Hotshot Deceiver: A Hero Club Novel

by K E Osborn

  “I’m going to change my number,” she yells back through a heavy sniffle.

  My heart sinks, wondering if she will. “I’ll still call you tomorrow.”

  “Fuck off, Edward Junior!” Paisley pushes me with all her strength, and seeing as I have now lost all of mine, I stumble out of the doorway. My ears don’t miss Lyri’s sobs again as Paisley slams the door in my face.

  I stare at the woodgrain, my body shuddering with pent-up frustration.

  How did it get to this?

  Hearing her wracking cries through the door tears my heart to shreds. I did that to her.

  She’s falling to shreds all because of me.

  We’re apart because of me.

  Regrettably, I turn and head to my car, defeated.

  How can a night which was going so fucking fantastically escalate into something so dramatic this damn fast? The woman I’ve fallen for, the woman I love, hates me beyond anything she’s ever known, and I don’t blame her.

  She thinks I was in our relationship purely to sign her as an artist. She doesn’t know how wrong she is. Yes, when she gave me her name, and I first heard her sing, I saw dollar signs for sure. But when I heard her story and knew what singing meant to her, I knew she was done with it. However, most of all, telling her I was a producer would only make her think the worst of me. And as time went on, it got harder for me to admit the truth.

  I guess the longer I left it, the easier the lie felt on my tongue. Then coming clean just got harder and harder knowing that when she found out, this exact situation would happen.

  Do I wish I could go back, make it right? Yes, with everything in me. But wishing never gets you anywhere. I need to take action.

  Pulling up to my lavish mansion in Beverly Park, I walk in feeling like this place isn’t my home anymore. I’ve spent all my time at Lyri’s because her place feels more like home to me than I have felt anywhere in forever. This is a stylish mansion full of expensive belongings. They’re just things, and they’re certainly not what makes a home.

  I walk over to the bar and pour myself a drink, wishing I were able to figure out a way to make it up to Lyri. What can I do? The fact of the matter is, as soon as she mentioned her full name, I knew who she was. As soon as she started talking about her family, it confirmed it. Her father, Stylo, is a huge 80’s rock icon. I’ve met him. Had lunch with him. HHell, I even produced one of his more recent albums.

  I know the two sides of the Griffin family coin.

  Lyri’s version, the one of her childhood where her father was completely absent, leaving Lyri alone to tend to her brother and sister—that’s nothing but the truth. She felt abandoned. She felt like music stole her childhood and the life she should have had with her parents, with her family.

  I know her father, and all he talked about while I was with him was his eldest daughter and how she’s the light of his life. How everything he did and is doing was for her. He was always on tour, so the money they brought in would give her and her siblings everything they could ever dream of or want, even though they’re all grown now. He still wanted to provide for them even if he didn’t always show it.

  The only thing he didn’t realize was that she didn’t want materialistic things.

  She just wanted her parents and their love.

  I lounge back in my big leather armchair, sipping on my whiskey.

  I need to think.

  Think about my options and weigh up what I need to do to win Lyri back.

  It’s dark. There’s not a light on in the house as I ponder, getting fueled more and more by my whiskey. The thing is, I think it’s helping because I need to come up with a plan.

  A plan to get back in Lyri’s good graces, and I need some backup to help me do it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  THE NEXT MORNING

  I came into the office today for no other reason than to keep my mind off the shitstorm that was last night. The office never sleeps—it’s not your typical Monday through Friday, nine-to-five job. We deal with rock royalty, and they don’t stick to business hours, so we need to be available to them twenty-four-seven. I’m in today to keep my mind active and try to gain some semblance of normalcy. I didn’t sleep a wink, so I’m sure I look like hell, but I honestly couldn’t give a shit.

  Sitting at my desk, I glance at my cell. I told Lyri I’d call her today. It’s nearly eleven. Now’s as good a time as any. So, I swipe my cell and dial her number.

  My stomach churns as the phone rings.

  This is step number one.

  At least it hasn’t been disconnected. Yet.

  I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding when it goes to voicemail. I clench my eyes tight. She’s screening my calls, so I do the only thing I can think of to get my message across to her. I open the text app.

  Me: I’m not giving up on us!

  I wait and see. Then the little icon switches to read. My muscles tense, waiting to see if she’s going to reply. I wait and wait but nothing.

  Now she’s the one ghosting me.

  Loud footsteps enter my room. “Have you sealed the deal yet?” My father’s booming voice echoes through my office.

  I pull my head up from my cell, ready to yell at him, but he continues before I can say one word.

  “Fuck, son, you look like shit. Have another drink. It’ll take the edge off whatever’s happening over…” he waves his hand toward me, “… there.”

  I groan, placing my cell face down on the desk while sitting back in my chair, hating the fact my father’s so fucking uncaring. I figure he’s here, so I may as well probe him about what the hell was so important last night that he caused my breakup with Lyri. “You never said why you were searching for Jase and me last night?”

  He stands taller, puffing out his chest. “Oh, like I can remember the reason for that now.”

  Anger surges through me, so I stand from my chair, walking over to him. “It seemed pretty important at the time, Dad. You came all that way to see us?”

  His Adam’s apple bobs up and down. “I was in the area, and I wanted to talk to you about a family dinner.”

  He’s lying.

  “You said you wanted to see Jase and me. That’s what you said when you came in.”

  His eyes dart around like he’s hoping for a way out. “Shit!”

  I flare my nostrils, smelling a rat. “Dad, after what I did for you, you don’t have the right to lie to me.”

  His eyes meet mine while his hard stance softens. He knows when I pull that card on him I have him over a barrel. “Fine! Dammit! Jase told me about the girl you’ve been seeing and that you told him she has the voice of an angel.” I tense, not liking where this shit’s going. “He sent me a text when he said you were all meeting up for drinks at a karaoke bar. He was going to see if she got up on stage to sing. When it happened, he’d let me know, and I’d come across.”

  “Come across?” I grunt, my breaths coming in hard and fast in my undeniable rage.

  “I was across the street eating dinner. I could see you all through the window.”

  I turn, running my hand through my hair, tugging to release some of the frustration and anger I’m feeling. If I don’t, I’m afraid of what I could do right now. “So, you’re telling me Jase, my supposed best friend, gave you insider info on my girlfriend and told you to come when she was singing?”

  He grimaces, hesitates, but then nods. “Yes.”

  I let out a groan, pushing past him to head down toward the music studio. My anger rages over me like a tidal wave. It invades every pore, every fiber of my being as I burn hot. Sweat tops my brow, a single bead running down my temple in my fury.

  All I can see is red, and Jase is the neon sign, flashing ‘hit me.’

  My palms bash on the swinging doors as I storm through the studio to see Jase sitting with some new talent who’s making fucking doe eyes at him. His fingers curl through her hair as they sit, leaning in close together, while he curls some of her hair around his fing
er. She’s smiling at him like she’s deeply in love as I stomp up to Jase, seeing him for nothing but the conniving asshole he really is. My feet pound the concrete floor, and using all my strength, I shove his chest as hard as fucking possible. His eyes widen as he falls backward off his stool straight onto his ass with so much force he skids along the ground.

  “What the fuck?” Jase calls out as the stupid floozy he’s with screams and races off to the corner of the room. But I don’t stop.

  Jase’s confused face peers up at me, brows furrowed as I move in, bending down abruptly, hand balled into a fist. I lurch forward, smacking straight into Jase’s pretty-boy jaw. His head snaps to the left as he falls back. My hand throbs with pain. I grab his shirt, pulling him back up, then slam my fist into his face again. But it doesn’t bring the relief I was hoping for—all it does is make me want to hurt him even more.

  I feel like I’m losing myself as I go to punch him again, but suddenly, I’m lifted by the arms and being dragged off. I struggle in their grip. It’s Dad and Little Mickey from the sound lab pulling me off my best friend. With an exaggerated huff, I yank out of their grip as I begin to pace the floor while Jase rubs his swelling face. My anger’s not subsiding, but the red haze is lifting now that I’ve gotten some of my rage out of the way.

  “Jesus, EJ!” Dad calls out while walking over to Jase who’s on the floor. He bends down, checking over his face.

  “You told him?” Jase questions my father, spitting out a line of blood.

  I turn, glaring at Jase. “You told him! You told Dad about Lyri? I trusted you to keep that shit to yourself.”

  Jase slowly stands from the floor, straightening out his leather jacket. “We’re in the music industry, Eddie… we’re supposed to find talent. She has it in spades. If we don’t snap her up, someone else will. It’s only a matter of time.”

  I groan in frustration. “No, it’s not. She doesn’t want that life,” I yell. “And you would know that if you’d been listening to me at all. I confide in you, Jase… that’s what best friends do. You used this information against me. To what? To gain a fucking client.” I shake my head. “I don’t even know who the fuck you are.”

  Jase cracks his jaw from side to side as if to relieve some tension. “I market your talent… Lyric is marketable. I saw exactly what you saw the moment you first laid eyes on her, the first moment you heard her sing—”

  “You can’t force someone into this life if they don’t want it, Jase,” I interrupt him quickly.

  “You can if she’ll do it for you, Eddie. She loves you, right?” Dad asks.

  I glare at my father. “I’m not doing it. I won’t force her. Not for you, not for any of you. I’ve done more than enough for you, Dad.”

  Dad’s eyes drop to the floor in understanding. I gave up a huge chunk of my life for him. I shouldn’t keep bringing it up, I shouldn’t rub it in his face every chance I get, but the debt is huge, and sometimes he needs to be reminded.

  He exhales, running his hand over his large head of hair. “I know. And you know I will always be grateful for what you did for me, for this company, for our family, Eddie. But there comes a point when you need to step up as EVP and bring talent to the table when you see it.”

  “Not if the talent doesn’t want to be brought in… there’s no point. Having a vocalist on our books who refuses to sing? What in the hell is the point in that?”

  Dad’s eyes widen. “You think she’ll refuse?”

  I dip my head. “I don’t think… I damn well know.”

  “She sang last night,” Jase rebuts.

  “And did you not hear her choice of song, Jase? She was saying goodbye to her past and letting go of everything. She doesn’t want to be a singer. That was her last song.”

  “People’s minds can be changed when a dollar amount is flashed in front of their—”

  “Lyri isn’t like that! Fuck, man, why do you think so little of her?” I argue.

  He rubs his jaw. “I don’t think little of her. I think she’s whipped you, and you’re changing because of it.”

  I raise my brow. “Is that such a bad thing?”

  “Only you can decide if you wanna keep your balls or not. Way I see it, you’re too emotionally involved.”

  That makes no damn sense. “Jase, she is…” I take a deep, steadying breath, “… no, was my girlfriend. I’m supposed to be emotionally involved.”

  “Whatever, bro. I’m done with this conversation.” He rubs his jaw again and storms out of the music studio.

  I turn to Dad, scoffing out a laugh. “He acts like he’s done nothing wrong.”

  Dad faces me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Look at it through Jase’s eyes. His best friend, who he spends all his time with, suddenly gets a girl. You become distracted and spend more time with the girl than with him. Then Jase finds out said girlfriend could do wonders for the place where you both strive to do your best, this company, and you won’t have a bar of it. He’s only going to feel like you’re choosing her over him yet again.” He shrugs. “He misses you, EJ, that’s all. Jase is many things… arrogant, pig-headed, childish, for sure, but the one thing he has always done is stick by your side. You’d do well to remember that.”

  I think of the worst time in my life. The time I was locked away from everyone I loved. Jase was the only one who made more than an effort to make sure I was taken care of. He stood by me through thick and thin, even when everyone around us thought I was nothing more than a worthless scum-sucker. Those were rough times, especially in the early days.

  Being in jail was never easy.

  Being in jail for a crime you didn’t commit was even fucking harder.

  I’m a convicted felon.

  I went to jail for five years.

  Was fined ten thousand dollars.

  My life was on hold for so long I almost forgot what coming back to reality was like. That’s why Jase was my savior while I was in there. Not because he was in the jail cell with me—but because Jase would visit me nearly every day and keep me up to date with everything including the family, the company, and the outside world. He made me feel like life was worth living.

  As each year progressed, I got stronger and stronger, and by the time Chance—the guy with the goat was behind bars and he became my cellmate, not my roommate—I was practically his life coach. Not in the real sense, but Jase had given me enough strength in my first three years to give Chance the strength for his two. Chance left just before me. He was in for beating a guy a little too much. Douche deserved it. The fact still remains that Jase has been, and always is, there for me, and maybe with my mind so focused on Lyri, I’ve forgotten that fact.

  “Thanks, Dad. I might be hurting, but I needed to remember that.”

  “Sometimes we’re blind to see what’s right in front of us.”

  I know he doesn’t only mean with Jase—he means with Lyri too. He’s still pushing for her music career. Thing is, that’s never going to happen. Not on my watch.

  I turn and make my way to find Jase.

  I need to apologize for being a fucked-up friend.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Making my way out of the studio, I assume Jase will be back with lip-filler Barbie. First, I search the office area, and he’s nowhere to be found. So, I make a last-ditch effort—if you can’t find Jase, search for the food or the booze—and head to the kitchen.

  As I walk in, Jase is leaning against the countertop, bag of ice against his swollen face in one hand and a glass of something resembling whiskey in the other. My shoulders slump. I know immediately Jase isn’t in the right frame of mind. Neither am I. This whole thing has screwed with us both.

  His non-iced eye glances up at me as he stands taller, placing the ice on the counter. I think he’s expecting me to punch him again by the way his body’s tensing, but instead, I walk up to him and yank him to me in a tight, back-slapping embrace.

  He’s stiff, not hugging me back. He’s just stiff like he thinks I’ve
lost my damn mind.

  “What the fuck, man? Are you off your meds or something? Punching me, then hugging me… make up your fucking mind.”

  I pull back, then exhale. “I fucked up, sure. But it doesn’t excuse what you did, Jase. That shit was uncalled for. If only you’d talked to me, I could have explained Lyri’s situation.”

  “But Eddi—”

  “No buts, Jase. She doesn’t want this life. That’s where it needs to end. Trust me on this. You still trust me, don’t you?”

  His body finally slumps. “Yeah, bro… always.”

  “Then I need you to let this go, and I swear I’ll be more present. I’m sorry I got so wrapped up in her. It’s just… I’ve never felt for anyone the way I feel for Lyri, Jase. It scares me how deep my feelings run for her and how quickly it happened.”

  His eyes meet mine. It’s like something inside of him click, like he’s finally seeing it. “You love her.”

  My body ignites, my chest warming at the thought. “I do.”

  He slowly grips my shoulder. “Then, brother, we gotta get her back ’cause I’m not having you mope around here like a lovesick puppy. That’s not good for your image.” He gives me a dirty big smirk.

  I slap him across the back of the head. “Asshole.”

  He exhales with his humor. “We need to make a plan. A ‘get Lyri back’ plan. If anyone can pull off something big, it’s us.”

  “I love how getting her back is now an us thing. You do know there’s only two of us in this relationship, not three?”

  He mockingly frowns. “Are you sure you don’t wanna spice things up?”

  I roll my eyes, turning to walk out the door.

  “I’m kidding,” he calls out. “Kinda,” he mumbles with a smirk as I turn back to face him. “So, you wanna go in with a big bang right away, or just ease in slow and steady like, giving her just a little thrust to wet her whistle?”