“When I get my hands on that jerk!”
“What were you thinking? I trusted you,” Reid’s voice had a note of disappointment. “How could you go to that hospital after I said no?”
Meanwhile, the hotel phone, which was used for business purposes, was ringing. Everyone paused a moment and stared at it. Reid ignored it, turning back to Chelsea with his hard stare. She tried to keep her gaze on the phone, but she felt Reid’s eyes burn into her.
“You weren’t there to see him, Reid,” she said in a low tone.
She recalled how Colt had been, the pain on his face, in his voice along with the torment of knowing what he did. That’s what she tried to convey to Reid, but the manager did not seem to get the message clearly. He went off on a tangent.
“I wasn’t there? Where was I these last fifteen years?” His voice sounded incredulous.
“I-I-I didn’t mean that,” she stuttered. “I mean the last few days.”
He smirked while his titanium eyes glinted dangerously. “I’ve been there every step of the way for the last decade and a half, and you say I wasn’t there? I don’t need to be in the room to know what’s going on!” His voice rose a few decibels.
“She didn’t mean anything by it, Reid. Calm down, man,” Colt chimed in.
“Just shut up, Colt!” Reid bellowed. “I’ve had it with you and your antics. You know what? I’d just quit right here if I didn’t promise … forget it.”
“What did you promise?” Colt stood, stepping toward him, their eyes locking.
Andrew, Mike, and Tony who had been uncomfortable spectators, now passed by, heading to the entrance. “I think we’ll go to rehearsals early. You guys sort this out,” Tony said.
Reid waved them away, but Colt did not even glance their way. She smiled as Tony passed by and waved, but for the most part, she kept her eyes on Colt. As soon as the door closed behind the boys, Colt resumed his question.
“What or whom did you promise?”
“I said forget it,” Reid ground through his teeth.
His face was set in a hard line, and his eyes shot darts at Colt. He started to move away when Colt grabbed his arm. Chelsea’s mouth dropped open when Reid turned and landed a fist on the rock star’s jaw. Colt reeled back a couple of steps before regaining his ground. He straightened and moved toward Reid, but she was quick and grabbed his arm.
“No, stop!” she said.
The shock of seeing them angry at each other was making her head spin. Reid looked on as if waiting for Colt to strike, but Colt only fingered his jaw and stared at him. They glared at each other for a while before Colt sauntered to his room and closed the door. Reid strode to the window, stuffing his hands in his pants pocket. Chelsea looked from the bedroom to the window and wondered what she was supposed to do.
Damage control was in order. How to get that done was mindboggling to Chelsea. On all the other occasions that she’d handled, Colt had been the main focus. Now that she was involved, Reid was clearly angry … no … furious with them both. How would she temper him? She approached tentatively, wanting to explain her actions. He turned to face her, and she hesitated.
“I-I-I’m sorry Reid,” she stuttered nervously.
Her bravery of the last few days suddenly disappeared, leaving her as vulnerable as before. Reid glowered at her for a few moments before his shoulders sagged with the exhalation of a long breath. His eyes rested on Colt’s door before returning to her. She tried to steady her nerves, but they were increasingly getting the better of her. Had she made things worse?
“Forget about it. You had the courage to do what I didn’t. I’m so concerned about his image that I forget that he’s human,” he explained. “Tell me, how is she?” He was referring to Colt’s mother.
She shook her head slowly while she spoke, “Not good it seems. She’s hooked up to machines and oxygen.”
“Poor woman has been through a lot,” he said with much concern etched in his voice. “I promised her I’d take care of her son.”
“So that’s the promise?”
“Yes, I saw her after I met Colt. Somehow he trusted me and told me what he remembered. I had been through a similar situation, so I could relate to him,” he said while walking back to the window and turning his back to her.
“You want to talk about it?’ she asked.
He turned his head and glanced at her before turning to stare at something far away it seemed. “I also grew up with a stepdad. My parents were divorced, and my father disappeared on us. My mother went through a lot of abuse.” He paused. “He ended up killing her; that bastard killed my mother. I was glad when Colt told me what happened. Colt’s mother became like a sort of hero for me.”
“That’s why you stuck around all this time, isn’t it?”
Reid turned abruptly. “You can’t tell him any of this.”
“Too late for that,” Colt’s voice came from the doorway.
Was that anger she heard? She wasn’t confident about it. There seemed to be an edge to his voice. He stalked forward and faced his manager. She retreated to the sofa and watched the back of Colt. His shoulders seemed tensed as the two of them watched each other in silence. She could not see their eyes, but she sensed their tension.
“You hid this from me?” Colt’s gravelly tone surprised her.
Reid turned his face toward the window and replied, “I couldn’t tell you. Don’t ask me why … I just knew I felt kinship with you when you told me your story.”
“I had to tell you. You insisted on me baring my past so that you knew what you were dealing with if things got out of control.”
“Yes, I needed to know for the very reason Jason showed up and then this,” he quietly stated. “Moreover, I knew I had to protect you after speaking with your mother.”
“How’s that?” Colt asked, but before Reid could reply, he added, “she told you, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, I went to see her after talking with you … I saw her several times before she finally told me the truth.”
“So you knew I was a murderer all along,” Colt sounded dejected.
Chelsea sprang from the sofa, and Colt turned away from Reid. She rushed to him and touched his cheek, trying to hug him. He turned away from her and tried to gently push her away. She would not let him. She finally got both hands on his cheeks, willing him to look at her. His eyes were heavy with the despair he was feeling. She ached for him.
“You are not a murderer,” she softly said. He stared at her while she tried to convey her trust in his innocence. “You are not a murderer, and don’t ever let me hear you say that again.”
Reid patted him on the shoulder. “She’s right,” he said. “Stop beating yourself up, man. I said your mom was my hero when you told me your story. Did you know why I stayed with you all these years even when you were being a jackass?”
Colt’s voice was hoarse, but he managed to ask, “Why?”
“You became my hero. You did something I was too chicken to do. You defended your mom, while me … I cowered in a corner and cried like a pussy. I hated myself.” He paused, looking Colt square in the eyes. “You were the hero.”
Colt slumped to the sofa. Chelsea could see that being vulnerable like this was eating away at Colt. He was exposed, his true self, the one who hurt. He liked to show the tough guy when in fact, he was like everyone else … in pain.
“Anyhow, we need to get your mom released so we can move her to a private facility and get her the best care,” Reid added.
Colt pressed the heel of his palm into his eye sockets. He was still tense from all the emotions of the past two weeks and the guilt he was experiencing. Chelsea was surprised that he considered himself a murderer. As far as she was concerned, he did what he had to do to save his family from an abusive man. Even Reid’s mother died at the hands of an abuser.
“How will that work?” she asked.
“I’ll turn myself in,” Colt said.
Reid held up his hand. “Don’t jump the gun
. Let’s talk to your lawyer first and see what he can do. Maybe he can work something out. Your mom did confess and served a sentence.”
Reid looked at Chelsea and back at Colt. She figured he was trying to send her a signal. She touched Colt’s shoulder, and he looked up at her. She beckoned him to follow her. She took him to the balcony while Reid made the necessary calls. There on the balcony, she rested her head on his upper arm and slipped a hand around his waist.
“It’s going to be alright, you’ll see,” she murmured, feeling the tension in his body.
31. Chapter 11
He trusted her. She looked at him with such tenderness that he had to. His heart leaped as he looked into her eyes. She was smiling up at him, and he stopped breathing. His eyes rested on her lips, and her smile faded, but she kept her gaze upon him. She was breathing shallow, and it pleased him. He stepped closer to her, and she made a step back, meeting the balcony rail.
They’d been out there for about half hour, standing in silence while he allowed his heart and mind to settle. If he was to move forward, he had to come to terms with the past, present, and future. What future? The only thing certain was that he wanted Chelsea in it, but did he even deserve her? What kind of future could she have with a man who was headed to prison? Still, he could not help falling head over heels.
Her tongue came out and slowly ran across her soft pink lips. As he dipped his head, he heard someone clear his throat. Chelsea took the opportunity to duck under his arm and flee. He watched as she slipped through the French doors back into the main room.
“What are you doing, Colt?” Reid’s voice was hard as nails.
“What do you mean?”
Reid glowered at him. “With Chelsea.”
“I don’t see that as any of your business.”
“All I’m saying is that you need to sort this thing out before getting serious. She’s no ordinary girl,” Reid said in a cool tone.
He sighed and replied, “I know.”
The phone rang once more, and Reid rushed to answer it. He followed the manager back inside and took a seat close to Chelsea. While Reid spoke with the lawyer, Colt continued to tell Chelsea about his past. He won the guitar when he was sixteen and had no idea how to play. His boss at the restaurant had a friend who was a tutor and got Colt into the music class. There he learned to play different instruments and develop the love for rock music.
“Colt,” Reid’s voice interrupted them again.
“Yeah,” he raised his face to his manager. “Have you made arrangements to see my mother?”
“The attorney wants you to go to the San Pedro Police Department. There’s something you need to know.”
“Is she dead?” he asked, fearing the worst.
“No, it’s not your mother, let’s go.”
Reid picked up the keys to the car he’d rented a few days back. He always got a car for quick travel. They left the suite and headed down to the hotel parking lot. Reid drove in silence all the way to the police station. Colt didn’t know what to think. If it had nothing to do with his mother, what then? Was this the final destination? He knew that he’d have to face some jail time; he just didn’t expect it so soon.
Reid was the one to speak to the officer at the front desk when they got there. “Detective Henry—is he around. He’s expecting Reid Richards.”
“Over there.” She indicated another officer by a desk.
He was wearing a baby blue shirt rolled up at the sleeves with a loosened navy tie. He looked more like a white collar executive than a police detective.
“Colt Montgomery?” the officer asked as they approached.
“Yes,” Reid replied.
“Your lawyer called and asked for the case file. I was the officer on duty at the time. I was a sergeant back then. It’s strange, why do you need the file now. We know Williams died of a brain aneurysm.”
Colt wasn’t sure what he just heard. “What?” he asked, dumbfounded.
Henry repeated, “Williams died of an aneurysm, didn’t you know this?”
Colt staggered back. A heady sensation washed over him as the night he stabbed his stepfather resurfaced. Lightheaded, stomach churning, he stumbled to a nearby wall leaning wearily, trying to regain his strength. He could not believe what he was hearing. This must be a mistake. His mother spent the last twenty years in prison covering his crime, though it was a crime of passion or self-defense.
“What are you saying?” His shock was quickly being replaced by a deeper emotion, which began to burn fiercely in his belly.
The anger was quickly becoming a raging fire that flared and made his skin burn. His hazel eyes became as hard as rock as he listened to the detective recount the events of the cold case.
“Edna Montgomery married Williams,” he was reading from a file. “They had three kids between them. She made several complaints against him during the course of their marriage. The day he died, it was reported that he was stabbed by Edna in defense. However, the case was resolved before the autopsy report since she confessed. We sent a copy of the report to the DA. We had no jurisdiction over the matter. When the lawyer called, I knew the name was familiar, so I drew up the file and here it is.”
The detective picked up a sheet of paper from the file and handed it to Reid. Colt ground his teeth together in agitation as the mystery of the past unraveled before him. Something was fishy about this. If the autopsy report was sent to the DA, why was his mother still in prison for a crime neither of them committed?
32. Chapter 12
Colt was at another meeting with his attorney along with Reid. The news that the police reported to them was shocking. Colt was angry. He’d returned from the police department in a stupor. Chelsea listened as Reid recounted the events to her, and she could not help feeling relieved for Colt. However, he was not taking the news well, which was understandable.
“My mother spent two decades in prison, for what?”
“Let’s sue their pants off!” Reid shouted.
He was as equally outraged as Colt. The latter was trying to rein in his anger. Reid, on the other hand, was pacing frantically and running his hand through his already short hair. He strode to the window and then to the desk before coming to face Chelsea.
“Call the promoter; ask them to book Colt another day. Tell them anything,” he instructed.
Colt’s head shot up as he made eye contact with Reid. “What are you doing? The concert is already sold out. It’s in less than 48 hours.”
“There’s too much going on. We’ll refund half the ticket prices and give them two concerts when this is over,” the manager suggested.
Colt shook his head vigorously. “No, I’m not postponing. It would set back the other tour dates. Let’s do this.”
“Are you serious? Can you go on stage with all that’s going on?”
“I’ve been performing for the last fifteen years under the exact same circumstances. Nothing has changed except that the truth has been revealed,” he replied, casting his eyes upon Chelsea. “What do you say?”
Her mind was also numb from all that was happening, and she had no inkling what to say in this situation. She weighed her mind while Colt waited expectantly for her reply. It was strange. A month ago, he was the biggest jerk she knew; now he was looking at her like her answer was the only one that mattered.
“If you feel that you’re okay enough to do it, then I see no reason to postpone. It could work in your favor,” she replied.
He smiled and asked, “How so?”
“If you put all your emotions, the anger, pain, and everything you are feeling now into your performance, you should have the crowd eating out of your hands.”
He seemed pleased. However, Reid didn’t look convinced, but he said nothing. Colt connected his eyes with hers, and for a moment, the room faded. It happened every now and then that when he looked at her this way, she felt that she was alone in the world with him. Her heart skipped a beat. Heat ran up her neck, and she blushed deeply.
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“Now if you two could stop making googly eyes at each other, maybe we can pull this off,” Reid’s sarcastic tone brought her back to the room. “Chelsea, I need you to head over to the venue and see to it that everything is taken care of. We need to divert the press’ attention from the article about his mother.”
“Should we make a statement about the coroner’s report?” she asked.
Reid shook his head. “Not yet. We need to sort things out with the lawyer and the police. I have a feeling that someone was behind the whole thing.”
“Okay,” she agreed. A niggling feeling was gnawing at her as well, but she put a smile on her face and made to move off.
“Also set up another press meeting for right after the concert when he’s fresh off the stage,” he added. “Everything should be sorted by then.”
With her purse in hand, Chelsea headed to the door. As she put her hand on the handle, the door burst open, and the other band members rushed through. Behind them was a throng of people shouting questions. Andrew slammed the door and shook his head.
“All hell is breaking loose outside. Some news broke that Colt killed somebody,” Tony announced.
“Jason,” she blurted out the name without thinking.
Colt’s head whipped around to face her. He’d been talking softly to Reid while she headed to the door, and then his attention had settled on Tony. Now he had one brow cocked and was looking at her questioningly.
“Jason, I think I saw him around in the last couple of days. I wasn’t sure until now. It must be.”
“Who’s Jason?” Andrew asked.
Reid and Colt exchanged looks before Colt nodded and sat on the sofa. Reid beckoned them over. It was apparent that he was going to tell them about Colt’s past, what they did not already know.
“It’s best this comes from us, so you all know what’s going on.”
* * * *
Chelsea managed to slip out the door about an hour after Tony and the crew rushed in. The hall was empty because the hotel security ushered the reporters out. It so happened that they had gained entry via the emergency staircase. A security patrol was stationed there ASAP.
USED by Him: A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance Box Set Page 18