Prologue
Sunlight filtered through the windows of the VIP College Literature Society headquarters, casting a lovely glow on the hardwood desk and cabinetry within. Luka sat behind the desk, leaning back, looking worried. His eyes were cast to the ceiling, and his brow was furrowed in worry.
“I realize we have important business to attend to,” Luka began, taking a deep breath in and exhaling it with his next words. “I would like to table it for a moment to discuss a more pressing matter.”
Jaeson and Riot sat across the desk from Luka, wearing the same expression on their faces.
“You’re not the only one who’s thinking about it,” Jaeson said. “We’re all here. Let’s talk about it.”
“It can’t happen again.” Riot looked first at Jaeson, then to Luka. “It’s too quiet right now. I don’t like it.”
“I hear you,” Jaeson replied. “I’m not happy. I’ve been looking at anyone in the club who might have the motivation to blackmail Aubrey. Ear to the ground, listening for rumors or anything that’ll give us some more info to work with. Jealousy, chip-on-the-shoulder, anything at all.”
“And has that yielded any promising information?” Luka asked.
“Not a damn thing,” Jaeson growled, fiddling with the cuffs of his dress shirt. “Nothing beyond the usual college drama. Nothing that would make anyone resort to blackmail, as far as I can tell.”
“The computers,” Riot spoke up. “Anyone look into that?”
“I did,” Luka said. “At any other time, we might have been successful at pinpointing the blackmailer’s presence via their IP address. Now, however…” Luka looked down at his hands.
“Too many site visits from Aubrey’s stories,” Jaeson finished for him. “I never thought I’d say this, but it sucks to be hot right now.”
“It’s frustrating for a number of reasons,” Luka agreed. “Not the least of which, we have offered to keep Aubrey safe, yet find ourselves in a place where we continue to come up empty.”
“What the hell does that say about us?” Jaeson asked. “What does that say about our ability to protect her?”
“Nothing,” Riot said. “It says we keep working.”
“In my admittedly limited experience,” Luka began, sitting up straight in his chair and folding his hands on the desk in front of him, “these events come in cycles. The greatest weapon of a blackmailer is anonymity.”
“It makes sense,” Jaeson said. “They might have gone to ground if they’re worried we know too much about them.”
“Don’t get comfortable,” Riot said. “We need to be ready.”
“There simply isn’t anything we can do without more information,” Luka said.
“We can’t afford to do nothing,” Riot snapped. “We need to help her.”
“Allow me to finish,” Luka replied in a kind but firm tone. “We require more information before we can work on anything concrete. You are not alone in being frustrated by the situation, and I am prepared to use all of my resources to assist once the moment presents itself.”
“Promise me.” Riot looked at Jaeson. “Both of you.”
“The moment we have a thread to work with to track this asshole down,” Jaeson said, “I’ll get my people all over it. I promise. Not just for you, but for her.”
“We have all entered into a commitment to Aubrey,” Luka said. “We will do our best, within our abilities.”
“How about you, Riot?” Jaeson asked. “Your old man wrote the book on being a famous rock star. Think he might have dealt with this sort of thing in the past? Fans can get crazy sometimes.”
“No,” Riot said.
“No, he can’t help, or no, you won’t ask him?” Jaeson asked, raising a brow.
Riot scowled and looked away.
The three men sat in silence, simmering in their own stew of frustration and helplessness, mentally grasping for straws to find something, anything, that would solve this problem.
Luka was the first to speak, a half-smile playing on his lips.
