Stepbrother Thief (53 page)

I finish my beer and push away from the wall, dropping the empty bottle on the edge of the bar before sneaking out a side door. My hands slide across a collage of torn stickers and scribbled Sharpie as I heave the heavy metal out of my way, snatching one last glance before I go at the lead singer of Indecency. Sweat slides down the tattoos on his neck and soaks into the fabric of his black T-shirt. Ironically, it's one of ours.
Amatory Riot.
I doubt he even really knows who we are. I bet one his roadie bitches dressed him this morning.

I drop the door shut behind me, not caring that the sound of it slamming is like a gunshot in the still air outside the Pound. I'm glad our set is over because it would be hard to follow an act like that. No matter what I think of Turner, his band is good. I guess they'd have to be since they're the headliners. Still …

I put a cigarette between my lips and light up. The tangy coastal air feels good against my moist skin and the breeze smells like salt, waking me from the buzzed trance I was nursing and thrusting me back into the real world. Not always a good thing.

“Hey, Naomi,” a voice calls out from the end of the alley. I don't turn my head because there's only one person I've ever met that sounds like a demonic version of Mickey Mouse. “Hayden got drunk and vomited all over the bathroom. There's like three inches of fucking puke in there.” Wren pauses next to me and tucks his skinny hands into the front pockets of his acid washed jeans. “It smells like tequila and it's making me sick.” I take a drag on my cigarette and close my eyes. The music from inside is drifting through the walls and poking the bare skin on my arms like a chorus of needles. I sigh and flick my smoke to the grimy cement.

“So clean it up,” I tell him as I crush the butt to ashes with the toe of my stiletto boot. “I'm tired of being Hayden's bitch.” Wren watches me, but doesn't say anything else. He knows I'll do it. That I'll walk in there and pick our lead singer up off the floor, wipe her down and strip her naked, put her to bed and tell her a goddamn fairy tale. I'm no stranger to cleaning up Hayden's messes. I just have to get my head in the right place before I do it. Wren shifts his weight to the side and continues to stare. “Fuck, don't just stand there and stare at me. You know I'll friggin' do it. Gimme a minute, why don't you?”

I turn away and start down the alley, back towards the front where bouncers in black shirts wait, passing around a silver flask and sharing a joint. They know me, so they don't say anything, just watch as I step into their circle and reach out my hand. Both items make their way to me quickly.

“I love your shit, Knox,” says a man with bright blue eyes and a tattoo of a dragon curling up his left arm. I swig some of the alcohol from the flask.
Ugh. Cheap whiskey.
I wipe my hand across my mouth and hand it the person standing next to me.

“My shit?” I ask as I pinch the joint between my fingers and slide it into my mouth. I take a nice, long drag and wait for the smoke to fill my lungs and cloud my brain. I can't look at Hayden if I don't get fucked up first. Ever since that day, the sight of her makes me sick to my stomach.
God, I hate that bitch.

“Your music. It's good shit.” I blow white smoke into the air and smile with tight lips.

“If you ever call my music
shit
again,” I say as I pass the joint to dragon-boy. “I will kick your fucking ass to the curb.”

Listen to this playlist for FREE on Spotify by clicking
here
or visiting
: http://goo.gl/wTHHHo

The Agonist – Thank You, Pain
Alesana – It Was A Dark And Stormy Night
Alesana – Comedy Of Errors
Alesana – Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen
Alesana – Fatal Optimist
Alesana – What Goes Around... (Justin Timberlake cover)
Alesana – Apology
Alesso (and Tove Lo) – Heroes (we could be)
Alizee – A cause de l'automne
Alizee – Blonde
Alizee – Alcaline
Alizee – Moi... Lolita - Single Version
Alizee – J'En Ai Marre
August Burns Red – ...Baby One More Time (Britney Spears cover)
Bleachers – Rollercoaster
Bleachers (and Charli XCX) – Rollercoaster
The Cab – Disturbia (Rihanna cover)
The Cab – Angel With A Shotgun
Charli XCX – Boom Clap
A Day To Remember – Over My Head (The Fray cover)
Escape the Fate – Gorgeous Nightmare
Escape the Fate – Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Children)
Escape the Fate – Smooth (Santana cover)
Escape the Fate – One For the Money
Eths – Crucifere
Eths – Detruis-moi
Eths – Bulimiarexia
Eyes Set To Kill – Infected
Eyes Set To Kill – The Secrets Between
The Fray – You Found Me
The Fray – Closer to Me
The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)
Get Scared – Told Ya So
Get Scared – My Nightmare
HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR – XYZ
In This Moment – Dirty Pretty
In This Moment – Into the Light
In This Moment – Into the Light (Live Version)
Katy Perry – Hot N Cold
Lana Del Rey – Born To Die
Lei¯tuss – Egare
Linkin Park – Keys To The Kingdom
Lovehatehero – This Dream Called Life
Lovehatehero – Second Chance
Lovehatehero – The Risk
Marina and The Diamonds – Happy
Marina and The Diamonds – Blue
Meghan Trainor – Like I'm Gonna Lose You
Meghan Trainor – No Good For You
MIKA – Grace Kelly
Mylene Farmer – Crier La Vie (Slipping Away)
The Neighbourhood – Let It Go
Of Monsters and Men – Mountain Sound
OneRepublic – Apologize
OneRepublic – Counting Stars
OneRepublic – Love Runs Out
OneRepublic – I Lived
OneRepublic – If I Lose Myself - Alesso vs OneRepublic
OneRepublic – All The Right Moves
OneRepublic – Secrets
OneRepublic – Good Life
Otep – Confrontation
Queen – Don't Stop Me Now
Rachel Platten – Fight Song
Rihanna – Disturbia
The Script – Man on a Wire
The Script – Flares
The Script – Never Seen Anything "Quite Like You"
The Script – Breakeven
Silverstein – Apologize (One Republic cover)
A Skylit Drive – All It Takes For Your Dreams To Come True
Straight Line Stitch – What You Do To Me
Three Days Grace – Let You Down
Thrice – Image Of The Invisible

Violet Blaze's Super Interesting Life Story (aka Her Biography)

Violet Blaze is the best friend you've always wanted, but still love to hate. She embarrasses you at dinner and flatters you at the club. And you're pretty sure her ugly little dog is a 'poochon', even if you have no idea what that means (it's a mix between a Bichon Frise and a Poodle, just in case you wanted to know).

A California native, Miss Blaze loves the good ol' US of A, and enjoys dressing up in its stars and stripes. She lives in a house with bright pink walls, a chair shaped like a shoe, and a cat named Miranda Rose. Violet's been reading all of her life (often while drinking brightly colored cocktails); her favorite thing about books is that she gets to watch people fall in love over and over again. Really, who doesn't? And if she wasn't a writer, it's likely Violet Blaze would be a pop star who wore too much make up and wore too little clothing.

This raging feminist likes writing books about strong women and strong men who aren't afraid to express themselves (oftentimes in the bedroom). She hopes you'll join her in reading her debut novel,
Stepbrother Inked
, and wants to hear your thoughts, questions, and favorite quotes
@IAmVioletBlaze
#stepbrotherinked.

(or you can be all old fashioned and stuff and email her at [email protected])

www.violetblazebooks.com
www.facebook.com/violetblazeauthor
www.twitter.com/IAmVioletBlaze
www.instagram.com/IAmVioletBlaze
play.spotify.com/user/iamvioletblaze

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
  
• Title Page
  
• Copyright
  
• Dedication
  
• Chapter 1
  
• Chapter 2
  
• Chapter 3
  
• Chapter 4
  
• Chapter 5
  
• Chapter 6
  
• Chapter 7
  
• Chapter 8
  
• Chapter 9
  
• Chapter 10
  
• Chapter 11
  
• Chapter 12
  
• Chapter 13
  
• Chapter 14
  
• Chapter 15
  
• Chapter 16
  
• Chapter 17
  
• Chapter 18
  
• Chapter 19
  
• Chapter 20
  
• Chapter 21
  
• Chapter 22
  
• Chapter 23
  
• Chapter 24
  
• Chapter 25
  
• Chapter 26
  
• Chapter 27
  
• Chapter 28
  
• More Awesome Reads
  
• Stepbrother Thief Playlist
  
• About the Author