Heart Broke (Hard Rock Roots Book 8) by C.M. Stunich

existence. “I need to buy Naomi a rock before she's like, fully conscious and everything. She's too perceptive. If I wait, she'll know.”
    “Are you sure you're actually engaged?” Ronnie asks, pausing next to Kash and Wren and looking them over with a distinctly paternal gaze, Lola by his side. “I mean, you did actually ask?”
    “I did more than offer her a green card,” Turner snaps, and I roll my eyes.
    “You'll get used to the banter,” I promise as Dax gazes down at me. I don't tell him that I tried to catch a glimpse of him by visiting Blair and Naomi in the hospital yesterday. Some bitch nurse named Dina told me I'd just missed him. It's too embarrassing to admit that I even tried. “Eventually it'll fade away into white noise.”
    I flick my fingers at the boys, my body going tight as Dax keeps looking at me, just staring down at my face like he's trying to memorize every feature. I've never had a guy look at me like that before, like the shape of my smile mattered.
    I bite my lower lip hard and tilt my head to the side. Dax almost looks ashamed. Can't figure out for the life of me why.
    “I've been trying to stay out of your way,” he says suddenly, his lips barely moving with the words. “You've been taking care of me. I'm not sure why, but you have. And I owe you for that. But I don't want to be a burden anymore. Since we're … kind of living together now, I thought we should talk. Set up some boundaries or something?”
    “You two going to kiss or what?” Turner laughs, flicking some cigarette ash at Dax as he prances by. Dax grits his teeth, but he doesn't pull his gaze away from mine.
    “You want to get out of here? Go for a picnic or something? You can throw your stuff in my room for now.”
    “Hear that, Trey! Emo Boy's shacking up with your sister.” I glance over my shoulder with a sigh just in time to catch my brother flipping Dax off from the direction of the living room.
    “Dear God, please,” Dax whispers and then we both pause and turn at the sound of boots on the marble floor behind us. It's Brayden Ryker with a big smile plastered across his face, Paulette Washington at his side.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, I've asked Brayden Ryker to continue as the head of security for both bands and he's graciously accepted the position.”
    “Fantastic. The guy who let my girlfriend and my best friend get shot is going to be protecting us again. I feel so much safer now.” Turner slaps his palm on his chest as he backs away and into the living room. “Oh, and thanks for bringing a bunch of strangers into my house. Who the hell is this anyway?”
    “My name is Kash,” the blond says with a small sigh. “We played several gigs together while Naomi was missing.”
    “Sure thing, bro. I'll try to remember your name, but I'm sure you'll get shot and killed at the next concert, so I might not even bother.”
    “Can we please go now?” Dax asks, and I nod. “Another minute of this shit and I'll be the one with a gun in my hand.”
    “Sure thing. Let me pack us a lunch and we'll get the hell out of here.” My eyes sparkle as I glance up at Dax again, my fingers finding their way to his chest, feeling the hardness of the muscles beneath his shirt. “I have just the place in mind.”

    A couple o' forty ounces, a handful of condoms, and three day old pizza and I've got a picnic fit for a king. Kind of reminds of me of lazy high school afternoons spent cutting class and smoking cigarettes in the cemetery that sat adjacent to our trailer park. Ah, the good ol' days. Wish I could say I missed 'em, but … sayonara baby.
    “Think we'll really be able to get out of here?” Dax asks as I flick the lights off and turn the volume on the TV up as high as it can go. There's a porno playing, some filthy fucking thing that I charged to Trey's debit card. He owes me one anyway.
    I glance back at Dax, highlighted by the flickering colors of the TV. His eyes are on the screen and his fists are curled