Part 3 (1/2)

”So is she visiting Bryn for tonight?” asks Will. ”Or is she joining the tour?”

”No idea. Can we change the subject?”

”Aw,” says Will with a pout. ”Poor Jax, another girl he wants and can't have.”

Nate shoves me in the shoulder. ”Drink up and let's go. What was that club called? The one where they told us, if we went to the place, a night of free drinks would head in our direction. Remember how many chicks camped outside the airport? You were one of the reasons why. And, hey, I'm trying some of the local delicacies, you should too.” He slings me a sly smile. ”You won't even need to tell them who you are. Man of the moment, Jax Lewis will be surrounded by a selection of p.u.s.s.y. I'm sure you'll soon forget about her.”

I make a noise of agreement and down half my beer in one go.

The slender girl with the body I'd kill to get my hands on remains at the bar with her brother, no longer looking in my direction.

Forget about her? h.e.l.l, no.

Not without a lot of distraction. ”Good idea. Come on.”

3.

TEGAN.

Who needs bodyguards when Bryn and a coerced Liam flank me as I approach the club? The Blue Phoenix ba.s.sist grumbles at Bryn as we approach the crowd. The press caught wind of where the band members intend to go tonight and when we arrive at Nova, Lisbon's most exclusive venue, a barrage of questions and camera flashes await.

Housed in an old building in the old docks at the edge of the city, Nova overlooks the river, the setting drab compared to the beauty of Lisbon's historic buildings. Tomorrow I'll explore the city, use my spare time doing something other than trail around after the band, or waste the day in a hotel room. One of the reasons I came on tour was to explore the places we stay, not just the bars.

Ignoring the press, I lift my chin and stride through the cordoned-off area toward the venue entrance, until I catch a question thrown at me from the shadows.

”Does Bryn Hughes have a new girl? What happened to the other one?”

I halt, make a hundred eighty degree turn, and move so I'm practically nose to nose with a girl around my age, short brown hair and a sly smile on her face. On the other side of the rope, her phone is at the ready, waiting to record my response. Journalist.

”I'm his sister, you moron!”

Bryn appears and grips my elbow. ”Jesus, Tegan. You can't talk to these people! Especially not like that!” With a sharp look, he pulls me toward the open doors of the club.

”I don't want people thinking we're together!” I retort and drag my arm from his. ”Too many of the tour crew already think I'm your girlfriend, thanks to you.”

The volume of the crowd around rises and I glance back at the other members of our party heading from the car park. The reason for the commotion, Jax, pauses for photos, signing posters and books waved in his direction, and poses with girls who enthusiastically take selfies with him on their phones. I watch with a mixture of amus.e.m.e.nt and disdain. The girls clamour for his attention and I cringe. Why do girls embarra.s.s themselves over famous guys?

When Jax moves away from the girls, he saunters in our direction with a smug look on his face; and for the first time, there's a hint to why Bryn is warning me off him.

We haven't spoken since the awkward moment with Bryn in the hotel bar. Following a few minutes of exchanging glances, Jax switched his full attention back to Will and Nate and were joined by a couple of roadies who blocked my view of him anyway. When the entourage left the hotel to catch taxis to the club, no word or look was shared between us.

”Hey,” Jax says, barely registering me as he reaches us. ”Are the other guys coming tonight?”

”Liam, he's inside already,” replies Bryn.

”Right. Will and Nate inside?”

”Yeah.”

Jax's behaviour around Bryn has calmed since earlier, more confident and less terrified of recrimination.

He nods his head at me. ”Tegan.”

”Jaxon,” I reply. Jax screws up his face at me using his full name and I meet his bright, blue eyes momentarily, before he looks away quickly.

Am I more p.i.s.sed off with his dismissive att.i.tude, or is his lack of interest what bothers me?

”Are any of these lovely ladies allowed in?” Jax asks the security guard closest.

The burly man holds up a tablet. ”We have a guest list.”

”Right. But can I invite people?”

”Like who?” asks Bryn.

”You know, girls.”

I tense, stomach turning over. An evening watching Jax and other girls wasn't my intention. I don't care if Bryn is over-reacting; I'm intrigued by Jax and want to talk to him. Secretly, I love that Jax was tongue-tied over me and I thought I glimpsed something else under the persona he's parading now. Perhaps not.

Bryn's reaction is completely predictable. ”Sure!” he says with a grin. ”The more the merrier!”

”Cool!”

Not cool.

Jax turns and heads back along the gauntlet of press, to a trio of girls he spoke to on his way through. After a couple of minutes he returns, his new, starry-eyed friends in tow. They're wearing rock star catching clothes - small dresses and big heels and a c.r.a.p load of make-up. Two brunettes, one blonde with matching grins plastered on their faces. Not looking at Jax as he pa.s.ses, I grit my teeth and watch the three girls hang onto each other's arms excitedly chattering in Portuguese.

As they head through the doors, Bryn steps between the view and me. ”This is why I warned you about Jax.”

”Yeah, I told you, I know exactly what he'd be like and I had no intention of doing anything with him!” Why is my stupid heart beating fast? I convince myself I'm p.i.s.sed off because Jax has dismissed me this quickly. Seriously, do I want to be one of those girls?

I don't think so, not if this is who he is.

We step inside to a huge room lit by dark pink chandeliers casting a violet glow over the large open s.p.a.ce. Chairs and tables are positioned around the room, people littered across the floor and crowding the bar. Music thuds through the venue, and I recognise the name of a famous DJ on a nearby poster. Wow. My irritation is washed away by excitement; this place is awesome, much better than the dives I usually frequent. Forget about pretty-boy rock stars, I'm determined to make the most of a rare opportunity.

Bryn, however, looks less impressed.

I follow Bryn to where Liam sits with his arm slung across the back of the blue leather bench. I'm struck by how out of place the two band members look in a place like this. Liam's long red ponytail and boring jeans and t-s.h.i.+rt mix match Bryn's unruly curls and the same clothes he wore when I arrived at the hotel earlier. I don't think this night out was on their agenda.

They nod at each other as we sit and a guy immediately approaches to ask what we want to drink. I'm surprised by the lack of lecture from Bryn over my choice of vodka and Red Bull. Not that I'll have many, water's my preference if I'm dancing all night. n.o.body else approaches our table. The Ruby Riot boys and their attached girls sit opposite, and I refuse to look over at them.