Shattered Dreams (Boys of Bellerose, #3)(31)
As we pulled into the driveway, he hit the button to open the security gates and disarm the alarm system. We idled for a moment before it was clear to drive in. Our security didn’t follow us through. They were housed nearby, on call for whenever Bellerose needed them. Conveniences of the rich and famous.
Conveniences and necessities.
Rhett parked and got to my door before I was even done unbuckling myself. When he swung it open, he reached in and lifted me from the seat, hugging me close. “How was therapy, Thorn? I should have asked that first.”
Enjoying the warmth and comfort of being near him, I briefly closed my eyes. “It was good today. We delved into more of my past, and she warned me that it might make the nightmares worse for a little while but will eventually lead to more healing. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are no shortcuts to, hopefully, laying the past to rest.”
“Makes sense,” Rhett said softly. “The past is what keeps me awake, and I’m starting to think this therapy thing could be exactly what I need to let some of that shit go too.”
Lifting my head from his chest, I stared into his clear green eyes. No signs of drugs or alcohol in his system for once. “I do think it could really help, even if you are making amazing progress on your own.”
Shadows darkened the planes of his face briefly. “I have good and bad days. But most with you are good, so let’s keep it that way. You can be my therapist, therapeutic exercise, and healing process. I’d be okay with that.”
Fucking musicians. They had a way with words. It, of course, went without saying that I was in no way qualified or equipped to be anyone’s therapist, but I knew what he was saying. For now, he wasn’t ready to take that step. Maybe one day, though.
We shared a brief kiss, and then he let me settle back on my own feet and took my hand as we entered the house. Unlike when I’d arrived with Gray yesterday, today there was a lot of noise.
The shouting kind of noise.
“...fucking way that you can force us to do this.”
“Looks like Jace is in a fantastic mood,” Rhett muttered. “Two guesses who he’s talking to.”
Straightening my shoulders, I braced myself for whatever we were about to walk into. “Is there any mood for Jace other than shouty, emo asshole? And I’m guessing… Angelo or Brenda.”
Angelo and Jace might be besties again, but they’d always argued like hotheaded, testosterone-fueled assholes. I’d love to say that I’d been the cool, calming balm between them, but I was fairly sure I’d been the fuel for their fires.
When we entered the living room, my second guess turned out to be correct. Brenda was standing in the middle of the room, the bridge of her nose pinched between fingers of her right hand as she shook her head. “It’s out of my hands, Jace. I have argued and gone over the contract with a fine-tooth comb. We literally cannot get out of this unless you want to be sued for millions of dollars.”
Jace was on his feet too, pacing back and forth. Grayson was in the armchair, Angelo and Vee on the couch, and all of them remained quiet as they watched the showdown. Gray was the only one who appeared to notice us enter, the rest too focused on Brenda and Jace.
“There are clauses for emotional leave,” Jace shot back. “And one of our fucking bandmembers dying should trigger such a clause.”
Brenda released her nose and took a long breath. "I argued that as well, but you used that up the first time you asked for it to be postponed.” She appeared to notice Rhett and me then, waving us into the room and indicating we needed to take a seat. “I’m glad you’re all here,” she continued when we sat. “I know this isn’t the news any of us wanted to hear, and I’ve never seen a label be this pigheaded in these circumstances, but nothing I did or said dissuaded Big Noise from forcing this through.”
I turned to Angelo. “Big Noise is Ricci now. Have you spoken to your father? Why is he hell-bent on forcing this international tour?”
Angelo was quiet for a moment, before he let out a long breath. “I haven’t spoken to him, but I can already guess that he’s looking for a return on his investment. I’m sure the merger was expensive, and Bellerose is Big Noise’s big-ticket band. This is all about money, and I promise, he gives zero fucks about you all grieving.”
A dark laugh escaped me. “Don’t we fucking know it. That man has never had a heart, and he sure as shit isn’t about to find one today.”
Rhett shifted forward in the chair, bringing me with him since his arm was still around me. “So, what are our options, then?”
Brenda looked around, and if I was going to guess, I’d say she was trying to find the booze. I really didn’t blame her. “Option one: Do the tour, get it over with, finish your damn album, and we break ties with Big Noise as soon as possible. Option two: Refuse and see how far we can push them before they actually sue. Option three: I initiate a complicated legal proceeding in the hopes of getting this all stopped before you have to leave. We can cite exceptional circumstances that nullify some of the contract’s terms and then hope like hell we get a sympathetic judge that hasn’t already been paid off by Ricci corp.”
Jace appeared to calm a little when he was presented with these options. Fuck knows why, because they all sounded bad. “What are the odds of winning in court?” I asked her.