Fox had been right to ask ifthis was all worth it. I was starting to think itwasn’t, after all.
“I am,” I said after apause. Lucy and Dave and Noah had worked too hard on this for me not to makesure it got finished so they got paid what they were owed.
“What about your meeting?” Iasked. There was no way she’d had time to have it in the two minutes I’d beencrying in the bathroom.
Lucy shrugged. “I’m planning ontaking a begging forgiveness rather than asking permission route instead,” shesaid. “The song’s going on the album. They’ll have to remove it themselves,afterthey’ve paid everyonefor their time. A little fuck-you for hurting one of the sweetest people I workwith.”
“You’d do that for me?” Iasked, shocked that I’d earned anyone’s kindness.
“You remembered my coffeeorder. Hell, you actually buy us coffee. You’re polite. You turn up on time.You take breaks. You feed us when we’re done with a project. You keep acknowledgingall the work we do. We love you. And we’d work for you no matter who you weresigned with.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised tohear all that wasn’t basic common courtesy. They did all the work and I got allthe recognition, what little of it there was. Treating them kindly was theleast I could do, wasn’t it?
“I can justseeyou thinkingthat everyone should do that,” Lucy said. “You’re one of the good guys, Quinn.Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
I sipped my coffee, turningthat thought over in my head.
At leastsomeonestill liked me, even after everything I’d done today.
Maybe that meant Fox couldforgive me, too.
TWENTY-FOUR
FOX
“This issoillegal,” Logancomplained as he pulled up, parking the car a few streets away from Vincent’shouse.
I pulled my phone out of mypocket to check the time and instantly remembered that I’d turned it offspecifically so that the always-on GPS wouldn’t incriminate me.
Looking at the phonereminded me of the text I’d gotten from Quinn earlier. The one I hadn’tresponded to.
I wasn’t planning onresponding until I had something to show for this.
Quinn needed a knight inshining armor.
I wasn’t going to go backto him with my tail between my legs begging forgiveness.
I was going back to him,notebook in hand.Proofin hand.
What he did with thatafterward was his business, but at least he’d have it. At least I wouldhave done my duty—which, in this case, was protecting Quinn.
Fuck Harmony Records. Quinnwas the victim here, and I planned on making things right for him.
“Yes,” I agreed, getting outof the car. Dave had provided Vincent’s home address after a quick phone call.I trusted his lingering fear that I might kill him would prevent him fromtelling anyone he’d done so.
“Yes, it is illegal,” Icontinued. “Which is why we’re sneaking around in the dead of night. As always.”
“What if we get caught?”Logan asked.
I turned to look at him,frowning.
“We won’t get caught. Whenhave we ever gotten caught before?”
“I’m just… are you sure weshouldn’t go to the police instead? This is their job.”
“Go to the police and tellthemwhat?” I asked. “Excuseme, officer, that man’s stolen a notebook. Oh, worth maybe five dollars. No, Ican’t prove it doesn’t belong to him.”
Logan gave me a look thattold me I was veering toward dangerous territory.
