Page 159 of On The Rocks

“But I’m going to stick for a while. Until we figure out if it was Irene or not.” He put on his sunglasses and then he was out the door and down the stairs.

I watched him walk away.

If he was right and Irene did try to hurt Marc—hell, maybe even try to kill him—what did that mean for me and Lennon?

And why?

Chapter 32

Lennon

Partnership

Griffin waited by the door for a long minute.

So, that was Baron.

I’d vaguely known what he looked like, but in person, he was far more intense.

And achingly sad.

That bitch had definitely done a number on him. On all of them, as far as I could tell. I’d been horrified and ready to throw hands after Griffin told me about what Irene had done to him. He might not remember it, but there was a high probability that she raped him.

It made me sick inside that he went through that, but one look at Baron, and I saw far more ghosts living inside of him.

“That woman.”

He crossed to me and hauled me up from the couch and into his arms. “If she hurt you.”

I wound my arms around him. “It would hurt me more if you tried to play hero, ace.”

He tucked me under his chin. “I don’t get what she wants.”

I eased back. “It could just be revenge. You and Baron both said she hates to not get her way. Breaking up the band mighthave pushed her too far. She had complete control over Baron and Marc for years.”

“And couldn’t do the same with me.”

“No. You have to know it was totally fucked up that she drugged you.”

“I know. It was the last straw for me even if the band hadn’t broken apart, I’d have been gone. They could implode all on their own, but it was too far for Marc and certainly hurt Baron. He did and probably still does love her. From the very beginning, he was blinded by her.”

“That’s really sad. He seems like a good man.”

“He is. One of the best I know, but Irene had way too much of a hold on him.”

“Do you think—No, that’s too out there.”

He cupped my face. “What?”

“He said she couldn’t get to him since he was in the middle of nowhere, Montana. Is this what she wanted all along? To get him to come out here?”

“Your mind is terrifying. I don’t think I’d have gone there.”

I laughed. “You probably shouldn’t look at my Netflix history.”

He grinned down at me. “Do you like murder documentaries?”

“Maybe. I blame Kira and Helena. They turned me on to them. Now I can’t stop watching them.”

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