Page 79 of Between Never and Forever
I’m trying like hell to act like this whole incident hasn’t made me feel extremely unsettled. Just another day in the life of an infamous rockstar. Just another nightmare in the brain of a scorned lover. No big deal. I’m not rattled. Just as calm and cool as ever.
I feel the truck slow and see the wrought iron gate of my rental looming in the windshield. It opens slowly, and Levi rolls the truck into the courtyard. I unstuff myself from the floorboard and reach for the door handle, making eye contact with Red through the window.
“He’ll need to talk to you,” I say to Levi.
He says nothing to me as he shuts off the truck, but he turns to Brynn in the back.
“Stay here.”
“But Dad, can’t I—”
“Brynn. Stay. Here. This isn’t up for discussion.”
I glance at her, her brow furrowed, and her lip poked out in a pout. This is the first time since I’ve met her that she actually looks her age. She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest.
“Fine.”
Levi opens his door and steps out, so I do the same, taking a moment to send Brynn a smile.
“It was nice to meet you, Boss.”
Her lips twitch into the smallest smile, then she looks away, still pouting. I temper my chuckle and shut the truck door. I don’t see Ziggy, so she must be inside. I’d ask after her, but Red’s already in a heated discussion with Levi when I walk to them. He’s got some papers in his hand and my shoulders tense.
“I’m not putting my name on anything,” Levi says with a snarl.
“This is for your benefit as much as Ms. Loveless,” Red snarls back.
Both of their jaws are tense, their biceps flexed. Red has a couple inches on Levi, but I actually think Levi could hold his own—at least for a few minutes—if they ended up having to throw down.
Levi’s bigger now. More sculpted. Not bulky, not the kind of big you get from lifting heavy weights in a gym, but lean and hard. Defined in all the best places. A manual labor build. Before I can stop it, a visual of him braced naked above me flashes through my mind, and I can’t help but wonder how he’d look now. Same position. Same act. Older Levi.
“What’s going on?” I ask, squaring my shoulders.
“The local doesn’t want to sign the NDA.”
I whip my eyes to Levi, but he won’t stop staring daggers at Red.
“Why not?”
“I don’t want my name on anything regarding Sav Loveless,” Levi says to Red, and my fury flares. I grit my teeth and breathe through my nose before speaking, burning my glare into the side of his face.
“If you think you can take this to the press for a payout—”
Levi barks a sinister laugh, and when he finally looks at me, it takes all my strength not to flinch. Instead, I straighten my spine and narrow my eyes. Fire with fire.
If he can be an asshole, so can I.
“I said I don’t want my name onanything. I don’t want the association. I sure as shit am not going to take this to the press.”
God, that hurts. I grind my teeth harder, my pulse point in my neck is thrumming so rapidly that it feels like it might explode.
“If you don’t sign this NDA, we will be forced to get ahead of it. Contact the label. Who knows what they’ll do to spin the story in my favor—”
“What fucking story?”
“Whatever bullshit one you’re cooking up for the media paycheck.”
It’s a bluff. I’m bluffing. He says he won’t go to the press, and I believe him, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him win this. I take a step forward.
