Page 57 of Rebel

“I lost my career trying to find out the truth and expose the corruption within that industry,” he mutters. “What makes you think I can or will help you?”

“Because of the way you wrote that article. You cared about her and what happened, and you risked it all to tell people the truth,” I explain.

He watches me carefully, his jaw working. “How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

“You don’t, and neither do I.” I sit back and wait as a coffee appears. When the waitress departs, I stir the iced drink. “But we are going to have to trust each other. After all, we want the same thing.”

“What do I get out of this?” he asks.

“You will get all the inside details, the exclusive. Your name and career will be restored, no more tiny blog. You’ll be respected again. You know if this is going to happen, it has to be now, with me on the inside.”

“Who are you?” he asks, watching me carefully.

“A friend of hers,” I answer.

He startles and leans closer as I take a sip.

“Maybe one of her only true friends, and I want to know what happened. More than that, I want revenge against whoever pushed her off that bridge.”

“There was no evidence anyone was there with her,” he says, confused.

“Not literally, but we all know she had a helping hand that put her on that ledge. She saw no other way out. She was trapped, all alone and suffering. They might not have physically pushed her, but they helped her climb onto that ledge.”

Nodding, he taps the table as he watches me. “I never heard her mention you.”

I blink, tilting my head, and he smiles. “I met her on their press tour. She was kind. She was new then, so new and shiny.” He swallows. “I watched that light dim, and there was nothing I could do. The bigger she got, the more the light died in her gaze until there was nothing left of the girl I first met . . . the girl I liked.”

“I know,” I hedge. “I won’t spill all my secrets yet but know I’m on her side. I want them to pay for what they did. The question is, do you?”

“Yes,” he answers without hesitation. “I want whoever is responsible for that girl’s death to pay and suffer like she did. More than that, I want everyone to know the truth so they stop referring to her as the druggie singer who took her own life. I want them to respect and grieve her. I want her to be remembered.”

I stare into his brown eyes and wonder what the story behind my sister and this man is. It’s clear he cared about her a lot. Did she . . . Was she blinded by the glitz and didn’t see his hand reaching out?

“She left me tapes,” I admit. “She sent them to me weekly. The last few came after she died.” He blinks as I slump. “I heard her spiral. I heard her kill herself. I know someone in the label was part of it, but I don’t know how deep it goes. That’s where you come in. If we are both digging, then we can get the truth—inside and outside.”

“Do you think Chase, Kolton, and Trav are part of the reason?” he asks.

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”

“And when you do, can you pull the trigger on your own bandmates?” he queries, arching one brow.

“I’ll put the gun right to their heads if they were involved. They won’t even see the bullet coming.” I stand. “You have my number. Let’s keep each other updated.”

Standing, he reaches for me, grabbing my wrist as he peers into my eyes. “You have the same eyes as her.”

“That’s what our mom always said,” I say as I turn away. “Now they are just a reminder that I failed her every time I look in the mirror. I won’t this time.”

Putting my shades and hat back on, I head out to find the truth, whatever it takes.

TWENTY-EIGHT

We eagerly wait for Beck to come home, the presents spread out across the living room. We fucked up, and we won’t stop until we have her forgiveness. If that means sharing her with Chase and Trav to keep this band together, then I will because I can’t lose Beck Danvers.

It isn’t just because she brought me back to life and showed me pleasure, but because I like her a lot. Without her, I’m empty. I want what I find in her touch and eyes. I want this, even if it’s shared between us three. She didn’t seem to mind, and if anyone can take all three of us, it’s her.

She’s one hell of a fucking woman.

No, I’m not jealous, just worried about how she will react now that we’ve decided to share her and the gloves have come off. The pact is broken and gone, so there is nothing holding us back. This could end badly, but if we crash and burn, then we’ll do it together, knowing it was worth it to have her—or we might soar higher than ever before.

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