Snake Bandit - YA Rockstar Read online

  “I just guessed,” he replied instead, feeling it to be on much safer ground. “Not many girls do.”

  “I don’t not take it for diet reasons,” Eliza said, her eyes suddenly drawn to his broad chest. “I just don’t like the taste.”

  “Which is fine,” Freddie replied. “But so many do it because they don’t want to put an inch on their waist. Bloody stupid if you ask me, if a guy doesn’t like you because you’re a little heavier than his normal type then he’s not worth knowing anyway.”

  Eliza felt a warmth envelope her as Freddie looked suitably annoyed. She remembered what Hen had said about Freddie helping him with Polly and her admiration for him increased a little more.

  “Thanks for helping Hendrix by the way,” she said as Freddie went to move away.

  “With?”

  Eliza grinned. “Polly. He told me.”

  It was Freddie’s turn to smile and he shrugged. “Just doing my job as a counsellor.”

  “Well, he really appreciated it, and things are going great between them, apparently.”

  “Good, I’m glad. They’re a great couple. He seems to really care about her and her him.”

  “I have no idea,” Eliza sighed. “He only told me about her the other day and that makes me sad, because we’re normally quite close.”

  Freddie rubbed the top of Eliza’s head and moved past her toward the door. “I wouldn’t worry about it; I think he just wanted to be sure she liked him back and that he wasn’t going to get his heart broken.”

  “There’s no chance of that, is there?” Eliza said, looking and feeling horrified.

  Freddie grinned. “God, no. She’s mad about him and vice versa.”

  Eliza relaxed. “Woah, that’s good. I was worried then.”

  “No need, Lizzy, no need at all. Now let me run and get our supplies and then you can tell me all about your band, okay?”

  Eliza nodded and even though he’d not quite exited the reception area, she was already desperate for him to come back.

  Chapter 12

  Gigi hadn’t seen Drayton for almost a week, and she was starting to panic. The rest of the band had been in for rehearsals, but according to Max from Alchemy Dream, Drayton had a sore throat so was resting. The look of disdain on his face when he imparted the information to Gigi however, made her think he had no sympathy whatsoever for his band member.

  Peeking through the viewing panel in the studio door, Gigi could see the band playing, with Maddy, Rocco’s latest fuck buddy watching on, but there was still no sign of Drayton. Sighing heavily and with a slump of her shoulders, she turned to walk back to the main studio where Dirty Riches were holding their own rehearsal. Rocco had been sent out to get lunch, a daily occurrence despite the fact that they could order in, so Gigi knew she would have a few spare minutes to watch her dad and his friends.

  Having never been that interested in her dad’s music before, Gigi was surprised at how much she had grown to enjoy watching them over the last couple of weeks. It hadn’t changed her career choice from wanting to go to culinary college to working in music, but she’d certainly gained a better appreciation of how good Dirty Riches were.

  Having been born into a famous family, she’d taken the celebrity part of her life for granted. It wasn’t uncommon for pictures of family days out to appear in magazines, or for there to be multi-paged articles about the band or her dad, and there were always past gigs and performances being shown on the arts channel on TV, so she’d never really taken much notice or interest. However, finally watching and listening to them daily and seeing the amount of work and effort that they put into being Dirty Riches and producing such great music had made Gigi proud and glad she’d had the chance to realise how great her dad actually was. She just wished Rocco could realise what an opportunity he’d been given, even if he was being worked hard. Plenty of music students would kill for what he was doing, but not Rocco. He spent every minute of every day moaning and groaning about how tired he was and taking any chance he could to skive off and go and shag Maddy in some dark corner or bathroom. If truth be told, he was an ungrateful pig in Gigi’s eyes. Ungrateful and stupid, seeing as she’d caught him sneaking out one night when everyone had gone to bed. He said he’d managed to get some money together and was meeting Ethan to go to Ziggy’s – which as far as Gigi was concerned was even more idiotic; if he was going to sneak out, surely he should go somewhere where the owner didn’t know their dad, instead of in a town where everyone knew his parents and were likely to snitch on him.

  Groaning at the thought of her brother, Gigi rounded the corner and walked smack into a body.

  “Hey gorgeous.”

  She looked up to see Drayton smiling down on her. At the sight of him she inhaled sharply; he was so beautiful. He looked a little pale and his eyes weren’t quite as bright as they usually were, but he still looked gorgeous.

  “You’re back,” she replied, breathily.

  “Yeah. You missed me?”

  Drayton reached a hand out and tucked a strand of Gigi’s dark hair behind her ear, his fingertip lingering on her cheek.

  Gigi felt her insides warm and a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, something she’d never felt before, but recognised it as desire. She may have been a virgin, but she wasn’t a total novice.

  “I wouldn’t say missed you,” she said, trying to appear unaffected by him. “More worried how it would affect my papa, to be honest. You know, with you being his support act.”

  Drayton’s smile dropped slightly, but within seconds he was flashing his teeth in a grin. As far as he was concerned, Dirty Riches should be glad to have them, he just didn’t think it wise to tell them or their entourage that.

  “I wouldn’t let them down, don’t worry,” he said through slightly gritted teeth. “We’re well-rehearsed, I promise you.”

  Gigi could hear the tension in his voice, and it made her feel awkward. She’d only been trying to appear cool; she hadn’t really been worried for her papa. Drayton and his health had been the only things she’d had on her mind for four days

  “Oh, I know that,” she said, giving Drayton a dazzling smile. “Just Papa can get a bit anal about rehearsals, it’s a bit annoying if I’m honest.”

  As soon as she said the words, her stomach swirled with regret. She hated being disloyal to him, but she hated the thought that Drayton might hate her more.

  “That’s what happens when you get old.” Drayton laughed and playfully tapped Gigi’s nose. “It must be hard when there’s someone new on the scene who could easily take your crown.”

  Gigi swallowed back the retort that Alchemy Dream were nowhere near Dirty Riches standard but thought better of it. She didn’t want Drayton to be upset again.

  “I’m sure he’ll cope.” Gigi forced a smile and looked over her shoulder. “Your lot have already started.”

  Drayton rolled his eyes. “Yeah, if I know Jonas, the stupid tool, he’ll have been bitching about me and telling them all how much we need to rehearse. He’s a prick.”

  Gigi had found Jonas to be perfectly polite and charming whenever she’d had dealings with him, but she didn’t know him like Drayton did, so maybe he wasn’t as nice as she’d thought.

  “I suppose I’d better get down there before he sends fucking Maddy out to look for me, which I do not need.”

  Drayton’s face shadowed and his lip curled into a snarl.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re back,” Gigi offered, wanting to bring a smile back to his face.

  “Yeah?”

  Drayton took a step closer and lifted Gigi’s chin with a long finger while his hooded eyes raked over her face.

  “What the fuck is going on here?”

  Gigi jumped as her father’s voice boomed down the corridor from where he was standing watching them, his hands on his hips and his chest heaving with anger.

  Not seeming to care that Luke Mahoney was bawling at him, Drayton dropped his hand and slowly turned around.

  �
�Luke, great to see you.”

  Luke’s nostrils flared as he stalked toward his daughter, his eyes never leaving Drayton’s face. He’d heard about the little shit’s reputation and he’d be damned if his daughter experienced the fucking Carmichael version of charm.

  “Why the fuck are you looking at my daughter like that?” he snarled.

  “Papa, don’t,” Gigi cried. “You’re such an embarrassment.”

  “No, I’m not, I’m your fucking father and I’m protecting you from him. Get to the studio now.”

  “Pap—”

  “I said, now!”

  Luke very rarely yelled at them, so Gigi knew he meant it and flashing a smile at Drayton, quickly ran off toward the Dirty Riches studio.

  “We were just talking,” Drayton said, with a lazy tone.

  “Yeah, and I know what ‘just talking’ can lead to. She’s seventeen, so just keep away from her. She is not one of those air headed girls who usually drop their knickers for you.”

  “Did I say that’s what I wanted her to do?”

  Drayton smirked as he looked Luke up and down. The man in front of him may have once been a rock legend, but that was then and now it was his time. Drayton Carmichael was about to become an even bigger legend and Luke Mahoney needed to understand that.

  “You didn’t have to say anything.” Luke poked Drayton in the chest, moving closer to him. “I know you, I know your fucking type – I was your fucking type years ago, so if you want to stay on this fucking gig, you keep your eyes and hands off my daughter. You get that?”

  Drayton nodded slowly. “Yep, but maybe you want to tell Gigi that too because I’ve got to be honest with you, Luke, she’s the one who keeps coming on to me.”

  Luke drew in a deep breath and fisted his hands at his side.

  “If it didn’t mean a whole lot of fucking time and expense to get someone else to support us, you’d be out of that fucking door now, you little shit. Now, listen to what I’ve told you and stay away from Gigi.”

  Having the sense not to push his luck too much, Drayton held up his hands in surrender.

  “Okay, okay, I’m sorry and I’ll stay away.”

  Luke studied him carefully, his eyes narrowed. “Make sure you do, otherwise fuck the expense and time, you’re off.”

  He then turned and strode back down the corridor, his body tense and his breathing heavy. He’d never liked Alchemy Dream’s front man, but they were a good band, tight musically and unfortunately the little shit had a great voice and a matching charisma, that didn’t mean though, that he wouldn’t get rid of them if he had to and he’d make sure the boys knew that too. The thing was, they thought of Gigi as a niece, so he was pretty sure they’d be on board and if not, he’d use his own money to cover the costs.

  As Luke disappeared, Drayton watched him and planned how he was going get inside Gigi Mahoney’s knickers and still keep the gig that was going to make him a household name.

  Chapter 13

  As Lessie focused her camera on the subject, Matilda started to giggle.

  “Ssh,” Lessie hissed. “They’ll hear you.”

  “Huh, as if. They’re far too interested on ramming their tongues down each other’s throats.”

  Click, click.

  “Ooh he’s putting his hand on her bum. Make sure you get it.”

  Click, click.

  “I’m not an amateur.” Lessie responded with a quick elbow into Matilda’s arm. “I’ve got everything, even when she took her brace out.”

  Matilda grimaced and made a gagging noise. “Ugh and he still kissed her. I don’t know who’s the most gross, my sister or your brother.”

  “That would be Rafa. He picks his feet and then smells his fingers.”

  “Do you think Hettie knows that?”

  Lessie shrugged and clicked her camera a couple more times. “Don’t know, but if these make us as much money as those of him and Joe Johnson playing football with their tops off, I don’t really care.”

  Lessie and Matilda, Tom and Abbie’s youngest daughter, had discovered themselves a little money-making scheme selling photographs of the boys in their extended family. The ones they’d taken of Hendrix washing his dad’s car had made them enough to buy a pair of Beats each. Lessie was pretty sure they’d flouted some copyright rule, seeing as Hendrix was signed to a modelling agency, but the girls at school were holding onto the photographs for dear life, so she was hopeful no one would find out.

  When they’d taken the photographs of Rafa and his friend Joe, they’d hit a snag because Harrison, Matilda’s twin brother, had spotted them and demanded a share. Lessie being the astute businesswoman that she was, had cut him a one-time deal of fifteen percent of the profits, even making him sign a contract of sorts. She then made it very clear to Harrison, if he ever told anyone what she and his sister had been up to, she’d produce the contract that proved he was a part of it. Harrison agreed and was now walking around in a brand-new pair of the latest Nike trainers.

  As Lessie continued to snap away, Matilda flopped down into the tall grass of the field that backed on to both of their houses. While she liked the money that their scheme provided, it was a little boring for her, seeing as Lessie was the one doing all the work taking the photographs. It had been Matilda’s idea, which was why, after the printing costs, she and Lessie took equal shares of the profit, because otherwise this would be totally her best friend’s gig and Matilda would be hanging around the house bored, instead of in a field.

  Picking a piece of grass and pulling off the seeds one by one, she tried to think of something else that they could do together, which they’d both be involved in. Her mum had suggested Summer Drama club, seeing as Matilda had inherited her mum’s acting skills, but Lessie couldn’t act her way out of a wet paper bag which meant she’d have to go alone, and the summer holidays were all about spending time with your best friend, even if it meant being bored to death.

  “I think we should get closer,” Lessie said, without taking her eyes away from the camera. “I think I see a hand on boob over clothes.”

  Matilda felt herself get red, not wanting to see her sister being grappled by a boy, even if it was Rafa. Then a thought struck her.

  “Less’ who’s going to want these pictures? The girls at school won’t if he’s kissing someone else in them.”

  Lessie finally dropped the camera down and gave her friend an evil grin. “We’re going to sell them to Rafa and Hettie!”

  Matilda looked at her, perplexed. “What?”

  “We’re going to bribe them,” Lessie explained. “How do you think your dad will react to Hettie being photographed kissing my brother and him with his hand on her boob?”

  Matilda’s eyes widened. “OMG, he’d go mad.”

  “Yes, exactly and just so you know, no one says OMG anymore.”

  “Really?” Matilda sat back, resting on her hands as she peered up at her friend.

  Lessie nodded earnestly. “Yep. Bella Devine told me on my orientation day.”

  Matilda gasped. “You never said Bella Devine was your buddy on orientation day. OMG she’s soooo pretty. She’s like a model or something.”

  Lessie smiled serenely as she thought back to her day at the high school and how pretty and cool Bella looked as she showed her around. She hadn’t mentioned it to Matilda because she knew she also had a girl crush on Bella, and it would be mean to rub her nose in it.

  “Wow,” Matilda sighed. “And I thought I was lucky having Rosie Price.”

  “She’s pretty too,” Lessie offered. “But Bella is cool as well. She was soooo nice, not stuck up or anything. When I said OMG, she was really chilled and just said ‘oh no one says that now, just so you know not to say in front of some of the girl’s hockey team, because they’re mean’. How nice is that, telling me so that I don’t get picked on.”

  Matilda nodded and stared at Lessie, feeling extremely jealous that her friend had had the opportunity to spend time with Bella.

  The g
irls were so busy daydreaming about Bella that they didn’t notice Rafa and Hettie come up behind them. It was only when Rafa coughed loudly that both of the girls fell from their reverie.

  “What’s going on here then?” Rafa asked, smoothing back his perfectly styled hair that made him look even more like Rocco than their matching dark eyes, straight nose and high cheekbones already did.

  “Yeah, what you up to midget?” Hettie asked, moving toward Matilda and looking down on her.

  “N-n-nothing,” she stammered, glancing up at Lessie who as usual had balls and nerves of steel and hadn’t flinched an inch.

  “We’re taking photos of birds,” Lessie offered, casually looking down at the screen of her camera.

  “Let’s see.”

  Rafa reached for the camera, but Lessie quickly shifted out of his way.

  “No, you don’t touch my camera, you know that Rafael.”

  Rafa’s eyes narrowed. The little cow knew he hated his full name and she usually did it when she was trying to distract him from something else.

  “Show me,” he demanded of his sister. “I want to see the birds.”

  Lessie rolled her eyes and turned the camera to Rafa, showing him the picture of a nondescript brown bird.

  “What else you got?”

  Matilda whimpered from the ground, causing Hettie’s eyes to swing to her sister.