Ruby Tuesday by Mari Carr Read Free Book Online Page A

album.”
    “Mmm hmm,” Natalie hummed, her suspicion of the truth behind his reluctance to leave resonating in the sound. “She wouldn’t also happen to be spending these next few weeks warming your bed, would she?”
    Sky hoped so, but to hear Natalie word it so callously left him feeling a bit dirty inside. He hadn’t seriously dated a woman since Holly, instead drifting from faceless woman to faceless woman. He hadn’t exactly been promiscuous and he figured he wasn’t a typical rock star in that regard. He didn’t carve notches in his bedpost or keep a list for the day when he could write a tell-all about his wild years as a sex maniac. He just hadn’t bothered to get to know any of the women he’d dated recently. He was looking for some good times at the moment, in and out of the bedroom, and as long as a woman didn’t mind his lack of desire for a commitment, he was good. Once the talk turned to relationship, he hit the road.
    “Wait a minute,” Natalie said, her voice rising. “Back up the bus. Did you say solo album?”
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    “I’ve definitely decided to leave The Universe,” he confirmed. “I haven’t told anyone except you and Teagan yet, so let’s keep that on the DL.”
    “Teagan, huh? Pretty name. Okay, mum’s the word. So what’s the plan for tonight?” Natalie asked.
    He looked around at the Collins’ apartment, taking in his surroundings for the first time. The living room was surprisingly spacious and he realized the family must inhabit the entire second floor. A staircase leading to the floor above insinuated they owned the entire building. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Even if you sneak the photos to your contact tonight, I don’t think the assholes down on the street will get the word right away. I may have to lie low here for a while, and then try to sneak back to the hotel. I’ll call Marty later and see if he can hook me up with a ride.”
    “Is Marty in Baltimore?” Natalie asked.
    “No, he’s coming down next week to get things rolling for the Thanksgiving concert. Until then, I’m on my own.” Sky heard footsteps on the stairs. “Hey listen, I gotta go. Do you mind calling Rod and letting him know I won’t be able to see him off?
    Explain what happened.”
    “No problem. Behave yourself, Mitch.”
    He grinned at her usual comment. “You too, Nat.”
    “And be careful, you freak. A hippie ,” he heard her murmur as she clicked off.
    Natalie never said goodbye. It was a strange quirk of her character he found annoying and endearing at the same time.
    As he turned, Tris, Ewan and Teagan emerged from below. Tris had a split lip and Ewan was sporting a large bruise on his forehead. Sky noted that—mercifully—the fake beard had remained in place. Teagan looked around the room and he could see she was confused.
    “Problem?” he asked.
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    Mari Carr
    “Where’s Riley?” she asked, concern written on her face. He noticed her brothers took the unexpected absence of their sister in stride.
    “Who the hell knows? That girl comes and goes whenever the fuck she pleases,” Tris grumbled, clearly annoyed by his inability to control this younger, wilder sibling Sky had yet to meet.
    He watched as the three of them moved toward the kitchen area—separated from the living room by a wide, long bar—and worked as a team to wash away the blood and grab some ice packs. He marveled at their silent, well-rehearsed collaboration and wondered if perhaps his parents hadn’t planned their family well. He wasn’t exactly a stranger to large families as he was the middle child of three, but his eldest brother was six years older and his baby sister was four years younger. Fights were few and far between in his childhood home, while he thought they seemed to be rather commonplace amongst the Collins kids, who all looked to be about the same age. In fact, as he watched them work, he was struggling to figure out who was the oldest.
    “Okay,” Teagan said at