Page 119 of How to Be a Rockstar's Girlfriend

“I don’t know you. Who the hell are you?”

“I’m the man standing in front of the woman I love making sure her mother doesn’t hurt her anymore.”

Mercy digs her fingers into my belt buckle. I pat her arm. I’ve got this.

“I need to speak to my daughter.”

I cross my arms and glare at the woman. “All communication goes through me.”

“Don’t want you.” She waves me away and loses her balance. She stumbles before managing to right herself.

“What do you want to speak with Mercy about?”

“I bet I know,” Sage says as she and the rest of the gossip gals join us.

Estelle scans the area and scowls when she realizes she’s surrounded by the entire town. Mercy’s friends and my bandmates move to stand behind us.

Their silent support means the world to me. I worried I’d lost my family when they threatened to kick me out of Cash & the Sinners.

But Dylan confessed on the ride into town from rehab today how their threat was an empty one. They would have never forced me out of the band. Let alone abandoned me.

Feather snorts. “We all know.”

Petal nods. “She wants Mercury’s money.”

“It’s my money,” Estelle shrieks.

“It’s not your money,” Sage says. “It’s Mercury’s money. He can do with it what he wants.”

Estelle snarls at Mercy. “And I bet he bought your little innocent act.”

I step forward. “Don’t you dare speak to her that way. You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as her. Let along be a witch to her.”

“She’s my daughter. I’ll say whatever I want to her.”

I growl. “You’re done. You can walk away from Winter Falls of your own accord or I will walk you out of here.”

Sage hustles to my side. “We got this.”

The gossip gals surround Estelle and herd her away from us.

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t come back and the gossip gals stay in control,” Peace says as he follows them.

“Show’s over, folks,” I announce in a loud voice once Estelle is gone.

“But what about the community dinner we arranged?” Indigo asks.

“The community dinner?” Mercy asks.

Indigo points to me. “Your guitar man wanted to have a celebration with the entire town upon his return.”

“We’ll be there in a minute,” I say.

Cash clutches Indigo’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“But I want to watch Gibson grovel,” she whines but Cash drags her away.

The rest of the group dispenses. Once they’re gone, I turn to Mercy. “I hope I wasn’t out of line with your mom.”

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