“Well, they don’t show some of that stuff on TV.”
“There’s a reason you have to take a test to get a license, you know. Can you imagine if every Joe Schmo who thought they could drive was out on the streets?”
I give him a pouty look.
He flicks a wrist. “You gonna do this or what?”
I ease off the brake and gently press on the gas. I drive through the massive lot, speeding up and slowing down. I turn to him. “This is fun.”
“Eyes on the road.”
“This isn’t a road. But maybe I should go out on one.”
“I think that’s enough for today.”
I raise a brow. “Meaning you’ll let me drive again?”
“Sure.”
“So who wins the bet? I think I should because I did actually drive the car.”
“Yeah, right into a pole.”
“Shut up. I didn’t hit it.”
“We’ll call it a draw.”
I turn off the engine and jut out my bottom lip. “I was kind of wanting to know what I’d win.”
“What did you want?”
I give him a sultry smile.
“God, woman, you are going to kill me.”
“What did you want if you won the bet?”
“To turn around and drop you off so you wouldn’t go with me.”
My smile falls. “Really?”
“Yes, really. This is going to be uncomfortable as shit, Ella.”
“Then don’t go. Turn around and we’ll both go home. Then I’ll collect my winnings.”
He thinks about it. He thinks hard. “This has been a long time coming. We’re going.”
We switch seats again, and he gets back on the highway. A song I like comes on the radio, and I turn it up and dance in my seat.
“You like this band?”
“Who doesn’t like White Poison?” Then I feel guilty, remembering Bria used to be their backup singer. “I forgot we’re not supposed to like them.”
“They’re real pricks.”
“So you’ve met them? Of course you did, you opened for them. How many times?”
“Four. We never met them though.”
“Never? How can that be?”
“We were explicitly told never to even look at them unless they addressed us.”
My jaw drops. “You’re not serious.”
“We weren’t allowed at their after-parties either. They’d sometimes let us eat from the buffet before shows, but only after everyone on their crew, plus their groupies, had their share. And we barely got paid enough to cover our hotel and expenses.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
He shrugs. “It’s how it works. Opening for them was our payment. It got us a lot of attention.”
“And it’s starting to pay off for you big time. Maybe you can upgrade the car soon.”
“I won’t be buying a new car.”
“Then what are you going to do with all your money?”
“I’m saving it.”
“For what?”
“Never mind.”
I scan the radio stations and stop when a Reckless Alibi song comes on. Liam smiles. “What does it feel like to hear your songs on the radio?”
“Probably the same as it feels to see your illustrations in books.”
“No way. It’s totally different. People hear your music and they seek you out. They buy your albums. They come to your concerts. It must be surreal.”
“It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”
“You’re lucky in so many ways. You’re in a successful band. You have incredible friends. Maybe all that can help make up for the bad stuff.”
He grips the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turn white. “Nothing can ever make up for the bad stuff.”
“I didn’t mean to downplay anything.”
He’s quiet, and I feel terrible for saying what I did.
We pass the welcome sign for Stamford. He turns off the road and onto a driveway lined with trees. He stops at a gate, punches numbers on a keypad, and it opens. “I’m surprised he didn’t delete my code.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he hates me as much as I hate him.”
“Then why did he take you in?”
“I told you, it was blackmail. He kept me and my mom around for insurance.”
“Insurance for what?”
“So we would never tell anyone what happened to Luke.”
I touch his hand. “And you.”
He pulls away.
We approach the house, and I’m stunned. It looks more like a hotel than a single-family home. “You lived here?”
“Only as long as I had to and not a second more.”
“When did you move out?”
“Right before the tour.”
“How come you lived here for so long if you despised him?”
“I had to. The band wasn’t making enough money for me to support my mom.”
“Where is she now?”
“In the ground next to Luke.”
I gasp. “Oh, no. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. In a lot of ways, she’s better off. She never got over Luke’s death. She drank a lot. It’s ultimately what killed her.”
“Liam—”
“I said stop it, El. I don’t need you feeling sorry for me.”
“Your mom died. So did your brother. I’m not feeling sorry for you. I’m sad for you. There’s a difference.”
He pulls up in front of the house, looking at it as if he’d rather be anywhere but here. We get out and go to the front door. He stops before ringing the bell. “You’re not going to say anything, right?”
“What would I say? I’m only here for moral support.”
He rings. Even the bell sounds rich. A woman opens the door and smiles. “Mijo!” She pulls him into a hug.
“Helen, this is Ella.”
“How nice to meet you,” she says.
I’m confused. Why is he getting such a good reception? “Hello, Mrs. Campbell.”
“Helen isn’t Dirk’s wife. She’s the housekeeper.”
Heat crosses my face. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Helen laughs. “To be mistaken for Ms. Sylvia. Oh, the fun in that. Thank you, child.”
“I’m here to see Dirk,” he says.
Helen gestures to a room on the right. “If you’d like to wait there, I’ll find him. Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Water?”
“We won’t be here long. Thanks, Helen.”
She walks away, and we go into the room. “I feel so stupid. Of course your aunt wouldn’t answer the door.” I glance around. It’s one of the most ornate rooms I’ve ever been in. “I’ve never seen any place like this. It’s like a castle.”
“And Dirk is the fucking king.”
Helen hurries back. “Mayor Campbell will see you in his office.”
Liam glares. “Fuck no.”
“Mijo, watch your tongue.”
“Sorry. Helen, can you please ask him to come here?”
She gives him an apologetic look and looks like she’s about to cry. “He said he will only see you there. Nowhere else.”
“That’s how he’s going to play this?”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“What’s so bad about meeting in his office?” I whisper to him.
“I don’t ever go there. It’s where Luke died.”
My mouth drops open. “That fucking prick.” I turn to Helen. “My apologies.”
Liam’s eyebrows hit the ceiling. “I didn’t think you had it in you, El.”
“I call ’em like I see ’em.”
“Maybe you should stay here with Helen.”
“What do you think, Helen? Should I stay here with you or go with him while he talks to Dirk?”
“If you go with Mr. Liam, I think there’s likely to be less shouting.”
I shoot Liam a smug look. “See? Helen’s a smart lady. You should listen to her.”
We turn down a hallway that seems to go on forever. I wish I could get a tour, because I’ll never again be in a house like this. Liam stops at a door on the right. He glares at it. How cruel must his uncle be to make him take the meeting in the place his brother died?
He sucks in a deep breath and knocks.
“Come in.”
Dirk sees me and stands. “Ah, Miss Campbell. How lovely to see you again so soon.” He turns to Liam. “I wasn’t aware you needed a chaperone.”
“Did you really think I’d have kept it on me, Dirk?”
He goes to the bar and pours himself a few fingers of whiskey. “What are you referring to?”
“Don’t be so fucking obtuse.”
He gets in Liam’s face. “Don’t disrespect me in my home.”
“How about we sit, Liam?” I walk to the couch and stare him down until he follows.
“I’d offer you a drink, but I hate to encourage an alcoholic,” Dirk says.
Liam’s jaw tightens. “I’m not an alcoholic.”
“Well, the apple can’t fall too far from the tree, now can it?”
“I’m only here for one thing, Dirk. Sell the company.”
“Surely you’re not talking about IRL.” He holds up his glass. “Best investment I ever made.”
“Sell it, or I’ll release the video.”
“Bullshit,” he says. “Like I said yesterday, you’d have done it by now if you have it.”
“I was living under your roof. I had my mom to think about. I couldn’t do it until now. Everything I said is true.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Maybe I am. Or maybe you have no fucking idea what’s on the video. You’re old. I’m sure your memory isn’t what it once was. You can’t possibly remember all the conversations you had in this house or how damning those conversations might have been.”
He walks over and hovers above Liam. The guy is intimidating if nothing else. “Are you threatening me?”
Liam laughs. “I am, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
He backs away and gestures to me. “You want your little friend here to know how disgusting you are?”
“He’s not disgusting,” I say.
Liam puts a hand on my arm. Dirk watches the motion. “Yes, keep your little lap dog quiet, why don’t you.”
I open my mouth, but Liam shakes his head at me. I’m beginning to realize what he had to put up with all these years.
“You want her knowing how your father put his hands on you? You want her knowing how much you liked it?”
My heart races when Liam explodes off the couch and goes after Dirk. But before he can touch him, a large man appears in the doorway and loudly clears his throat.
“Right,” Liam says, stopping. “Because you hire people to do your dirty work. Is he the one who broke into my apartment?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Dirk looks at me like he expected some kind of reaction. I don’t give him one, and I can tell it pisses him off. I cock my head and raise my brows wanting so badly to say, “Thought you could hurt him, did you?”
Liam retreats to the couch. “Sell the company, Dirk, or I promise I’ll end you. By the way, several other people know about the video. If anything happens to me, they’ll be sure to publicize it.”
He finishes off his drink. “You can’t blackmail me.”
“You mean I can’t blackmail a blackmailer?”
Dirk motions to the guy in the doorway. “Mike will escort you out. Then he’ll change the gate code. You won’t be returning.”
“As if I’d ever want to.”
Dirk looks purposeful as he crosses the room to his desk. “His body was found right here, you know. It was pathetic really. He wasn’t even man enough to live. Took the coward’s way out.”
Liam lunges for Dirk, and Mike intercepts him. “This way,” he says.
I turn back to Dirk. “How can you live with yourself?”
He laughs. “Quite nicely, as you can see.”
Back in the car, Liam’s head meets the steering wheel.
“That was intense,” I say.
“Every meeting with him is intense.”
“I’m sorry it went so badly.”
“It went exactly how I expected it to go. I delivered the message. It’s up to him what to do next.”
“Do you think he’ll sell the company?”
“Hell no, he won’t. Especially after I told him to do it.”
“Then why ask him to?”
“It’s the only thing I could ever get from him that would benefit me. I’m releasing the video no matter what. I thought if there was any chance to get him out of IRL in the process, I had to take it.”
“Can what’s on the video really hurt him?”
“If adults have knowledge of the abuse of minors and don’t say anything, it’s a crime. My mom was guilty of it too. They both knew and didn’t go to the police. I don’t blame her for keeping quiet—Dirk didn’t give her a choice—but everything he did, everything he’s always done was to further his career and earn more money. Even if the video doesn’t result in him being arrested, it’ll ruin his chances at being elected governor or staying on as mayor.”
“Why not go after your dad, uh, Don? He could still be charged for what he did.”
“I have no idea where he is. He fell off the planet. If I had to guess, Dirk had something to do with that too. Besides, the bastard lives in my nightmares. I don’t need to go dredging that shit up in real life. If I never see him again, it’ll be a day too soon.”
As we drive away from the palatial estate, I look back, and it seems smaller somehow. Not so grand. “You live one complicated life, Liam Campbell.”
He takes his eyes off the road for a second to lock gazes with me. “Does that scare you?”
I smile. “Not even a little.”
Chapter Forty-one
Liam
Bria knocks on my door. “Hurry up. We don’t want to be late for our first rehearsal at IRL.” She pokes her head in to find me still in bed. “Liam, get up.”
“Is this how it’s going to be? You ordering us around?”
“Someone has to crack the whip.”
“Who gives a shit if we’re late anyway?”
“Ronni, for one. She texted this morning. She wants to meet with us first thing.”
“Screw Ronni.”
“I feel the same way, but we need to stay on her good side to keep the studio.”
“We can afford to rent space now.” I regret the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. The truth is, I don’t want to spend a penny I don’t have to.
She comes in and opens my curtains. “Why rent one when we can have one for free?”
I want to argue. I want to say Ronni will be watching our every move. Maybe Dirk too. “You’d better leave unless you want to be introduced to my morning wood, Bria.” I move to get out of bed, and she covers her eyes and runs out of the room.
“We’re leaving in ten minutes!” she yells from the hall.
After a quick shower, I go to the kitchen, fill a bowl with cereal, and dig in. “Anyone hear from Brad?”
Garrett looks up from his phone. “Not a peep since we saw him at IRL.”
“Don’t you guys think it’s strange that he crawled under a rock after coming back from Florida?”
Bria takes my empty bowl and rinses it out. I kind of like having her around. Even though she’s a little bossy, she does pick up after us.
Bossy. I think of Ella. We’ve gone out to dinner twice since going to Dirk’s. She wanted me to go back to her place. Maybe sleep over again. But after being in his office, shit came back to me in a bad way. I’ve needed a minute.
“Brad’s never been in constant contact,” Bria says. “Before the tour, we only talked to him at rehearsals and gigs. He’s not as social as we are. Could be yo
u’re noticing his absence more now that the rest of us are living together.”
“It’s not that,” I say. “Something’s changed.”
Crew joins us with wet hair. “Who used all the hot water?”
Garrett raises his hand. “That’d probably be me. Got a sexy text from this chick I met last night. Had to rub one out in the shower.”
“Ew.” Bria rolls her eyes. “I did not need to know that.”
Crew says to her, “There’s one way we could save on hot water. Shower together.”
“Yeah, baby,” Garrett says, giving Bria a wink and a thumbs-up.
“You guys really have no boundaries, do you?” Bria asks.
Crew laughs. “You agreed to the living situation.”
“Living with us means you have to put up with all our shit,” Garrett says. “Hey, speaking of shit, I was wondering if you guys drop duces in front of each other.”
“Oh my God, stop,” Bria says.
The rest of us are laughing.
Crew grabs his notebook and we head for the door. “To answer your question, no. There are some things you shouldn’t watch your lady do.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Garrett says. “And the tampon stuff?”
Bria looks shocked. Crew discreetly shakes his head at Garrett.
Garrett continues teasing Bria the entire way to IRL. He gets some funny looks on the subway because of his vulgarity. Bria’s a good sport, though. She’s learned to put up with us after a year of being the only girl in RA.
We stop laughing when we walk into IRL to see Ronni brooding. She glances at the clock. “You’re late.”
“We’re artists,” I say. “We don’t work on a schedule.”
“I expect you to be on time when we have a meeting.”
“Then you’d better not tell us about it the morning of.”
“Come,” she says, like we’re dogs that obey her command. “Jeremy and Brad are waiting in the conference room.”
Garrett raises an eyebrow. “Ooooo, the conference room. Fancy.”
“I’m already missing the barn,” Crew says.
We sit around a large table, and Ronni hands us each a packet. “What’s this?” I ask.
“Our new business plan.”
I glance at the others. “We’re a goddamn rock band, Ronni.”
Reckless Invitation (The Reckless Rockstar Series) Page 22