“Thank fuck.”Walker sighed in relief.Then he turned back to Harper.“Let me have five minutes alone with the fucker, that’s all I ask.”
“Oh no.”Alice shook her head.“Get in line.Which starts directly behind me if it wasn’t clear.”
I grinned at the scene playing out in front of me even as I felt a warm sensation spread through my chest.I had a helluva lot of people who gave a shit about me.Fuck, that felt good.
Felt a helluva lot like love.
“Uh, what’s going on?”Grady hovered in the doorway, clearly uneasy.
“You asshole!”Alice shrieked.
Walker leapt across the room and grabbed Alice around her waist, holding her back.He whispered something in her ear that I couldn’t hear.After a moment, she relaxed but her glare never wavered.She still clearly wanted Grady’s blood on her hands.
Fuck, that was hot.
“Why the hell would you give Noah drugs?”Harper asked sharply.“You know we’re a clean show.No drugs or alcohol allowed backstage.”
“Whoa.”Grady took a step back, shaking his head.“Look I don’t know what he told you, but the drugs are his.They’re not mine.I don’t use.”
“Anymore,” I drawled, shifting forward on the couch and resting my hands between my sprawled legs.Suddenly I felt so calm.Like everything made sense and all was right with the world.Well, aside from this asshole.“You don’t useanymore, right, Grady?Because I have a very vivid memory of snorting a line of coke with you, Xander, and Liam off of a groupie’s naked—” I winced.“Sorry, Alice.And Harper.”
Grady glared at me.“Right.Anymore.I stopped using when Liam ODed the first time…unlike some people.”
“All right.I think we’re getting off track.”Harper waved a hand.“Noah, where were you when Grady gave you the baggie?”
“Allegedly,” Grady bit out.
“Drum storage,” I answered.“I went in there to get another backup set of sticks.I knew I might need them because of the surprise song with the girls, and Grady came in.He said some shit about what a fuckup I was, how I didn’t deserve Alice, and how he’s always been there for her.Then he threw that bag at me.”
A pained moan came from Alice.“Why?Why would you do that, Grady?”
“He’s fucking lying.It never happened.”Grady shook his head and took a step toward Alice.“You know me.I’ve always been there for you.You know the kind of guy I am.I would never do that.”
“We can always just check the tapes.”Walker shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged.“Should be easy enough.”
Grady’s whole body went rigid.“What tapes?There’s no cameras in the storage rooms.”
“Yeah, there are.”Walker smirked.“We installed them a few weeks back.When you all had that week off.All the equipment storage areas had cameras installed for security purposes.”
Harper’s lips twisted like she was fighting her own smug smile.She turned to Grady and raised her eyebrows.“You want to change your story?”
Grady’s face slowly turned red, then purple, and finally he broke.
“He doesn’t fucking deserve her!”Grady yelled, jabbing a finger in my direction.A vein visibly throbbed on his forehead.“I’ve been there for Alice, day in and day out.Watching out for her.Giving that fucking asshole roadie a beatdown when he tried to get handsy with her.Signing her up for self-defense classes so it wouldn’t happen again.Listening to her songs.That was all me.I’ve been there for her since day one.I watched you be an unchecked asshole to her day after day because she reported you for trying to smuggle drugs.Shit she could’ve been arrested for.You’re not worthy to lick her shoes, let alone kiss her lips.”
The room was silent as the anger and hatred in his words vibrated around us.That was a lot to unpack.Grady was clearly in love with Alice.
And from the way she was staring at him, this all was a revelation to her.
Alice stared back at Grady with wide eyes, her face pale.Finally, she shook her head.“That’s…I’m not… You’remarried,Grady.”
“Separated actually.”His shoulders slumped.“Michelle wasn’t onboard with moving to Vegas, so she and the girls stayed in California.We… She’s filing the paperwork there.”
“So all those conversations about your wife and daughter moving to Vegas was what?”Alice covered her mouth with a hand.
“I didn’t want you to think I was a loser, deadbeat dad.I go to Cali on our breaks, and I’ve had the girls here a few times.I was going to tell you once we figured out custody.I wasn’t going to keep lying to you, Alice.I kept calling you to tell you what was going on, how I feel about you, but I couldn’t get the words out.I kept calling, hoping I’d find a way to tell you.I care what you think of me.”
“Right now, I’m thinking you’re insane.”She shook her head.“I’ve never thought of you that way, Grady.Never.You’re, I don’t… I just don’t.And I won’t.”
