Gina: Teo, Luca, and his friend are walking me.
Matt: Good. They can hang out here if they want.
Gina: They’d like that. I’ll tell them.
“Let’s help CJ move along, shall we?” He stood. “Gina will be here in about thirty minutes, and I don’t feel like going to jail today.”
Kit rose alongside him. “Looks like Taylor and Bo could use some help with that, yeah?”
Neither one appeared to be pleased at the arrival of their former manager, especially Bo.
“Hey there, Curtis,” Sloan taunted him, knowing all too well CJ hated to be called that. “What brings you here?”
“Did you think I’d miss a gig just because I’m not your manager anymore?”
Sure, you would. The asshole had missed plenty of them. CJ didn’t even come out on the last tour.
“We’re still friends, right?” He clapped Sloan’s back, flashing a bitter smile.
“I don’t know.” Matt glanced over at Bo. “Are we?”
“He’s no friend of mine,” the drummer said with a shake of his head.
“You heard him.” Matt held up his hands and shrugged. “Guess not.”
“Is that what all this bullshit’s been about, drummer boy?” His stance wide, CJ thrust his chest out and sneered. “You still got a hard-on for the babysitter?”
Matt saw the veins in Bo’s neck twitch. His fingers curled into fists, the muscles of his forearms flexing. It took every ounce of strength Taylor possessed to hold him back.
“You fucked with us one time too many, Curtis James.” Sloan snatched the bottle of whiskey that CJ held in his hand. “And after everything we’ve done for you.”
“You ungrateful fuck, I’m the one who got you where you are.”
No, motherfucker, we did that in spite of you.
“What in the hell did you ever do for me?”
Then, oblivious, CJ made an unrecoverable error. He poked Sloan’s chest and woke the bear.
“We made you rich as fuck, that’s what.” His expression murderous, Sloan bellowed the words like the metalcore screams he was famous for. Then, to drive his point home, he pushed him into a table. “Penthouse apartment overlooking Lincoln Park. Two Maseratis. You think your whiny-ass girlfriend would stay with you otherwise? Think again.”
“If she only knew,” Matt muttered under his breath.
The countless number of women CJ fucked behind her back for starters.
“Is that supposed to be a threat, rhythm man?” He glared at him, then, wiping the spittle from his mouth, his countenance changed. “C’mon, we’ve been friends since the first grade. I busted my ass for you guys and this is how you repay me?”
“You got paid,” Matt reminded him. “And very well, I might add.”
A lot more than you deserved.
“Wemade you millions upon fucking millions, but that wasn’t enough for you, was it? So, you betrayed us.” And Sloan came athim again. Gripping the collar of his shirt, he seethed through gritted teeth. “Tell me, Curtis, how much did you get for the story that sent Dominy spiraling? For letting the paps in on Tay’s wedding?”
Mic drop.
A ruddy flush crept across his cheeks, and CJ’s eyes popped open so wide that white sclera was visible all the way around the iris.
Sloan’s deep chuckle filled the silence. “Oh, did you think I didn’t know about that?”
