She hangs up before I have a chance to protest.
“You can’t trust any of them,” Chaser says after I slam the phone down and explain the conversation. “Her loyalty is supposed to be to you, but she needs to stay on good terms with guys like that to find work for her other clients.”
“You’re the only one I trust out here.” While I say “out here,” I really mean anywhere. In my whole life, I think Chaser is the only person I’ve ever trusted completely. It’s scary to put that much trust in someone not to hurt or betray you.
He rubs his knuckles over my cheek. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever trusted.”
Maybe for someone else that would be a red flag, but since his mother left him at such a young age, I understand why he’d be guarded.
I want to be worthy of his trust. “I’ll always have your back, Chaser.”
“I know, little dove.”
He’s already sacrificed a lot to protect me. I want to have his back as much as he has mine.
To be there for him no matter what life throws at us.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chaser
“For fuck’s sake, Jacob, it’s almost midnight,” I grumble. “Get your shit together.”
The fucker has the nerve to roll his eyes. He’s been insufferable since we started recording the songs Mark Cutter requested.
First, it took him a week to agree to the songs he wanted to present to Cutter.
Every day since, he’s either shown up late or shows up drunk. Sometimes, if we’re really lucky, he’s both.
“What’s your problem, man? You know I create better in the midnight hours.” He flaps his hands in the air like a deranged bird and spins in a circle. “We all do. Always have.”
Great, guess tonight he’s high instead of drunk.
Plus, that’s not actually true. Usually, the four of us in a room together, no matter what time of day, jump starts our creativity. Especially when our record company is paying for studio time and breathing down our necks. We’ve always worked well under pressure.
“Listen,” Garrett says, trying to be the voice of reason since it’s obvious I’m about five seconds from choking Jacob. “Maybe we should go. Let you have some solitude to lay down your vocals.”
“No, no, no. I need you guys here. We’re supposed to record together. Our sound requires it.”
Everyone groans. The rest of us have been here since noon. Jacob didn’t bother to show up until after seven. I’m the only one who has to be up at six to take Mallory for a casting call.
“Are you good with the lyrics now?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I might mess with that one verse.”
“Jesus Christ,” I grumble, shaking my head. I’m going to kill this motherfucker tonight. I stalk out of the room and down the hallway.
“What’s the problem, Chaser?” our sound engineer Joe asks.
“Nothing. We’ve just been at this all fucking day and haven’t gotten dick accomplished.”
He shrugs. “It happens. All you creative genius types are a pain in the ass.”
“Yeah, well, I have to be up early.”
“You shouldn’t be working right now. Didn’t the record company give you an advance?”
Yeah, we’d each been handed fat checks. Not got-it-made money but definitely both-feet-out-of-the-gutter money. Most of it I plan to spend on buying Mallory a car.
“I’m not working. I’m pissed, though. We’ve been at this twelve hours a day for multiple days and have fuck-all to show for it.”
He cocks his head as if he doesn’t believe that’s the whole story.
“And my girlfriend has an audition in the morning I need to take her to.”
“Ah, I understand. Now that I can help you out with.”
Not sure how he plans to help me out. Don’t have a chance to ask either. “Chaser! Let’s go. He’s ready!” Alvin shouts.
Seems all of a sudden Jacob’s feeling “inspired” and ready to do his fucking job.
I get my third, or is it fourth, wind and get to work.
For the next four hours, we play steadily, and by four a.m., we actually have something close to a finished song.
I’m ready to fall down. Alvin and Garrett aren’t looking much better. Jacob’s the only one hopped up and ready to keep going.
“Can’t, bro. We got someone else coming in and need the space. It’s yours again after two,” Joe informs us.
Jacob pouts, but can’t argue with him.
On my way out, Joe hands me a small vial. “That should help get you through the day,” he says.
Normally, I’d answer with a “no thanks.” Working with Andrew had gotten me way more familiar with cocaine than I ever planned. I started to develop an unhealthy appetite for the shit.
I’ve been around enough coke in my life to know it’s something I should avoid. Christ, I can practically ski in the stuff back home. Snorting the family business up my nose always seemed like a dangerous habit to get into.