Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)

by Michelle Jo Quinn

  All she had to do now was let Cade know what her father was willing to do in order to keep his daughter in his custody. Even if Harley knew that Cade had left on her own, she wasn’t about to give up on the only friend she had ever had.

  She dialled Cade’s number, but an electronic voice told her that the phone number was no longer available. Harley tried again and again and kept getting the same message. The floodgates re-opened and her body racked as she sobbed, continuing to press redial on her phone. There must be some mistake, she thought. Cade had no other number. This was the only way she could get a hold of her. What had happened? Where had she gone?

  Belatedly, she felt a presence in the room with her. She hadn’t heard the door open as she wailed. The mattress dipped beside her, and she heard her father call her name.

  “Harley, what are you doing here, baby?” He stroked her hair, much like how Cade used to do, and it made Harley cry harder.

  She turned to her father. Jax lifted her and sat her on his lap, holding her close to him. “I…can’t…reach…her…” she said between sobs.

  Jax sighed heavily against his daughter’s hair. “Reach who?”

  “Cade.”

  Harley waited for her father to say something, but he stayed silent. Maybe he didn’t know the answer. Maybe he didn’t realize that Cade really had left them for good, and she had severed any ways for them to communicate. Jax continued to smooth her hair, rocking her on his lap like she was a little baby. Weeks before, she would have pushed him away, but not tonight. She needed her father more than anything. And somehow, she felt that he needed her too. It was then that she realized she wasn’t the only one who lost Cade, her father had too.

  ***

  Jax woke up sniffing the pillow under his head. It smelled sweet. It smelled like Cade. He felt Harley stir beside him. She had fallen asleep on his lap, while she cried out for Cade. He had fallen asleep too not long after, distraught at the thought of both their losses.

  When he’d gone to check on her the previous night in her bedroom, he had found an empty bed. Panic had begun to wring his stomach when he realized that Harley had disappeared. The entire day, since Cade had departed, Harley had stayed in her bedroom. He’d been thankful she hadn’t pushed away all her meals, although he’d asked her to have some more, since Dr. Wellington had informed him that Harley would need to regain her strength after the recent episode.

  Jax had met Penny, Cade’s replacement. She was a sweet enough woman, slightly older than Cade, and had appeared very capable and professional. There was no mention of Cade during their meeting, as Zee briefly recounted what Penny’s previous experiences were. None had involved caring for a little girl.

  “Do you have kids, Penny?” Jax had asked her.

  “No, I do not.”

  “Ever want any?” Jax spotted the wedding ring on the woman’s finger. Zee told him that she’d just gotten married. The question was unrelated to her job. He knew that Cade hadn’t had any experiences with kids either, yet she still managed to be great with Harley.

  “Not at the moment,” Penny answered truthfully.

  Jax had wondered if Cade ever wanted any kids of her own. He’d wondered if Cade would have wanted to get married. He never had the chance to ask her any of these questions, although he wasn’t sure if Cade would have been forthcoming with her replies.

  Turning on his back, he propped an arm over his forehead. Jax wasn’t too sure how well Harley would take to Penny, but Penny had to be there for her, for them. If Fiona returned, he wanted to make sure Harley would be protected. He didn’t doubt that Penny would be able to handle Fiona.

  He felt his phone vibrating in his jeans pocket. He pulled it out and found Bruno’s name on the screen. Jax should have been at practice that morning.

  “Yeah.” He let the bitterness out, even though he knew his agent did not deserve it. It had been Jax’s idea to continue with the concert and the rehearsals.

  “Hey, Jax, just checking to see if you’re coming in today.” Bruno sounded nervous. The man represented many more artists but Jax was his biggest client. Not only that, they had become friends too. Bruno was aware of all the events that had occurred. He had seen how Harley had shut down after Cade left.

  The entire band had his back, Jax knew it. But everything still depended on Jax.

  “I’ll be there in half an hour. I’ll just check on Harley.”

  At the mention of her name, Harley slowly opened her eyes and stretched her arms and legs. She looked small and breakable, a fragile porcelain doll in pyjamas with yellow ducks on them and a fluffy pink robe.

  “I’ll see you in a bit, Bruno.” Jax ended the call and reached over to give his daughter a kiss on the forehead. He wasn’t sure what to say to Harley after witnessing her breakdown last night. “You want breakfast?”

  Harley shook her head.

  “I have to go to rehearsal. You can come if you want, or stay here. I’ll let Penny know you’re awake.”

  “Who’s Penny?” Harley asked, furrowing her brows.

  Right. Jax had forgotten to mention her. “She’s your new bodyguard.”

  “But I thought you said you’ll get Cade back?” Jax saw the whimper on Harley’s mouth.

  “I will. I promised you that, didn’t I?” He knew he shouldn’t have, but having heard his daughter ask for Cade as she sobbed made him say it. Jax had no idea what he could do. Zee had told him that Cade had been fired from Mackinley Security, and that she had immediately left Vancouver and moved back to New Jersey within the day. Cade had obviously washed her hands of them.

  Harley snuggled against him. “I miss her so much. I just want to see her again.”

  “I miss her too, Har. I miss her too.” It was the only truth he could tell her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  She was swathed in the dark as the luminescent swarm of jellyfish danced in their tank. It was her favourite part of the city. It was the one place she had truly felt connected with Harley.

  It pained Cade to know that she would never get to see her again. She could imagine how upset she would have been once she was told of Cade’s departure. Harley hadn’t bothered to respond to her last text, and though it was a bit expected, Cade was still heartbroken.

  Staying in Vancouver wasn’t a viable choice. She was in Canada with a worker’s permit. Cade had gone directly to Mackinley Securities for a job, and with one purpose. That purpose blew up in her face. Mac hated her. He never gave her a single chance.

  After a chat with her grandmother the previous night, she was determined to return to NJ and live the rest of her life forgetting about her father’s last words. Her father, that was a loose term to use. Had she indeed had one? The man she’d grown up with treated her like a pariah. He’d put up with her while her mother was still alive, but as soon as she had gone, Cade had been nothing to him but an eyesore. A thorn in his side.

  And Mac hadn’t been any different. Whatever purpose she had felt before went out the window once Mac had fired her. Her time in Vancouver hadn’t served its purpose but she doubted it ever would. All she had gotten were more raw emotions. Could she have just stayed with Harley and risked a secret relationship with Jax? Would he be willing to keep it a secret? Would it be an actual relationship?

  The vibration of her phone in her pocket interrupted her thoughts. Cade read the message that went through and was baffled by it, but she found herself walking tersely toward the exit.

  When she arrived at the restaurant, she spotted Juliette first, seated at a booth in the far corner, away from prying eyes. It might have sounded ridiculous at first, a pretend covert operation as Juliette had called it, but if Mac found out this meeting happened, Cade could only imagine the repercussions that could go down on every person involved.

  Cade approached them, trying not to fiddle with her fingers to show how nervous she was. Juliette shot her a smile, which didn’t quite reach her eyes. Cade nodded a silent greeting, then turned to the other woman across fro
m Juliette.

  “Mrs. Mackinley.” Cade felt the knot in her gut tighten.

  Irene Mackinley reached for Cade’s hand, dragged her down to sit beside her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “No need to be formal, my dear.” Irene held her at arm’s length and smiled. “Irene is fine.”

  Juliette slid off the booth and stood, shrugging her bag over a shoulder. “I better head back to work.”

  Cade smiled at her, and mouthed a ‘thank you’. Then she focused all her attention to the woman who had known her mother for years, and who possibly had firsthand information on what she wanted to know the most.

  Irene was what people would call a handsome woman, unlike Cade’s mother, Mila, who had a natural softness and beauty that everyone admired. If the lines on Irene’s face were something to go by, Cade could tell that she had gone through a lot in life. Cade was never one to pry. Even when Juliette would start to offer some ideas about how the Mackinleys lived their lives, Cade would always stop her from saying more. It might sound unreasonable, given her actual goal, but all she wanted was to find out about Mac’s past, not Irene’s.

  When Cade’s mother was still alive, she had shared memories of her younger self and the friends she had. Irene and Mila were as thick as thieves, as her mother would say. Nothing had hindered their friendship, even after their marriages, until Cade’s father had changed his attitude toward everyone around him. Although her mother would never admit it, she was lonely.

  The older woman brushed a hair off Cade’s face. “You look just like your mother. She was so beautiful. All the guys would go ga-ga over her. But she was shy and kind. Her mother hated it when we were together. She said I was a bad influence on her daughter.” Cade listened to Irene’s hearty laugh. When the laughter died down, Irene reached for the glass of water on the table. “Would you like something to eat? Their sandwiches are good.”

  Cade shook her head. “No, thank you. Irene, if you don’t mind, I’d like to know why you’re here with me today.”

  Irene rubbed her wrinkled and pale fingers together. She produced photographs and laid them out on the table. Cade’s hands shook while her fingers hovered over the pictures with colours faded through the years. She picked one up of a girl in her late teens whose hair was a similar length and colour to hers. The girl looked right at her, with blue eyes that rivalled the clearest ocean. It was her mother. If she couldn’t tell by her features, Cade could certainly tell from the way she smiled.

  “Did you know that your mother was supposed to join the convent?” Once again, Irene laughed at a memory that Cade waited for her to share. “Then she met your father. She was done for. I knew it right away.” She looked over the photos and handed one to Cadence. “He was very handsome too. All the girls thought so, not me, of course. I got my eye on one man. Noah and your father were inseparable too. They were best friends, like me and your mother. We would go on dates together.” Irene gave her another photograph.

  She was looking at her parents, possibly in their twenties, both with shy smiles on their faces. Her mother wore a yellow and white floral dress, while her father had his uniform on. He was dashing, and she could see why someone like her mother would be attracted to him. He carried himself a certain way, with a mixture of quiet confidence and charm. But most of all, he seemed happy. What had happened to this man?

  “We were all so carefree.”

  Cade continued to peruse the photos, asking Irene for information or waiting for the older woman to talk about the event when the picture was captured. Why had she never seen these photographs before? She assumed that her grandmother would have copies of them. They showed wonderful times. Happier times. Times when her father wasn’t such a hateful man. Could it be true? Could the birth of his only daughter have caused his despair?

  She regarded Irene, unsure of how she could formulate the questions she had been waiting to ask. Was this the right time? Was she the right person to ask? Cade’s heart thundered in her chest. She readied herself for the answers.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Harley glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. She had one chance to get away with her plans. What she needed was a distraction.

  Flicking the TV on, she searched for something intriguing. What would someone like Penny want to watch? Harley looked to her right to find her new bodyguard browsing a destination magazine she’d found on the hotel desk. She wasn’t a bad bodyguard. In fact, Harley thought her pleasant and enjoyed her quiet company. But she was nothing like Cade, and Harley missed Cade so much.

  She bit down on her bottom lip so she didn’t pout, or sigh, or give Penny any clue of what she was feeling, Harley found what she was looking for. International news. Yes, Penny might be the type to watch it with interest. What’s going on with the world?

  Harley left it on and turned up the volume. The newscaster’s voice filled the room. Sure enough, Penny looked up, eyes glued on the screen. She adjusted her position in the grey club chair to get a better view of the TV.

  The mental clock in Harley’s head was ticking along with the tapping of a finger on her arm. With another surreptitious glance to where Penny was seated, Harley decided to go for phase two.

  Off the bed and heading to the door, Harley paused as Penny asked, “Where are you going, kiddo?”

  Harley turned to her and offered a polite smile. “I’m gonna get a snack from my father’s suite. Do you want anything?” In her mind, she was hoping her plan would work. She had never given Penny doubts that she would pull something like this.

  Something flashed on the TV, instantly distracting Penny. “Ah, no, I’m good. You want me to go with you?”

  Harley shook her head, even knowing that Penny’s attention wasn’t on her. “I’ll be quick.” And out the door she went.

  She waited three seconds, pressing her ear on the door to listen for movements. Harley heard nothing but the sound of the television. She zipped up her sweater, checked her pockets, and ran for the elevator.

  Once she reached the lobby, Harley pulled out her cell phone and dialled a number. A high-pitched voice answered on the other line. “Ya got Niki.”

  “Are you there? Did you get it?” Harley asked, waving a taxi and ignoring the curious glances of the bellhops around her.

  “Well, hi to you too, missy.”

  “Niki, I don’t have time for your games. Tell me,” Harley ordered. She and Niki were only nine years apart but Harley considered her too immature for her age, which, at times like this, was helpful for Harley.

  “Yeah, I got ’em.”

  Harley hopped into a taxi and gave the driver an address. He didn’t move, but turned to look over his shoulder. “Where are your parents?” he asked with a slight accent.

  “Mom, hold on…” Harley said into her cell phone. “Look buddy, my mom is waiting for me at the airport.” She pulled out a printout from her sweater pocket and unfolded it for effect. “She needs this, see?”

  Before the driver could scrutinize it, Harley folded it again and stuffed it back into her pocket, then returned to her conversation. “I’ll be there soon if this guy decides to get a move on.” To add to the dramatics, Harley rolled her eyes, knowing the driver was still watching her.

  He cursed under his breath, calling his passenger a brat, before advancing.

  “I’ll see you at the gate. Bye, Mom,” Harley said.

  “Whatever,” replied Niki.

  Harley sat back after telling the driver she would give him an extra twenty if he drove fast. The guy grunted, but clearly he wanted that extra cash.

  Taking money from her father and Tina had made Harley nervous and guilty. Only it was the least trouble she was getting into compared to what she’d planned. It had taken her a night to decide her course of action.

  During the years she had lived with Fiona, she had been expected to pull her own weight. Not with chores or anything simple. Harley had acted as Fiona’s personal assistant, booking flights, arranging accommodations, making dinner
reservations, and whatever else Fiona wanted. Practice makes perfect, and with the one credit card she’d kept from Fiona, she’d managed to arrange her itinerary, travelling from LA to New Jersey.

  She had overheard a conversation between Penny and Zee the other day. It was easy for her to stay hidden when they weren’t expecting her to listen. From what she’d heard, Cade had returned to her grandmother’s house in New Jersey. Harley felt that from all the chats she’d had with Cade, she wouldn’t have a hard time finding the house. A Google search didn’t offer any address for one Cadence Williams. Try as she might, Harley couldn’t recall Cade’s grandmother’s name. But she knew where to start, and it was all that mattered.

  The next difficulty would be travelling on her own as an unaccompanied minor. She was too little in stature, and no one would believe that her parents would have let her go on her own. So, Niki came into the picture.

  Niki was once her babysitter, but her interests had been more towards Fiona’s jewellery stash and liquor collection. Harley had caught her a few times and instead of threatening her jail time or whatever delinquents were given these days, she had asked Niki for a few favours. At first Niki had been hesitant, but Harley was smart. She had evidence in the form of a video taken with a nanny cam. This was the biggest favour yet, and Harley had told Niki that it would be the last, provided she saw it through.

  What Harley didn’t count on was the churning in her gut. Guilt was eating her up, but there was no turning back now. All she had to do was find Cade, and ask—no, beg—her to return. Harley was positive she would say yes.

  The taxi stopped outside of LAX, Harley paid the driver, and jumped out before she could change her mind.

  ***

  Cade drew in a breath to clear the webs tangled in her mind. After a long distance run, she was too exhausted to think about her conversation with Irene at the diner. She had hoped for clearer answers, but all she received were more speculations.