by L. P. Maxa
FIRST COMES LOVE,
THEN COMES MARRIAGE?
They had a deal. Get married, have another kid. But Dash is convinced Lexi isn’t feeling it. She’s working 60-hour weeks at RiffRaff Records, and—if you can believe this—she’s avoiding him. Plus, the family is going crazy. Dylan’s pregnant, Smith’s a wreck, Luke and Lo have become moguls, and Jacks…well, Jacks is Jacks. Then things get really dicey and the wedding is postponed. Hey! What happened to Dash’s happy-ever-after? Worried? Don’t be. The Devil's Share women got this.
Play For Keeps
Book Six of The Devil’s Share
L.P. Maxa
www.BOROUGHSPUBLISHINGGROUP.com
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Boroughs Publishing Group does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites, blogs or critiques or their content.
PLAY FOR KEEPS
Copyright © 2017 L.P. Maxa
Smashwords Edition
All rights reserved. Unless specifically noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Boroughs Publishing Group. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of Boroughs Publishing Group is illegal and punishable by law. Participation in the piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights.
ISBN 978-1-944262-61-7
E-book formatting by Maureen Cutajar
www.gopublished.com
To my future kiddos. We already love you and can’t wait to meet you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are so many people who have been so instrumental in this Devil’s Share series. I have been writing about these characters for more than two years now, and they are all so real to me. Thank you to my mom, for always encouraging me to keep going. For always being so excited to read my work. To my husband and my little girl. Thank you for giving me the quiet time I need to write, and for never making me feel guilty for spending time with four other men. To my friends for the high fives and the book talks over wine. To both my Amys, I literally couldn’t do any of this without you guys. My Smitten Kittens, I love spending time and laughing with y’all. And a massive huge insanely large thank-you to my readers. Your enjoyment of the Devil’s Share series…your emails, messages, reviews, and comments…I can’t put into words what each one of those means to me. From the bottom of my little Van Morrison/Norman Reedus-loving heart, thank you.
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sneak Peek: Royalty
About the Author
Also by L.P. Maxa
PLAY FOR KEEPS
“We were together
I forget the rest.”
—Walt Whitman
Chapter One
Dash
I was leaning against the wall, staring at a large dressing room full of mirrors. It looked like the Devil’s Share had multiplied by a dozen.
“I’m going to be real honest with you, man.” Smith took a step back and adjusted the jacket of his light tan linen suit. “I was pretty positive that Lexi was going to make us all wear tuxes and bowties, just to be a brat.” I knew everyone had been preparing for bridezilla. But my girl Lexi had actually been the opposite. We’d all assumed she’d want fancy and upscale; instead she’d gone for laid-back beach vibes.
“Me too.” Jacks adjusted the sleeves of his thin white dress shirt. “But I’m really digging this whole perpetually stoned thing your girl has got going right now.” He shrugged. “Well, when it comes to the wedding at least.”
“I slip a Xanax in her coffee every morning. Really helps mellow her out.” I sat on the arm of a chair in the corner and watched my friends try on their groomsman suits while I was answering emails. I was kidding about the Xanax. Though I did cut her coffee with decaf.
Luke came out of the dressing room laughing. “She may be lackadaisical about wedding planning, but she’s still a control freak at the office. She’s sent me three emails already this morning.”
“I thought the chicks were all out this morning. Didn’t they have to go look at flowers or some shit?” Smith stood stock-still while the tailor pinned the inseam to his pants.
I nodded. “Yeah, she pushed that appointment back so she could be at the studio when the proofs came over for the new signage.” Lexi had revamped all the graphics we used for our promos, not to mention the logo for the label. She had an artistic vision, and heaven help anyone who got in her way.
To be honest, lately I had been feeling like she’d put our wedding on the back burner. I hadn’t said anything about it, because really, how could I? I’d sound like a sexist asshole. Hey, Kitten? Can you spend less time at the office and more time looking at centerpieces? Yeah. No. She’d eat me alive.
“When did Lexi become a workaholic?” Jacks slipped on his jacket, adjusting the lapels.
We had all started working together at Harlow’s mom’s record company, and I thought Lexi would be kind of in and out the office. Staying at home with Halen and stopping by the label when she could. But Lexi was thriving at Riffraff Records. Luke and Lo both worked long hours, but Lex was right there with them.
“I think she’s avoiding my dick.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me.
Jacks cocked his head to the side. “What’s that now?”
I shrugged and slid my phone in my pocket. “I want another baby. Lexi asked me to give her two years and we compromised at one. Halen’s first birthday was two months ago and I think Lexi is avoiding my dick and showing me she’s still not ready.”
Avoiding more kids and avoiding our wedding. I was trying really hard not to get freaked out by her lack of enthusiasm.
Luke took off his suit jacket and handed it to the second tailor. Rock stars got their own tailors, don’t ya know? “Good God, man. At least wait until after your wedding. Do you know how pissed Lexi would be if she couldn’t drink at the reception?”
“Or the rehearsal dinner?” Jacks pointed at Luke.
Smith nodded in agreement. “Or the wedding day girls’ brunch?”
Luke gestured around the room. “What’s with you guys and babies? We’re young, we’ve got time. Why are you all trying to pop them out like Roman candles?”
Jacks held his hand up. “Uh, technically I had mine first. And there are no current preparations being made for a second.” He pointed at Smith. “It’s a miracle this one even wants kids after the childhood he had, so let’s not knock him for it.” Then Jacks gestured with his head toward me. “That one is certifiable, I agree with you there. Two kids under the age of two? You’d have to be insane.” He snorted. “I’d avoid your dick too, man.”
I rolled my eyes. “I�
��m not going to force her to have another baby.”
“Well, good. I’m pretty sure that’s against the law, bro.”
I ignored Luke and kept on talking. “I just don’t want her to throw herself into work to try to prove a point that’s unnecessary, that’s all.” I wanted a big family and I thought that was what she wanted too. We’d talked about it after Halen was born. But lately I wasn’t so sure where her mind was.
But again, I said nothing because how could I? Hey, Kitten? Can I please keep you pregnant for the next eight years? She’d probably try to chop my dick off.
My phone started to vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and smiled. “Speak of the devil.” I turned away from my bandmates to answer Lexi’s call. “Hey, Kitten.”
“Hey. How’s the fitting going? They like their suits?”
I could hear her mouse clicking away; she must have put me on speaker while she was no doubt editing photos. “Yeah everyone really likes what you picked out. They were all shocked you didn’t have them in coats and tails.”
“They can thank Bryan for those suits. She brought me three different choices and all I had to do was pick a color.”
Of course Bryan picked the suits. Lexi couldn’t be bothered with small things like our freaking wedding. I was feeling a little blue about the whole thing, which was really making me feel like a pussy. “When are you girls headed out to meet the florist? Did the signage proofs come in?”
“They did and they are perfect. But now I’m trying to get the images done for Mason Maxwell’s album. They need to be sent off by this evening if we’re going to get it on iTunes by next week when his tour starts.”
I hung my head. “So what does that mean for your appointment with the florist, Lex?” Mason Maxwell had been an artist at RiffRaff when Harlow’s dad was running things. Mason was one of the few artists that Lexi’s mom had fallen in love with. She’d kept him on and transferred his handling to us at the Austin location since he was born and raised in south Texas.
True, he was a big deal, brought in a lot of money…. But still. This was our wedding.
“I have it handled. B and Lo are going to do it for me and then we’ll all meet at the house for Friday Family Dinner.”
“Lexi, you were the one who set up this meeting. You were the one that said this needed to be done by today.” The flowers were the one thing Lexi had seemed picky about. Call me crazy, go ahead, but I was pumped when she was barking at the florist last week.
“And it will be. That’s why God invented bridesmaids.”
I snorted. “Kitten, I don’t think God invented bridesmaids.”
“Well, history then, or the universe or wedding planners. Whoever.”
She was distracted, her voice sounded far away. She was, once again, trying to do thirty things at once, none of which had anything to do with the life we were starting together.
“Where is Halen?” We had a nanny, but Lexi didn’t really like leaving Halen with her for more than a few hours. Halen usually ended up playing in her Pack ‘N Play in Lexi’s office.
“She’s with me, but Lo is coming to grab her in a few minutes. She’s going to go help pick out flowers for Mommy and Daddy’s wedding, isn’t that right, baby girl?” I could hear Halen giggling in the background. Lexi might be turning into a workaholic and she might not give two shits about our wedding, but she was an amazing mom. Halen worshipped the ground Lexi walked on.
“Okay. Well, then I guess I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yep. Love you.”
“Love you too, Kitten.”
I hung up and let out a deep sigh. I was trying really hard not to get all crazy emotional and butt-hurt about this. But skipping the florist was just another thing in a long line that made me wonder if Lexi even wanted to get married.
Chapter Two
Lexi
I had been in the office in front of my computer for over eight hours straight. My eyes hurt and my brain felt like sludge. But I was all caught up. The new logos and signage for the Austin division of RiffRaff were finalized and off to the printer. Mason Maxwell, our biggest solo artist, had a banging album cover. Better than his first cover by a long shot. And last but not least, the programs for our wedding were done and headed to Florida.
The wedding programs were a surprise for Dash. We had invited just close friends and family to our little beach nuptials so I had gone super custom on everything. The programs were full of fun family pictures and little blurbs about why we loved our wedding party so much. I’d been asking Dash questions about his bandmates for the last couple months so I could get his take on things. I hoped everyone liked them.
I packed up my laptop and twirled in place twice, checking the office for anything else I might need to take home. Nope. Good. I was off. Finally.
“Hey, look, Halen, Mommy’s home.” Harlow bounced my daughter up and down, tickling her tummy and making her giggle.
“Come here, sweet baby, Mommy missed you this afternoon.” I took her in my arms and snuggled her to my chest, breathing in her scent. I hated being away from her, even if it was just for a few hours. I smiled when she said “Mama” in her tiny baby voice. She said a handful of words: Mama, Dada, Dags, Milk, Lukey, and Landry. Everything was pronounced like you’d think a baby would pronounce things. Except for Landry, she said that with perfect clarity. “So, how was the florist?”
“Super fast and easy. They had everything done exactly like the images you sent them. Peonies and roses. So we just signed off and took this one with us to lunch.” Lo reached out and tickled Halen again. “The guys are all on the back patio and the steaks just went on the grill.”
I looked around the kitchen. “Where’s Landry?” She was usually knee deep into cooking whatever was up.
Lo gestured with her head toward the back door. “She’s out back. They brought their crazy dog over. And she’s throwing the ball for him and Louie, trying to tire them out.”
When everyone was over, including all three dogs, things got chaotic. “Is there anything else that needs to be done? I can always help with the sid—”
“Nope. All the cooking is done, just waiting on the steaks.” Lo smiled brightly.
Too brightly. No one ever let me cook. I rolled my eyes and headed out to the back patio of my new gorgeous Austin home.
After all that planning and back and forth with the contractor, the compound had turned out perfectly. All the properties—each band member had their own house—complemented each other without being too similar.
Luke and Lo’s was the most modern with lots of custom concrete walls, steel work and glass. My home with Dash was more ranch style, long and open. Our back porch went the entire length of the structure.
Bryan and her sister had similar tastes; they’d both opted for Craftsman-style homes. But all the landscapes flowed through between the houses nicely, and the colors we had used looked great together.
The grounds were green and lush, and the sunsets from Dash and my backyard were phenomenal, so this was where we held our weekly Friday Family Dinner.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hey, Kitten.” Dash held out his hand and Halen and I climbed into his lap, stepping over a snoozing Dagger.
I knew Dash was a little bummed about me working so much. But I loved being the artistic director for Riffraff. I loved it. The position was everything I enjoyed doing rolled into one perfect job.
And I wanted to do it well. I wanted to be the best. I knew this highly sought-after job had just landed in my lap and I didn’t want people to think I didn’t deserve it. “The signage and logos are done. And Mason Maxwell’s album proofs are completed.”
Luke took a pull off his beer while he flipped the steaks. “That kid is a mess.”
“What? He is not. Why would you say that?” Lo sat down and kicked her feet up on our outdoor coffee table. The label had signed Mason Maxwell about two years ago and that guy had hit the ground running. He was a singer/songwriter and could play the guit
ar like nobody’s business. Right now, since the Devil’s Share was semi-retired from touring, he was our biggest star. So of course most of our time and energy was being spent on him.
Smith turned around, beer in one hand and meat hook thing in the other. Apparently it took two musicians to barbeque steaks. “He’s wild, and he’s reckless. He bangs a different girl every night, and he’s cocky as hell.”
Dylan started laughing so hard that she spit her water all over the deck. “Are you two kidding me right now? You guys are accusing a rock star of being a self-absorbed man-whore?” She shook her head, “Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?”
Jacks shrugged. “I get what they’re saying. He’s all party, all the time. There isn’t a serious bone in his body.”
Bryan turned and looked at her boyfriend like he’d grown a second head. “He’s not serious enough? Says the man that told Landry’s computer science teacher that if he wasn’t going to show her how to hack into the CIA database then the class wasn’t worth her time?”
Jacks didn’t answer; he just shrugged again while taking a pull off his beer bottle.
“The girls are right. Mason is pretty much a spitting image of the four of you two years ago.” I got up and started to rock and bounce Halen. It was her bedtime and she was getting fussy in my arms. “He is a really talented kid and he’s going to make us all a lot of money.”
“He’ll meet a girl.” Dylan smiled when Smith reached around and put his hand on her pregnant belly. “And he’ll settle down, he’ll settle into his life.” Her comment kind of melted my heart. All our guys had met a couple girls, hadn’t they? Smith and Dilly were expecting a baby in about two months, Dash had Halen and me, and Jacks had Landry and B. Luke? Well, Luke kind of had the hearts of all of us. Along with his fianceé’s.
“I think he’s a really great kid.” Bryan crossed the patio and sat next to Lo; those two were pretty inseparable. “Did you guys know that his real last name is Cadence? As in Johnny Cadence, his father?” I knew that, but I was guessing by the looks on the guy’s faces that they didn’t. Which meant they hadn’t bothered to do their homework or read the packet Dilly had sent them when we transferred Mason to the Austin branch.
