Page 89 of Tortured Tones

“The one and only.” They shook hands but I didn’t miss the sizing up and puffed out chests. Cole was inches taller than Luther. There was no competition—not in height,nor the size of the package contained within their jeans. Cole won, hands down.

“Who’s your friend, Luther?” I waved toward the back seat of the car. All I could see was a long set of bare legs and pink platform metallic stilettos...those didn’t belong to Zoe.

“A client.” Luther straightened his sunglasses on his nose. “We have a lunch date.”

“Damn. I wish my lunch dates had legs like that.” Cole leaned sideways, presumably to get a better look of the lady waiting in the car.

“I’m sure you’ve had many.” Smugness slithered through Luther’s voice. He raised a questioning eyebrow as he tucked his hands in his suit pant pockets. “What are you doing here, Mr. Tanner?”

I jumped in. “Not that it’s any of your business but we had a function last night on the boulevard. For security purposes, we had the band stay at a nearby hotel. Cole dropped me home. My guys are waiting for him.” I flicked my finger toward Kennedy, standing patiently by the Suburban. Eric sat patiently in the driver’s seat.

Luther’s beady eyes narrowed. “I thought you had the night off.”

“I thought I was supposed to have Josh,” I sneered. He didn’t need to know I’d gone to the launch party as Cole’s plus-one.

“Ava helped us out. She kept us boys in line.” Cole turned and walked backward toward Kennedy. I let out a breath, thankful for the distance and that he was quick to play along. “I’m gonna go. I’ll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your time with Josh.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He jumped in the car with Kennedy, and they sped off. I waved as they drove down the street. But a new emptiness loomed in the center of my chest. What was I going to do about Cole? He kept dissolving my resolve, and I couldn’t let that happen. I didn’t think I missed having a steady relationship. I’d been so focused on sorting out my life and getting Josh back, I hadn’t had time to think about anything else. The dates I’d had were hookups. Maybe when I started my new role after the tour, and I had more custody of Josh, I might find a crazy minute to venture down the relationship road again. It would be nice to find someone who treated me right, had common interests with me, and loved Josh as much as I did. Wasn’t sure if someone like that existed. Maybe I was too resentful and bitter to even look.

Luther jutted his chin toward me. “You sleeping with him?”

“What? No.” I scrunched up my nose but sweat broke out on the back of my neck. Once didn’t count, right? “We had a work function.”

“You were never good at lying.”

“All you ever did was lie. Nor have you been civil since we separated.”

“Things may have been different if you hadn’t taken me to the cleaners in the divorce.”

Jerk. “My lawyer got me what was rightfully mine. I’d give every cent back if you’d let me have full custody of Josh.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“I will get more custody at our next hearing.” I stared at him, not breaking eye contact. Not giving him any sign of the fear and heartache thudding in my chest.

His lip twisted and twitched. “Not if I have anything to do with it.”

“The courts will decide—not you.”

“We’ll see about that.” The smug smirk on his face bordered on evil as he stepped toward the car door. Luther despised me, but lately he’d been even more unreasonable and erratic than usual. What game was he playing? Hadn’t we hurt each other enough to move on? I’d prefer full custody, but Luther was Josh’s father. I couldn’t deny him the right to see his son. I’d never speak ill of him in front of Josh. But I didn’t have to. Josh was learning Luther was a prick all by himself.

Ergh!

Luther could wait.

I had an amazing afternoon and night with my son ahead, and I wasn’t going to waste one second of it. I jerked my chin toward the car. “Don’t keep your client waiting any longer.”

“No. I won’t.” Luther put one foot into the car and turned to me. “Josh is all yours. Zoe will pick him up from school tomorrow afternoon. Then you’ve got him the weekend before the tour starts. Correct?”

“Yes.” I’d submitted my entire tour schedule to him via our lawyers to lock in the dates I’d fly back and see Josh. But knowing Luther, my consideration and careful planning wouldn’t mean a thing to him.

“Fine. Have fun with Mr. Tanner too.” A slimy grin inched across his lips as he slithered onto the back seat. He slammed his door shut and the driver sped off.

Good riddance.

And . . . oh yeah . . . I’d had incredible fun with Mr. Tanner. Now . . . he was just a client.

---