Page 446 of Rock Me All Night
"A few almost popped up but I persuaded the journalists to change the conversation."
"To?"
"Those leaked nude pictures."
"You leaked them to keep your friend's addiction a secret?"
"And to fuel my massive ego. Turned out to be a great move."
"I never looked at them."
He raises a brow. "We have wifi on the plane."
"I'll keep that in mind."
He smiles. "After I dealt with the press, I asked Aiden, very nicely—"
"I don't buy that for a second."
"Threatening to break someone's legs when you want to kill them is nice."
I laugh.
"Asked him nicely to stop with the coke. When he didn't, I pulled strings—"
"Was that more fighting and threats of violence?"
"Mostly. Might have involved some blackmail too."
"Might have?"
"I owe it to the blackmailed to keep that a secret," he teases. "Nothing could get him fired. He's somebody's fuck up nephew. So I had a polite conversation with Aiden—"
"Polite conversation?"
"Very polite."
"Did you hit him?"
"Just once. I know you hate violence—"
"The asshole was enabling your friend. You were upset. It happens."
"You shouldn't cut me slack, kid. I like that you stick to your principles. Won't forgive myself if you sacrifice them for me." Tom looks into my eyes. "Told him he could keep the title and the money, but I would take over his job. And that if I saw him again his nose would be broken so bad he'd never snort shit again. Coward got lost right away. Only shows up when it's strictly necessary."
"That must be a lot of work."
Tom shrugs. "He never did it right anyway."
"Why don't you take credit for running the band?"
"What's it matter who takes credit? Miles would have done the same thing for me. Once he got clean and got his head out of his ass." Tom runs a hand through his hair. "I should have confronted him sooner. I let him go on using for ever."
"He's an adult. You didn't let him do anything."
"Knowing someone needs help and doing nothing is just as bad as being the asshole pushing drugs on him. I knew Miles was gonna die, sooner or later, if nobody stepped up."
"You really believe that?"
