Page 95 of Cherry Beats

I scurried upright in bed. Pulling the white sheet up over my naked body, I clutched it to my chest.

“She’s fine. Yeah, course, man. No doubt about it.” Presley laughed. “She said that, huh?” He raised a brow at me. “I’ll be damned.”

Confused by their interaction, I waited for Presley to pass the phone to me, but instead, he turned and began walking towards the huge window overlooking London.

“I still owe you for that,” Presley said. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

My frown was immediate as I stared at him.

“How about I cut a deal with you?” he said to Bourbon. “What if I gave you twenty-grand to find someone to fill her role for, I dunno… a month?”

My eyes widened, and my mouth fell open. “What are you doing?” I hissed, but he ignored me completely.

“Thirty, then?” Presley pressed, taking a small sip of his hot drink. “I know, I know. I get it. I wouldn’t want to let her go, either, and I’m not saying you have to. I have a pair of eyes penetrating holes into the side of my head right now, and I know I’m going to be in deep shit for this when I end this call.” He paused, then dipped his chin to his chest and laughed again. “Yeah, that sounds like Tessa.”

“Presley!” I yapped, but he ignored me and looked back out at the city view.

“Yep, that was her,” he laughed. “She’s not happy about it.”

I groaned and dug my fingers into the duvet.

“I promise you with everything I have—I’ll take care of her.”

And then I melted like a pathetic princess, my heart free falling without a parachute, willing to take whatever damage was waiting for me when it hit the ground.

“She’s important to me, too,” he said quietly.

The conversation wore on, and Presley was very agreeable for someone who hadn’t even bothered to ask me if I wanted a part of whatever contract he was entering me into. Who was I kidding? I’d wanted a part of him since I’d been eleven years old, and now I was hearing him tell someone besides me that I was important.

“Whether you want the money or not, I’d like to cover the cost. If you don’t want it, put it in a fund for your daughter.” Presley glanced over his shoulder, staring directly at me with a look of adoration on his face. “Tess talks about you guys a lot. Almost as much as Bryan fucking Adams.”

I heard Bourbon’s loud laughter through the speaker, and I couldn’t help but throw my face into my hands and shake my head in amusement.

“If you need any extra security at BB’s, too, let me know. There’s a good crew who freelance that I can send your way, no matter the cost. Nah, man, listen… I get it. The band, the name, and now Cherr—I mean Tess being in the media, you’re going to get attention you don’t even need. Consider it a favour to me to accept the help. I’d like to protect the place that holds a lot of memories for me.”

When I peeked up through my parted fingers, Presley was still staring at me, his expression thoughtful.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll make it happen.” He paused. “We have a deal?” he asked Bourbon, his eyes blazing with delight when he received whatever answer Bourbon gave. “I’ll put her on.”

He held the phone out to me without saying a word, and I snatched it from him and narrowed my eyes before I pressed it to my ear.

“Shit, dolly, what the hell have you got yourself into?” Bourbon asked in a rush.

Presley was standing at the side of the bed, his cup pressed against his smirking mouth while he watched me squirm.

“I don’t know, boss. Think I went ahead and fell for a stupid rock star.”

Presley’s smile grew against his coffee.

“You sure about this?” Bourbon asked. “Life will never be the same now. Just be—”

“Bourbon?” I cut in. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll be okay. More than okay.”

“That’s like telling me not to worry about Fliss. You’re a part of my life now, whether you like it or not.”

“I promise that if anything bad happens or goes wrong, you’re the first guy I’ll run to.”

“No matter what time or day of the week?”

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