Backstage (The Barter System Book 4)

by McClendon, Shayne

  No matter how much or how little time had passed between them, he knew their feelings were real.

  For her, there would be no turning back and the thought made him smile. The pretty country girl with the huge talent and simple dreams was his now. He didn’t plan to waste a moment.

  He’d been given a second chance at happiness with a good woman who thought he was gorgeous, despite the fourteen-inch scar that intersected his face.

  Only a fool walked away from a woman like Mikayla Johannson. Hugging her closer, she gave a soft sigh and petted his chest in her sleep.

  Isaiah was no fool.

  Intermission One

  Present Day

  September 2014 – Season Three (first night of charity previews)

  As Brie finished telling the particulars of Mikayla and Isaiah’s story, the first act held her friends’ complete attention and she found herself so proud – once again – of the hard work the Johannson sisters had put into the play.

  During the first intermission, Natalia blotted her eyes carefully from laughing so hard and it made her smile. “It was everything you said it would be, Brie.”

  “I know. I could watch it over and over.”

  “Knowing Mikayla’s story gave it an additional layer.”

  She nodded. “I’ve gotten bits and pieces from Isaiah as well. He and I like to talk art and color. He creates on a larger scale than I do so he was glad I took on the marketing for the theater. He’s incredibly talented.”

  “Isaiah always loved children. It’s why we dated only casually and for a very short time.” Her eyes were warm. “I’m glad he found happiness. He’s a good man.”

  “I’m glad you did as well but then…you’re an incredible woman.” She reached out to pat the blonde’s hand and Natalia turned hers over to squeeze it. “Mikayla made a two year commitment to the play but they extended it for one more season. She’s like the Energizer Bunny.”

  “It still pisses me off that Chadwick and Scottsdale thought of using this space in such a way before I did.” Hudson’s voice was gruff and she imagined there were few instances in his life when others had managed to gain an advantage over him.

  Brie laughed. “The Zelder brothers speak highly of you and Lola.”

  “The connections you make never cease to amaze me, Gabriella.”

  “Thanks. I like people. I’m weird like that.” She winked at him.

  Approaching laughter made them all turn toward the door where Riya and Tawny made a happy and noisy appearance.

  “Bitch, I’m putting a GPS tracker on your ass. I’ve been hauling my cookies all over this theater looking for you.” Tawny settled on one of the extra chairs and dramatically sighed. “You look hot.”

  “Thank you. I told you the box before we left.”

  “La la la…not listening to your words. The play rocks. Your friend, the lead? She’s awesome. The gypsy is a riot.” She grinned at Natalia and Hudson. “You two look rested. All that awesome sex makes you look twenty years younger. Good work. Carry on.”

  Hudson blinked and turned his gaze on Riya. “Forgot her meds again?”

  “I need one of those dart guns. I can get her on the run.”

  “Agreed.” He stood and gestured for his neighbor to take his seat. To Natalia and Brie, he said, “I’ll go speak with Bishop.”

  Then he was gone and the girls dissolved into rapid conversation punctuated by dirty talk and laughter.

  * * * * *

  Hudson walked the main thoroughfare of the theater to give the women time alone to talk.

  Small groups of power players clustered together and he avoided them. He had no interest in talking business if he could help it. Tonight was for Gabriella. This particular benefit was one she’d been looking forward to before her accident.

  Besides, he’d already shoved a fat check at Bishop and told him to work his magic.

  Natalia had grown closer to Riya and Tawny after Brie was released from the hospital. He loved the way she lit up when she was around them. The small group represented her first true female friends. She’d missed such things when they were young.

  He stared out over the theater seating below, wondering how long he should give them before returning. The Zelders had done fantastic work with the playhouse since they’d taken it on as their primary focus. Many from the old money set talked about them and shook their heads.

  They didn’t need the money it generated but took the arts seriously and allowed their other businesses to pad their substantial fortunes.

  “Hudson.”

  He turned to Isaiah Zelder standing a few feet behind him. It had always shocked him that a man worth billions felt most comfortable in jeans and t-shirts, sturdy work boots on his feet, and rough hands.

  It was one of the reasons they’d struck up a friendship of sorts. Hudson was no stranger to hard work and he respected other men who understood it.

  It was the first time he’d seen the eldest brother in person since his accident. The scar it left behind was brutal and must have caused unbelievable pain.

  “Damn glad you survived.” He extended his hand and the men shook firmly.

  Taller by several inches, Isaiah grinned. “You have a way of speaking as if we just saw one another yesterday. Good to see you again.” Tilting his head, he asked, “Are the rumors true? You finally secured the love of your life?”

  “True.”

  “It’s about time. I knew in college that Natalia would end up with you. Ezra and I loved taking her as our dates to events but knew better than to get attached.” The big man winked. “Though I didn’t think it would take the two of you another twenty years.”

  “It took Gabriella.”

  “Brie’s the type to boil things down to the simplest pieces. We talk regularly but I only found out recently that you knew one another. She takes your privacy as seriously as Lola.”

  “She does. We are grateful for her friendship and loyalty.” Crossing his arms at his back, he smiled. “Brie speaks highly of your woman. The first act was outstanding.”

  He watched as the other man’s eyes filled with warmth. “You’ll meet Mikayla tonight. Isn’t she wonderful? She’s everything to me.” Glancing out over the theater, he said quietly, “She accepts me completely and acts as though I’m the most perfect person in her world.”

  “I now know that feeling myself.”

  “We can’t take that for granted, Hudson. Love – real love – happens rarely.” A technician approached and handed Isaiah a stack of papers. “I need to finalize a few things. I’ll see you at the after-party.”

  They shook hands again and Hudson watched the tall man walk away talking into his radio.

  He turned and placed his palms on the railing, considering how different his life was in the course of a single year. Natalia was everything he’d ever wanted and they were finding their happiness, their routine, one day at a time.

  They were concerned about Brie. Since the accident, she’d been in pain, lonely, and far too quiet. She deserved so much and they were unsure if she could find it for herself.

  A familiar voice said, “Winters.”

  Without turning, he replied, “Delkin.”

  “We need to speak.”

  “Do we?”

  Harper Delkin matched his posture on the rail beside him. Hudson’s peripheral vision noted Elijah standing less than a foot beyond Delkin’s other side.

  “There was a misunderstanding. I’d like to clear it up.”

  Inhaling slowly, he stood to his full height and turned to the man some had mistaken as his brother over the years. The most notable difference between them was their eyes. Hudson’s black ones stared into Harper’s pewter gray.

  “A misunderstanding?”

  They stood at eye level, neither speaking. Finally, the other man gave a small nod.

  “I was unaware of her…place in your life. I apologize.”

  “You mean Gabriella.”

  “Yes.”

 
“Your interest in her?”

  “You will make me spell it out?”

  Allowing the silence to draw out, he glanced past Delkin’s shoulder to meet the green eyes of his bodyguard and best friend. Elijah stared back and didn’t blink. The blonde had always been an enigma and he didn’t underestimate him in the slightest.

  Crossing his arms over his chest, he returned his gaze to Harper. “I will kill you if you harm her in any way.” One side of his mouth lifted. “I could not accomplish it alone with such a man at your back…but I would find a way to see it done.”

  “Understood.”

  “Do you?”

  There was a long pause. “May I speak freely?”

  “I’d prefer it.”

  “I’ve had her investigated back to her birth.”

  “I’d expect nothing less.”

  “Nothing about her explains her willingness to be a…friend to a man like you. A man like me. On paper, she fits neatly in a box.” A frown appeared between his eyes. “I want to know more.”

  “Brie is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. You think her soft, delicate, and malleable. That is a mistake. One I made myself. She’s a fighter, though her methods are different from the people with whom we are accustomed to dealing. It is what drew myself and Natalia to her.”

  “Are you still involved?”

  Hudson hesitated. “No. She made the choice. We knew it was the right one.”

  Delkin seemed to process the information. “Why?”

  “She knew we were unable to love her as we loved one another, as she deserved.”

  The man snorted incredulously. “So what? You can give her the life of royalty.” Elijah visibly tensed and stared at the back of Harper’s head with a slight frown.

  How Brie would make these men dance…

  “And yet…she placed a higher value on her heart.” He shrugged. He wasn’t giving the man a damn thing more. “You have no clue what you’re dealing with…but you will.” He turned to walk back to the box. “Apology accepted. Don’t fuck it up, Delkin.”

  He heard the laughter of the women several feet from the door. As he stepped inside, their eyes showed they were happy to see him.

  Tawny’s eyes lowered to his crotch before lifting with a small grin at being caught.

  Natalia stood as he moved around the others and he kissed her, wanting to take her away for a few minutes. She seemed to read his thoughts.

  Without looking away, she said quietly, “Brie, we’ll be right back, darling.”

  “Don’t get arrested,” she replied without missing a beat. “New York takes that public indecency thing seriously. As Tawny can attest.”

  “That was a trumped up, bullshit charge.” The redhead crossed her arms indignantly.

  Chuckling, the blonde bent to kiss Brie’s cheek. Large dark blue eyes blinked once. “Why are you still standing here? You only have a little bit of time before the next act.”

  “Duly noted.”

  He placed his hand on Natalia’s lower back and led her into a quiet alcove not far from their box. After a few well-placed kisses, Hudson filled her in on his conversation with Harper Delkin.

  Eyes widening, she chuckled. “I knew he was inordinately taken with our Brie.” Smoothing her hand over the lapel of his jacket, she asked, “Did you make him sweat?”

  “A bit.”

  “Do you think he will actively pursue her?”

  “Yes.”

  Her smile spread slowly. “Watching her twist them up will be quite entertaining, darling.”

  “Agreed.” One more kiss and he led her back as the theater lights dimmed to warn patrons to return to their seats. Riya and Tawny were dashing from the box as they approached. “No running.”

  “You’re no fun, Hudson, said nobody ever. We have a bet that I can beat her time in stilettos. She’s afraid of breaking her ankle. I, on the other hand, am afraid of nothing! See you later!”

  Brie’s face lit up when she saw them. “I have a little time to tell you the next part of the story! You look well-kissed and lovely, Natalia.” To Hudson, she asked, “Better?”

  He nodded with a smile.

  “Okay, so Madeline is assumed far and wide to be the calm, studious, and somewhat nerdy sister. Mikayla’s personality is so effusive that it’s assumed she’s the older twin. Madeline is by three minutes. She probably had things all worked out by the time her sister made her appearance.”

  Folding her hands in her lap, she grinned. “Madeline hides all her crazy here in New York and that started the day she came to see the theater for the first time…”

  Act Two: The Mighty Pen

  Chapter One

  May 2012

  Madeline Johannson was taking a huge leap of faith.

  Right this minute, she was gambling her own reputation, the reputation of her twin sister, and a bucket of her parents’ money.

  The cab pulled up in front of the theater she wanted and she did her best to calm her pounding heart as she got out, paid the cabbie, and took a deep breath. She looked up and down 43rd Street in New York City and felt a sense of something magical about to happen.

  This Johannson girl was a long way from Oklahoma.

  The currently running show ended just about the time Linn wanted to start rehearsals. Over the past two months, she’d been seeing shows in one theater after another, looking for the location she wanted, the one she needed for her first production.

  Straightening her jacket and smoothing her hair, she gave herself a pep talk, a firm mental shake, and walked to the front doors.

  The huge panels of artistically etched glass looked original. It was the second feature she’d noticed when she came for a show here. The retro marquee was the first.

  Instantly she’d known…it was the perfect place.

  Not one to take unnecessary risks, she checked out the building for city violations and liens. Not only was it clear, the brothers who owned it had recently done a multi-million dollar renovation without taking loans against the property.

  They owned it outright.

  It was beautiful and bright outside but the interior of the theatre was dim without artificial lights to counteract the dark woods, aged brass, and deep green of the walls.

  Allowing her eyes to adjust, she jumped when she saw an incredibly tall and attractive man standing at the base of the staircase to one side of the lobby. Even across the space, she could tell he was at least six-five or better with dark hair and eyes.

  He had a body she wanted to spend a week licking…before getting down to the good stuff.

  She watched him wait for her to register his presence before he walked forward with his hand out. “I didn’t mean to startle you. You must be Madeline Johannson.”

  Nodding, more than a little dazed, she held out her hand. His consumed hers and she wanted it…everywhere.

  “Yes, I apologize. I don’t tend to startle. The theater is even lovelier than I remember.” She prayed he didn’t feel her trembling.

  “Ezra Zelder, we spoke on the phone. I’m the audio/lighting technician and manage the front-of-the-house business. You weren’t sure it was the right space. Have you decided?”

  “Yes, I knew when we talked Monday. I just wanted to ensure the backers would go for the adjusted budget. I appreciate you throwing in the lighting and sound with the overall monthly rate.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Is a cashier’s check alright for the first ten months?”

  His eyes went wide and there was a long pause before he said quietly, “You want to give me ten months in advance?”

  “Yes. I don’t want to lose the theater.” She withdrew an envelope that represented her mom and dad’s belief in her dream. “This should cover rehearsals as well as the first season.”

  Ezra took it as if it might burst into flames. “This is a first…ever.” Meeting her eyes, he said carefully, “Listen, not to put too fine a point on it but…what if you open in September and the play flops?”

&nb
sp; “It won’t.” She smiled. “My investors understand the risks, they’ve seen the initial outlines, and they gave the green light.”

  She pulled the contract he’d emailed her out of her portfolio. “Do y’all have local people who can do set design, costumes, and catering for the cast and crew?”

  He nodded slowly and she could tell he was floored and uncertain.

  “Please don’t worry.” Handing him the signed contract, he tucked the cashier’s check for almost one million dollars under the paperclip before staring at her silently. She swallowed hard and had an unusual urge to fill the quiet. “Rent, utilities, and your personal crew of five men.”

  Madeline paused and cleared her throat. “If you can get me that list of recommendations for these services,” she held out a neatly typed page and he took it, “I would really appreciate it, Mr. Zelder.”

  He glanced at her requests, scanned them, and gave her a single incline of his head. She exhaled in relief. “I’m already worried about you, Miss Johannson. No one at this level in the business hands over so much operating capital up front. Your financial risk is substantial.”

  “Call me Linn. Everyone does.” Stepping closer, she laid her hand on his arm. “You’ll see, Mr. Zelder. Everything is gonna be just fine.” Even she heard the ‘country’ slip into her voice.

  “Ezra. Call me Ezra. I like the way you talk. Where are you from?”

  That made her laugh. “Just north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. My sister and I had breakfast this morning and the server told us we sounded like the cast from some reality show. I’ve never seen it but I wouldn’t be sticking my hand in the mouth of a catfish, I can assure you.”

  He grinned and dimples appeared in both his cheeks. His teeth were bright white and even. “Reality television is not what comes to mind.” The way he said it made her pulse pick up. Ezra gestured to the staircase. “My office is upstairs. We have service being done on the roof and they had to shut down the air. I apologize for how warm it is up there.”

  Madeline noticed that the top three buttons of his dress shirt were open and his sleeves rolled up. He might have been talking about air conditioning but seeing the barest glimpse of a sculpted chest and muscular forearms made her positively overheated regardless of temperature.