Strike (Sphere of Irony 2)

I nod at Tasha and grab Ellie’s hand, making sure to hold my pint up in my other so the crowd doesn’t jostle it.

“Perfect,” I declare when we carve out a little section right near the tiny stage. “I’ve heard these blokes are talented.”

“No, you’ve heard that they’re smoking hot,” Tasha says, laughing as she sips her lager.

“Shut it, Tash.” If it were bright enough in here, I’m certain everyone would see how red my face is. “So what? Yeah, they’re supposed to be good-looking. Is it a crime to want to watch hot guys sing?”

Willa comes gliding through the throngs of people, sidling up to us. “I’m so going to shag one of the hot musicians,” she announces.

Ellie frowns at Willa, but the rest of us have learned to ignore her. Willa’s only here because she overheard one of the girls discussing our plans during football practice. Otherwise, not one of us would have dared to invite her.

The lights dim causing the packed crowd to whistle and yell. After initially stumbling over his own feet, the first musician hops onto the small, lighted stage. Right as it hits me that I recognize him, I spot another man with a guitar following close behind.

Dax Davies.

I’m struck dumb. Rooted to the spot like a total idiot. I’m so shocked I don’t even remember to fidget. In the background, I register that my friends are screaming for Dax and his friend Adam, and they’re screaming loudly. Everything after that becomes a blur. I’m sure there’s singing, clapping, hollering, dancing… I hear and see none of it.

Instead, burned onto my impressionable brain forever, is the glorious sight of Dax in a tight white T-shirt, his ripped, sinewy bulk flexing as he strums his guitar. His jeans are frayed, the waist barely holding up on his narrow hips. I can’t tell if he’s any good at playing because the only sound I hear is blood rushing behind my ears as my poor heart works overtime to keep me on my feet.

“Kate. Kate!”

My unfocused eyes find Ellie, standing in front of me, blocking my view of Dax and his perfection.

“What?”

“I don’t feel well. Do you mind if we take off? My stomach…”

I glance back up at Dax and my mouth goes dry at his magnificence. Then my eyes find a group of scantily dressed females congregating around the stage exit, Willa included. My stomach does a back flip, accompanied by a horrid feeling of despair.

What’s the point of sticking around? So I can watch Dax snog someone else? Put those huge, talented hands on another girl’s body? I can’t compete with them. They’re all posh and gorgeous. Why would h

e want me when he could have one of them?

My gaze drops back to Ellie. Christ, she really doesn’t look well at all. “Yeah. Let’s go, El.”

What was supposed to be a fun night out has made me depressed as hell. Instead of having a laugh, I tortured myself for nearly two hours watching my walking dream get eye-fucked by every girl in the audience. I need to get it through my thick skull—Dax Davies doesn’t love me and never will.

It’s better that way, I’m sure. But coming to grips with it? Well, that just plain sucks.

CHAPTER 2

Dax

“Dad! I’ll be ready for the fight. I’m always ready. Stop bleedin’ jumping on me!”

I stuff my head under my pillow, not wanting to hear my brother argue with my dad.

“Yer not ready. Ya look like ya were whoring about last night. Forget the rules, Liam?”

Fuck me. I let out a groan. The thin pillow can’t block out the shouting. Liam has a match tonight and I swear the old bastard is more obsessed with his rules than ever. Right now, he’s pushing his favorite rule on Liam, the one we hate the most.

Rule 3—No fucking, shagging, wanking, sucking, or getting off for seven days leading up to a fight.

Naturally, with four randy sons sporting constant hard-ons in need of relief, dad has had a difficult time drilling that particular rule into our heads. Hell, Ethan told me that dad had expected him to be completely celibate once he was old enough to fight at the club. When that plan failed miserably, with Ethan running around behind the old man’s back shagging anything that moved, dad conceded to no sex for one full week before a fight. He insists it keeps the primal drive to win heightened. There’s something to it, especially his rewards. I just happen to think it’s cocked up when your dad is plotting your next suck and shag.

Sighing¸ I glance over and notice Ethan’s small single bed is empty in our cramped room. My eyes find the digital clock on our shared nightstand. Crap. It’s already noon. After last night’s gig, I let some tart suck me off in the loo. That meant I didn’t get home until late. Adam, well, Adam went straight home, too obsessed over this Ellie girl from school to chat up anyone at the DK. After he noticed her in the audience, he went looking for her. When he couldn’t find Ellie anywhere, he was done for the night.

“Dax! Get yer arse out here ya skiver! Your lie-in is over, son!”