Down to My Soul (Soul Series Book 2)(17)

San opens his mouth, and I can already tell by the look in his eyes what he’ll say. He wants me to tell Rhyson. We’ve gone back and forth about this, but I won’t budge. God, how can I? Before he gets to make his case again, my phone comes to life in my lap with a text from an unknown number. I swipe to see the full message. A gasp rushes past my lips, and my fingers tremble around the phone. I drop it like it’s on fire and it falls by my feet.

“Oh my God,” I whisper, my hand covering my mouth to catch the words. “He released the tape.”

“What?” San’s eyes swing away from the twisting road to search my face. The truck swings dangerously close to the edge. “Shit.”

He pulls off to the narrow shoulder, kills the engine and unsnaps his seat belt, reaching to the floor to retrieve my phone.

If you can be numb and electrified all at once, I am. Every cell of my body buzzes with shock even as shame numbs me piece by piece, a slow, steady creep until I can’t feel my fingers or toes. But I feel my heart, and it throbs as if it’s suffered a blow. I don’t even think about the millions of people who will now see that tape. I can only think of one. I can only think of Rhyson.

“Kai, I don’t think . . .” San’s forehead furrows as he considers the phone screen. Irritation presses his lips together. “He’s f*cking with you. It’s not real.”

“What?” The question dies on my lips when he turns the phone for me to look again.

The picture hasn’t changed. It’s a still of the tape, my face clearly visible, Drex leering over my back and shoulders. There’s a post accompanying it, the headline proclaiming “Rising Star, Rhyson’s Ex, Caught In The Act!”

Seeing it, reading it a second time only turns my stomach more, and I reach for the door handle because I think I need to puke. I’ll dump what little is in my stomach right here in the dirt of this oceanside road.

“Look closer.” San tosses the phone to my lap. “Actually read it.”

I cautiously pick up the phone and scan the graphic and post again. The picture is exactly what I thought it was—me and Drex in the most compromising position imaginable. But the post, when I read it, is just gibberish. Letters thrown together and making no actual words. I’m still processing what this means when a second text comes over.

Unknown: This could so easily be real. Remember that when you see Rhyson at the wedding today. Remember what I said. It’s over between you two, or this goes LIVE.

Before I think better of it, my fingers zoom over the keys.

Me: Drex, is this you? Why are you doing this? I need to talk to you. Please.

I call the number, but it just rings. No voice mail. No answer. Nothing.

I hold the phone, waiting for it to vibrate in my hand with a response, an explanation, anything that will help this make sense and show me how to make it all go away. San and I sit there on the side of the road for minutes, quiet and waiting, but apparently my blackmailer is done tormenting me for now.

“Just tell Rhys.” Concern weights the look San gives me. “That takes all the power away from this son of a bitch.”

“Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” I turn as far as my seat belt will allow me to face him, back pressed to the door. “This isn’t some game, San. This is my life. My relationship, if I can still salvage it. My reputation. Rhyson can’t ever see that video. No one can. I only told you because I knew you were the only one I could trust to help me.”

“I know, but I remember the way Rhys was the night of the fight. The night you left. The guy was . . . despondent. He loves you. He wouldn’t let something like that from your past ruin your future together.”

“And you didn’t see his face when I tried to tell him everything about that night with Drex. He couldn’t hear it. He said the only reason he can get past it is because he doesn’t know the details.” I hold up the phone with the trashy still splattered over the screen. “And doesn’t ever want to.”

“Yeah, he cut me off when I tried to explain, too.”

“See! If he can’t even hear about me being with Drex, imagine him watching . . .” The image of Drex pounding into me from behind invades my mind, his grunts and gasps stinging my ears. “Oh, God. If Rhyson sees that tape, I don’t know if he can get past it. He and Drex hate each other so much.”

“Speaking of which, there’s still no sign of Drex. It’s like he’s disappeared into thin air. He’s not anywhere. He’s even sublet his apartment.” San gives me a quick apologetic glance before starting the engine again. “I’m trying. I’ve been discreet, but I’m using every resource at my disposal through Spotted. It’s hard to quietly investigate something like that when it involves two rock stars.”

“I’m not a rock star yet.” I give a little bark of a laugh. “And I’m not sure I’d classify Drex as one, either.”

“Well, he’s famous enough, and between your relationship with Rhys and the tour, now so are you. If I poke around too much, and the wrong people get a whiff of it, they’ll go digging and maybe figure things out before we do. And that you don’t want.”

No, that I can’t have.

“How does he just disappear?” I knot my hands in my lap. “He may not be an A-lister, but he is a celebrity. No sightings of him? Nothing? We have to find him, San. I need to talk to him. He has to want something else. Just Rhyson and me not being together? It doesn’t make sense.”