Whole Lotta Sin: Rock Star Hearts - Book #3 Page 13

  It was cruel in a way, knowing Vix was coming in here expecting something else entirely. It was like we were having the worst kind of surprise party—we were hiding in the boardroom and the cops were in the closet, ready to jump up and yell, You have the right to remain silent.

  I shook my head, wondering where that emotion was coming from.

  “I’m surprised you wanted to see me.” Vix’s voice floated in through the partially open door and the entire room filled with a heady wave of tension. “It is Christmas Eve. I thought you’d all be on holiday.”

  “Usually we would be,” Myers replied. “But this is important and couldn’t wait until the new year. You understand how the business works.”

  “It never stops.” She laughed, the sound grating in my ears like fingernails down a chalkboard.

  The door opened and Vix walked in, followed by Myers. When she saw us sitting around the table, she stumbled, her brow furrowing. “What’s this?”

  I couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at my lips at the hint of panicked surprise that favoured her question. Check-fucking-mate.

  “We have a very serious matter we need to discuss,” Myers said, making sure the door was closed. “Please have a seat, Miss Victory.”

  She looked around the room, focusing on all of us, before she glared openly at Juniper. “What’s she doing here?”

  Juniper fluttered her eyelashes and smiled sweetly. “Grant asked you to have a seat.”

  Vix’s eyebrows rose and she pouted as she sat opposite us. “Will someone please explain to me what’s going on?” Her wrath focused on the two AFP agents. “Who are they?”

  Myers cleared his throat. “We can start this meeting by you explaining how you came to possess eight point two million dollars that doesn’t belong to you.”

  She paled, and her gaze moved around the room, but when she found no love, her whole body went rigid. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Eight point two million dollars? That’s absurd.”

  “I think not,” Myers said, opening the folder in front of him and sliding the royalty reports Harry and Juniper had poured over, towards her. “You’ve been altering numbers from the day Beneath signed to Galaxy.”

  “That’s a fucking lie,” she spat. “I’d never steal!”

  “You blackmailed your past assistants and forced them to sign non-disclosure agreements to cover yourself,” he went on. “Do you deny it?”

  “Yes, I fucking deny it!”

  “You manipulated your past assistants into committing crimes in order to hide the money stolen from Beneath.”

  “Bullshit!”

  Josh snorted, pulling everyone’s attention. “They’re raiding your apartment right now. I know they’ll find what they need to put your bitcharse away.”

  “You piece of shit!” she shrieked. “You fucked me so you could screw me over?”

  “That’s an admission if I ever heard one,” he drawled.

  “We trusted you,” I said, levelling my gaze at her. “We put up with your manipulation because we were just happy to play music. Imagine how we felt when we discovered that you’d been stealing from us from the moment we met you.”

  “You destroyed more than our trust,” Damon said. “You manipulated my fucking sister into being friends with Mallory so you could get to Juniper.”

  I glanced at him, my brow furrowing. That was a new revelation.

  “You filmed me and Sebastian without our consent and conspired to leak it to the press,” Juniper said. “Then, you threatened to release more if I didn’t sign an NDA.”

  “You turned our dreams into a shit show,” Nate said. “You stole our livelihoods.”

  “You tore apart the love of my fucking life so you could protect your poisonous arse,” I said.

  Vix was frozen, her gaze following each of us as we spoke.

  “You won’t hurt anyone ever again.” We turned at the sound of a delicate voice at the end of the room, and saw Annalise just inside the boardroom. “Karma always collects. That’s something you taught me.”

  Vix shot to her feet. “Bitch!” she screeched. “You’ll live to regret this, Annalise!”

  Briggs rose to his feet, producing a pair of handcuffs. “Florence Victory, you are under arrest for the suspicion of embezzlement, money laundering, and blackmail. You have the right to remain silent…”

  19

  Juniper

  The sounds of laughter and music filtered across the deck of the McMansion and out over the water. I breathed in the scent of smoke and food, exhausted but never wanting this moment to end.

  The sun had just dipped below the horizon, but orange fingers of light streaked across the sky as the first stars began to shine through the haze. The glimmer of Sydney mixed with the shimmer wound through the back garden of the McMansion.

  Sebastian sat on the end of a banana lounge, his guitar in his lap, and Josh was beside him with one of the guitars from the music room. Damon had a pair of drum sticks in his hands and assorted Tupperware from the kitchen, which everyone had given him shit for until we heard the sounds coming out of his MacGyver’d drum kit. Nate just sat back with a beer and declared a bass player had no business playing acoustic.

  I sat forward, my elbows on my knees, and listened to them play through a mixed playlist of Beneath songs and covers, my gaze focused on Sebastian. I had no words to describe what I felt for him in that moment. He’d told me there was going to be a Christmas Eve party at the McMansion, but I hadn’t expected this kind of fanfare, not after the day we’d had.

  The deck was wound with coloured fairy lights—they were even through the trees—and the table was covered in enough food to feed an entire army—catered, of course. We’d had BBQ’d lamb chops, sausages, prawns, corn cobs, burgers—and veggie options—and at least ten different kinds of salads—coleslaw, couscous, potato, pasta, sun dried tomatoes… the works.

  The best part was the Christmas tree that hadn’t been there that morning. While we were at the Galaxy offices, Harry had organised a six-foot-tall tree to be delivered and decorated in black, silver, and blue ornaments. There was the traditional tinsel and glass balls, but someone had the foresight to include miniature guitars and musical notes… and when it lit up, the branches sparkled with matching lights.

  Sebastian was so getting laid tonight.

  “We should’ve done this on Ellen,” Damon said, peeling out a fill on his Tupperware-kit.

  “And never be invited back again,” Nate declared, holding up his beer in a mock salute.

  “Of course, you’d be invited back,” I said. “A hot bunch of dudes like you? It’s a no-brainer.”

  “We’ve never been booked to do daytime TV,” Sebastian said, leaning over his guitar to rub his palm over my thigh. “It’s opened us up to a whole new audience.”

  “Are you serious?” I asked, making a face. “I don’t believe it. You’ve never done a daytime TV show?”

  “Are you serious?” Josh quipped. “You’ve met us. We used to have an R-rating.”

  “Still do,” Damon said, winking at me. “It just depends on the time of day now.”

  “Must have something to do with a certain redhead,” Sebastian murmured. “Any requests, love? What’s your favourite song?”

  “Love?” Josh snorted and rolled his eyes. “Soppy bastard.”

  I grinned and bit my bottom lip, my heart full to bursting. All the guys were here—including Farmer and Statfield, who rotated past the food on their breaks—and it made me want to tear up. Who would’ve thought we’d be sitting here like this six months ago? Not me, that’s for sure. The only people who were missing were Vanessa, Hugo, Ziggy, and Annalise.

  “My favourite song?” I asked, thinking long and hard.

  “Don’t take too long or Josh will make me sing another Eighties pop song,” Sebastian said with a chuckle.

  “Baby Got Back is a classic,” the guitarist said with a pout. “You’re the one who won’t let me do the vocals.”
<
br />   “Scream and Feel,” I said, flashing a wicked glance at Sebastian. “That’s my favourite song.”

  “You really wanna hear that shit?” Josh asked.

  “Yeah. I really wanna.”

  Sebastian began to play the opening chords. “Your wish is my greatest desire,” he said, quoting a line from the song.

  “Puke,” Nate declared, but I wasn’t listening.

  I was enraptured as they played a haunting acoustic version of one of their dirtiest tracks, and I was hooked on every word, every note, and every stolen glance Sebastian threw my way. When the final notes faded away, he set his guitar aside and launched himself towards me. We landed in the banana lounge in a heap, laughing between kisses.

  “Get a room!” Damon shouted.

  We dissolved into a riotous mess as we tried to untangle ourselves, and Sebastian had to roll off the lounge and onto the deck before he could stand up.

  “I think I need a breather,” I said, climbing to my feet. “More beer guys?”

  “Hell yeah!” Nate shouted.

  “She’s a keeper, Seb,” Damon declared.

  “I’m a one-man kind of gal, sorry,” I said, blowing him a kiss, much to their amusement.

  Inside the McMansion, I was admiring the Christmas tree when Sebastian appeared. Standing beside me, he wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close.

  “Harry really came through for us,” I said, running my fingers over the tinsel.

  Sebastian nodded. “I’ll put in a good word for him with the label.”

  “With the label?” I turned, full intending to scold him. “I was thinking—”

  “I already talked to him about a position at our new venture.” He smirked. “Don’t worry.”

  “Typical. What are we going to call it?”

  “The studio?” He shrugged. “We need to sit down and make a list, but that can wait until after the holidays. We’ve got a tour coming up…”

  “That maybe Harry could help you with, too.”

  “You’ve really got a thing for him, haven’t you?” He yelped as I slapped his arm. “I was just joking. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “He’s done a lot of great work for no compensation,” I said, thinking about all the things he’d sacrificed to work on his career, only to leave when things went down with the sex tape. All that was nothing compared to what he’d done to help us take down Vix. “Our thing is going to take time, but until then…” I poked Sebastian in the ribs.

  “I’ll put in a good word with the label,” he said. “Though, Galaxy already knows.”

  “They do?”

  He nodded. “I mentioned it to Myers on the way out.”

  “Speaking of him…” I moved into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Finding the slab of beer, I pulled it out and set into onto the counter. “I’m going to set up a meeting with Grant after New Years to talk about our intentions. Having Galaxy behind the charity would give us major clout.”

  “Oh, you’re on first name basis with the big guy, huh?”

  I pouted, then laughed. “Jealous?”

  “How could I be jealous when I know in my soul you’re irrevocably mine?”

  “That’s a big word,” I said, hiding my smile. “Been reading your dictionary again, huh?”

  Sebastian gave me a knowing look. “You’re drunk.”

  I held up my thumb and forefinger and pressed them together. “Just a little.”

  He smirked. “Lightweight.”

  I leaned against the kitchen island and let out a contented sigh. This night… Everything was… Well, it was everything.

  I’d forgotten about all our troubles in one magical night. Vix was in custody—though there’d likely be a trial and media fallout at some stage. Mallory had gone blissfully quiet, and my stalker had followed suit. There hadn’t been letters or parcels for almost two weeks now, but Statfield and Farmer were still on the job until further notice.

  “This is what I want,” I said, looking out over the deck.

  “What?” Sebastian asked, following my gaze.

  “Family, friends, music, food… you know, times like these.” I smiled, my heart swelling. “Look at them. We just need Annalise and the Point Mambie crew and everything would be perfect.”

  Sebastian chuckled softly, the colour of his eyes still their usual stormy grey, but they weren’t swirling with turmoil. A lazy and slightly giddy smile tugged at my mouth and my heart did a backflip.

  “What?” I asked. “You’re looking at me funny.”

  “You’re happy,” he murmured, “and so am I.”

  “It’s Christmas.”

  “It’s not that,” he went on. “It’s love. Real, proper love.”

  “I love you so much sometimes I think my heart is going to shatter.”

  “I love you so much, I wouldn’t be able to breathe if you weren’t here.”

  The sounds of laughter echoed in from the deck as I melted under the heat of Sebastian’s declaration. It was the perfect happy ending I’d always dreamed of. Love had won out, just like I dreamed it would.

  My gaze caught on a shadow moving behind us, the reflection distorted in the windows. Turning, I expected to see Statfield or one of the security guys, but when I saw a woman standing in our kitchen, I froze.

  Her arm was raised and the gun clutched in her hand shook, but the look of manic hatred in her eyes sparked a fear inside me I’d never felt before.

  “It wasn’t supposed to be you,” she rasped.

  It took a split-second for all the pieces to fall into place. It wasn’t a man who’d been stalking me, it was a woman—a woman with an infatuation for Sebastian. A stranger who was crazy enough to think I’d stolen her life.

  “Sebastian,” I said, dragging him out of the way.

  He turned, and the moment he saw the gun, the woman fired.

  The boom made my ears ring, the sound echoed into muffled chaos. I was vaguely aware that I was falling, then my head slammed into something hard.

  I spun, caught in a new kind of storm, and the last thing I saw was Sebastian lunging at the stranger with the gun.

  20

  Sebastian

  The last time I stood in a waiting room like this was when my mum was sick.

  I’d been in hospitals plenty of times since—getting stitches after a brawl, waiting while Josh or Damon got stitches, dragging Nate in for IV fluids when he got so blind drunk we thought he was going to die from alcohol poisoning. All stupid shit we could’ve avoided.

  But not this time.

  How the fuck did that crazy bitch get into the house? There was security and bodyguards all over the place, so there was no way… I didn’t even know her. She was a stranger. She was a stranger and she wanted to kill Juniper.

  The sound of the gunshot and an awful buzzing rang through my head, and I slapped my hands over my ears, but it did nothing to dull the deafening boom.

  Josh placed his hand on my shoulder. “Seb—”

  “Don’t touch me,” I said, wrenching away. “I can’t—”

  I’d launched myself at the woman, knocking her to the ground and wrenching the gun out of her hands. People had come running then—Statfield, Farmer, Josh, Nate, Damon, Harry—and Juniper was on the floor, her stomach covered in blood… There was so much blood.

  “Here,” he said, taking off his T-shirt and handing it to me, “at least change your shirt, man.”

  I didn’t move. I was covered in her blood—my hands, my shirt, my knees.

  “I’m literally giving you the shirt off my back,” Josh quipped.

  “Thanks,” I muttered. “I’m fine.”

  I looked up as a commotion broke out on the other side the waiting room. Statfield was towering over a pair of uniformed cops, blocking their path.

  “We just need to take a statement,” the officer on the left said.

  Statfield pressed his palm against the guy’s chest. “Look, I know you’ve got a job to do, but so do I. The love of hi
s life is currently on an operating table. You’ll get your statement, but now is not the time.”

  He glanced at me before returning it to the muscled American. “We’ll be back in the morning.”

  “Good man.”

  “Have you talked to them?” I asked Josh. I didn’t even know when he’d arrived, or how long I’d been sitting here. When they’d loaded Juniper into the back of the ambulance, I’d jumped in, followed by Statfield, much to the annoyance of the paramedics… and here I was. Waiting.

  “Yeah,” Josh replied, putting his shirt back on. “They interviewed all of us before we could leave the house.”

  “What did they say?”

  “The cops? Nothing really. They’re not about to give out details to the likes of me.” He studied the breadth of the waiting room. So far, we were the only ones in it. “When I left, Farmer and his team of Rambos were combing the grounds with the police. I assume he’ll let you know if they find anything.”

  “She was just there…” I whispered, “we were in the kitchen and she was just there—” I ran my hands over my face. “I didn’t even have time to talk her down.”

  “I don’t think she would’ve seen reason,” Josh murmured. “Not after all the creepy shit she’d sent Juniper.”

  Farmer had told me letters had come to the house while we were in the US, but I hadn’t wanted to see them. There was no point since I could take a good guess at what they contained. I mean, the packages were their own special brand of fucked up. Anyway, they were likely sitting in a plastic evidence bag by now.

  And the woman… She’d been manic to the point of insanity. There’d been this split-second where I’d seen nothing behind her eyes and it was chilling. Was it animal instinct, or something far more deadly? Who knew? After that, the gun had gone off and I’d wrestled her to the ground, only to realise she’d shot Juniper.

  Another commotion at the waiting room entrance drew my attention as a stream of familiar people barrelled their way in. Damon lead the charge, followed by Nate and Harry.

  “Seb,” Damon said, walking towards us. “Any word?”