Page 68 of Blue Moon

“I can make it look like an accident.”

“Please, don’t do anything. At least for the moment.”

“I don’t understand why he’s still your agent.”

“Mom.”

That was all she needed to say. Once again, Amethyst Puckett had put her daughter’s career above her well-being.

“She just let him get away with it?”

“Not quite? She made him apologise and argued the percentage he takes down to ten instead of fifteen.”

Cold, that was damn cold.

“Your mom is a real piece of work.”

“You think I don’t know that? We’d both been drinking, and he said I was asking for it, so she said nobody would believe me even if we reported it. I’m not even sure she believed my side of the story, anyway. Julius’s dad owned my old record label—he’s sold it now—and Mom said we couldn’t turn down the deal they were offering.”

“You were sixteen?”

Luna nodded.

“And he was what, thirty?”

“Twenty-nine.”

“Where did you get the drinks?”

“He gave them to me.”

Ryder tore a hand through his hair. The man had groomed a young girl from a position of power, and how many other women had he preyed on? He deserved to have his throat ripped out, but Luna had to come first. Luna always had to come first.

“If he touches you again, I’m gonna throw him off a building.”

“I don’t think he would dare touch me with you around.”

“I’ll speak to Monroe, get him barred from the venue.”

“Thank you.”

Ryder set her onto the floor and wiped her cheeks with a sleeve. “You okay to perform tonight?”

“Of course.” She put on a bright smile, and the effect was unnerving. “I’m a pro at this.”

19

LUNA

“Should I get the squeaky caterpillar or the squeaky bone?” I held both up as I turned to face the five reporters who’d followed me into the store. “Do any of you jerks have dogs?”

“Danny has a dog,” a skinny blond guy said, pointing at Danny Mills, roving reporter for celebgossip.com and bane of my life.

“Nah, my wife took him in the divorce.”

“Oh gee, I can’t imagine why she dumped you. Anyone else?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryder’s lips twitch.

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