Graduation and Gifts (Untouchable Book 8) by Heather Long (best books to read for beginners TXT) 📕

to hide hers better. Frankie hugged the girls and they grinned at her, but there were streaks of mascara from their own tears.

Handlers moved around them dabbing at their faces, and then the stage manager was there, his hand over the mic on his headset.

“Encores?”

“No,” Yvette said. “That was our goodbye.”

The last she offered up but still glanced at KC and Aubrey. “Definitely,” Aubrey agreed, and KC let out a shaky breath.

“Hell yeah. Let’s get drunk.”

She grabbed Frankie’s hand. “And all of you are invited.” It was only the fact that KC was a tiny thing she didn’t haul Frankie away from us, but no way we would say no. Not if they wanted to go, and I was pretty sure it was more about needing a friend than needing people to party with.

A fact made reality when KC and the girls didn’t bother to change before they led us right out the back to a waiting car. We were whisked away to their hotel, which also happened to be ours.

That worked.

Archie

At the hotel, we went in the back and used the manager’s access to the private elevator leading to the penthouse suites. The Torched girls had gotten the one across the hall from ours. Since there was only two on the floor, it meant we didn’t have to worry about anyone or anything interrupting.

“Everyone go shower,” I told the girls and Bubba. “I’ll get food and drinks up here. Any requests?”

“Everything,” Yvette said. “I want everything on the menu. I’m starving.”

“Ice cream,” Aubrey said.

“Burgers,” KC decided. “The biggest burger they have.”

Frankie just grinned at me. Yes, I knew exactly what my babe needed. She kissed me as the Torched girls streamed across the hall to their room. The saltiness of her kiss made me smile.

“I loved watching you tonight,” I murmured against her lips, and her eyes lit up. “Loved listening to you too. Did you have fun, babe?”

“I had an amazing time. It was… Archie, it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done.”

“Nah,” I told her. “You’ve done way scarier. Trust me.” At her raised eyebrows, I motioned to the room. “You took on all of us.”

Her snort just made my grin widen.

“Go shower.”

“Yeah,” Jake said, scooping her up. “Come shower. I’ll wash your back.”

“Hey!” Coop protested, but Jake laughed.

“You snooze, you lose.”

“Ugh,” Rachel grunted from the sofa where she’d fallen down and had her phone out. The sheer volume of disgust in her comment made me laugh. “You guys are disgusting.”

“Don’t hate,” I said as I picked up the room phone to place the order. “I’m sure you want her to be happy.”

“Mmm-hmm.” She didn’t glance up from her phone as she scrolled through images that from this angle looked like concert pics. “Yes!” She exclaimed, then held the phone up for me to see. It was a perfect shot of Frankie, Bubba, and KC at the microphone.

Hell yes.

“Grab that and send it to me?”

“Already done, Rich Boy. I want the higher res version when you’re finished.”

We shared a nod and then room service answered, and I turned away to get everything we wanted sent up here, including ice cream, burgers, beer, wine, and champagne.

Granted, I probably shouldn’t endorse legal drinking for the rock stars, but they already had enough handlers. Pretty sure they didn’t need me to add to it.

Bubba had gone off to shower, and Coop joined Rachel on the sofa as they continued to scan social media posts. The phone in my pocket kept vibrating like mad, and I’d just pulled it out to see who was blowing my phone up when Bubba walked out, hair damp and dressed in fresh clothes with his own phone in hand.

“Did you see these?”

I glanced over at him. “Was just looking?”

“Problem?” Coop asked, and I shook my head, because I wasn’t sure yet. The series of messages on my phone included a half-dozen missed calls from Wittaker, then a text that said to call him.

Bubba’s phone had three missed calls from him and two from the entertainment attorney we’d hired.

“I have a suspicion that your debut got noticed,” I commented. A low scream carried from the direction of the bedroom that elongated, then climbed. None of us said a word, but Rachel snickered, then Coop did, and I shook my head.

At least Jake had Frankie fully distracted.

“Call Wittaker, and I’ll call…” Bubba began, and I nodded, the phone already at my ear as I headed toward the balcony.

Wittaker answered on the first ring. “Did Frankie and Ian sign any releases for their performance in London tonight? Also, a heads-up about public performances would have been appreciated, but I’m sure we can manage this.”

“Good evening to you,” I said drily as I stepped out and the sounds of the city wrapped around me. “It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.”

“I’m aware. Our conversations often bring me similar joy, however, I am concerned about what if anything they signed with regard to their performance tonight?”

“Nothing,” I told him. “The girls didn’t ask them to, and if paperwork had been involved, we’d have consulted you.”

Wittaker exhaled a breath. “Good, then we’ll be in a position to negotiate if they want to use that footage. It’s already all over social media. The debut of Bound Hearts. Nice name by the way, very catchy. But my phone started ringing, including the last two producers who hadn’t gotten back to us. The ripple effect was pretty instantaneous.”

“Not surprising,” I said. The ring of the doorbell had me glancing over my shoulder as Coop rose. The girls from Torched streamed in ahead of the first wave of waiters bringing up several rolling tables of food and drink. “They were pretty awesome tonight. But put a pin in any offers, run them by the entertainment attorney, and we’ll commit to nothing until Frankie and Bubba both have a chance to review everything. Tonight was amazing for them, but Frankie did this as much for KC and the girls as for her and Bubba.”

KC’s