “Didn’t you go in to get an update on dinner?”

  “Or to swipe a meatball,” Dad deadpanned, and I laughed.

  “Are you kidding? It’s General Grandpa.”

  “True.” My uncle nodded with a grin. “He does guard that kitchen like it’s Fort Knox.”

  “I’m fucking starving,” my dad grumbled, not finding the humor of it all. “Would it kill him to throw us a scrap of bread?” Dad got very cranky when he was hungry.

  Grandpa Anthony had one rule… no eating before his dinner. He wanted his kids and grandchildren starved by the time he placed his Italian feast on the table.

  Once a month when possible, my grandparents hosted what my grandfather dubbed “Sunday Family Funday.” That meant our family came together with Uncle Evan, Aunt Lizzy, and my three cousins for dinner at my grandparents’ house in New Jersey. Sometimes Alivia would join us as well, and she was there today, along with my dad’s parents, Renata and Peter, to celebrate our graduation.