Page 14 of Trouble Walked In

Renic, as part of Dream Works Records, hovered in their orbit as they went from venue to venue, both to pick up new talent that always circled in their wake and to offer advice and friendship as they navigated the murky musical waters.

He’d helped solve logistical problems, cleared the way when red tape blocked the road, or called the calvary if the paparazzi got too pushy. She’d relied on him. She’d trusted him. She’d liked him, more than she should have, she had toadmit to herself, which just proved her taste in men sucked twice over.

Now Renic stood in front of her and the memories she’d left behind slapped her in the face. First was the phone call from the hospital telling her about Dad’s accident. The funeral. Then less than six months later, Della’s abrupt announcement about how Renic had reengineered her career so that it didn’t include Piper or Mattie. Then just a few weeks after that finding her husband naked on their couch with what turned out to be the latest of a long line of “up-and-coming” stars. The divorce.

She’d left the city and the past behind her and refused to look back.

Now, the past was standing in front of her looking so…so…

Damn, he looked good.

His hair was mussed up in the ruffled bad-boy way that she found insanely attractive. He wore tight jeans and a light gray button-down shirt that set off the blue of his eyes perfectly. His sleeves were rolled up and his collar was unbuttoned, and he filled the entryway with sheer presence.

Renic’s expression shifted into one she particularly hated because he used it when speaking to children or overly excitable people. “Hear me out first. Please.”

“Why should I?” She stared at him with what she hoped was an expressionless mask of stone. “You’ve already heard everything we had to say. Didn’t your mother tell you it was rude to listen in on other people’s conversations? How long have you been standing here?”

Renic opened his mouth to answer, but she realized she didn’t really want to know and held up her hand to stop him. Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment over what he musthave heard. “Never mind. I don’t care. Just go away. We’re closed.”

Renic dipped his chin in a way she used to find charming, but now equated with a bull lowering its head to charge down an inept matador. “I need to talk to Della.”

“I don’t think—” Della started to say.

“No.” Lizzie waved her finger at him. “You don’t get to bully her again.”

He frowned at her as if she were speaking a different language. “When have Ieverbullied Della?”

“Lizzie, maybe—” Della said.

“The day you ripped our family apart, for a start. She never would have gone solo if you hadn’t pushed.”

“Hey, that’s—” Della said.

“Wow, when you get it wrong, you get it really,reallywrong.” Renic’s jaw tightened. “At any rate, I didn’t come here to talk to you. I came to talk to Della. In private.”

He had drifted forward during the short conversation and now stood close enough that she could reach out and slap him if she wanted to. “You arrogant son of—”

“Hey!” Della shouted.

They both turned toward Della.

Della pointed at Renic. “Nothing’s happening in private. Anything you want to say to me, you say in front of Lizzie too. Right here, right now.”

Lizzie stared at her sister, stunned. She’d never heard that authoritative, no-nonsense tone out of her before. Della was the baby of the family and usually carried an air of swirly joy with her wherever she went.

Watching Della face off against both her and Renic made one thing clear.

Della was growing up.

Yet her sister had abandoned her career and everythingthat went with it for no obvious reason. That kind of tantrum wasn’t exactly something an adult would do. Maybe she should let Renic take his shot at getting Della back on track. The faster this showdown was over, the better, because it would mean Renic would be gone. She needed him to be out of her life; he was dangerous to her sanity. Something about him made her thoughts tangle and her face flush.

Lizzie clamped her mouth shut against all of the things she wanted to say to Renic and gestured for him to continue.

Renic rubbed his chin, and a slow, rueful grin crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Why do I feel like I just got clocked?”

Della tapped her foot. “Ticktock, Renic. I have two more rooms to clean before dinner.”

“Exactly.” Lizzie put a hand on one hip. “Unless you know something about plumbing, let’s get this over with. We have work to do.”

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