His words pierced my veil of anger. “Rejected?” I asked Denny.
He nodded, then looked around at the crowd of friends and family members watching the commotion with unabashed interest. “Maybe we could take this somewhere more private?” Denny suggested.
Glancing at the crowd watching, I met eyes with Anna. She had that same panicked expression that she’d had the last time I’d truly vented my frustrations with the band. She didn’t want us fighting. I didn’t either, but goddammit, enough was enough. Looking back at Denny and Kellan, I nodded toward my car. “Step into my office.”
Denny and Kellan exchanged a look, then Kellan motioned for Evan and Matt. Might as well talk to us all together, since his betrayal involved them too. As we moved toward my Hummer, the crowd shifted to follow us. Kellan looked around until he spotted his bodyguard. “Sam, we need a minute alone.”
The big man nodded and instantly went into bouncer mode. “Everybody stays here,” he barked, moving around in front of the crowd. Crossing his arms over his chest, he added, “Don’t think I won’t bust your head just because you’re related.” One of my cousins sniggered and took a step forward. Sam’s eyes immediately locked onto him. “I’ll start with you, asswipe. Stay where you are.”
While Sam corralled my relatives, I stormed off with the guys. Once we were all sitting inside my car, I started in on Kellan. He put his hands up and interrupted me before I could say much more than “What the hell?”
“I didn’t ask for anything, I was simply approached with an offer.” Kellan was sitting in the center of the backseat, with Matt and Evan on either side of him. Glancing at the two of them, he repeated, “They approached me, and I said no.”
Matt’s brows furrowed. “Who approached you? With what?”
Kellan looked up at Denny in the front seat, with an expression that clearly said, Help me. Denny responded in that I’m the boss tone of voice that I assumed he used at his day job, since he wasn’t in any way the boss of us. “The producers of the movie franchise Battle Robots approached Kellan about recording a song for their upcoming soundtrack.”
For a second, my only thought was, Holy crap! Another Battle Robots movie? Awesome! I love that shit. But then Denny kept speaking, and my entire view of the movie series changed.
“They only wanted Kellan though,” Denny said in a solemn voice. “It was a one-time, one-song deal that would have put the D-Bags in the spotlight next summer…if Kellan had said yes. But, like I said, he rejected the offer.”
With the look Denny gave Kellan, it was clear he thought Kellan was an idiot for saying no. A small part of me agreed, but the majority of me felt too slighted to let that tiny rational thought slip through. “Why the fuck didn’t they want all of us? Why just Kellan?”
Denny looked uncomfortable and wouldn’t look directly at me. Then, with a sigh, he made eye contact. “They said…Kellan was the talent. Obviously, that’s just an opinion, you’re all valuable to the band.”
Matt and Evan seemed irked, but I was clearly the only one who was truly outraged. “Fuck. That. Shit. Kellan’s just one part of the band. He wouldn’t be king of the universe without us. In fact, if he did try to do a solo project, it would probably suck because we weren’t a part of it. We’re the Bags to his Douche.”
As one, they all turned to stare at me, wide-eyed. “What?” I asked, still steamed.
Matt shook his head, like he was clearing an Etch-A-Sketch. Evan turned away while Denny looked like he was plotting his next speech. Kellan was the one who answered me. “I’m not king of the universe. I know this is a team effort, Griff, that’s why I said no.”
His expression turned hard as he stared me down. “I’ve done things for this band that I’m not proud of, just for the sake of the team, so don’t you dare try to turn me into the bad guy here. I said no. I’m not doing it. End of story.” Looking pissed, he glanced between Evan and Matt. “Someone let me the fuck out of this car. I’m done talking to this idiot.”
Matt and Evan opened their doors simultaneously and stepped out. Kellan followed out Evan’s door and then dramatically slammed it shut behind him. He stormed off and Evan chased after him. Still looking like he was processing everything that had been said, Matt shut his door and walked away.
Once the guys were out of sight, Denny let out a long exhale. “What?” I muttered, sitting back in my seat.
“Has anyone ever talked to you about diplomacy before?” he asked.
“No. I’m not a fucking politician.”
He sighed again. “I’m just saying there are ways to talk to people that will get you better results than insults, swears, and belittling.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “You might try using your big words one day,” he said, his voice condescending.
Brushing off his hand, I slowly extended my middle finger. “That big enough for you? If not, I’ve got a bigger one.” I grabbed my junk and gave myself a good squeeze.
Denny shook his head, then opened his car door. “Nice chatting with you, Griffin. It’s a treat, as always.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said as he closed the door.
Now alone with my thoughts, I started simmering in my anger. Fucking Kellan. Fucking Denny. Fucking D-Bags. I was quickly getting tired of all of them.
Anna joined me while I was still fuming in the car. “You okay?” she asked. “Things with you and Kellan seemed kind of…tense.” Her brows were bunched with concern, and she was searching my face like she was looking for injuries, like I’d been duking it out with the guys or something.