Rocking Standby

by Cassandra Lawson

  My brother’s illness was killing me, but I was still tempted to kick his ass for avoiding my calls. I’d left messages, but he hadn’t returned a single call. My text messages and emails had also been mostly ignored. The most I’d gotten from Colin were arguments he needed to talk to me about what was going on in person. I wanted to force the issue, but I’d finally given up and decided I could wait until I saw him to learn the extent of his cancer. I could let Colin tell me on his terms.

  There was time to meet with the private investigator before heading to Colin’s house. With any luck, this would set my mind at ease regarding Bentley. I was still pissed that she was dating my brother, but I’d get over it. My brother deserved happiness, and it was possible Bentley wasn’t using him.

  “What have you got for me?” I asked Calvin as I took a seat in his office.

  “I have a copy of the entire report for you to read through later, but I’ll go over the highlights now,” he stated.

  “Sounds good,” I agreed.

  “Bentley Marie Whitier is the daughter of Gigi and Franklin Whitier,” he began. “Franklin owns Whit’s Auto Repair.”

  “Hold up,” I interrupted. “Her name is Bentley, and her initials are BMW?” She hadn’t shared that with me on the flight.

  Calvin chuckled. “Yes, her parents have a thing for car names. She’s the oldest of three at thirty-one. She has a brother named Lexus and a sister named Mercedes. The sister’s place of employment is listed as the Frisky Beaver. Let me correct that. She was listed as an employee for three years, but is now listed as one of the owners.”

  “The what?” I asked, certain I’d misheard him.

  “The Frisky Beaver,” he repeated. “It’s a strip club in San Francisco,” he explained. “The brother recently got out of prison after serving time for a drug conviction.”

  “Sounds like a great family,” I muttered.

  Calvin ignored me and continued. “Bentley has worked for your brother’s company for nearly ten years. She was hired while she was still in college and has worked her way up to being James Caldwell’s executive assistant.”

  “What was her major in college?” I asked.

  “She has masters in psychology,” he replied.

  “Interesting,” I said thoughtfully. “It seems strange she decided to continue working for my brother’s company considering her degree.”

  He shrugged. “A lot of people don’t go into the field they majored in. I have a degree in Marine Biology.” Before I could comment, he continued. “She knew James before she started working there.” He set a picture on the table. I immediately recognized Bentley. She was younger in the photo, likely just out of high school. I also recognized the man with his arm draped over her shoulders as James. “She and Mr. Caldwell dated when she was nineteen.”

  “So, she was dating James when she started working for him,” I remarked thoughtfully.

  “I’m not sure when their personal relationship ended,” he told me. “This picture was taken shortly before she began working for Mr. Caldwell, so it is entirely possible they were still dating.”

  So much for my hope that Bentley wasn’t the type to sleep her way to the top. She’d clearly used James to get her job and probably to move up. It seemed she was hoping for more now.

  “When did she become involved with my brother?” I asked, still staring at the picture of her with James.

  “Shortly after your brother’s accident, Miss Whitier started working in his home part of the time,” he explained. “Your brother hasn’t been seen at any events without her by his side.”

  “Working from his home,” I muttered with a dry laugh. “I’ll bet she’s been working really hard for my brother.” I wasn’t sure what I hated more, the feeling of having been so thoroughly deceived, or the insane jealousy I felt when I thought of my brother touching Bentley. “It seems obvious she’s seeing my brother.”

  “I’m not convinced the tabloid story is correct,” Calvin added before tossing out more photos. “There’ve been many pictures of Miss Whitier attending events with your brother, but James Caldwell is also in attendance. All the photos I’ve found from these events could be construed as perfectly innocent.”

  “He’s holding her hand in several of these photos,” I pointed out. “Colin also admitted to my mom he’s getting married. Has he been seen with anyone else?”

  “Not that I could find,” Calvin admitted.

  One photo caught my eye, and I picked it up to get a closer look. Bentley was laughing. She looked happy and carefree. She was dressed in red, clearly attending some fancy event. If it weren’t for her expression of pure joy, she’d look nothing like the woman I’d met on my flight. It was Colin’s expression that held my attention the longest. “He looks like a man who’s staring at the woman he loves.”

  “He appears to be looking over her shoulder,” Calvin pointed out.

  “You already said he hasn’t been out with another woman,” I argued.

  “It is certainly possible they’re involved,” Calvin agreed. “There is plenty of circumstantial evidence to back up that theory, but nothing concrete. Can I be frank with you?”

  “Go ahead,” I told him.

  “By the way you’re looking at these pictures, this is about more than your brother,” he began. “You should be careful how you approach this situation.”

  Considering I’d now heard that from my band and the private investigator, I should listen. I should talk to my brother and then head home after he told me he was marrying Bentley. Talking to Bentley would be a terrible idea. I’d have to see her eventually, but I needed to have my head on straight when it came to her first.

  “You’re right,” I agreed. “I’ll stay away from Bentley. I’m going to visit my brother later today, and then I’ll head home.”

  “That’s a smart move,” he told me. “Was there anything else you needed me to look into?”

  I shook my head. “No, this is good,” I replied. “I’ll pay the last of your fee with the receptionist.”

  As I headed out of the office, I was no closer to having definitive proof Bentley was trying to screw my brother out of his money. Looking down at the photo of him with her, my gut clenched. Thankfully, I had a few hours to get my shit together before I met with Colin. With any luck I wouldn’t come off sounding like a jealous asshole when I saw him. I was also hoping Bentley wouldn’t be there. I definitely wasn’t ready to see her with my brother.

  Chapter 12

  Bentley

  I was glad my brother had decided to meet me for lunch today. He needed to get out of the house more. Lex had a tendency to turn me down when I suggested we go out. He’d invite me to hang out at his apartment, but he rarely went anywhere.

  Looking at the time, I realized he might stand me up. He was already twenty minutes late.

  As I was about to message him, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.

  Lex: Sorry. I’m running late. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes. My client had some questions about the project I sent over.

  Bentley: See you then.

  My brother had earned his degree in English while in prison. I’d been surprised by his choice of major and even more surprised when he started doing technical ghost writing after his release. While I was glad he’d found a career he enjoyed, I worried he’d picked it because he didn’t have to leave home.

  “Still waiting on your brother?” the waitress asked with a warm smile.

  “He should be here soon,” I assured her.

  “Can I get you a refill?” she asked.

  “Yes, please,” I replied. “I’ll also order for me and my brother now.”

  “What can I get you?” she asked.

  “Two turkey and avocado sandwiches,” I told her. “Everything on both of them.”

  “Got it,” she chirped. She was about to walk away when her mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. God. Is that Gage Addison from Reckless Release?” Her voice had gotten even higher, and she wa
s bouncing as she clutched her order pad.

  I was almost afraid to turn around. Gage had definitely been on my mind. It wasn’t simply my memories keeping him at the forefront of my mind. Cami and Mercy were determined to bring Gage up every time I spoke to one of them.

  Turning my head toward the door, my eyes immediately landed on him, and my heartbeat quickened. There he stood, dressed in worn jeans and a leather jacket. Damn, he looked good. No! I would not start thinking about how good he looked. I also wasn’t going to think about the kiss.

  “That is him, isn’t it?” the waitress asked.

  “Yes,” I replied unable to look away from Gage. “That’s definitely Gage Addison.”

  My waitress continued to chatter excitedly about her love for all things Reckless Release, but I wasn’t paying much attention to her. Gage’s eyes scanned the cafe until they locked with mine and narrowed. He looked angry as he stalked toward me.

  Without waiting for an invitation, he sat across from me.

  “Your brother is Gage Addison?” the waitress asked in awe.

  “No!” I replied quickly.

  “Not yet,” Gage grumbled.

  The venom in his voice came as a shock. I had to assume he’d seen the tabloid article about me and Colin, but it didn’t warrant his anger.

  Our waitress looked fascinated, and I was certain Gage would regret drawing this kind attention later. Then again, maybe I was wrong. Rock stars loved being the center of attention.

  “This isn’t the place,” I told him quietly. “You’re also wrong.”

  Gage’s jaw clenched, and I could see his struggle before he finally ground out. “I was definitely wrong.” He flashed our waitress a brilliant smile. “Sorry about that. I’m a little tired, so my sense of humor is off. Could I get a club sandwich to go?”

  “Of course,” she replied in a breathy voice. “I’ll put your orders in now.”

  After our waitress hurried off to fill our orders, I looked around. Surprisingly, Gage’s outburst hadn’t attracted attention. I was thankful he’d kept his voice low. Taking a deep breath, I decided to move past his assumption that the tabloid article was true. All I could do was tell him the truth—most of the truth. It wasn’t my place to tell him about Colin and James.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you,” I began. “My phone was stolen at the airport.”

  He snorted. “I was the idiot who thought you were interested in me. You were already committed to Colin.”

  “I’m not dating your brother,” I snapped before taking a deep breath. I needed to keep this civil. It wasn’t easy. His nasty tone made me want to smack him.

  “So, you do know who I am,” he said with a humorless bark of laughter. “You are a great actress. I was convinced you didn’t recognize me on the flight.”

  “When I met you on that flight, I didn’t realize you were Colin’s brother. I also didn’t realize you were a musician,” I insisted, getting angrier by the second.

  “Right,” he scoffed. “I’ll buy you didn’t realize I was related to Colin. You wouldn’t have taken my number if you’d figured that part out,” he stated angrily. “Imagine my surprise when I found out that the sweet girl-next-door act was bullshit. You’re a whore out to get my brother’s money.”

  Silence hung between us as his words settled in. To give him some credit, Gage looked shocked by what he’d said—not enough credit that I could stomach being in his presence. “Get the fuck away from me,” I ground out.

  “Don’t be like that,” he crooned softly, leaning in so we weren’t putting on as much of a show. “We’re practically family. You can tell me the truth. Were you planning to mess around with me behind my brother’s back? Was I just some guy you were playing games with?”

  I was beyond tempted to punch him in his smug face, but he wasn’t worth the sore knuckles. “I simply made the mistake of believing you’re a nice guy.”

  He opened his mouth and hesitated. “If you aren’t involved with my brother, how do you explain the photo of you in that magazine?” he asked. “Or the multitude of other pictures of you with Colin?”

  “What other pictures?” I asked.

  “The ones the private investigator found,” he explained.

  My mouth dropped open. “You had me investigated? On second thought, don’t answer that. Leave. I don’t want to see you or talk to you. I sure as hell don’t owe you any kind of explanation.”

  “So, you don’t even have a defense?” he demanded.

  “This isn’t my story to tell,” I replied. “As I’ve already said, I also don’t have to defend myself to you.”

  “Is everything okay?” my brother asked as he approached the table. His green eyes widened when they landed on Gage, but he said nothing.

  “Everything is fine,” I assured Lex before giving Gage a tight smile. “It looks like your food is ready.” I gestured to the waitress heading our way. I’d never been so grateful for fast service in my life.

  He nodded and stood. “I’ll talk to you again soon.”

  “I hope not,” I said under my breath.

  Lex eyed Gage until he exited the cafe. “Wanna tell me what that was about?” he finally asked, taking a seat across from me.

  “I’ll tell you later,” I assured him.

  “Because you’re afraid I’ll go after him and kick his ass?” he asked.

  “No, because I’m afraid I’ll go after him and kick his ass if I spend too much time thinking about it,” I admitted.

  My brother chuckled. “That I have no trouble picturing.”

  Chapter 13

  Gage

  After my confrontation with Bentley, I felt like a complete dick. I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I was wrong. I wasn’t. There was no way I’d been mistaken about Bentley. So, why did I still hear Harley’s voice in the back of my head calling me a dumbass? Calvin Jameson’s doubts about Bentley’s involvement with Colin kept playing in the back of my mind.

  By the time I parked in front of Colin’s home, I had come to the conclusion that I needed to fix things with Bentley. If she was marrying my brother, I had to get along with her. He was sick, and he needed everyone behind him, not fighting.

  The housekeeper was just leaving, so she let me in and directed me to Colin’s den. I found him sitting at his desk, his fingers flying across the keyboard of his laptop.

  “Give me a minute to finish this up,” he told me in a distracted voice. When he was done, he looked up at me with a warm smile. “Does it really take a tabloid scandal to get my baby brother to visit me?”

  After dropping down onto his sofa with a sigh, I replied, “Sorry it’s been so long. Things have been crazy busy the last couple of months.”

  “I understand,” he assured me. “Are you going to bitch at me for refusing to talk to you before today?”

  “I’ll get to that later,” I replied. “First, let’s talk about what’s going on. This has been making me crazy. Why the hell did you refuse to see me until now?”

  He shrugged. “I wasn’t ready to talk to you,” was his simple reply. “Mom also told me you’ve been busy with recording and getting ready for your tour.”

  “I’m sure you knew that before Mom said anything,” I accused.

  “Why would I know anything about your schedule?” he asked, leaning back in his desk chair with his fingers steepled under his chin.

  “I figured as the owner of Mooncast Records, you’d know the details of our recording schedule.” I’d planned to ask about his brain cancer first, but I couldn’t seem to get the words past my lips.

  If Colin was surprised I’d brought this up, he didn’t let it show. “That company runs fine without much input from me. I don’t keep up on the day-to-day operations.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you bought the label?” I demanded.

  “Because you’re a stubborn ass,” he replied. “Would you have signed if you’d known I owned the label?”

  Rather than answering his question
, I asked one of my own. “Did you buy the company so they’d sign me?”

  “Of course, I bought the label so they’d sign you,” he replied. “You guys are good, and you deserve this chance. When Mom said you were getting ready to sign with another label, I looked into them. They were a bad choice, but I knew you were desperate to make it. I also knew the label you were already with wouldn’t help you get much further.”

  I blew out a frustrated breath. At least, his intentions were good, not that I’d ever doubted that.

  “Other than getting them to sign you, I’m not interfering,” he assured me. “I realize you must be worried this will affect your band’s future, but it won’t.”

  “What if something happens to you?” I asked softly.

  “You mean if I die?” he asked. “It’s okay to say the words. I’ve come to realize that it’s going to happen. I lucked out with this accident, but I might not be so lucky next time. Who knows? I could outlive you, or I could die tomorrow.”

  “What happens to the label then?” I pushed. “I already know you’re getting married. Maybe this isn’t a good investment for you to hold onto.”

  Colin’s gaze shifted away from mine, and he pushed his chair back from his desk. “Mom is mistaken.”

  “Does that mean you aren’t getting married?” I asked.

  “That’s not what I said.” He let out a nervous laugh and stood to pace the room. “I know Mom thinks I’m marrying Marie.”

  “Marie?” I asked before remembering Bentley saying she went by her middle name at work.

  “James’ assistant,” Colin clarified. “She’s acting as my assistant for the time being, as well. Other than that, I’m not involved with Marie.”

  “Who else could you be marrying?” I asked. “She’s the only woman you’ve been seen with.”

  Colin’s eyes met mine, and he took a deep breath before speaking. “This isn’t how I pictured telling you.”

  “Is this about your brain cancer?” I asked.

  “Brain cancer?” He looked bewildered by my question. “What makes you think I have cancer?”