Chapter 25

Leo

I checked my phone for the time as I got out of my car, and before I went inside, I turned and checked over my shoulder for Milton’s car. It had been two weeks since I ran him off, but he’d only been scarce for the past few days. I guess he realized he wasn’t going to find anything on Kya. And if anything was said about me being over so often, I’d tell him my hanging around was only because he’d been hanging around.

The case had hit a lull, and now that we were waiting on the hearing, which had been pushed back a week because of another high-profile lawsuit we still hadn’t been able to make the offer to settle. Other than another press conference, which was why I was on my way to pick up Kya, things were moving slowly.

I had been around an awful lot, and not only was Kya and I stronger than ever, but Addison and I had hit it off. How could I not fall in love with a tiny version of Kya who baked me cookies?

I walked up to the door, and Addie opened it as Kya ran up behind her. “I told you not to open that door until he knocked.” I’d told them to be very careful about opening the door for just anyone, and I’d told them I’d use a secret knock.

“But I saw him through the window.”

“Still, we don’t want that man taking your picture again.”

I knew better than to undermine her authority, so I kept my lips sealed until after my hug. “How are my favorite girls?” I leaned in toward Kya to get a kiss as Addie tugged my suit coat. I leaned down to get a big kiss, and then she ran off to the kitchen.

“You’ll never guess what I made you!” she screamed all the way to the kitchen.

I glanced at Kya. “More cookies?”

“She’s in a creative rut, but she did make these with extra chocolate chips.”

“My favorite.”

Kya giggled, and as she stepped away, I got a better look at her. She had put on a pretty purple dress, and even though she played down her makeup and hair, she still looked like a rock goddess. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you. As do you.” She let her eyes wander, and I relished in the attention. “So, are we ready for this conference? You know the press is going to rail you for switching sides.”

“I’ll have to tell it like it is, that there was too much corruption on the other side.” I would have to keep my answers short and sweet, and hopefully, we’d make it through the thing without any surprises.

Addie walked around the corner with a plate of cookies. “Look, double chips.” She took one from the plate, which she was dangerously close to spilling, and yet, once again managed not to. “Here, taste it.”

I hadn’t planned on eating anything before the conference, but I couldn’t say no to her. I took the small cookie and bit it. “Mm. Absolute perfection. You are quite the little baker.”

“Really?” She smiled.

“Yes. You’re so talented, just like your mother.”

“I’m going to sing too,” Addie said. “I’m going to have a concert in the park under a rainbow.”

“That would be amazing.”

“She calls the stage lights rainbows because they’re blue and pink,” Kya explained.

“Yeah, and I want smoke, too, but not the stinky kind. Mama has a smoke machine that makes the place smell like cotton candy.”

“That’s Papa Blitz’s vape, sweetie, not the stage smoke.”

“Oh, right.”

“Papa Blitz?” I hadn’t ever heard her talk about another man in their lives, but I knew Blitz Hunter was a friend of hers.

Kya nodded and offered an explanation, “Blitz Hunter from The Deathgrips. She calls him Papa Blitz. He’s like a grandfather to her.”

Addie put the plate on the floor and sat down beside it. “Papa Blitz is the best. Uncle Stones said he loves me more than him, and he’s his own son.” She picked up a cookie and bit it.

My eyes widened. “Stones?” What kind of name was Stones?

“He’s Blitz’s son and Sadie’s boyfriend. He’s going to watch Addie while we go down to the conference.”

I figured she must have known him well to ask him to watch Addie for her, but that was her business, not mine. “That’s quite a name.”

“He’s named after the Rolling Stones. He’s got a brother named Zep and one named Angus, but those two aren’t musicians.”

“Well, maybe he’ll like me if I tell him my last name’s Skynyrd,” I teased.

“Is it?” asked Addie, who munched the cookie while stacking the others one atop another.

The doorbell rang, turning our attention, and Kya went to answer it. Sadie came in dressed like a million bucks, followed by a long-haired guy who had so much ink, if he got another tattoo, he’d have to hold it in his hand.

“Uncle Stones!” Addison got to her feet and ran across the room to jump up in the man’s arms. I felt a pang of jealousy I knew I had no right to. He kissed her cheek, and she wrapped her arms around his neck like he was her most favorite person in the world.

“Stones, this is Leonard. He’s my friend and our attorney.”

“What’s up? Cool name,” said Stones as he held out his hand.

I shook his hand. “Thanks.” I turned and glanced at Kya who smiled. “I guess we can leave whenever you ladies are ready?”

“Yeah, give me a minute, would you?” asked Sadie, who was holding up a hair clip. “I’ll meet you in the car.” She headed to the bathroom, and after telling Stones and Addie goodbye, Kya and I walked out to the car.

“Seems like Addie loves him a lot.” I tried not to sound bitter and convince myself it was good for her to have role models in her life, father figures.

“Yeah, he’s been around her whole life. She grew up on the road with us for the most part. I’ve only recently settled us down so she could start school in an actual classroom, but her on-the-road tutor, who’s about to marry my bassist Liam, worked wonders with her.”

“And what about her father? I know you said he’s not in the picture, but who was he? Someone from a band?”

Her eyes widened, and then she looked over my shoulder to Sadie coming. “I’ll tell you all about it later, but now’s not the time.”

I wondered if Sadie was as in the dark about Addison’s father as me. Maybe she didn’t like him or something, and maybe that’s why Kya didn’t want it brought up with the woman about to get in the car.

I dropped the subject and hoped it was going to be okay to ask again. I felt like if I would be in her life, I should know those kinds of things. And I did plan on being around. For a long time.

When we got to the courthouse media room, the crowd was already forming, and I held hands with both ladies to make a united front.

It didn’t surprise me to see Milton there, and he was talking to a woman in the back of the room. Jon and Whit stood together feet away to observe, and even though I wasn’t happy Jon had remained on the case, I couldn’t blame him. I had left him in a tight spot with very little options.

After a moment, we were introduced, and I stepped up, bringing the two women up with me. “Hello, it’s good to see you all again, and unlike last time, when I didn’t have all the facts in the case, I’m here to say it is now my belief that Mr. White owes these women and their band what’s rightfully theirs and what he stole from them. Justice will prevail in this case.”

The media went nuts, a million questions coming at me at once. “One at a time, please. I’d like to try and answer your questions.”

“I have a question,” said a gray-haired man from channel four. “Why did the band agree to hire you after you were already against them on the defense team?”

“As I said, when I first agreed to represent Mr. White, I wasn’t aware that he had been deceptive. But I’m also a man of integrity, and when the opportunity to help on the case arose, I knew it was my duty to take the right path in finding justice for the real victims in this, the members of Sabbath Sundae.”

Another voice came out of the crowd, “Is it true that you and Ms. Campbell are having an affair?” A woman stepped up, the same woman that Milton had spoken to before the conference started. “Is it also true that you’re the estranged father of Ms. Campbell’s daughter?”

“That’s completely false.” I turned, and at the look on Kya’s face of such pure shock, I froze.

“You two have a long past, don’t you?” said the woman. “In fact, you grew up just next door from one another? Is that completely false as well?”

The conference was falling apart, but I had to regain control. “While it’s true Kya Campbell and I do indeed have a friendly relationship, we’re here today to focus on the case. According to the evidence, not only did he steal from Ms. Campbell, but he also falsified payroll to afford himself luxury vacations. We’re prepared to offer Mr. White a plea agreement.” I glanced across the room where I saw Jon. My eyes widened at him, and he gave me a shrug in return. This was his and my father’s doing. They had Milton wait outside that house, and they’d put two and two together and come up with the whole thing based on Kya having a child. I couldn’t believe I’d told them that. I’d given them the bullet.

It didn’t matter, though. All I had to do was take a paternity test and prove that none of their silly allegations were true. I just hated it for Kya, having to go through something like this and being dragged into it. She had suffered enough.

I couldn’t believe Jon had gone along with my father and betrayed me that way. He knew how much Kya meant to me. This time, blaming my father alone wouldn’t do. I blamed him too.

I answered and avoided a few more questions about the case while Kya stood next to me like she’d been slapped across the face, and Sadie stood with her, equally shocked.

As soon as we got away from the press and into a private room, I spun around and was about to tell Kya how silly it was and apologize for what they’d said, but she broke down in tears.

She fell against me. “I was going to tell you. I’m so sorry you had to find out that way.”

I stiffened. “What?”

“I wanted to tell you, but I guess they saw your name on her birth certificate.”

Sadie excused herself and went out a side door to give us some privacy.

“Addison is mine?” I still wasn’t processing her words when Jon opened the door and stormed into the room.

“I swear I didn’t know that was about to happen, man.”

Kya took the distraction to run out of the room crying, and even though I spun around to stop her, she left. I turned back to Jon and held my hands out.

Jon tried to close the distance, but I stepped back for every step he took forward. “I promise you, Leo. This was all Whit White.”

“Well, turns out, it’s true. It’s all true.”