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Chapter 1

Shade’s day had just gone fro of disbelief spread froe crawled up the back of his neck He stared at the e spot between Kellen’s Firebird and Owen’s Jeep, trying to comprehend the absence of the ton of steel he’d left there Shade glanced around the parking lot Maybe his memory was fuzzy Maybe he hadn’t parked in his usual space Two see setup had already been backed into the fenced lot so they’d be ready to head to San Antonio the next day Their tour bus was on the opposite side of the lot The band’s drue compartment beneath the bus Everyone else—band and creas already heading for their vehicles The only distinctly empty spot on the lot was the one where Shade had parked his favorite toy

“Okay,” he yelled “This isn’t funny Who hid my car?”

“I’,” Kellen said, “but I’d say it’s been stolen” He tossed his overnight bag into his Firebird’s trunk

“That’s what you get for being a douche and buying a hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar vehicle,” Owen said with a smirk

“You should call the cops and report it,” Kellen said He secured his long black hair at the nape of his neck with a leather strap he’d collected fro Then he opened his car door and said, “I’d stay andin your misery, but I’m late for an appointment”

Shade knew the feeling “I don’t have tiht now,” he said “I have places I need to be I’ve already missed my chance to crash Julie’s party, but I don’t want her to think I forgot her birthday entirely” He tossed his overnight bag on the ground where his car’s trunk should have been “Fuck!”

“Where’s your car?” Adam paused between Owen and Shade

Adauitarist and in second place on Shade’s shit list, right after whoever had stolen his ride The threethe car to suddenly uncloak itself and co

Shade was already pissed at Ada ho around a hotel with his drug abuse counselor—who obviously wasn’t very good at what she did, because Shade had caught Adahts before It would have served Adaht if the band and crew had left him to find his oay froht the selfish prick a lesson Everyone else had been looking forward to this day off in their home town, but the only person who mattered to Adam was Adam

“I swear if I ood dentist,” Shade said to Adam

“Why? I didn’t steal your car,” Adaive you a ride”

Shade was surprised he’d offered, but Adam rode a motorcycle, and Shade didn’t think it ise to be that close to him at freeway speeds As pissed as Shade was, he’d probably strangle him to death from behind

Owen slapped Adam in the center of the chest “Hey, don’t worry about it I already said I’d drive him Julie’s house isn’t far from mine”

And technically, Adam’s was even closer, but Owen kne ticked off Shade was, and if the band lost both its vocalist and lead guitarist in a fiery motorcycle crash, they’d be shit out of luck

Adaht But, Shade, once you cool down a bit, we need to have a man-to-man”