Page 67 of Recklessly, Wildly Yours

Blasting a smile their way, I strum my guitar and lean into the mic. “Who’s ready to hear something new?”

They cheer me on, whistling and yelling their excitement, and I then spend half an hour singing my heart out, not holding back any of myself.

Every second is exhilarating.

I’m wearing what I want.

I’m singing what I want.

I’m saying what I want.

By the time I sing my last song, everyone is singing with me. They’re in this special moment with me. Heart and soul. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I am exactly where I should be.

23

Madeline

“Holy fuck, that was amazing!” Leigh is buzzing in a way I’ve never seen, her entire body filled with excited energy as we make our way out of the airport.

I’m glad to have four security guys guiding us because it’s hectic in here. It’s taken us probably ten times as long as it should have to get through the airport, but that’s because I want to stop and talk with the people who enjoy my music and support me. This is important to me. I wouldn’t get to do what I love if not for them.

I slide my sunglasses in place as we step outside into the sun. “It really was,” I agree with Leigh. “That was my favorite concert to date.”

She smiles. “I truly love that you just called half an hour singing in an airport a concert. I’m not sure there are many singers who would do that.”

“Any time I get to sing for people is a concert to me. I will never take any opportunity for granted.”

“And that is why I will continue putting up with your Hottie McHottie’s shenanigans that get me into trouble with Judy. I never want to work for anyone who doesn’t care about people the way you do.”

God, I adore her and wish we hadn’t taken so long getting to this place in our working relationship. “I never imagined you ever using the word ‘shenanigans.’”

“Well, the definition of shenanigans is playful and reckless behavior not intended to cause harm, so it’s not really the correct word in this scenario since it caused me harm. Possibly, high jinks would work better.”

I do my best to keep a straight face. I’m actually not sure if she’s being deadly serious or if she’s fucking with me. “Have you memorized the dictionary. Like, do we know the definition of high jinks?”

I’m treated to one of her stern looks. “We do, but your high jinks discourage me from wanting to share it with you.”

I can’t keep my laughter in a second longer, and while Leigh tries to hold her stern look, she fails and is soon smiling and rolling her eyes at me.

She quickly gets back to business though, always the one to keep me focused when I get distracted. We wait at the curb outside the airport for our car and go over the interviews I have scheduled for this afternoon. My security team stand behind us while we talk. Leigh is in the middle of telling me that Judy isn’t feeling well and may not be meeting us at the next interview as planned when I spy Tucker’s yellow Mercedes Maybach driving our way.

When it pulls up at the curb and Tucker steps out, I armor up, recalling Hayden’s advice. From the feral expression on my ex’s face, I think my lawyer was right.

“Get in the car,” he snarls. “We need to talk.”

“It truly is lovely the way you boss me around, Tucker, but those days have come to an end. I’m not getting in your car. If you want to talk, we can do that here.”

He rips his sunglasses off and I’m hit with his ferocious glare. “You’re a piece of work, Madeline, that’s for damn sure. You flashed your tits and legs at me all those years ago, and here I am, being taken for a fucking ride by your lawyer after giving you the world.” He stops talking, his glare intensifying, turning into something truly menacing before he continues. “You’d do well to rethink all of this because if we get as far as me signing that contract and giving you millions, you will wish you never met me.”

“I already wish I never met you, Tucker.”

He sneers. “You’d still be writing shitty songs in a trailer park if you’d never met me. And if you steal my money, that’s exactly where I’ll fucking send you. Back to the hovel I found you in.”

“Your money?” The violence I felt when I told Darren to never call me sweetheart again the other day rages to life under my skin. “It’s half mine, and if my songs were so shitty, you would never have put your name to them.” I move closer to him at the same moment I sense Ethan’s presence. I’m too far gone on this violent energy though to turn and see if I’m correct that he’s now standing near me. Getting in Tucker’s face, I allow the storm of anger consuming me to run wild. “You will sign that contract and you will give me my money that you stole from me. And go ahead and do your best to screw with my career, I’m not going anywhere.”

When his nostrils flare and his hand flicks out to squeeze tightly, painfully, around my arm, Ethan’s protective streak is unleashed and I realize I wasn’t imagining him here. He’s on Tucker in an instant, wrenching his hand away and shoving him back. He puts himself squarely between us and growls, “Don’t ever put your fucking hands on her again.”

Tucker turns his fury toward Ethan as a crowd mills around us. “Keep the fuck out of this. You might be sticking your dick in her but this shit is between Madeline and me.”

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