Page 9 of Tortured Tones

I slumped in the chair and crushed my takeout coffee cup into a twisted mess, wishing it was Luther’s neck. “Fucking Luther. Mediation failed, so I have to take him to court. In February. That’s so far away.” Four months seemed like forever.

“I’m sorry, Av.” He clutched my hand resting on the table. “Luther’s an asshole.”

“You got that right.”

Luther didn’t want Josh. To him, our son was an inconvenience. But Josh was his tie to me. Luther had always said that if he couldn’t have me, nobody could. He had no issues there. Who’d want me? A scorned woman, hell-bent on getting her son back? Nobody, right?

It was my fault for falling for the heir to Layk Studios, one of Hollywood’s biggest film production and distribution companies. I hadn’t known who he was when we’d met at college. Becoming pregnant at twenty-years-old hadn’t been part of the plan. While there were days when I wished I’d never laid eyes on Luther, I wouldn’t change having Josh for anything.

“Is there anything Opal and I can do to help?” Beckett asked. His wife was a sweetheart. They’d both become good friends over the past couple of years. That was another thing I loved about this company and my team. We’d become a family. We had to trust each other—our lives literally depended on it.

“Nah. Thanks for offering, but I’ll be okay.” Once my blood pressure came down ten notches.

“Are you alright for tonight?” Worry and sadness hovered low and raspy in his tone. “Are you ready to start your last gig?”

I stitched on a brave smile. “Yeah, I am. I wouldn’t miss my final assignment with you for anything...except Josh.” After this tour, I’d be stuck behind a desk, taking on administration for our company’s office here in LA. I loved being out in the field, on duty protecting people and working with Wells coordinating our team, but a month before mediation, I’d decided to give that up and show I could be a responsible parent. I had my family’s support to take care of Josh when I traveled, and I’d been prepared to start my new job immediately. Those things hadn’t helped me this time, but they would when I took Luther to court. As of February, I’d be home full-time. Luther couldn’t use my job against me again. There’d be no more working insane hours at events or traipsing across the country with clients. There’d be no more thrills, elements of danger, or adrenaline in my future role. But for my son...my handsome little soccer star...yeah, I’d give up anything for him.

“Josh is one lucky kid to have a mom who loves him so much.” Beckett gave my arm a friendly pat, then took a sip of his water. But as he put his glass down, a new glint simmered through his dark blue eyes. “At least this assignment will be a good one to end on. We get to travel and have some fun. It’s not hard to keep our eyes on a bunch of rock stars.”

Let’s hope so. These gigs weren’t always easy. They were often long, tiring, and demanding. Past clients had ranged from nervous, shy sheep to arrogant jerks to over-the-top divas. Constantly being on guard was never relaxing. But I loved ensuring they were safe. I was good at my job and lived for the excitement and variety in each day. Tilting my head to the side, I arched an eyebrow and sprinkled a touch of skepticism into my tone. “Did you read the briefing notes and profiles on these guys?”

“I sure did.”

“We’ll know what we’re in for after tonight.” From reading the security intel, The Flintlocks seemed to like their wild parties and excessive drinking, and had a huge, growing fan base that followed them everywhere. They weren’t anything we hadn’t dealt with before. “I might be glad I’m only doing the US leg of the tour.”

“I can’t believe you’re ditching me early. I’ll miss you overseas.”

“I wish I could go, but Josh is more important. I couldn’t go that long without seeing him.” Even during this gig, I’d fly back on my rostered days off—my scheduled times to see Josh—so I could spend our time together. I wouldn’t miss one day that could be spent with him. Not ever.

“Totally understandable.” Beckett flicked a finger toward me. “So are you gonna keep this band’s drummer in line?”

“Oh, you know I will.” Cole Tanner would learn quickly that I wasn’t one to be messed with. I took my job seriously. He needed to respect that. “No client has ever gotten the better of me.”

“True, but if he gives you any problems, you let me know. We can swap guys. You can mind Sebastian...um, Slip...and I’ll cover Cole.”

“Thanks.” I folded my arms and rested my elbows on the table. I loved that Beckett and the rest of team looked out for me, but it wasn’t necessary. “Cole won’t be any trouble.” And he’d be easy on the eye while I had to protect his ass. “He seems to like his women, so things won’t ever get boring.”

Beckett chuckled. “Oh, this job is never boring.”

“True. That’s why we love it.”

Wells walked into the room with Ramona, my other bestie and fellow team member. She’d been banging our boss for the past few months. Only I knew. But with her necktie off-center and those I’ve-just-been-shagged hooded eyes, anyone with half a brain could work it out.

She came to sit beside me. Her cheeks were as red as Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Lucky her for getting some. I hadn’t had sex in more than six months. Soon I’d forget what it was like. The place between my legs would be like a lost, overgrown temple. No one would ever find their way down there again.

I leaned toward her and spoke softly, just so she could hear. “You’re late.”

A mischievous smile slid across her lips. “Worth it.”

Standing at the front of the desk, Wells cleared his throat. With his square jawline, hard gaze, buzz cut, and menacing black suit perfectly tailored to his big six-foot-three frame, he gave off an air of intimidation. He was a stickler for following the rules—that was why we got along so well. “Evening, folks. Hope you’re ready for the long months ahead. I’m excited to work with these guys.”

We’d had several meetings over the past couple of weeks with Blake, their manager, Falcon, their tour manager, and April, their personal assistant and publicist, to discuss every detail of this assignment. They certainly kept the boys on a tight schedule.

“But before you meet them, does anyone have any questions?” Wells asked.

“Nope.” I shook my head.

No one else had any questions either.

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