Chapter 20

Kin

I wasn’t in much mood to discuss the record deal as I sat down to lunch with Aunt Emmie and Annabelle the next afternoon. After fielding calls from Jace all night once I got home, then again earlier that morning, I wasn’t sure how stable my irrational anger at a man I’d only met once really was.

Annabelle and Aunt Emmie seemed completely at ease, however. Ordering their lunch like they were starving and discussing Lucy and Hayat and how glad Aunt Emmie was that Jesse could relax a little now that the baby had been born and Lucy was doing so well. Amara was next on their conversation list, and I wished she were there with us, but she’d had a last-minute doctors appointment.

It was only as the waiter placed our food in front of us that Aunt Emmie got down to business. “I have a number that I would like to throw at Petrova. It’s on the high side to give us room to negotiate for the number I think would make us all happy in the long run.”

“Why does it have to be Petrova?” I demanded suddenly, my voice snappy.

The two women shared a look I chose to ignore because I didn’t want to see their mom-minds working overtime.

Aunt Emmie’s fork landed on her plate with a loud clatter, and she grabbed both my hands across the table. “Kin, why are you so against Petrova?”

“I don’t even know, okay?” I swallowed roughly and met her gaze. “I’ve only ever met him the one time when Jace introduced us the night TK got signed. He… I guess he made me feel insignificant. Like he thought I was just Jace’s arm candy or something.”

Big green eyes narrowed. “Did he do or say anything to you?”

“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “I felt overlooked, I guess. Replaceable.”

“That is typical Petrova,” Annabelle told me, her voice sensible. “He’s a misogynist. The only woman he even considers on his same level is Emmie, and I’m pretty sure that’s because he’s scared shitless of Jesse and Nik. But the bastard knows talent when he hears it, and he knows you’re dripping in it. Not only do you have a sound—and an entire brand that could sell millions of albums—you also have a gift for writing songs that has already gotten Petrova Records artists on the charts for consecutive weeks. You have at least five different songs on the radio daily. That’s huge, and he’s not going to let you slip through his fingers.”

I felt myself start to glow under her praise. I knew it was her job to reassure me as her client, to stroke my ego and get me to do what she wanted, but nothing she just said was untrue. I knew my talent, knew my worth.

And I never should have let one old man make me feel like I wasn’t good enough to be with Jace.

Even if he had been right.

Fuck no. I wasn’t going to think about that.

“Let’s hear the numbers,” I finally told Aunt Emmie, giving in.

For the next half hour, we talked shop, and I had to admit I was happy with the starting number she was going to toss at the record execs. Hell, I was happy with the number she was really aiming for if they turned down the original one.

The only issue I had with any of it was touring.

“I can pull you together a band,” Aunt Emmie assured me. “One that will grab enough attention that they will draw fans out to see them and, in the process, pull the attention to you once they hear you. Or I can arrange for local bands in each city to have the chance to come out and get a little exposure for themselves by performing with you.”

“A new band every city?” That just made me more nervous. I would have to depend on new people every single time I got on a stage.

“It’s just a possibility I’m throwing out there,” she said with a smile that said I could trust her. “Whatever you are most comfortable with, I’ll make it happen.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, my voice weak.

“What if the band was made up of people you’re already comfortable with?” Annabelle tossed out the idea. “Between Demon’s Wings and OtherWorld, we could mix and match a few of them for a week or two until you’re more comfortable with bigger crowds. Shane would be willing to help, I’m sure, and I can get Z to fly out for a few concerts. Wroth can make an appearance or two as well. Maybe Liam. I’ve been promising the Blondes that Gabriella would do a live performance with them for a while now. That would work out for all of you.”

I bit my lip, giving the idea some consideration. Singing onstage with guys who were like family to me? It might help with my stage fright a little. Shane knew how to put me at ease, as would the others. “Would they be up to helping me?” I asked, unsure. They were all busy men. They had families that needed them, and they rarely toured anymore.

“Are you kidding me?” Aunt Emmie sighed, her green eyes running over me. “They would be happy to help. You’re family, Kin. We might not have loved you as long as we have Lucy, but we do love you like one of our own.”

“I’ll just have to find a drummer for a few concerts,” Annabelle said, already making plans. “Neither Dev nor Jesse are going to want to go far from home with the new grandbaby. Hell, you would think they were new daddies.”

“Let’s say two, three weeks tops with the legends,” Aunt Emmie told her, punching all the ideas into her phone. “I’ll find you a full-time band for after that. By then, I know you won’t be as nervous. You’ll be a pro, sweetheart.”

The waiter cleared away our plates before pouring us coffees. Aunt Emmie’s phone rang, and she quickly excused herself after shooting me a look out of the corner of her eye. I shrugged it off, figuring it had to do with Petrova.

Annabelle lifted her coffee to her lips, her eyes examining me over the top of her cup.

“What?” I asked with a laugh. “Did I get dressing on my face again?”

“No, you’re fine. I’m just concerned for you.”

I was touched she cared enough about me to be concerned. “I’ll be fine, Annabelle. I’m not the first woman to have a broken heart.”

Her lips pressed together for a moment. “Oh, honey, I’m well aware. I’ve been there. Z and I, we had a long history before we got married. We spent seventeen years apart because he couldn’t put me first. Or even second.”

I lowered my lashes, unable to look at her as the memories flashed over her face, causing her pain. She sighed heavily before putting on a smile. “I hated him for a little while, or so I kept telling myself. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Still, I had my pride, and I couldn’t let him know that I never stopped loving him.”

“I’m sorry, Annabelle. That must have been hard. I know…a little of what you went through from Lucy.”

“There are days I don’t even want to get out of bed because I miss Michelle so much,” she murmured, her eyes filling with tears. “But Z helps me through those days. We usually lie in bed and hold each other. We have a really good cry, and then we go visit her little grave.”

I reached over, squeezing her hand. “You’re so strong. I wish…I really wish I were like you.”

“We all face our own obstacles, sweetheart. Losing your mom must have been just as hard as me losing my baby.”

I nodded, my throat clogging with emotion. “I miss her every day.”

We were quiet for a moment, both of us trying to get hold of our emotions. Needing a change of topic, I asked the one question I’d always wondered about her. “How did you forgive Zander? How do you forgive and trust someone after they’ve proven that you weren’t their number one priority?”

“It wasn’t easy. I mean, we still work hard on that, even today. He tried to quit the band once, to show me I was more important to him than all of that, but I couldn’t let him do it. I don’t think I could have lived with myself if I let him, you know?”

I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

“But that was the start of putting us back together. And I can’t honestly tell you when it all just fell into place. It was little things every day that he did to show me he loved me, that we belonged together, and that I meant more to him than anything else ever had or ever would.”

She pushed her cup and saucer away and squeezed my hand. “All I’m saying is, if you love Jace, it will all eventually work out. He will pull his head out of his ass and realize exactly what his priorities should be. Don’t give up on each other.”

“That’s easier said than done,” I grumbled.

“True. But anything worth having is worth fighting for. If you love him, if you need him, things will work out in the end.”

While I was digesting that, my phone rang. Seeing Riley’s name on my screen, I picked it up. “Sorry,” I told Annabelle, but she waved her hand as I lifted the phone to my ear. “Hey, what’s—”

“Oh my God, Kin!” Riley was freaking out. “Nate was just arrested, and I can’t leave this fucking store because I have zero help.”

“What?” I cried. “What do you mean, he was arrested? Calm down for two seconds and tell me what is going on, Riley.”

I heard her suck in a deep breath and then release it. “I had to come into work on my day off because my mom is out of town and there was only one of our staff that isn’t out with the damn stomach bug. Nate slept over last night, and your psycho ex showed up, pounding on the door. It woke Nate up, and I guess it looked bad because Jace started throwing punches before Nate could even explain he’s with me. I don’t fucking know!” She was sobbing now. “The neighbor broke them up. He’s a cop or something. The guy called the super, and now Nate and Jace are both in a jail cell for trespassing and disturbing the peace and assault.”

“Oh shit,” I whispered, and Annabelle asked me what was wrong. Shaking my head, I looked around frantically for Aunt Emmie, who hadn’t returned yet. Seeing her near the bathrooms, I saw that her phone was still pressed to her ear, and she looked anything but happy.

The look she gave me earlier made sense now. She’d gotten a call from Jace.

Of course, he would call her. She would need to be the first person he called because this was going to blow up all over entertainment news and social media. It probably already had.

“Kin!” Riley screamed in my ear. “Kin, please get him out of there. I can’t leave. Fuck. I can’t go and take care of him, and it’s killing me.”

“It’s okay. He’s going to be fine,” I assured her, my tone soothing. “I’m leaving right now. Do you know where he’s being held?”

“I wrote it down. I’ll text it to you.” Her breathing hitched, and I could hear her sniffling. “Tell him I’m sorry I can’t come myself. I want to. I need to. But this goddamn store is overflowing with people today with our Friday sale, and I can’t leave Cindy all by herself.”

“He will understand, Riley. Don’t worry about him. I’ll handle everything. Just stay calm. I’ll get him out.”