Escaped Artist (Untamed #3) by Victoria Green, Jinsey Reese Page B

genuine smile blooming. “That doesn’t sound dangerous at all.”
    Dare laughed, shaking his head. “No, it doesn’t.” Then he reached over and brushed his thumb across my cheek. “I’m here. Okay?”
    Leaning into his hand, I sighed. “Yeah,” I said, kissing his palm. “I can do this.”
    “I know.”
    No one had ever believed in me before, and his words filled me with strength.
    His strength. My strength. Our strength.
    “So…are you ready?” he asked, gently nudging my shoulder.
    Not really, but I was never fully going to be. Might as well make this first step.
    I nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”
    He opened the door, and I followed him inside.
    “—don’t understand why we can’t at least have beer here,” a male voice was saying. “And why aren’t there any women?”
    There was a loud smack and the guy said “OW! Jesus, Indie, that fucking hurt!”
    The band members were assembled around the dining room table. All four of them, save for Dash.
    Food was set out along the breakfast bar and the table as if they were having a party, and there were a couple of bottles of soda, seltzer, and juice. But not a drop of alcohol to be seen.
    Because of me. No. FOR me.
    I wasn’t sure whether to feel touched at the gesture or guilty that they were being denied. A little bit of both settled over me.
    “And what am I, Hawke?” The blue-haired girl glared at a tall guy with messy black hair and tribal tattoos winding around both arms.
    “A fucking banshee,” another guy said, and the girl reached over and smacked him on the back of his dirty blond head. “Bloody hell, Blue. No matter how much you wish I was, I’m not your boy toy anymore.”
    Synner. I bit back a smile.
    A dark-skinned guy with short hair grabbed a handful of chips. “Hawke meant real women , Indie. Not you.”
    Indie’s eyes widened into huge blue saucers. She planted her hands on her hips, and I could practically see steam coming out of her ears. “I’m not a REAL WOMAN, Leo?”
    He glared at her. “It’s Lynx , Banshee. And I’m not sure…Synner? You’re the only one who’s had her. Is she a real woman?”
    “She sure screamed like one.” Synner ducked when Indie swung at his head again. “Aw, come on, Blue,” he said, laughing as he dodged every one of her blows. “It’s thanks to me that you can reach all those high notes now.”
    “Well, in THAT case…” Hawke grabbed Indie, threw her over his shoulder and started carrying her toward what I could only assume was his bedroom.
    “Put me down this minute, Hawke, or I swear you’ll NEVER have children!”
    Hawke laughed as she pounded her fists into his back, then gently set her back on the floor. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she kneed him in the groin. Then she spun around, her blue hair flying as she stalked away, while Synner and Leo howled at Hawke doubled over in pain.
    As soon as Indie saw Dare and me standing in the doorway, she stopped. Then she glanced back at the guys in the kitchen, rolled her eyes, and with a resigned sigh said, “Welcome to the island of horny, immature misfit toys, Ree.”

    Dash showed up a little while later with several girls in tow. Hawke, Leo, and Synner immediately dropped the juvenile delinquents act and morphed into slick rock stars. I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched them put well-practiced moves on the groupies.
    Indie, who’d claimed me since I was apparently “the only other voice of reason in this male-infested flat,” shook her head.
    “If those women only knew what these children I live with were REALLY like,” she said as the groupies swooned over her bandmates, “they’d run screaming out of here.” She eyed them from where we sat on the couch. “That is, if they had any sense, and from the way they’re drooling over the guys, they clearly don’t.”
    Thirty minutes with the band, and I was already falling a little bit in love with everyone. I was also feeling so incredibly