by Hadley Quinn
“Okay, okay, that sounds really bad,” Jay agreed and looked back at him. “I just mean if they come to me first and are really forward and desperate and just aren’t taking no for an answer or use the McCallan name in a—”
“What the fuck?” Teague interrupted, slamming on his brakes.
The truck skidded for a few seconds and Jay’s hands flew up to brace himself against the dash.
“Put your fucking seatbelt on,” Teague told him gruffly as he pulled into the left lane and pressed the gas.
“Yes, mommy,” Jay replied, buckling himself in. “What the hell happened?”
“That asshole flew past me, cut into my lane, and then slowed way the hell down.”
They passed the car in the middle lane—a green Malibu with four people inside. The occupants of the vehicle were all staring out their windows at Teague’s truck, including the driver.
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Jay shook his head, just as Tyse noticed the same thing. Three of the four—even the driver with a cell phone—had cameras aimed their direction.
“Reporters?” Tyse asked.
“Sharks,” Jay corrected him. “People that want a goddamn photo to sell to tabloids. Jesus, they’re in full Princess Diana mode.”
Teague had slowed way down, and when the Malibu did the same, the truck sped way up to blow by and pull in front of them. But the dumbass at the wheel practically cut off a semi in the right lane to catch up to them again. The semi truck blared his horn, but it didn’t stop the other idiots from pursuing them again.
“I wish I had my Boss instead,” Teague growled. “These assholes are gonna get someone killed.”
He accelerated again, staying in the middle lane for a bit. When the next exit was just about to be passed, he pulled his truck across the right lane to exit at the last second, hoping to lose them.
The Malibu did the same, but not quite as gracefully. It barely made it off the exit successfully and almost hit a divider.
“What the hell is this guy thinking?” Teague asked, looking in his rearview mirror.
“He’s thinking he’d like his ass kicked tonight, that’s what he’s thinking,” Jay said. “Pull over up here and I’ll take care of it.”
“No way, that’s the last thing you need to do.”
Teague slowed behind other cars at a stoplight, but when the green car pulled up to their left, he veered to his right and drove on the shoulder. The car tried to cut across the lane to follow them and hit another car that was pulling up to a stop. But instead of stopping at the scene of an accident, the Malibu kept following after Teague’s truck.
“Is this guy on something?” Jay asked, looking behind them to keep an eye on the car.
No one responded, but Teague hung a quick right on Hayvenhurst just as the light turned green. He floored it to Burbank Boulevard, well ahead of the Malibu, and hung another right.
“Lose him in the golf course,” Jay pointed ahead.
“I’ve got a better idea,” Teague murmured.
The Malibu wasn’t in sight yet, so he hung a quick right and stopped on a side road. He shut off all his lights and just sat there. All three of them looked behind them until the green Malibu went flying by. Teague flipped a u-turn, and when the lanes were clear, pulled out to head back the way they came.
“What a fucking lunatic,” Jay exhaled. “I’d really like to get my hands on that douchebag.”
“And do what?” Teague laughed. “At the very least, you end up giving them a story to sell.”
The next five minutes of the drive was quiet until Tyse asked how often they actually got chased down in a vehicle like that.
“No, never like that,” Teague shook his head. “Occasionally we get cars that follow us but never that fucking crazy. And it actually hasn’t even happened for quite a while.”
“Pretty boy doesn’t hang out with us anymore,” Jay smirked.
Tyse assumed he meant Max and his mood dampened even more. He hadn’t even told Jay or Teague what Sarah had told him about Max. The last she’d mentioned of it was that she didn’t want him talking to everyone about it. It was one of the most difficult things to keep to himself because he was a fixer. He wanted to fix her heartache and make things right, and the only way he felt he could start doing that was to confront certain family members on the subject.
When he finally headed home on his motorcycle from Teague’s, Tyse was exhausted. He’d spent the entire day working at the clinic, and then put in a few hours at the recording studio by himself. He was originally going to listen to the band on his own, but Jay and Teague were available since their women were both at a baby shower for another friend.
And he hadn’t talked to Sarah since Sunday after the football game. He couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her that night and how quickly she could set him on fire. Because of that amazing make-out session and how horrible he felt about the whole media ordeal, he’d sent a thank you and an apology to Sarah the next day. He left a note with Rayne at the flower shop since Sarah was out, and he even left his cell phone number on it for her to call him.
She never did.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Are you sure? Like really, really, really sure?”
Melanie continued to give Tyse the most insecure frown he’d ever seen, but instead of laughing at how truly sad and effective it could be, he stuck to his initial feelings.
“Mel, you have so much talent.” He set the papers down on the counter between them and shook his head. “In fact, I’m genuinely impressed by not only how good your song writing is, but that you keep getting better. I would never lie to you, Melanie. I think that Brad is going to love this.”
“Is he still worried about a female writing the song?” she asked.
“It wasn’t Brad that was worried,” Tyse informed her. “It was Jesse, his bassist, and it was just a side comment. But no, they have nothing to worry about. This is…this is just really solid stuff, Mel. And with Brad’s vocals, it’s gonna be deep and gritty, and will definitely go somewhere. I have no doubt.”
“Well your confidence makes me feel better, but I’ll be honest and say I’m still skeptical. But there you go, you can take that one,” she pushed the papers back to him. “That’s a copy.”
He scooped up the lyrics but studied her carefully. “You have nothing to worry about. Just trust me on this, okay?”
“I trust you.” She sat down behind the desk and blew a strand of hair away from her face. “It’s just really…scary. To put myself out there like that? To write something that completely came from my own life and feelings and for it to be put out there for the world to critique it.”
Tyse slowly nodded. “I totally understand. I just hope you realize how gifted you are with your writing. I know you’ve been hesitant to give anything over for someone to work with, but just give it a try and see how you feel then. Maybe you’ll be surprised, huh?”
She bit her lip in contemplation but eventually nodded. “I’m excited to see what they do with it. It’s still scary, though.”
“Don’t think of it as scary. Think of it as…a monumental endeavor. A successful one. And you’ll have more of them, trust me.”
Melanie grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer and stood. “Well I appreciate your faith in me. You are gifted, too. You see potential where most people don’t. That’s not only admirable in and of its self, but there is artistic success in that as well. You’ll be very successful here, and I’m really glad you’ve taken the route you have to work with musicians that wouldn’t normally get the chance to get where they deserve to be.”
She came around the desk and gave Tyse a firm hug. “I’m proud of you and the things you accomplish here,” she told him, patting him on the back.
She pulled away just as the front door swung open and a chuckling voice said, “Oh, the family secrets that are so exhausting to keep.”
Tyse instantly bristled at Max’s sudden appearance. He had a seditious smirk on his
face as he glanced between the two of them, like he’d caught them in the act of doing something wrong.
But it was Melanie that spoke first when she said, “Not all of us are into treachery and deceit like you are, Max.” She turned back to Tyse and added, “Thanks again. Let me know when anything moves forward on the song.”
“Okay,” he nodded, grateful for the brief buffer to curb his irritation and general ill feeling because of Max’s presence. “Give Cade a kiss for me.”
“I will,” she smiled big. She glanced once more back at Max before her smile disappeared and she headed down the hall for the back door.
Tyse took a deep, silent breath before he faced Max again. He leaned against the counter but didn’t say anything as he waited for Max to speak first. Why he’d come by the recording studio was a mystery, but Tyse wasn’t particularly eager to discover the answer.
“Sorry if I, uh, interrupted anything,” Max shrugged with a wicked smile. “Back room may have been a better choice. Unless that already occurred and—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Tyse shook his head impatiently. “You’ve interrupted nothing except my life in general. What do you want?”
Max pretended to be appalled. “You’re seriously going to play your cards that way, cousin? I’m a little surprised, but then again, not really. We’re all of the same blood, but I guess you tend to take on more attitude from the other McCallans. I’m actually kind of sorry that you feel that way. It’s not going to get you anywhere. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, though. Since you’re still fairly new to the family, I’ll cut you some slack.”
“You can cut me nothing,” Tyse replied. “And I’m not interested in bad blood.”
Max only smirked at first as he took a few steps deeper into the room until he was six feet away from Tyse. He tilted his head a bit to the side as he narrowed his eyes, studying Tyse like he was a worthy opponent.
“Bad blood?” he asked slowly and deliberately. “That is nothing to say lightly. I’d be careful if I were you.”
“Or what? Either get to the damn point or get out of my business. I don’t have time for this.”
Tyse turned for the hall when Max said, “Speaking of business… Maybe you’d like to keep working here?”
Tyse stopped and turned back around. “Are you threatening me, Max? Because if you are, then spit it out like a fucking man.” He came back across the room until he was only a foot from his cousin. “Stay out of my life, okay? If you have something to say, then say it. Coming here to throw around your weight—or whatever the hell it is you’re doing—is a waste of time.”
“You think I’m here to threaten you?” Max smiled smugly again. He shook his head and laughed a couple of times. “I can make you go away, do you realize that? And I don’t make threats, Tyse. I came here to counsel you on a couple of things, show you the ropes a bit. I’m here as a favor to you, asshole. This thing you have with Sarah Douglas is only going to blow up in your face.”
Just the mention of Sarah’s name made Tyse feel even more resentful. “I know what happened with Olivia Douglas,” he spoke evenly. “Unless you’re here to admit it and make things right, I don’t even want to talk to you.”
“There’s nothing to admit,” Max scowled. “If Sarah in any way has said shit about me, then she’s lying. I can’t believe you have the nerve to even play her game. Don’t you see what she’s doing? She’s using you to get back into the spotlight, Tyse. It’s age-old garbage to get the media to pay attention to her. Even bad publicity is publicity, don’t you know that?”
“I know two things: one, she doesn’t want the attention at all, and two, you’re a piece of shit. You can fool your daddy and grandpa and have your moments of stoicism, but it’s fake. You came clean about what you did to Teague back then, but you still got your share of your dad’s production company like you wanted. You and I both know you would have taken that secret to your grave, but you kinda couldn’t when it was all about to come out anyway.”
“What the fuck do you know about any of that, rookie? You weren’t even here!”
“I know what happened, and because I’ve witnessed more and more of your despicable personality, I can make assumptions pretty damn well. Don’t even think about messing with Sarah because this is not a battle you want to take on, Max. I don’t care who you are or what you think you’re made of, but I guarantee it’s nothing that I can’t handle.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but she’s not the mistake you should be willing to make. Do you understand me? I’m telling you this as an experienced member of this family. Don’t rock the boat, do you feel me? Don’t rock the fucking boat or you will be thrown out of it and held under without a thought.”
Max turned quickly, and as soon as he was out the door, his bodyguard had him into a black SUV just as fast. Tyse didn’t have time to form any thoughts because Teague’s truck pulled up to replace the Lincoln immediately after it left. He hopped out and came to the door as Tyse opened it for him.
“Is everything okay?” Teague asked him, looking Tyse over like he was searching for evidence of a brawl.
“Okay? No, not really,” Tyse shook his head. “That guy has some serious problems,” he pointed out the door.
“What happened? Melanie called and said Max was here and she was a little worried. I was just leaving work and was only a couple miles away.”
Tyse sighed and shook his head. “I don’t see how you guys do it. How do you deal with people like that, especially when they’re your own damn family? I know he’s your brother, Teague, but—”
“I don’t have any allegiance to him,” Teague shook his head. “You can say whatever you want because it sure as hell isn’t going to hurt my feelings.”
Tyse took a deep breath but recounted most of the conversation he’d had with Max. Even just repeating it intensified his mood and he was pissed as hell. And then Teague was quiet for a while and didn’t respond right away, but Tyse could read the warning on his cousin’s face before he even spoke.
“I admire you for being willing to face this family like you have, but I wouldn’t put it past Max to do something to affect your life. Is this really something you want to fight for, Tyse? Because if it’s worth it to you, I’m behind you one hundred percent, buddy. No questions asked, I got your back. Jay does too. But just make sure it’s really worth it to you. I don’t want to see you get hit hard for nothing.”
“He can hit as hard as he wants and I can take it.”
“I don’t doubt your ability to handle it, man,” Teague sighed. “But I’m just saying that you gotta pick your battles sometimes. No, I’m not going to let them get away with trying to bully you like this, but just ask yourself if it’s really worth the fight. I know you’re a peaceful guy, but everyone has a breaking point. And they honestly aren’t worth breaking for. Trust me, I know. For now it’d be better if you just—”
“They used Olivia Douglas as a publicity stunt five years ago,” Tyse cut in. “Max was in on it, but Olivia didn’t know a thing about it. They used her and didn’t give a single shit about it when he dropped her after the movie came out. Sarah said her sister seriously changed after that; became closed off and miserable. That’s not okay. I understand it’s probably a normal thing to you Hollywood people, but fucking with someone’s emotions like that is complete bullshit. And what now? Your family doesn’t want me to date Sarah because…why? They’re afraid she’s here to expose them all?”
The entire situation was frustrating him and he needed Teague to see the severity of it. It was probably a huge mistake because he instantly regretted sharing it, but he was getting desperate and needed someone else on his side, someone that knew the circumstances and could give him advice. He trusted Teague entirely, but it still felt like he was betraying Sarah.
Teague’s mouth was still open from talking, but his eyebrows shot up with surprise. “They what?”
Tyse sighed and shook his head. “I didn’t w
ant to bring it up because it’s Sarah’s private life, but she told me that’s what happened back then and the McCallans made Liv keep it quiet when she found out. Sarah said her sister was crushed. Humiliated. Heartbroken. And they didn’t even give a fuck. They only cared that she kept it a secret?”
Teague’s expression changed from surprise to anger, and he rubbed his hands over his face as he groaned out loud. He looked at Tyse again and asked, “Are you sure about this? I know there was gossip about them back then, I just don’t remember what it was. Just stuff about Liv not able to work again because Max dumped her or something. But are you sure that’s really what happened?”
“Instead of fighting it, Olivia basically went into hiding. Sarah tried to help her but her sister only got upset with her.”
Teague took two steps away and dropped onto the couch in the corner of the room as he exhaled. “I hate to sound like a dick, but again… Are you sure that’s really what happened? I’m not doubting my brother’s culpability in anything shady, but you need to be sure about this. Sometimes even the tiniest piece of information can be distorted along the way.”
“Shady?” Tyse scoffed. “You make it sound like he told a little white lie. He used someone to get ahead in life; broke her heart and it humiliated her. And your dad was right there with him while he did it.”
“I’m not downplaying it at all. I’m just saying there is nothing you can do about it right now. I wouldn’t put anything past Max, but if you’re going to fight a battle with him and my dad, you better be completely ready for it and absolutely sure of your facts.”
“I don’t know why Sarah would lie about something like that,” Tyse replied, feeling agitated again. “This only came up because I basically pestered it out of her. She’s only wanted to put it behind her all these years and then I pretty much made it worse just by meeting her and being a fucking McCallan. All she’s wanted was to stay out of the public’s eye. She hasn’t even seen her sister for a few years because she moved to the other side of the country.”