“Yep. You’re Rex’s top earner, too precious to let out of his sight. He often paid me to watch you when he was out of town. But he wanted to keep that knowledge as a secret weapon against you so I never published those pics.”
Tears in my eyes, I kick up dust. “Fuck!”
I quietly thank my lucky stars for leaving my guitar in the motel. If I didn’t, we could’ve been tracked here, too.
Wolfe continues rambling. “Rex flew me out to Kentucky to get some dirt on you. His exact words were ‘Teach that stupid girl a lesson and make her remember that she needs me.’”
I press the heels of my palms into my eyes. “Ugh, I can’t believe Rex was stalking me!”
Wolfe hums like it’s the most normal thing in the world. “He does it to all his talents, but you’re his golden goose, his biggest success. Losing you is a risk he isn’twilling to take. He mostly wanted to scare you, but he did order me to get rid of your loverboy.”
Rust grimaces. “Ain’t the first time he tried.”
My lungs stop. I can’t draw a breath. The barn tilts as I look between them, finally fixing my teary gaze on my ex-husband.
“What do you mean by that, Rust?”
44
TALLY
Rust drops the hammer.“When you asked why I broke up with you, I didn’t spill the whole truth.”
“But why? Were you scared I’d be mad?”
He shakes his head. “I lied cause Dalton threatened to ruin your career if I ever told you what really happened in Vegas.”
“Rex? What does Rex have to do with this?” I ask.
Rust’s lips pinch.
I throw away the screwdriver and grab the front of his shirt, shaking him. “I don’t give a shit about my fucking career right now. I just gotta know. Half my life I’ve been looking for closure. Please…”
He braces himself. “When you asked me to get some ice…” He hesitates, shoulders heaving with a heavy breath as he cups my cheek. “Dalton was waitin’ for me in the parking lot. He’d been watchin’ us and made me an offer.”
“What offer?” I choke out.
“Ten thousand dollars to break up with you.”
My hands drop as my body goes cold. “And you took the cash.”
“Hell naw! I didn’t take a cent of his dirty money!”
“I don’t understand…” I shake my head. “Then why did you leave me?”
“Dalton claimed I kept you from reaching your full potential and with me gone, he’d make you a star. If I refused, he threatened to put your name on a blacklist, so you’d never get a record deal.”
It all comes back to me in a flash. Rust’s expression when he returned to the room. The way he hugged me too tightly. How he asked me to remember that he loves me.
Now it makes sense.
Tears spill down my cheeks. “You broke my heart to protect me?”
Rust laughs sadly. “I would’ve done anything to make you happy, even if that meant lettin’ you go. And I knew you’d find someone better than me. I’m just the son of a small-town rancher.”
“Find someone better than you?” I pound his chest with my fist. “There’s no better man for me than you!”
Rust drops to his knees in the dust, pressing his forehead to my belly. His shoulders shake as he grips my thighs, looking up at me with glassy eyes.
