Page 16 of The Fix

“It’s prude. Prude,” Anna corrects, agitated, her hands flying out as she talks.

I know this because it’s what Anna does when she’s super mad, which I normally enjoy watching. I can also see portions of her flailing limbs from underneath my arm. “I said what I said.”

What’s with people correcting me?

Bastards.

Her growling response is all I get back but it still makes me chuckle until Leo chimes in, “Toby, this is serious.”

“Sooo serious,” I mock, because I honestly can't remember why it’s so important. “So, so serious.”

“Fuck, Toby, c’mon. Can you at least try?”

Why does Leo sound like Mac now?

“No!” Anna answers for me, loudly. Forcefully. “No, he freaking can’t. That’s the whole problem—”

I sit up from my position, sway for a hot second, and then drop my arm. The lights are still blindingly bright, but I’m sick of hearing about the shit.

Sick of hearing Anna’s mouth droning on and on about me and my problems.

I. Don’t. Have. Any.

“Leo,” I say through the cotton in my mouth, “take me wherever the fuck you want.”

“Okay.” The man sighs and runs a hand down his tensed face that’s covered in an abnormal-for-him amount of scruff. He’s still wearing his normal white dress shirt and suspenders and he looks ridiculous to me, but I’d bet my faded Ozzy tee under my leather vest looks just as fucked up to him.

He’s put together. Formal. Planned and scheduled.

I’m not.

“Just not with her.”

“Oh, fucking hell,” Leo mutters and throws his hands up. “You’re both being ridiculous.” He paces in a circle that makes me dizzy the longer I watch. “Beyond reasoning.” The man’s hands go to his hips, his fancy shoes stopping just in front of me. “You’re going to the cabin, Toby. And she’s going with you.”

“No, thank you.” Before I shake my head, Leo crouches in front of me, his features set like hard stone, his eyes bloodshot and emotionless.

“You will go. And she will go. Or you both are out of fucking jobs.”

His words slap me in the face so hard, I fall back into the couch. “Fuck you, Le. Threats? Seriously?”

His chin lifts in a single nod of confirmation, his face no less harsh than it was before the words left his lips. “Seriously. You, Anna, cabin.”

“Le,” I growl and pitch forward to grab his fancy shirt in my fist.

My band manager’s jaw clenches as he grips my wrist, pressing into the pressure point. My hold loosens and my buzz fades. “Or you’re fucking done playing for As Above.”

Chapter Eight

Anna

Escorted to the edge of town as if this is some sort of prison transport, the last Sentry SUV finally pulls away from our tail. Toby and I reach the base of the mountain, where the cabin is located deep in the forest, with only a few minor problems along the way. It’s several winding roads later that we finally pull into the driveway.

It’s still difficult to maneuver, mostly hidden by brush and barren foliage, but in a better state than the last time I was here. Which was during its purchase. The driveway curves and steeps, forcing me to slow the vehicle or risk missing the trail in the blanket of fresh snow.

I’m so focused on the road with a death grip on the wheel that it takes Toby grumbling from the passenger seat to capture my attention and a gasp escapes me.

“Holy crap,” I mutter, as the car rolls to a stop in the front yard of a nearly restored log cabin.

---