Page 73 of Rockstar Next Door Neighbor

He finally raises his head and slowly releases his harsh hold on me, allowing me to slide down the wall until my feet touch the floor. I sway, my legs unsteady, and his broad hands steady me.

He finally speaks, breaking the silence between us. “Get some sleep. Don’t turn on any lights. There could still be a risk of danger.” He demands gruffly.

With that, he turns swiftly and silently. He lets himself out the back door and disappears into the darkness.

I stand where he left me, leaning back against the unforgiving wall, my heart still pounding in my chest. I think of his words of warning, ‘a risk of danger,’ might still remain, and I shudder. The real danger was Luke, and it’s already too late to save me from him.

Twenty-Four

Luke

I stare at my reflection in the recording booth’s glass, but my mind is elsewhere. Two days have passed since that night at Lila’s apartment. Between rehearsals, meetings with the band, and trying to piece together everything that went down that night, I’ve barely had time to breathe, let alone think about Lila.

But when I do think about her, it’s all-consuming.

The memory of that night lingers like a shadow, creeping into every quiet moment. I regret how rough I was with her and how I let my frustration and fear cloud my judgment. But Idon’t regret the truth that passed between us, the way she met my anger with unwavering strength.

She risked everything—her business, her reputation—just to help my father and me. And she looked so damn beautiful doing it. I can’t get the image out of my head. The memory of her pressed against that wall, defiant even as I lost control. Even just thinking about the passion of that moment makes my heart pound.

“Hey, Luke!” Vince waves his hand in front of my face. “You planning on laying down these tracks today, or should we reschedule?”

“Sorry.” I adjust my headphones, trying to focus. “Let’s take it from the bridge.”

Three hours and countless takes later, we finally nail the track. It’s good—maybe our best yet—but my heart isn’t in it. Everything feels secondary to what’s happening with Sterling Motors—with Marcus—with Lila.

Especially Lila.

I check my phone again. No messages from her, not that I expected any. I’m the one who abruptly left her apartment that night, too angry to trust myself further around her. Too scared of what I might say or do if I stayedany longer.

The guys are packing up their gear when my father calls.

“Luke, I’ve heard from Gibson. His office, in one hour,” he says without preamble. “The team’s finished their analysis.”

My stomach tightens. “I’ll be there.”

The drive across town gives me too much time to think. About Lila in that kitchen at Marcus’s mansion, playing her part perfectly while conducting corporate espionage. About how natural she looked, how no one suspected a thing. Not even me, until it was too late.

I should be furious. Part of me still is. But mostly, I’m in awe of her courage. And terrified of what could have happened.

Gibson’s office is already crowded when I arrive. He and his tech team have transformed one wall into a display of interconnected documents and financial records. My father sits beside Jaxson’s desk, looking more like himself than he has in weeks.

“Late night?” Jaxson asks as I drop into a chair.

“Studio session.” I clear my throat, stealing myself. “What did you find?”

“More than we could have hoped for.” He hands me a thick file. “Thanks to the data from Marcus’s tablet—which wewouldn’t have without Lila’s help, by the way—we’ve mapped his entire operation.”

I ignore the pointed comment about Lila. “Give me the highlights.”

“Marcus has been systematically weakening Sterling’s position for months through a series of shell companies. He’s been acquiring additional shares, along with convincing Chen and Hartley to vote with him. All while positioning for a hostile takeover. But that’s just the surface.”

My father leans forward. “Might as well show us the rest.”

Jaxson pulls up several documents on his laptop. “These are internal memos between Marcus and his conspirators. He’s been orchestrating ‘accidents’ at your manufacturing plants—strategic supply chain disruptions. All designed to make it look like mismanagement on Jim’s part.”

“Son of a bitch,” I mutter, scanning the evidence.

“It gets worse.” Jaxson clicks through more files. “He’s been gathering dirt on all the board members, building blackmail files. Robert Chen and William Hartley were his major targets. I’m guessing that if they tried to back out of the deal, he’d still be able to control them...”

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