“Larkin.”I practically growl, wanting to throttle him.“Her name is Larkin, and you are her damn uncle, so you better fucking find a way to deal, little brother.”
“Maybe we can get you your own bus.”Dean suggests, before I can act on the impulses pertaining to Mikey.“We’re going to have to loop Cherry in to see if that’s possible.Maybe she can get another bus for us in L.A.?”
“Yeah, let’s see what she can do.”I fold my hands in front of me, grateful that Dean’s got his head on straight.Cherry’s our tour manager and has a way of making the impossible possible.
“I can do that for you, Luc.”Hayden offers, and I thank him.“Just as a side note, that reporter from Amped is supposed to join us on tour once we’re in Portland.Are you planning on going public with the news that you have a daughter?”
“Fuck.”I sigh.“I forgot about that, but I definitely don’t want this shit out there yet.This adjustment is going to be hard enough on Lily as it is.”
“I can talk to PR tomorrow and see what they suggest.”Hayden advises.
“Appreciate that so much man.”I nod to him.
“I have a question for you.”Mikey chimes in again.“Have you asked Lily if she wants to do this?”
“Not yet.”I frown.Can’t be mad at him this time, cause calling me out on this shit is spot on.“I wanted to run it by you first to make sure it would be okay.”
“Like what we want or think really fucking matters.”He chuffs in anger.“You’ll do whatever you want like you always do.”
“Can you just stop being an asshole for five minutes?”I stand again, but don’t charge like I want to.“You think this is an easy situation for me to be in?Could you, just for once, be a decent fucking human being?”
He shrugs, locking angry eyes with me, slugging from the tequila in response.Fucking dick.
“We’re supposed to take off in the morning.”Hayden interjects, trying to break through some of the tension in the room.“What is your plan?”
“Yeah,” I sit before continuing.“I’m going to stay here another day to see if I can work this out with Lily.I’ll fly out to L.A.in time for our show.”I scratch my chin.“Hopefully Lily and Larkin will be with me.”
“And if not?”Dean asks, and I know it’s not to be confrontational, but because they all need to know I’m not going to lose it on them like last time.
“I’ll be okay.”I promise, meeting them all in the eye as I look around the room.“Not gonna crash and burn again.She may not give me the answer I want, and if that’s the case, then I’ll figure out ways to see them in between our show dates.It’ll be harder, but I’ll do what I have to.”
“That can’t happen again man.”Dean is referring to my epic fallout after I couldn’t find Lily last time we were here.
“It won’t.”
I’m going to get her back.
This devil fell for an angel, only to discover she had the ability to make hell burn brighter.
Chapter 21
Lily
Head’s Carolina, Tail’s California
Jo Dee Messina
“You want me to do what?”My mouth hanging open in disbelief at Luc’s request.
“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s not.It won’t be.I promise.”The plea that falls from his lips so full of desperation, I almost say yes immediately.Almost.
“Luc, I can’t drop my entire life at a moment’s notice to follow you around on tour.”
“Join me on tour.”He corrects as he takes my hand in his, wrapping his fingers around mine.“Not following me.We’d have a whole bus to ourselves, so plenty of privacy and room for you and Larkin.”
“I have a job.Larkin has a schedule.I have a home.The only one she knows.”All facts that are important to the life I’ve worked really hard to provide for my daughter.
“Take a leave of absence.We can keep her on her schedule.And we’ll make the bus a home for her.Make sure she has all her things.Everything she needs.I can pay for your house expenses while you’re away.”He counters, an answer for every concern I have.
