The Debt: The Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire Romance)

by Kelly Favor

  What was so wrong with making the best out of a bad situation? She hadn’t asked for any of this, had in fact tried her best to run away from it. But the powerful people had ensured that she’d been unable to get away, trapped her as easily as a cat playing with a mouse.

  And now she was starting to make peace with the situation.

  Maybe you’re starting to enjoy it a little too much, though.

  Raven gave a cute smile to herself in the mirror, a little wave, pretended to turn on her heel and walk away from some paparazzi. She was enjoying it, and she wasn’t going to apologize for that.

  She’d done enough apologizing for things that weren’t her fault.

  Walking out of her room and into the suite, Raven heard voices; people conversing intensely, some laughter, and then more conversation.

  It was nerve wracking to come out and face people that she’d never met before, people connected to Jake Novak’s world. What would they think when they saw her? How would they treat her, what kinds of questions would she be asked?

  But when she came out of the room, the most notable thing that occurred was that nobody paid her any attention at all.

  It was as if she didn’t even exist, was in fact totally invisible.

  Jake was lounging on the big leather chair, while a large man with a crew cut stood and talked in a booming voice. Another man sat on the couch, typing away on an iPad as Jake and the crew cut guy spoke to one another.

  “Look,” the guy with the crew cut was saying, “if Courtney Taylor is coming on tour with us, we can’t just give into her every demand. The girl is a diva.”

  Jake glanced at Raven and then looked back at the man standing in the center of the suite. “We were already going to have Courtney opening for us in the Northeast,” Jake told him. “Her single is starting to hit, and I think we should lock her in for the rest of the dates now, before she gets too big.”

  “She wants too much.”

  Jake shrugged. “The label will pay.”

  “No, they won’t. I already asked.”

  “Then I’ll pay out of pocket,” Jake said, his jaw tightening.

  “Jake—“

  “I said, I’ll pay if it comes to that. I want this to be the biggest, hottest tour. We’re going to pull out all the stops for this tour, Kurt. So just get it done.”

  Kurt and Jake stared at one another for a long, tense moment. Finally, Kurt broke away, sighing. “Whatever the man wants, the man gets.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Jake said.

  “Come on Bruce,” Kurt said, gesturing to the man typing on the iPad. “We’ve got a lot to get done before the show tonight.”

  Bruce blinked as if waking up from a dream. He stood up, and then saw Raven. “Oh, hey, I’m Bruce Donner,” he said, holding out his hand and walking towards her. “I’m Jake’s road manager.”

  “Hi, I’m Raven Hartley,” Raven said, shaking his hand and smiling.

  “You coming to the big show tonight, Raven?”

  “I—I think so…” she looked to Jake, who just nodded.

  “Good,” Bruce said.

  Kurt had already left the room, not bothering to even acknowledge her presence.

  A moment later, both men had left and the door slammed behind them.

  Jake was off his chair now, and on his phone. “Hey, Courtney, it’s Jake.” He paused, walking a few steps, turning his back to Raven. He listened and laughed, a loud, almost forced sound in his voice. “Totally, totally. Listen, everything’s fine. I just talked to my manager and he’s going to handle everything you asked for. I wanted to let you know personally that we’re going to take care of you, okay? If anyone gives you problems, just call me….yeah, yeah.” He laughed again. “I’ll see you tonight. Bye.”

  Raven was standing awkwardly, arms folded, wondering what she was supposed to be doing. Jake didn’t seem to even want her around. Just a little while ago he’d been bringing her breakfast in bed and designer clothing, and now he was acting as if she didn’t exist.

  Jake hung up the phone and Raven waited for him to talk to her.

  But then he was looking at his phone again, texting.

  “What should I do now?” she said to him.

  “Huh?” he asked, not even looking up from his phone.

  “I said, what happens now? What do you want me to do?”

  Jake finally looked up at her, his expression vague. “Do whatever you want, Raven. I’m not your babysitter.”

  She felt a twinge of embarrassment at his rebuke, but then it turned to annoyance. “You realize I don’t have a clue what you expect from me. I’m here in your hotel room, wearing clothes you picked out for me, standing around and being ignored like a piece of furniture while you and your friends discuss big and important things.”

  Jake smiled, but it was a frozen smile without much warmth. “Don’t be so dramatic,” he said. “It’s hectic right now, it’s the first stop on the tour and we’re ironing out the kinks. Everyone’s extremely tense and maybe you sensed that just now. But don’t make it all about you, Raven, because it’s not.”

  “I’m not making it all about me. I just feel like an idiot. That one guy totally ignored me, he acted like I wasn’t even in the room.”

  “That’s just Kurt. He’s under a lot of pressure.”

  “Okay, it’s just Kurt,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  Jake came closer to her, looking right at her in the way that seemed capable of freezing her in place. Suddenly, it was like he’d flipped a switch, and he was right there with her in a way that she’d never felt before with anyone else.

  As if she was the only one else in the world that mattered.

  “Listen, I wouldn’t have asked you to stay with me if I didn’t want you around,” Jake said softly. “Don’t worry so much about what anyone else thinks about it, because it’s none of their business. What goes on between you and me is our business.”

  She nodded. “Okay.” She nodded again, really trying to take in what he was telling her.

  Jake’s brown eyes were softer, but still watchful. “Did you read the guidelines?”

  “The stuff about me lying and telling people I’m in charge of your social media?” she replied.

  “Yeah, that stuff.”

  “I read it,” she said, leaving it at that.

  “Good,” Jake told her. “I just want to make sure you understand how this whole thing’s going to work, Raven. If you listen to me, it’ll be the easiest, smoothest, fun month of your life.”

  She looked at him, not wavering as she met his intense gaze. “Yeah, it’s all very simple,” she agreed, but the sarcasm in her voice was apparent.

  Jake’s jaw twitched a little and his brown eyes grew more intense.

  They stared at one another for a long enough time that Raven started to wonder if something more was going to happen. Jake was close enough to make a move, and she sensed his desire to do so. His eyes were hungry, and the way he was looking at her made her want it too.

  Jake kept saying he wanted to have a business relationship with her. He wanted to keep her around so he could make use of her when he needed it. That’s all this was, and Raven needed to remind herself of that more often.

  She broke away from him, turning her head and looking elsewhere. “I guess that settles it, then,” she said.

  “We’ll be heading over to the arena in a few hours to start setting up,” Jake told her. “Until then, you’re free to do whatever you want.”

  “I’m free? That’s a new one coming from you.” She didn’t wait for his response, but instead walked back to her own room. As she went, Raven was disheartened. Wondering why she felt that way, it occurred to her that despite everything, she still wanted Jake Novak, and she didn’t like it one bit.

  Knowing that Jake had a show that night at the Garden in Boston, Raven spent the next few hours getting ready.

  After all, there wasn’t much else for her to do while waiting around.

  She too
k a long bath, shaved, and used all the lotions and perfumes that had been left for her in the bathroom.

  She pampered herself, feeling guilty and empowered, nervous and ecstatic all at once.

  When she was done in the bathroom, she came out and found a whole new wardrobe awaiting her in the bedroom. He’d obviously crept into her bedroom when he knew Raven was busy for a while in the bathroom.

  There was practically an entire department store set up for her and her alone.

  A thrill went through Raven as she began to understand that Jake Novak was doing all of this for her. He wanted her to be comfortable, to be dressed in beautiful clothes, to have gorgeous shoes if that’s what she liked.

  Or does he just not want to be embarrassed by me out in public?

  Okay, so that was a possibility, but Raven didn’t allow it to slow her down. She spent nearly an hour just trying on various combinations of outfits, finally settling on a black Fendi sheath dress with pieced black organza flutter cap sleeves.

  Jake had also left a large jewelry box on her dresser, and upon looking inside, Raven found absolutely stunning necklaces and earrings of differing styles and varieties.

  She decided on a white gold and diamond encrusted collar necklace as the compliment to her dress. Raven had no idea how much the necklace cost, but she was guessing something north of fifty thousand dollars was possible.

  For heels, she wore a pair of crystal-covered Christian Louboutin’s, and then she selected a Saint Laurent bag from an assortment of purses that had been left in a large leather case in the corner of her bedroom.

  When Raven was finally dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror and was stunned at the change in her own appearance.

  I look like one of them.

  It practically took her breath away. She decided that maybe the biggest difference between a “normal girl” and one of those intimidating women that Jake Novak would be interested in dating was simply how much money those women had. If you had enough money, you could get the style and the beauty along with it.

  Raven wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but she had to admit that she liked seeing herself in this new way.

  Smoothing her hair, she took a deep breath and then left her bedroom and went into the suite.

  Jake was already there, talking on his cell phone and looking out the picture window at the Boston skyline. “Yeah, leaving in a minute,” Jake said into his cell phone. “Meet you in the lobby, have the car ready.”

  He was wearing a flashy leather jacket with a t-shirt on underneath, and a pair of sharp blue jeans. He looked absolutely fantastic, as if she’d inadvertently caught him during the middle of a Vogue fashion shoot.

  But there was nobody else in the room—no stylists, no wardrobe people, nobody to make him look this good. Jake simply was that good looking, and he was that stunning in or out of the clothes he had on.

  Jake turned around as she came into the room, his eyes widening momentarily as he caught sight of her in the new outfit she’d put on. “Kurt—I have to go now. See you in a minute.” He hung up his phone, still staring at her.

  “Hey,” she said, smiling shyly. The way he was staring at her was making her wonder if she’d chosen the wrong outfit.

  “Hey,” he replied walking towards her. “You look…” he shook his head.

  “Did I do it wrong?”

  He shook his head again. “I think I’m at a loss for words.”

  “That seems rare,” Raven said, feeling her cheeks flush.

  “It is rare,” he replied.

  There was a silent moment of them both just looking at one another, and although it should have felt awkward, somehow it didn’t.

  But then, after some time, Raven couldn’t look at him anymore. He was actually too handsome, and his eyes were too piercing, making her feel naked and vulnerable.

  She wanted to please him so badly, and it didn’t make sense, because this was purely a business arrangement. And not even one that she’d asked to be in.

  “Are we leaving now?” she said, clearing her throat and trying to sound businesslike and professional. She was in charge of his fake social media, after all.

  “You seem anxious to go,” Jake replied, watching her closely. “Is it so bad being here alone with me for a minute or two?”

  “No, it’s not that,” she said, her breath leaving as he came nearer.

  “What is it, then? Tell me, Raven.”

  “Something about the way you say my name, I don’t know if I like it.”

  “You don’t like how I say your name?”

  “It’s like…like you think you know me.” She turned her head, and now Jake stepped closer still, his breath hot on her neck as he looked at her, and she could feel the need coming from him.

  “Maybe I do know you,” he said. “Maybe that’s why I make you so nervous.”

  Just kiss me, she thought. It would be so much easier in so many ways if you’d do that, and then I could stop wondering if you really even like me at all.

  “I don’t think you know me half as well as you think you do,” she told him.

  “There’s something about you that I can’t quite figure out,” he admitted, his brown eyes searching her as if for answers.

  “I’m not that complicated,” she said.

  “Don’t lie to me, Raven.”

  “Fine.” She met his gaze, letting her guard down for a moment. “Maybe I am complicated.” Now she was searching his eyes too, and he let her. “But you’re complicated, too, Jake. And not in the way everyone thinks. It’s not just everything that they talk about on TV and in the magazines. You’ve been through things that nobody can understand, that you make sure no one else even knows about.”

  He didn’t respond at first. He allowed her statement to go unchallenged.

  They were connecting in some strange way. She could feel it so strongly and she knew Jake could feel it too. She saw hurt and pain in his eyes, pain that was so strong, so fresh, that it almost made her want to kiss him to heal whatever he was feeling.

  And then Jake finally pulled away, running a hand through his hair. “Ummm…yeah. We should get going or Kurt’s going to get pissy.”

  “We wouldn’t want that,” she said sarcastically, feeling that an opportunity had been missed.

  “The limo’s waiting, Raven. Come on, we don’t want to be late for the big show.” He turned and walked to the door opening it, starting out into the hallway.

  On the way out of hotel, there had been a virtual wall of paparazzi taking pictures and screaming questions and comments that seemed designed to get Jake’s attention.

  “Jake! Jake!”

  “Over here, Jake!”

  “Jake, how do you feel about Boston? Do you like the people here?”

  “Any new women in your life, Jake?”

  “Quick smile! Quick smile over here!”

  The calls and screams were so frequent that Raven was taken aback by the intensity and fury of it all. There were fans begging for autographs, girls screaming and crying, and then there were the phalanx of bodyguards making a small box of protection around Jake, while Raven and Bruce and Kurt trailed behind him.

  The four of them were able to get into the limousine, which then promptly took off, being escorted by police cars as they drove to the Garden.

  Inside the limo, Jake was quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Kurt was on the phone yelling at someone about lighting, and Bruce was on his iPad, typing away.

  Nobody spoke to each other on the ride to the venue.

  Welcome to the tour, Raven thought.

  As strange as the drive over had been, nothing could have prepared Raven for just how overwhelming it would be once they arrived at the venue.

  Parked beside the Garden, were more than a dozen semi-trailer trucks with Jake’s name and face emblazoned on them. And then there were the tour buses, gigantic oversized vehicles that carried the band around from city to city with the trailer trucks presumably following
along, like some bizarre travelling gypsy caravan.

  The amount of people and equipment involved was mind-boggling, and it quickly became apparent to Raven just how much pressure was on Jake’s shoulders.

  All of this was about him and him alone. He didn’t have other band members to shoulder the burden, to take some of the heat. The millions and millions of dollars being generated by this tour was happening because of him, and if he somehow failed to deliver the goods, there was nobody else to blame.

  Not only were they making millions and millions of dollars in the course of this tour—it was now clear to Raven that they were also spending millions of dollars.

  All of these people were being paid by Jake. All of this equipment, and the vehicles, the labor, the food, the insurance, the marketing and publicity and posters and television ads—all of it came from him.

  Sure, Jake was going to make a lot of money performing a few hours a night. But a lot more was going on then just the nightly performance. And now that Raven was inside the bubble with Jake, she was quickly sensing that it wasn’t what she’d imagined it to be.

  Inside the arena, she did her best to just stay out of the way, keeping close to Jake without really making her presence fully known. Why he even wanted her with him, she couldn’t have said, as he all but ignored her as he moved from one location to the next, never stopping for long.

  Kurt was always around, talking on the phone and then barking orders out to various people who worked on tour. He seemed always frustrated, constantly on edge, telling someone that what they were doing wasn’t good enough, fell short, wasn’t going to cut it.

  But as confusing and shocking as it felt to suddenly be thrust into this strange new world, not knowing her role or what she was supposed to be doing other than following Jake Novak from one place to the next—nothing was as strange as when Courtney Taylor showed up.

  It happened a few hours after arriving at the venue.

  They were still backstage before the show, and everyone was milling around. There were musicians, backup singers, dancers, technicians, roadies, publicists, catering staff and security guards all in one place.