Hard as Rock (The Rock Star's Seduction 3)

“I had a

little

something to do with it.”

“Yeah, he’ll tell you that – but remember, you’re his

excuse

, not the reason. The reason is, he’s a fuck-up.”

I chuckled.

Ryan looked over at me. “What?”

“You’re angrier than I’ve ever seen you. Well, other than earlier tonight.”

He stopped to consider. “I guess I am.”

“You know how I know?”

“Because I sound angry?”

“Because you’ve cussed more tonight than I’ve heard you cuss

ever

, combined.”

“Yeah, well,” he grinned.

I lapsed back into silence. Then I thought about things a little, and frowned. “Wait… it’s five in the morning. Nobody gets bailed out until they go before a judge… and no judge sees anybody at five in the morning. So how are we bailing him out?”

Ryan cleared his throat. “I, uh… I’m friends with the chief of police. He called me as a personal favor.”

I stared at him. “…really.”

Ryan shifted in his seat. “He knew my grandparents.”

I kept staring at him.

Now he was

really

getting uncomfortable. “And I’ve helped out the police department. Donations. Stuff like that.”

I shook my head. “I wouldn’t have figured you for a member of the Good Ol’ Boys’ club.”

“It’s not like that,” Ryan insisted. “The chief knew it would turn into a PR shitstorm if Derek got formally charged, so he’s doing me a favor.”

“What’s the favor?”

He paused before he answered. “Making sure Derek leaves town.”

“What?!”

“That was the deal. Derek leaves town peaceably, or he goes before the county judge and does jail time.”

“For a

bar

fight?! Bullshit. He’ll just hire a really expensive lawyer and get probation or something.”

“No, that’s why the police chief called me. The judge who would hear the case is a hanging judge. Or he would’ve been a hundred and fifty years ago. There’s nothing he’d like better than to give an uppity rock star the maximum sentence allowable under law.”

“Is that what they call frontier justice?” I said angrily.

“No, what we’re trying to

avoid

is frontier justice.”

“So it’s just the Good Ol’ Boy Network in action, is all.”

Ryan sighed. “Don’t be like that.”

“You’re getting him thrown out of town, Ryan. That’s pretty fucked up. It’s, like, something out of a bad movie.”

“The only other option was releasing him directly to me.”

“So why didn’t you do that?!”

Ryan shot me a dark look. “Do you not remember what happened just a few hours ago?”

“Yeah, but – ”

“What do you expect me to do, have Mr. MacCruder sit on him with a rifle the whole time?”

“Okay, but getting him thrown out of town?!

Really?!”

“It’s going to be his choice,” Ryan said, and I could tell he was getting pissed. “He can do the jail time, or he can leave. One or the other.”

“What did you bring me along for, then?” I seethed. “So I can watch as you get your friends in the police department to ride him out on a rail?”

“No,” Ryan said coldly. “So you can go with him if you want.”

Oh shit.

I sat there with my mouth open for a few seconds.

“Are you serious?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“I can have your stuff shipped wherever you two go, if that’s what you decide to do.”

“Ryan…”

He didn’t say anything, just stared out at the dark road ahead.

“Ryan, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean that.”

He didn’t look at me… but he nodded. “I know.”

“But… you know I’m not going with him, right?”

Ryan clenched his jaw for a few seconds before answering. “He’s likely sobered up a little, so… maybe you should wait to make that decision until you talk to him.”

I sat there in silence. I felt awful.

“Just do me a favor, will you?” Ryan added.

“What?”

“Don’t mention anything about this conversation unless he asks you to go with him.”

“Why? I mean, not that I would – but why?”

“Because I know Derek,” Ryan said, his voice dark. “And I know what happens when he doesn’t get his way. When that happens, he’d usually rather throw punches at you than actually

get

what he wanted in the first place.”

“What are you saying?” I asked, my throat constricting with fear.

“If he asks you to go with him again, and he’s sincere, then I’m wrong about him. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”

My eyes misted up when he said it. He was being so selfless… only concerned about my happiness. I knew it was killing him, and I ached for him.

And yet, I sensed he was leaving something out.

“…but?”

“But I don’t think I’m wrong about him,” Ryan said grimly.