“It’s not a big deal, Em. He’s just doing his job,” Rhys said, lifting his hands out from where he held his coffee cup, looking at her like he couldn’t make sense of her.
Not getting that there was something bad going on in that pretty head.
So clear it was giving me a heartache.
“Leif?” she asked, voice soft and unsure and pleading.
In discomfort, Leif fiddled with the strings from a massive hole in the thigh of his jeans, glancing down before he looked back at her with a sigh. “I think we’ve got to give this thing a chance, Em. Know you’re dealing with something right now, but I don’t think we can just turn our backs on this opportunity, either. I’m sorry.”
She looked at Mel, who shrugged her shoulders hopefully.
Emily didn’t need to look at Richard to know what his vote would be. He’d already made that plenty clear.
Warily, she gave a tight nod, giving in.
Got the feeling that was what she always did. Looked out for everyone else rather than herself.
“If it’s really what you want, then okay.”
Richard blew out a relieved breath. “Thank you, Em. You’re not going to regret this. You’ll see.” He looked around at the band. “Bus leaves at 11. Get your shit together. We have to be in Birmingham tonight.”
“You made the right decision.” I issued it to all of them, though I was directly speaking to Emily.
Wishing there was a way to convince her she could trust me. Knowing she shouldn’t.
“Thanks for doing this,” Rhys said, clapping me on the shoulder as we stood.
“I fight for the things that are important.”
Emily sucked in a haggard breath. That overwhelming connection I’d felt to her last night was a throb in the air, though it was mangled and meshed with hostility and doubt.
Leif lifted his chin to me. “See you on the bus.”
The guy strutted out behind Rhys, two of them followed by Melanie who was barking a bunch of orders. She only glanced back once as I headed out behind them, eyes narrowing for a flash like she was issuing her own warning, before she let the door close behind her.
No doubt, she was a force to be reckoned with.
I glanced at Richard.
He barely nodded.
Knowing.
Grateful.
I just prayed this bullshit wasn’t going to backfire on us all.
Opening the door before I said anything more, I strode out to head for my room. I froze when I felt the presence come over me from behind, potent and raw and sweet.
It was a dangerous, dangerous combination.
“I can’t believe you.” Her voice shook like a crumble of stones, and I slowly turned around.
My chest clutched, the sight of her a constant kick to the gut.
I shouldn’t be attracted to her.
It shouldn’t be possible.
Couldn’t be.
But my heart fucking pounded a wayward, mindless beat.
“I’m just doing my job, Ms. Ramsey.”
“Is that so?”
I took a single step her direction, cocking my head and lowering my voice. “I told you that you would regret meeting me last night.”
Her lips trembled. “You’re right. I do. But I didn’t have all the information then, did I?”
It was straight accusation.
Drawn, I edged forward, one step and then another. Tension ricocheted, alive in the narrow hall.
Those eyes widened in surprise.
Seemed it was impossible to stay away from her.
Nervous, she fumbled, backing into the wall, pants jetting from her throat.
My gaze swept across her gorgeous face, getting distracted by those full lips covered in more of that cherry gloss I had the sudden, overwhelming urge to lick off, our noses so close they almost touched. “Don’t pin this on me, Precious.”
She stared up at me, and I worried it just might be hope that shone in her eyes. “Tell me one thing . . . when you came up to me last night, did you know who I was?”
Lips pursing in a thin line, my head angled back, eyes narrowed, tongue held.
A silent confession.
She didn’t need to know there was no chance I couldn’t have stood up for her.
A roll of low, horrified laughter ripped up her throat, and she slowly shook her head. “Wow. I guess I really was an easy target, wasn’t I? Is that what you wanted? To sleep with me to form some kind of connection? Make me think I knew you a little better? Get me right where you wanted me so you could manipulate me into doing what I don’t want to do?”
“Last night was a mistake. But this isn’t. I’m here because I’m going to sign your band.”
An incredulous sound left her. “Maybe I won’t sign.”
“And maybe you can be replaced.”
She blanched, hurt streaking across her face like she’d been punched, anger riding in right after.
That’s exactly what I needed.
Her passion.
Her ferocity.
For this girl to stand up and fight for her band.
To let devotion consume her rather than her fear.
Pushing out from under me, Emily whirled around on those strappy heels, taking two steps back to put space between us. “You really are an arrogant bastard, aren’t you? You think they’ll just drop me? That I’m just . . . replaceable?”