Love, Diamonds, and Spades (Cactus Creek #2)(37)

What? That was news to him. He and Quinn had been so busy lately, he doubted that even she knew.

Brody tsked, steamrolling right along. “Private information in the wrong person’s hands can turn a campaign like that ugly, real fast.”

No shit. Rylan had seen it a number of times already, where folks who had no claim to fame were suddenly top internet news because of random social media posts going viral over an online fundraiser gone bad. Hundreds of thousands of comments twisting the truth via a massive game of telephone between strangers who really didn’t give a crap, but just got swept up in the social media shitstorm.

“Remember that one band who got a whole bunch of donations from fans and strangers, only to then become pariahs getting death threats when someone leaked that all of the band members had debts and skeletons in their closet?” Brody titled his head as is considering something carefully. “I suppose I don’t have to talk about that at all. I could tell the media that we both did what was best for Cooper. I could choose to focus the media’s attention on what an amazing job Quinn has done raising Cooper on her own. You know, since media attention that would make my career thrive would probably not be good for her…if what the private investigator I hired last week says is true.”

“You heartless son of a bitch.”

Brody dropped his little charade, and that weird little accent, as well. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’ll stay completely out of sight until my flight home next week and give you my word that you’ll never hear from me again if you sign the rights of that song over to me. I’ll get out of your hair and I’ll never interfere with Quinn or Cooper’s life, and I’ll do whatever I can to keep this from turning into something that could turn ugly for Quinn. I’ve had a PI on her for over a week; I know about her business problems.”

That was definitely a threat. Rylan let loose the punch that had held Brody’s name on it from the minute he saw his face.

Brody shoved him back and wiped the blood from his mouth.

Which was still yapping.

“Face it, Rylan. If the chocolate shop goes under and she needs to go get a corporate job to keep up with the bills, I’m sure any media attention like this is the last thing she’ll want when she’s thrown into the hiring pool with the big boys—MBA or not.”

“And seeing as how you two broke up,” continued Brody, “I don’t see how it’s any skin off your dick to release the song rights. So do we have a deal? You’ll of course have to tell her that I’d given you the song a while ago and you just never gave me credit until now, but we’ll figure out a nice way to spin that as well…probably along the lines of you not being able to keep my benevolence a secret any longer—“

Rylan slammed him up against the wall again. “You planned this, you goddam prick.”

“You give me too much credit. I actually didn’t think of it until now. Thank you, by the way.”

Even with a forearm shoved up against his throat, Brody managed to sound bored. “I guess we can add jealous new boyfriend attacking ex to the laundry list of media buzz.”

Dammit! Rylan instantly let him go.

Brody straightened his suit and took a step back. “My PI knows your cell phone number. I’ll call you this weekend with the time and place to meet on Monday, with all the appropriate paperwork. That should give you enough time to figure out how to tell Quinn. Remember, if you screw with me, all bets are off.”

While he wasn’t stupid enough to turn his back on Rylan, he did walk away, leaving Rylan in that alley wondering how the hell everything went from bad to worse in ten short minutes.

The song he loved because he’d written it for Cooper would be hard to give up, but he’d do it to save them from all the worst case scenarios that Brody had painted, which, sadly, were all a very real possibility.

Losing the song, he could get over.

That wasn’t what was making him sick with fear at the moment.

There was a strong possibility he’d lose Quinn and Cooper completely in the process as well.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN


FOR TWO DAYS straight, all Quinn had been able to think about was that almost kiss.

And Rylan.

Mostly just Rylan. Everything about him.

The last few weeks, she’d come to realize that while Luke was always going to be her best friend, Rylan got her in ways he didn’t. When things happened in her life, lately, Rylan was the first person she felt like calling. She loved spending time with him and found her days were infinitely better just by having him in them.

Yes, it took losing him for her to understand that but in her heart, she believed she wasn’t too late.

And she had every intention of telling him that when he came over tonight.

A half hour later, when her doorbell rang, she’d practically tripped all over herself to answer it. “Hey.”

“Hey back.”

He looked…pensive. Sad.

“Everything okay?” She reached out to touch him, and then stopped. They needed to talk first. “You look upset.”

“I’ll be fine. So how did the auction go?”

She smiled brightly then. “We raised $10,000 after expenses.” Tilting her head to the side, she added softly, “And I heard you won something pretty special in the auction. Old Man Gunderson’s cactus, onionweed, and olive chutney, if the rumors are true.”