“I’ll never want to be with anyone else.”
I smile. “Me neither.”
“So marry me.”
I kiss him because I need him to know my answer isn’t no, but it’s not yes either. “Promise you’ll ask me again another time. When you’re really ready.”
“Knock knock!” Crew yells from downstairs.
“Up here!” I yell.
He runs up the stairs and stops, taking it all in. “Holy shit.” He asks Liam, “You okay, man?”
Liam doesn’t look at Crew. He runs a finger down my face. “I think I’m okay now.”
Crew kicks some boards aside on his way to us. “What are you going to do now? Need some help with the downstairs?” He picks up the sledgehammer and gives it a swing.
Liam and I stand. “I think we’re done here,” he says.
“So, the gasoline?”
“Ella was right. I’d probably go to jail for arson. I don’t need that shit hanging over my head too.”
As we step over the rubble, I ask, “What now? You’re not going to live here.”
“I’ll pay someone to refurbish it, then I’ll sell it.” He laughs. “I’ll never get near what I paid for it.”
“Was it worth it?” Crew asks.
“Destroying the walls, tearing through the doors, pummeling the wood? Every swing was another punch to the bastard’s face.” He glances around. “So yes, totally worth it.”
Crew pats him on the back. “I’m glad, brother.”
Liam holds out a hand. “Thanks for having my back.”
Crew pushes Liam’s hand aside and brings him in for a hug. “Always.”
We exit the house and go to the cars. Liam doesn’t look back. He catches my arm and spins me against his chest. “Thanks for finding me.”
“I’ll always find you.”
He kisses me. “Thanks for saving me too.”
I shrug. “Conjugal visits just wouldn’t be the same.”
He laughs, then sobers. “I’m not only talking about today. You’ve saved me, Ella, in so many ways.”
“I’ll do it as many times as you need me to.”
He traces my bottom lip. “The same goes for you. I promise I’ll always find you. I’ll always save you. I’ll always be there for you.”
His words sound like promises—vows even. I’ve never been more confident that one day, I’ll be his wife.
Chapter Fifty-one
Liam
Ella and I enter the bar and look around for the others. “There they are,” she says, pointing to a corner. I carry the gift we’re giving Garrett—a charcoal sketch of him sitting at his drums. Ella drew it, and I built the frame.
Someone brought balloons, probably Bria. She’s always doing that sort of thing. A huge helium 25 floats behind Garrett.
“Happy birthday,” I say, shaking his hand.
“Thanks. Glad to see your knuckles are healing nicely. He hasn’t bothered you again since that night, has he?”
I shake my head. Garrett, along with the rest of the band, now knows my father is a scumbag, and Dirk was covering for him. I didn’t share details, but they can put two and two together.
Many drinks are brought to the table as Garrett opens his gifts. He opens ours last. “Holy shit, Ella, this is fantastic.”
“My girl is talented, isn’t she?”
“Hell yes, she is, but we already knew that.” He pulls out an envelope. “I have something for you. Well, it’s for everyone, but mostly you. I’m no stranger to family bullshit. I hope this will make things better for you.”
“But it’s your birthday. You’re the one who’s supposed to get gifts.”
“This will benefit me too. Go on, open it.”
I slip a finger under the seal, rip it open, and pull out a check. It’s made out to Indica Record Label, and it’s for a million dollars. My eyes snap to his. “What are you doing?”
“I’m buying us out of the contract.”
“But this is your inheritance.”
“Every damn penny.”
I hand it back to him. “You can’t do this.”
“I can, and I will. Everyone at this table knows we’ll all be making this kind of money in a year or two anyway. This way we can get out from under Ronni and Dirk. We’ll find a label that wants to work with us on our terms. We have a lot of leverage now. Anyone would kill to represent us.”
I can’t believe this is happening. “Are you fucking serious?”
“As serious as the numbers on that check.”
I turn to the others, who are all smiling. Thoughts fly through my head. No more of Ronni’s bullshit rules. And Dirk—I’ll finally be free of him, once and for all.
I hug Garrett. “You have no idea what this means to me. I don’t even know how to thank you.”
“You can thank me—you can all thank me—by playing the best damn music anyone has ever heard.”
“You got it, man.” I call the waitress over and ask for shots, then hand one out to everyone. “On three.” I count off, and we all yell, “Let’s get Reckless!”
Ella giggles. “That was fun.”
“You like that?”
“I do.”
“You’ll have to come backstage and join in when we’re on tour.”
“Do you think there will still be a tour?” Bria says. “I mean, if we’re not with IRL anymore, all bets are off.”
Crew says, “It might take a while longer, but we’ll go national. Maybe even international.”
Bria seems sad. She puts her drink down.
“What is it?” Ella asks.
“Everything’s changing. Brad’s leaving. After tomorrow, we won’t have a label, and who knows when we’ll go on tour.”
I hold up the check. “We don’t have to do this, you know. I don’t want you all capitulating because of me.”
“Are you crazy?” Crew says. “First thing tomorrow, we’re marching in there and giving Ronni the check.” He laughs. “I can’t wait to see her face.”
“Jeremy will find us another label,” Garrett says. “I’ll bet they’ll be fighting over us.”
Brad straightens. “Liam, your uncle just walked through the door.”
Dirk is coming straight for me. I stand. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He pulls a chair over and sits. “I have a proposition for you.”
“How’d you know where to find me?”
“Ronni may have overheard you talking about Garrett’s party.”
I sit and pick up my drink, tossing it back in a single swallow. “You’re not invited. You should leave.”
“Don’t you want to hear what I have to say?”
“Anything you needed to say to me, you could have said at IRL earlier.” He shifts uncomfortably in his chair, something I’ve never seen him do. Dirk always has an air of superiority about him, but not today. “This has something to do with Don, doesn’t it?”
He doesn’t respond.
I laugh. “Holy shit, you heard about the fight. You’re scared. Don turned up, and now you think he’s going to ruin your shot at being governor. Is that it? Or maybe he’s blackmailing you. He needs money, right?”
“How much will it take?” he says sternly.
“For what?”
“For the video. How much for the video?”
I laugh again. “Dirk, there isn’t any amount of money that would make me give it up.”
“What if I sell the company?”
“I’d say you’re too late.”
“I’m a businessman, Liam. If I know anything, I know it’s never too late to negotiate.”
“Hold on a sec,” Crew says. “What if there was something in it for both of you?”
I cock my head at him. “How so?”
He picks up the envelope and drags me out of Dirk’s earshot. “Dirk can sell the company to Garrett, and you give Dirk the flash drive. You never wanted to release the video anyway. This way, you both win. He’ll be off your back, and w
e can run IRL the way we want. We wouldn’t have to find another label. We could go forward with the tour.” He smiles deviously. “We could fire Ronni.”
I don’t even have to think about it. “Okay, let’s negotiate,” I say to Dirk and sit down. “You’ll sell the company to Garrett.”
Everyone is surprised to hear me say it, especially Dirk, who says to Garrett, “I didn’t realize you were in that sort of position.”
“He’ll give you a million dollars for it,” I say.
Dirk sneers. “IRL is worth ten times that.”
“Maybe so, but it’s what we’re offering. And that part is non-negotiable. How much do you think the video is worth? Or your career in politics—what’s the price tag on that?”
He rubs his forehead. “It’s not even close to fair.”
I push a shot across the table to him. “Then I’d say drink up, because tomorrow the world will see exactly what kind of man Dirk Campbell really is.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” I get in his face. “After facing your asshole brother on Saturday, you have no idea of the rage inside me.” I glance at Crew and Ella. “Ask these two what I did to Don’s old house. It’ll never be the same. Just like you won’t be when the media gets wind of what a lowlife you are.”
I see the tremor in his hands. I’ve got him over a barrel, and he knows it.
He stands angrily, his chair toppling over. “Be at IRL at ten tomorrow morning. Bring the money and the video. You’ll be asked to sign an affidavit, stating it’s the only copy, and a non-disclosure agreement concerning anything on the tape or overheard in my home. Got it?”
I raise a glass. “See you at ten.”
He leaves, and the rest of us stare at each other, stunned.
“What the hell just happened?” Ella says.
“What happened is Garrett is about to become the owner of IRL. We’re out from under Dirk’s dirty paws, and Ronni will get the boot before the goddamn ink dries.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Crew says.
Ella leans close and whispers, “What about Don?”
“Don can go to hell. I doubt he’ll bother me anymore, but if he tries, I’ll know about it. His wallet fell out of his pants at the club. Crew looked at his license and found the name he’s been living under—Curtis Wingate. Something I’m sure Dirk helped him do. I hired a private investigator to keep tabs on him. He won’t be able to make a move without me knowing.”
“But you won’t be able to release the video. I know you were hesitant, but if you sign the papers, that’s it. He could go on to be governor, and no one will ever know the kind of man he is.”
“Sooner or later his past will catch up with him. If bad people do enough bad things, eventually they get caught.” I kiss her. “Let’s forget about all that for now. We have a lot to celebrate. And later, we’re having our own private celebration.”
For the next few hours, I tease her under the table. By the time we’re in a cab on the way back to her place, we can barely keep our hands off each other. I put my hand beneath her skirt and tantalize her. She strokes my inner thigh. I whisper things in her ear that have her squirming in the seat next to me. By the time we get to her place, my body is humming.
We strip off our clothes on the way to the bedroom. She jumps up on me. I’m already hard, and she rubs against me as I carry her to the bed. I put her down and gaze at her gorgeous body. The lights are on, as usual. We never turn them off. I take in every inch of her. We’re not even touching each other, but a sexy moan escapes her throat, and I swear I’m about to come.
I stand naked before her, and she takes my cock in her hand. She doesn’t have to ask permission anymore. She knows I trust her. She leans forward, and I can tell she wants to put her mouth on me. It’s something she’s never done before. I’ve never asked her to; it’s always been off limits. She licks her lips. I see her waiting for my reluctance, the repulsiveness, but it’s not there. For the first time in my life, I crave it.
“Are you sure?”
I give my answer by inching closer.
Her tongue swipes across the cockhead, tasting me for the first time. I shudder, and she pulls away. “Don’t stop.” I hope she knows I’m shaking because I like it, not because I don’t.
She runs her tongue along the side, then takes me in her mouth. My breath hitches. I put a hand on the back of her head, guiding her, setting the rhythm. I don’t let go, knowing I’m in control this way, like I need to be. I didn’t know it could be like this. I become unsteady on my feet.
She grabs my ass, holding me against her. I think I see the hint of a smile. It must be damn difficult to smile and give a blowjob at the same time. I almost say something about it, but I don’t want to ruin the moment. Besides, the feeling of her lips on me is a thousand times better than I imagined. I grip her shoulder as my thighs tighten and I come, shouting her name.
A few deep breaths later, I collapse on the bed next to her and apologize. “I should have pulled out. I’ve heard a lot of girls don’t like it.”
“I didn’t mind. I’ve never been a fan of the taste, but with you, it didn’t bother me at all.”
Her saying that makes me feel like fucking Tarzan. “That was pretty much my first time.”
Her eyes become glassy. “You allowed me to do what no woman has ever done before. The trust you place in me is incomprehensible. It’s a gift you give me every time we’re together. I’m honored to have been the first. I hope you liked it enough to let me do it again sometime.”
“Sometime?” I say, laughing. “How about every time? It was incredible.” I climb on top of her. “Then again, everything you do to me is incredible.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Good.” I flick her nipple with my tongue. “Then you’re going to love this.”
I lick every inch of her chest and stomach, working my way down to the place that makes her squirm uncontrollably. I put two fingers inside her as my tongue lashes her clit.
She fists the sheets when I bring her to a quick and intense orgasm. Watching her come has to be my favorite thing to do. “I think we set some kind of record. I doubt you lasted a minute.”
“What did you expect after you let me do what I did to you?”
I flash her a devilish grin. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be ready for round two.”
~ ~ ~
Bria, Crew, and I arrive at IRL at 9:45.
“Why do you think Garrett left so early this morning?” Bria says.
“Beats me. He said he had to take care of some things and he’d meet us here.”
I open the door to a flurry of activity. I’ve never seen so many people here at one time. Niles greets us before we’re two feet inside the door. “Lots of changes happening today,” he says cheerfully. “Can I get you anything before you start?”
“I think we’re good.” I whisper to Bria and Crew after he leaves. “See that? He’s kissing our ass so he can save his job.”
Bria looks at me. “Is his job in jeopardy?”
“Guess it will be up to the new boss.”
Crew laughs. “Garrett Young, owner and CEO of Indica Record Label.”
“What does that make us?” I ask.
“Friends of the boss, I guess. Not a bad position to be in.”
Dirk comes through the front door, followed by a suit that must be his lawyer. He doesn’t make eye contact with me on his way to the conference room. How the tables have turned. It’s delicious.
Some guy sticks his head in the hallway and sees us. “If you’re ready, we’ll get started.”
“Who’s that?” Bria whispers.
“Hell if I know.”
“Should Crew and I wait out here?” she asks the stranger.
“Mr. Young would like all of Reckless Alibi present.”
“Mr. Young?” I mumble in amusement. “But Brad’s not here.”
“Brad Templeton is parting ways with Reckless Alibi. His presence is not
required.”
We enter the room. Garrett’s already inside, sitting next to the guy who called us in.
“This is Joe Perry, my lawyer,” Garrett says.
My brows shoot up. “Since when do you have a lawyer?”
“Since yesterday, when I met with him to collect my inheritance. I called him late last night and asked if he’d represent me in this deal. We’ve been at it since seven o’clock this morning.”
“Been at what?” Crew asks.
“You’re about to find out. Sit.”
We take seats across the table from Dirk and his lawyer. Dirk sips his coffee so he doesn’t have to look at me—as if that will somehow protect him.
“First thing’s first,” the suit says. “I’m Jason Kutcher. I represent Mayor Campbell in the sale of the company and the matter of the video Liam Campbell will be forfeiting in exchange for the transaction.”
He pushes papers across the table to me and Garrett’s lawyer. “Sign these, Mr. Campbell. They’re all straightforward. It says the copy you are surrendering is the only one and you’ve not made a backup or duplicate. The non-disclosure agreement states you’ll not discuss any conversation, situation, or meeting, whether in person or overheard by circumstance concerning my client, Dirk Campbell.”
Mr. Perry quickly reads through them and nods. I sign all the copies and pass them back.
“Now to the sale of Indica Record Label,” Mr. Kutcher says. He passes us each a packet.
“Why do we need these?” Crew asks.
“You’re all named in the purchase agreement,” Mr. Perry says. “Mr. Young is putting up the capital to buy the company, but he, along with Brianna Cash, Christopher Rewey, and Liam Campbell, will be equal and controlling partners.”
The three of us look at each other. We’re surprised, to say the least. Bria’s mouth opens and closes repeatedly, but nothing comes out.
“What? Why?” Crew asks.
“We’re a team,” Garrett says. “I don’t want my being the boss to come between us. Now pick your jaws off the table and sign. I want this. I don’t give a shit about the money. I just want to be a rock star.”
“None of us know how to run a company,” I say.
Reckless Invitation (The Reckless Rockstar Series) Page 29