Make Me Believe: Jilted: The Bride

by Tarina Deaton

  The call disconnected and a text followed a few seconds later. Under normal circumstances she’d pull over, but she didn’t want to take the extra time. Keeping one eye on the road, she updated her destination. It was going to take about five extra minutes to get to downtown Nashville because of traffic.

  Her impatience ramped up. Every other driver on the road had the singular purpose of getting in her way and preventing her from reaching her destination. Usually a relaxed driver, Rowan now understood why some people experienced road rage. She envisioned going full Mad Max and shooting up the road between lanes, shoving cars out of her way.

  Why was Luke quitting? It didn’t make sense—all he’d ever wanted to be was a country singer. For as long as she’d known him he talked about making it big in Nashville and being the next Alan Jackson or Kenny Chesney and he was there. It didn’t make any sense for him to give it all up now.

  After the longest twenty-three-and-a-half minutes of her life, she pulled up to the front of Wild West Records, shoved the car in park, grabbed her phone and purse, and shot out of the car before the attendant could reach her.

  “Rowan?” he asked.

  She jolted to a halt. “Yes?”

  “Marla said to go up to the twelfth floor, turn left out of the elevators, and follow the hall all the way to the end.”

  “Thank you!”

  She jogged to the entrance and yanked open the door, dashing across the foyer to the elevator bank and jabbing the up button. Tapping her foot, she eyed the sign for the stairwell down the hall but there was no way she’d be able to run up twelve flights of stairs. She wasn’t out of shape, but that was elite athlete level of fitness and that she was not.

  Eighty-four years later, the far-left elevator opened and she repeated the whole process all over, waiting to ascend twelve floors while muttering, “Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.”

  Luck was on her side and she turned sideways to slide through the doors before they opened fully. She completely ignored the framed gold and platinum records lining the hall and raced to the end. She scanned the large reception area for Marla, but the only person there was the receptionist, coming around the large desk.

  “Rowan?” she asked.

  “Yes,” she said breathlessly.

  “They just went in. Marla didn’t tell me not to call Luke until I already had. He wasn’t answering his phone so I called the operations manager and he said Luke was in one of the sound booths and he’d go get him. I’d literally hung up the phone when she told me not to call until you got here. Mr. Doll was in a rush and I didn’t have a way to stall anymore. I’m so sorry.”

  “I—Okay.” Rowan shook her head slightly, trying to let everything the receptionist said sink in. “Where are they? Can I interrupt?”

  She smiled. “I think Marla is counting on it. This way.”

  Leading Rowan to a set of double wood doors, she paused. “Do you want me to knock?”

  “No.” Rowan turned the handle and pushed in. “Luke, stop.” She stepped into the conference room, leaving the door open behind her.

  She vaguely heard Marla say, “Oh thank god.”

  “Rowan?” Luke rose from his seat at the long table. “Rowan.”

  His long strides ate up the space between them. He cradled her face in his hands while his eyes searched hers, then he crushed his mouth to hers.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held on tight while he devoured her. She poured her heart into the kiss. If he wasn’t going to give her a chance to talk, she would make him feel her love.

  He ended the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re here.”

  Lifting his head, he said, “I’m sorry, Row. I can explain the pictures. I wasn’t kissing Laney—I was trying to push her away from me. I know they looked bad, but it’s the truth. I didn’t want to kiss her, but I was so surprised it took me a couple of seconds to push her away and that’s when the pictures were taken. I pushed her away and told her I love you. I should have told you when it happened but I was so afraid you’d leave again. I should have—”

  She covered his mouth with her hand. “I love you. And I believe you.”

  That was all he needed for the tension to leave his body. His shoulders slumped as he dropped his forehead to hers again.

  “But you can’t quit music,” she said. “This is your dream and you’re living it.”

  He raised his head. “It’s not. You’re my dream. This is a job—one I love, but it doesn’t mean shit if you’re not in my life. I won’t do this without you. I don’t know who took the pictures or how you got them, but if that’s the kind of petty bullshit we’re going to be faced with, I want nothing to do with it. I’m not going to put us in jeopardy ever again and if that means giving up music, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  “Brett gave me the pictures,” she said.

  His head jerked back. “What? Why?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders. “He showed up at the house with the pictures while you were here on Monday.”

  Luke ran a hand through his hair. “Why would he do that?”

  “I can’t tell you why he did it, but I can tell you why I did it,” a soft voice said from the door.

  Everyone turned to see Laney standing in the doorway, the receptionist standing next to her. Wearing yoga pants and a long shirt with her platinum hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, she looked more sorority sister than country music’s newest sweetheart.

  “I’m sorry to barge in, but Marla told me what was going on and I couldn’t stay out of it, as much as I want to.” She focused her attention on Rowan. “I thought I had no choice. Brett has pictures of me, from when we were dating.”

  “You dated Brett?” Luke asked.

  “For a few weeks, right after I was signed. I won’t go into the gory details, but I broke it off. Except he had taken some pictures of me while I was asleep one night and he’s held them over my head since. The night of the gala he said if I got you in a position where someone could take pictures of us kissing, he would delete the pictures. If not, he’d put them online.” Her voice broke and tears escaped her bottom lashes. “I’m so sorry. He’s been threatening me with those pictures for the past two years and I thought this was my chance to finally get rid of him for good, but he lied. No big surprise there.” She huffed out a self-deprecating laugh and shook her head.

  “Those are serious accusations, Laney,” a deep voice said from behind them.

  Rowan jumped, forgetting there was another person in the room.

  “I know, Mr. Doll,” Laney said.

  “Do you have copies of these pictures?” he asked.

  Laney shook her head. “They’re on his phone though. He showed them to me again the night of the gala.”

  “Samantha?” Mr. Doll called.

  The receptionist poked her head around the corner of the door. “Yes, Mr. Doll?”

  “Is Brett in the building?” he asked.

  “I’ll find out,” she said, disappearing from the doorway.

  “Why don’t we all have a seat and try to figure this out?” Mr. Doll gestured to the table.

  Chapter 31

  Luke walked Rowan to the table. Holding out the chair next to the one he’d sat in earlier, he took her hand in his—he wasn’t going to let her go. His heart still pounded in his chest and he found himself glancing at her every other second to make sure she was really there. It was his version of pinching himself.

  Walter laced his fingers together on the table. “You must be Rowan,” he said.

  “Yes,” she said.

  Luke raised their hands and kissed her knuckles.

  “I’m Walter Doll. I own Wild West Records.”

  “I know,” she said. “I researched you before Luke signed with you. You’re the reason I told him he should sign.”

  His lips turned up under his thick, gray mustache. “I’m flattered, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she sa
id.

  “All right, let’s make sure I have a handle on everything while we’re waiting on Brett to show up. Rowan, you were given pictures of Luke and Laney kissing at the gala?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “By Brett?”

  “Yes. He came to Luke’s house with the pictures. He insinuated that Luke had multiple relationships and that Laney was just one of many.”

  “I don’t.” His rage, at a low simmer until now, threatened to boil over. “You are the only woman in my life. The only one.”

  She ran her free hand over his. Realizing his grip on her fingers was too tight, he relaxed his hand.

  “I believe you, Luke. And I’m sorry I doubted you. I’m sorry I let him get in my head and that I didn’t stay to confront you. But seeing that hurt. A lot. It was college all over again and I ran. I can’t promise I’m not going to get jealous of the attention women give you or get pissed off when some woman gets grabby, but I can promise I will talk to you about it.”

  She palmed his cheek. “I love you and I won’t let you give up music for me. I may make you fire that asshole, but music is a part of you and I couldn’t live with myself if you quit because of me.”

  “You won’t have to make me do anything. He’s fired. Period.” There was no way in hell he could trust Brett now.

  A knock at the door of the conference room drew everyone’s attention. Samantha stuck her head in. “Brett is here, Mr. Doll.”

  “Thank you, Samantha. Send him in. And ask security to come up as well.”

  Samantha grinned. “Yes, sir.”

  Walter stood and walked around the long table, patting Luke on the shoulder as he passed. He probably wanted Luke to stay seated and to let him handle Brett, but Luke was too angry. Fuck that. He was pissed the fuck off and he’d be damned if he wouldn’t confront Brett himself. He rose and stood behind Rowan’s chair. She reached up and grabbed his hand.

  Looking down, he gave her a reassuring smile. She squeezed his hand.

  Samantha entered again and stepped to the side, letting Brett into the room. He strolled in, hands in his pockets as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Hell, maybe he didn’t think he had any.

  “I didn’t realize there was a meeting scheduled for today.”

  “Brett, I’m going to get right to the point,” Walter said. “Did you blackmail Laney into setting up Luke so you would have pictures of them kissing to give to Rowan?”

  Brett’s gaze flitted between the four of them sitting at the table, pausing slightly longer on Laney and Rowan than Marla and Luke. His only tell was the almost imperceptible twitch of his eyebrow. If Luke hadn’t been glaring at him so hard, he might have missed it.

  “Walt, I didn’t blackmail anyone. A friend of mine gave me those pictures and I felt Rowan deserved to know that Luke wasn’t as faithful as he claimed to be.” He shrugged. “I don’t personally have a problem with it, but I know it caused them to break up before. I didn’t want her to get even more involved than they are now and find out later—it could have negative consequences on his music and career.”

  That smug, self-righteous bastard. He’d kept looking at Laney as if to tell her to keep quiet. She had Marla next to her for support, but Luke could tell it was affecting her.

  He tried to let go of Rowan’s hand so he could punch that smirk off Brett’s face, but she grasped his tighter.

  “It’s funny you bring up what happened in college,” Rowan said. “Because the circumstances were almost identical, except that time you orchestrated it so I witnessed some random girl kissing Luke. This time you set it up to get pictures.”

  She looked up at Luke. He didn’t know what she was talking about. “I’ll explain later,” she whispered.

  Brett shook his head. “Rowan, I don’t know how you remember things, but I didn’t set anything up. This time or the last time.”

  “I remember things just fine,” Laney said. “You threatened to post the pictures you have of me on the internet if I didn’t get Luke in a compromising position. You swore you’d delete them if I did what you asked, but I’d bet my next royalty check they’re still on your phone.”

  A small bead of sweat formed at his temple and he shifted onto his heels. “I think the pressure of the spotlight is getting to you, Laney. I don’t have any pictures of you on my phone.”

  Walter held his hand out. “Then you won’t mind giving me your phone.”

  Brett looked at Walter’s hand and really started to sweat. “Walter. You’re really going to take the word of some air-headed, attention-seeking girl over me? I’ve been with this label for over ten years. I manage some of the biggest recording artists this label has.” He gestured toward Luke.

  “Not anymore you don’t,” Luke said.

  “What?” Brett asked.

  “You’re fired. Whatever you have over Laney, you don’t have over me. After what you put Rowan through—what you put us through—you’re fired.”

  “We have a contract!” Brett took a step closer and Luke let go of Rowan’s hand. He was going to need both of his fists when he beat the ever-living shit out of Brett.

  “I’ve already talked to Walter. As of an hour ago, I’m no longer under contract with Wild West Records and by extension, you are no longer my manager.”

  “Luke,” Rowan whispered.

  He ran his hand over her head and through her hair. “It’ll be all right.”

  “That’s bullshit! I’ve worked my ass off for you, to get you where you are. You’d be nothing without me and you’re going to give up your career for her?” He pointed at Rowan. “That’s exactly why I tried to get rid of her. You don’t have the drive necessary to succeed when she’s around. You think you’d be a number-one-selling artist if you’d been together this whole time? You think you’d have the legions of adoring fans you have if you were in a relationship? No! You’re where you are because women want you and guys want to be you and I put you there. You think you’re going to have that when you’re married and have kids? You think she’s going to want you touring the country when you’ve got a house full of brats? You think she’s going to give up her career for you? That bitch drags you down. You think—”

  Luke was two steps away from Brett when Walter punched him in the nose. Hard.

  Damn. Walter might look like someone’s nice grandpa, but he had a mean jab.

  Brett grabbed his face, blood gushing through his fingers. “What the fuck?”

  Walter pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and shook it out, pressing against his knuckles. “Samantha?”

  Once again, she immediately popped her head around the open door. “Yes, Mr. Doll?”

  “Ask security to come in and detain Mr. Carlson while his office is searched. Have IT go through his computer as well. Once Mr. Carlson turns over his phone for search, he’ll be free to collect his personal belongings from his office and be escorted out of the building.”

  She didn’t even try to hide her smile. “On it.”

  Security must have been right outside the door because they entered a few seconds later. One man pulled a chair away from the conference table and wheeled it over to Brett while the other officer pushed him down into it.

  “Now, Brett, your phone. You can either give it to me—unlocked—or I can have these nice gentlemen retrieve it for me.”

  Brett glanced up at the two men on either side of him. They both looked like they wanted him to choose the second option. He shifted and dug it out of his pocket, holding his thumb on it before handing it to the security guard on his right.

  Walter took it and promptly handed it to Laney. “I’ll let you take care of that.”

  Laney’s fingers flitted over the screen while Marla looked over her shoulder. Luke knew the exact moment Marla saw the pictures. Her lips pinched and she took the phone from Laney. “You need to make sure they’re not on his cloud as well.”

  A few minutes later, she slid the phone across the table to Walter. “I think I got them all.
Laney wasn’t the only one.”

  He picked up the phone and held it out to Brett, who was still holding his nose. “If I catch wind that you have more pictures—of anyone—and any of them make their way onto the internet, I will make sure you are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.” He looked at the security guards. “Please escort Mr. Carlson to his office, then out of the building.”

  The two men each grabbed Brett’s upper arms and led him out.

  A thick, heavy silence filled the room upon his departure.

  “Laney, I’m very sorry you experienced that and, more importantly, that you didn’t feel you could come talk to me about it.”

  Laney swallowed hard and nodded.

  “I want to make sure you have whatever you need to get through this, so get with Marla and your manager and let me know. The label will do whatever it takes to make this right. I will do whatever it takes to make this right.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. She rose from her chair and walked across the room. At the door, she paused and turned, looking at Rowan. “I really am sorry. For what it’s worth, he pushed me away almost immediately and told me he loved you. That you were the only woman he’d ever been in love with and he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your relationship.”

  “Thank you,” Rowan said.

  Laney nodded and walked out.

  “Now,” Walter said, walking back to the head of the table. “Luke, you have some decisions to make.”

  Luke sat next to Rowan and took her hand again. “What do you want me to do?”

  “I want you to live your dream. I want you to make music,” she said.

  “As long as you’re with me.” He wouldn’t do it without her.

  “I’m not going to go anywhere this time,” she said.

  He pressed his lips against hers, sealing her promise. She opened under his mouth while her hand stole behind his neck, holding him tightly. He would never get enough of kissing her.

  A deep throat clearing broke them apart. A blush stole across her cheeks and he winked. They had plenty of time to catch up on that later.

  “All right,” Walter said, clearing his throat again. “We’ll need to find you a new manager, but if you’re still good with the terms of the contract we drew up on Monday we can go ahead and sign it.”