Page 35 of Give Me What I Want

She had this determined look on her face. It was contagious, and I found myself standing at her side a moment later. “I’ll find a lamp; they always crack under the light.”

“Jesus Christ,” Ronan muttered with another snorted laugh. “Sit down. We can’t just bombard them with accusations, and I’m a little concerned about you Cole. Did you think you’d tie them to a chair in an abandoned warehouse and demand that they speak while you hold a light in their faces?”

“Perhaps,” I mumbled, biting back a smile. “You telling me you wouldn’t enjoy that?”

Ronan looked thoughtful and licked his lips. “Perhaps.”

We smiled at each other, playing out that scenario in our heads until Bea cleared her throat. She had sat down, just like Ronan had instructed, and I had to fight the urge to raise my brows at her lack of fight.

“What do you suggest we do?” she asked, her eyes focused on Ronan.

“We think about it carefully. We play nice. We make sure we’re thorough in keeping our privacy. But Queenie, I think this is aimed at you more than anyone else. Have you pissed anyone off? Been rude to anyone?”

“No,” she snapped. “Only you.” She grinned at him, then tucked her legs up underneath her. “Oh, and Garth. I’m always pissing him off. Oh. My. God. Do you think it was him?”

Her eyes were wide, and her jaw hung open as her head swivelled between me and Ronan. She thought that she was on to something, and honestly, when I thought about it, she might have been.

“It’s possible,” I said with a slow nod.

Ronan joined in. “He didn’t seem to be at all phased when I suggested that it was a direct attack on you, he was more concerned about fixing things for my sake. He’s also smart enough to pull it off, and can lie if he needs to, but is he that malicious? He doesn’t like you, but without you, there is no band, and without a band, he has no job.”

“There are other bands out there looking for managers every single day.” Bea’s brows lifted higher.

“But they aren’t us. We’re at the top of our game, with the way things are going our next tour is going to be worldwide, would he throw it all away?” Ro countered.

“He’s threatened to quit multiple times recently.”

“He hasn’t done it though, they’re empty threats made by a frustrated man.”

“Why do you always have to defend him? He could be the one doing all this, he could even be the one who leaked—”

“I’m not defending him.”

“Yes, you are. You always do.”

I could feel where their conversation was going, and I couldn’t decide if I should duck out and let them shout, or if I should step in and try to defuse the situation.

Still unsure, I got to my feet and made a lap of the bus, ensuring that all windows were closed and peeking outside to check if anyone was loitering. Ro had said to be careful with our privacy, but apparently, he was incapable of following his own instruction.

“—out of his ass. He could have me replaced, then he’d keep his job, you’d all keep the fame, and everyone would be happy.”

“You’re an idiot, Beatrix. What the hell is wrong with you? That’s the biggest load of shit I’ve ever fucking heard.” Ro was yelling. The pair of them on their feet, toe to toe, chests heaving, fists balled. They looked ready to tear each other’s heads clean from the other’s bodies.

I needed to step in.

“I’m an idiot?” Bea screeched, but before she could say anything else, I wrapped my arms around her from behind, one banding around her waist, the other around her face. She started to thrash, clawing at my forearm as I glared over her head at Ronan.

“I think what he was trying to say was that you’re irreplaceable, right?” I waited for him to agree, but instead of speaking up, or even nodding his head, he took a couple of steps back, holding my gaze, and blew out a shaky breath.

“That isn’t what he was saying at all. Ro thinks thathecould replace me. Don’t you, Ro-bear?” Bea spat, finally tugging my arm down a little.

“No.” Ro ground the word out then swallowed hard. “I don’t think that I could replace you. I don’twantanyone to replace you. And it wouldn’t make me happy if you weren’t around.”

“Oh, sure it wouldn’t,” she said, sarcasm lacing her words as she tugged my arm once more. She wasn’t screaming, so I released her, but I didn’t move away from her, remaining solidly at her back, reassuring her that I had her, but also making sure I could grab her again if she lost her shit, again.

“I… You… I mean, I…” Ronan stumbled over his words, each one quieter than the last.

“If you’ve got something to say, just fucking say it,” Bea snapped, stepping forward, closing the gap he had put between them.

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