End Up Here

Chapter 26

"So why am I here? What is there to discuss between the two of us?" I ask while silencing my phone and sliding it into my clutch. I look over at the bartender preparing my drink and anxiously wait for him to finish. Brad's breath fans over my neck while he inches closer and closer to me. I shiver in disgust, but he doesn't seem to think that.

"You still react to me like before..." he trails off while tucking a stand of hair behind my ear. I lean back and push him and his hands away from my body. He sits back and the bartender comes with my drink.

"Here you go Ms. Thompson," the bartender, named Francis, places my drink in front of me and then in a hurried manner to the impatient couple at the other end of the counter.

"So I kept on thinking..." Brad states while picking up his glass and taking a swig.

"Oh my gosh, you actually know how to use that head of yours?" I ask with sarcasm and bitterness dripping off my voice. Smugly, I smile at him. He rolls his eyes and wraps his arm around me, pulling me into his body.

I try to pull out of his grip, but he just tightens it while whispering, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." I laugh and continue to struggle to get out of his possession, "Oh really why's that?"

He pulls me closer and places his mouth right next to my ear, "Cause I know your little secret and I have a strong feeling you want to keep it a secret," he deadpans. I stop struggling and look up at him and ask, "And what might that be?"

He kisses right below my ear and murmurs, "I know about your boyfriend." I freeze up and he seems to lighten his hold on me. He grins and then pulls me closer to him, "You see... I couldn't understand why you always pushed me aside. Then when we were at the charity event I could of swear I saw Luke guiding you in, but I didn't think much of this. Later on that night you left and then he did. You continued to brush me off and I knew that the reason had something to do with him. So I hired a private investigator. Had him follow the both of you around and well I got all the answers I need. Then Riley Kingston, soon-to-be Thompson, comes into town and then I thought it would be the perfect time to give you an ultimatum."

"And why would I consider this ultimatum? Making a deal with you is like making a deal with the devil. What kind of crack are you smoking to think that I would care what you're going to offer?"

Brad smirks, "See I thought you would say that. Well you tell me then. You break up with Luke and come back to me, or someone gets hurt."

"Someone as in you and your ego?" I ask with a shocked expression.

"Wouldn't it be a bummer if Preston's brakes broke right when he needed to stop when a sudden construction blockade happens on the Brooklyn Bridge? Or if someone were to put poison in Riley's food before sending it out to her? Or even if someone would spill the beans about you and Luke and ruin the whole bands reputation?"

"You would go as far as blackmail to get me back?" I ask with wide eyes. He would go all the way to intentionally harming my brother or ruining 5 Seconds of Summer? What did I ever see in him?

"I wouldn't consider it blackmail. I'd consider it knowing how far I'd need to go to get what I want."

He gets a call on his phone and answers it before briefly talking and then hanging up. He turns back to me and smiles before pecking my cheek, "I have to fly back to New York, so call me when you have an answer."

~

He walks out of the bar and I sit there baffled and thinking about how to tell this to the boys without them going out looking for blood, Brad's blood. I flag down Francis and he walks over to me and asks, "How can I help you Miss Thompson?" I twirl around the straw to my almost full lava flow and push it forward.

"Can you dump this. I need something with a kick in it." I say while grabbing out my phone and checking the time.

"Scotch? Bourbon? Brandy? Vodka?"

"All of them on the rocks, please."

"Of course, Miss Thompson."

I walk back into the hotel room after drowning a lot of alcohol. Not enough to get me drunk, but enough to make me feel the buzz. I step in the elevator and walk into the living room. Maia, Tesa and Ash are sitting there with worried expressions, Cal is pacing the room, Mikey is running his fingers through his hair from the armrest, and Riley is half asleep on the leather chair.

"What happened to all of you?" I ask, tossing down my bag and walking over to Maia, plopping myself down next to her and crossing my legs on Ash's lap.

"We can't find Luke anywhere... We notice he left a couple of hours ago, and now we can't find him. He won't answer his phone or respond to any of the texts we're sending him." Cal says while Tesa gets up and stops him by his shoulders. She pulls him into a hug and he stops and hugs her back.

"I sure nothing's wrong. Maybe he went to get a drink or something? He should be fine. He was when I left." I mumble. The don't make a move to their rooms and I sigh getting up I pull Ash to his feet, "Come on. You're supposed to be my partner in crime."

"What does that have to do with this?" Ash asks with a knowing look. I roll my eyes and in a 'duh' tone I say, "Nothing, but you love me and you're going to help me." He groans, but gets up and helps me get everyone off their butts and into their rooms to sleep.