Page 2 of Save Me

Now, I own the damn company. There are dozens of recording artists counting on me. They've been counting on me for four years. While he got the credit, I did the work. Half the time, he was too distracted to even know what was going on. The other half, he was too busy trying to figure out new ways to steal from the company to do what needed to be done. Sorting out the mess he left is not making me want to drink any less.

"Oh, you're going to want to make time for this one." Daniel crosses his massive arms over his chest, smirking at me. "It's the sister."

I stare at him blankly.

"Your father's assistant's sister. The twin."

"Jesus Christ." I sit upright in my chair. "Isla Sterling is here?"

"Yep. Demandin' to see you."

Fucking hell.

Isla's twin, Bella Sterling, witnessed my father's murder. Last I heard, her dad sent her out of state to protect her. I feel terrible for the girl. She's barely old enough to have a job, let alone deal with something of this magnitude. She never should have been in that parking garage. She never should have come to work with my father. And she damn sure doesn't deserve to be embroiled in his shit now, with the men who killed him looking for her.

And the men who killed him weren't the kind of men you fuck with. As far as I've been able to figure out, he was in deep with the Dixie Mafia, owed them a whole fuckton of money.

He was borrowing from the label, siphoning off resources.

We had a massive goddamn fight about it not long before he was killed because the bastard tried to take out a loan in my name. He threatened my mother. I had to remind him—bluntly—that I'd spill all his dirty secrets if he even smiled at her wrong.

"What does she want?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at Daniel.

"How should I know? I wasn't goin' to grill the girl, Brantley. She looked like she was afraid I might bite."

"What the fuck do I pay you for again?"

"The benefit of my motherfuckin' wisdom." He grins, showing teeth. "You want me to send her in?"

"Fuck." I scrub a hand through my hair and then blow out a breath. "Go ahead. Might as well get this shit over with now."

Mac Sterling warned me I'd probably see her when he came to see me. Mac is…an interesting man. Not sure if he believed me or not when I told him that they weren't my fucking dealers. He just jerked his chin in a nod and told me to send his daughter home if she showed up.

Guess he knows her well, because that was three days ago, and here she is.

"Good luck." Daniel taps the door frame and then strolls out like he doesn't have a care in the world, the lucky bastard. He probably doesn't. The twin sister of the girl who watched his father being brutally murdered isn't sitting in his waiting room right now. And guilt isn't his constant fucking companion.

Christ. How is this my life? Better question...why the fuck is this my life?

I glance down at the newspaper spread across the top of my desk, glowering at the photo of my father staring up at me. If the fucking world knew what I did… Jesus.

I ball the paper up, muttering curses. Who am I kidding? Even if they knew, they'd pretend they didn't. Isn't that usually what happens with men like him? If you've got enough money and power, you can get away with anything, especially in a town like this.

I toss the newspaper across the room.

"Shit," I growl, grimacing as a gorgeous little blonde steps into my office.

She squeaks, dodging to the side just in time to avoid getting hit between the eyes with the paper. Her baby blue eyes widen as it sinks into the trashcan beside the door.

"Three-point shot. Impressive," she mumbles, lifting those blue eyes in my direction. "Unless you were aiming at me."

"I wasn't throwing it at you." I rake a hand through my dark hair, staring at her as my goddamn heart pounds like a war drum against my ribcage. I knew she was Bella Sterling's twin sister but…Jesus. They're identical in every way—curly blonde hair, big blue eyes, pink cheeks, porcelain skin, pouty lips. But this twin has my dick pressed up against my zipper like he's trying to Hulk through my damn pants.

That shit never happened the few times I met her sister. I didn't feel a thing looking at that mouthy little blonde except amusement.

This one has me forgetting how to speak.

It has to be that sweet little pink dress hugging her curvy body like it was made just for her. She looks like an angel—soft and sweet. Warm.