Dump and Chase: Nashville Assassins: Next Generation Read online

  I look over at him and smile. “Yeah, but I forgot, which kinda makes me one of those girls too engrossed in my boyfriend to remember when my cousin is coming into town.”

  He shrugs. “I won’t tell if you don’t,” he says, and then he winks, sending a rumble through my guts.

  “Deal.”

  We leave tomorrow for New York. My audition is in the afternoon, so we’ll only get one day in the Big Apple. He apparently has a romantic little something in the works from what he tells me. I’m sorta crazy excited for it. I’m nervous, though. As much as I want to get this part, I hate the thought of not being with him. It totally blows, but he’s being so damn supportive, it’s hard not to be excited. He helped me choose my music and has been practicing with me a lot. Apparently the guitars on the wall aren’t just for show either. He can play them—and not just okay, but really well.

  He blows me away.

  “Are you going to get a ride home with your mom?”

  “Yeah, or I’ll skip out early and get an Uber to your place.”

  He nods. “Cool. Text me when you leave.”

  “I will,” I say as he pulls up behind my mom’s truck. I lean over, kissing him quickly on the cheek. “See ya.”

  “Bye, baby,” he says as I fling open the door and get out. When I go to shut it, though, my mom is standing up from her truck holding a cake stand with a cake on it in her hands. Everything stops. Did she see me kiss him?

  Mom’s intuitive eyes go from me to the car before she bends a bit to see who’s inside. “Aiden Brooks, is that you?”

  Aiden throws his door open and gets out. “Hey, Elli. How you doing?” he says nervously, and I swear I’m biting a hole in my lip.

  “Good. What are y’all doing?”

  “We went to lunch with Wes and Boon. We have that jacket drive next week, and she’s making me do stuff at the gala. You know Shelli. Such a stickler for details.”

  God bless this man. I nod quickly. “Yeah, he had picked me up at the house, and I sort of forgot about this, so I just had him drop me off here.”

  “That’s nice. Thank you, Aiden.”

  “Anytime,” he says happily as he waves her off. “I’m gonna go—”

  “Do you have dinner plans?”

  Aiden blinks and tries to look at me, but my mom has him in her gaze. “Um… No, ma’am. A Hot Pocket and Netflix was my plan.”

  “Well, come on in. Grace has plenty of food, and Ryan is here, along with his beautiful wife, Sofia, as well as Amelia and her fiancé. Oh, and Shea. It’s gonna be a great time.”

  He swallows visibly. “Um, are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Nonsense! Come on.”

  “Okay,” he says, and my eyes are as big as saucers as he shuts off his car and then locks the door.

  She waits for him to come to her before she wraps her arm around his bicep, being careful with the cake stand in her other hand. “I thought Shelli would have brought her boyfriend. Do you know him? I haven’t gotten the pleasure yet.”

  “Uh—”

  “He’s busy tonight,” I say quickly, falling into step with them. “Plus, I forgot I was coming.”

  “Oh, well, true,” Mom says simply as we head up the walkway of my aunt’s humongous house. It was massive before my uncle passed, but since then, she keeps adding on to it. I don’t know why she needs all these rooms, but she is happy, which is all that matters. “How does he feel about you spending time with these adorable men? I’m surprised he lets you hang out with Aiden here.”

  Aiden lets out a nervous laugh, and I scoff. “Lets? I do what I want.”

  “That’s the damn truth,” Aiden says then, and Mom gives him a look, her eyes narrowed. “I just mean, she’s very bossy and does what she wants,” he says quickly, and I roll my eyes.

  “You’re right on that one,” she says, letting him go and heading inside.

  I smack him on the arm. “I’m not bossy!”

  He rolls his eyes. “You legit made me unpack all my dishes into the dishwasher before we could go to lunch. You’re bossy.” He then leans in, his lips by my ear. “But don’t worry… It turns me on.”

  When he leans away, I fight back the grin that wants to show. “This is not good.”

  He shakes his head. “It’s fine. We’ll eat and go.”

  “Seriously, they can’t find out we’re together. Not when Amelia is telling everyone she’s pregnant.”

  He moves my hair off my shoulders. “Shell, no one will know. I can resist you. It’s not hard.” I glare as he flashes me a huge grin before he holds his hand out toward the house. “Go on, I like watching that ass of yours.”

  “And grab it, I’m sure.”

  “No one is around,” he teases as I step in front of him, shaking my head.

  When he shuts the door behind us, I look up to see my stunning cousin coming toward me. She’s always been super lean from being a hardcore gymnast, and anyone else might not notice, but I can see the bump that shows when her dress pulls against it. My eyes light up as we embrace, and I feel this sense of completion. She’s always been my very best friend.

  “I’ve missed you,” she whispers, and I hug her tightly, feeling her little bump against my own stomach. My siblings are scattered around the living room. The boys are on the couch, playing on their Nintendo Switch, while Posey has a book on her legs, reading. I’m not sure how long everyone has been here, but it doesn’t matter. I have missed Amelia.

  “I can’t believe you’re showing,” I say so no one hears us.

  “I know! It’s insane. No one has said anything yet,” she says in my ear.

  “No one can tell but me.”

  “You brought Aiden?”

  “No, Mom invited him in when he dropped me off.”

  “Do they always hug like that?” I hear Aiden ask, and my mom laughs.

  “Yes. We ignore them. Come on in here. Shea is in the kitchen being all scary dad-ish on poor Chandler. Have you met Chandler?”

  Amelia and I don’t move. “Do they know?”

  “Nope, and they won’t know. Not until after the season is over, according to him.” I kiss her cheek. “But he’s terrified of Dad, so let me go be there.”

  She kisses me back. “I’m terrified to tell them.”

  “Don’t be. It’s gonna be awesome!”

  I pat her belly sweetly and then head to the kitchen where my dad is standing in the middle of Aiden and Ryan.

  “I don’t like that guy—or his friend.”

  Aiden looks up just as I do. “Friend?” he asks, and my dad nods, his face scrunched up as if he smells something awful.

  “Yeah, Nico Merryweather. Full of himself, that kid is.”

  Aiden looks back at me, but I’m currently not breathing.

  What the hell is Nico doing here?

  Ryan, my older cousin, shakes his head. “Chandler is awesome, but the jury is still out on Nico.”

  “He called me old man. I’m not old,” Dad pouts, and Ryan scoffs.

  “Nope. Fresh spring chicken.”

  “You’ve always been my favorite,” Dad says, knocking knuckles with him, but Aiden is just looking at me. His eyes are dark and dangerous. This is not good. I try to tell him with my eyes that it’s okay, no big deal, but I know he doesn’t believe me. Hell, I don’t believe myself. Aiden hates Nico. Nico hates Aiden. Nico could blow our relationship wide open, which would piss off Amelia because she needs to be the center of attention since she is carrying my niece or nephew. I don’t care that the baby is technically my cousin; I’m gonna love on it just as hard.

  “Hey there, Shell.”

  I look to the doorway of the dining room to see Chandler Moon—the prince who was sent to save my cousin. A smile takes over my face as we hug tightly. I want to be happy to see Chandler, but I’m annoyed. “Why the hell did you bring him?” I ask low and angrily.

  “Didn’t have a choice. My mom invited him for the weekend, and he insisted on coming to see you.” I