Manaconda (Hammered #1)

by Taryn Elliott

  KM: The fight already started when I got there.

  LS: And you left him there?

  My thumbs shook over the keyboard. Yes, I left him there. I couldn’t focus on anything other than him fighting over another woman. Oh, the professionalism was just at its height here.

  KM: Patrick was handling it.

  I waited for the text message bubbles that she as answering, but she didn’t. It wasn’t exactly my responsibility, but it sort of was at the same time. The girlfriend ruse was supposed to keep Hunter in a good light, not devolve into this madness.

  But as per usual, anything to do with Hunter had me peddling uphill in first gear. I had another client to worry about. One that I was terribly afraid had brought the trouble to Hunter’s door.

  Bethany wasn’t stupid, but she was caught up in the fame game. And that included a shocking level of bad choices. From her rambling story, I was pretty sure I’d fucked up royally.

  Time to talk to Indie.

  KM: What can I do?

  IW: I do believe you’ve done enough.

  KM: I didn’t know anything about B bringing V to the club.

  IW: Then you need to take better care of your clients. I have a $30k mess to deal with and bailing out Hunter and Reed.

  KM: I can do that.

  IW: Why?

  KM: Girlfriend duties evidently.

  Indie’s text reply dots flashed forever. When one finally came through I was pretty sure she’d edited a few dozen times.

  IW: Meet Noah at the station.

  KM: Who’s Noah?

  IW: H’s brother. He’s bailing him out now. Reed’s in the drunk tank overnight.

  Hunter had a brother? Most of the details I’d read about his family had been sketchy at best. Siblings had definitely not been in the initial recon.

  An address for the precinct came through a minute later. I leaned forward. “Can I add a dropoff to the route.”

  The driver shrugged. “Sure.” I gave him the address and he punched it into his iPad mounted on the dash.

  “You’re not taking me home?” The hopeful gleam in Bethany’s eyes made me uneasy.

  “You’re done for the night. I’m serious, Bethany. If you want to continue with my services you’ll turn in early tonight.”

  She crossed her arms. “Lame.”

  “You’re lucky you didn’t end up arrested.”

  She waved her hand. “Whatever.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Fine. I’ve got a million blogs to hit anyway. I got three e-vites for interviews.”

  I sighed. “I don’t suppose you said no to any of them.”

  “What? Are you crazy? This boosted my followers again. I just hit three million on Instagram. I gotta ride this out.”

  I sent a quick text to Carter to watch Bethany’s social media accounts.

  CR: What the hell is going on? You’re face is all over the paps, K.”

  KM: Enigma blow up. I have to go put out Hunter fires.

  CR: Didn’t you do that last night? Or was that flame them?

  KM: Har-har

  CR: Babbles is Tweeting by the minute. Can we take away her charger? Hot dress on you tonight tho.

  KM: Thx. Too bad it was a wasted dry cleaning bill. I’m fielding too many texts. Should I be worried about B?

  CR: Nah, Babbles is just name dropping.

  KM: Thank God.

  CR: Why did you take her as a client again?

  KM: Suicidal tendencies.

  CR: I’m doubling up on your therapy sessions this week.

  KM: No more Shiraz, we’re breaking up.

  CR: Moscato it is. I’ll have it in the fridge.

  KM: Bless you.

  CR: I expect details tomorrow. You’ve been distressingly light on them, woman.

  KM: Did we know H had a brother?

  CR: There’s more of him? Sweet mother of God.

  KM: Down boy.

  CR: Is he as hot?

  KM: Why do you care? I don’t think Felicity is up for a threesome.

  CR: Are you kidding me? Felicity thinks I’m the bomb. I’m not showing her some Manaconda Sr.—or is that Jr?

  KM: Not sure.

  CR: But my sister is driving me crazy. Hook a brother up and I’ll work OT without complaining.

  KM: Like that would ever happen.

  CR: True.

  There was a pause then a picture came through my phone. My eyebrows shot up. Had a similar look to Hunter only he was all light to Hunter’s dark.

  CR: Yeah, so he’s hot as F. Older brother, Noah Jordan, ex-Army Ranger, now turned bodyguard. Works for Roth & Silver.

  KM: Didn’t see that one coming.

  CR: A Ranger and a Rockstar? Testosterone levels = max. Def can’t let Felicity meet them.

  I shook my head, but had to admit that was a little too much manly man in the Jordan family.

  KM: Felicity’s get out of jail free card is for Jensen Ackles anyway.

  CR: Isn’t he everybody’s?

  KM: Damn right.

  CR: I expect a full report.

  KM: Goodnight Carter.

  CR: How am I supposed to live vicariously through you if ur stingy on the deets?

  KM: Find a new hobby.

  CR: Pft.

  I checked the other messages that had come in while talking to Carter and shoved my phone back in my bag. Hunter was definitely the biggest fire I had to put out.

  When the Uber pulled up to the station, Bethany’s eyes went wide.

  “You’re going here?”

  “You’re not my only client.”

  “I mean, I knew you were riding the Manaconda, but I didn’t know it was a full-service thing.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Bethany tucked herself into the far corner of the car. “Nothing.”

  My brain was actually going to boil. Honestly. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It’s just that people aren’t sure if he’s your client or boyfriend.”

  Dammit. I was supposed to be in girlfriend mode, not PR fix-it stage. And I was definitely not going to discuss that with this little gossip hungry girl. “Right home, Bethany.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  But she was already on her phone. She was raising her phone to take a picture of the precinct. And that would be on Facebook and Twitter in about thirty seconds. Just awesome.

  I ran up the steps and followed the signs to booking. It was still early in the night, and a Wednesday. Fairly quiet as far as arrests go. Unfortunately I’d been in this particular police station many times.

  “Who’s in trouble this time, Red?”

  I turned to the voice behind me. “We have to stop meeting this way.”

  “Well, if you’d go out with me, then I wouldn’t have to accost you at the station every time you’re here to clean up one of your delinquent’s messes.”

  I laughed and hugged my favorite cop in all the world. “It’s been awhile, Remy.”

  Crinkles fanned out at the corners of his chocolate eyes. “Who you here for this time?”

  “Me.”

  I pulled back and dropped my arms. Hunter.

  “That true?” Remy folded his arms over his chest.

  I met Hunter’s angry gaze. “I’m still making up my mind.”

  19

  Hunter

  “Don’t do me any favors.” The rage I’d almost put back in the box surged again. Noah dropped a hand onto my shoulder, his grip firm.

  “What my little brother means, is we have it handled. Thanks, love, but you can be on your way.”

  I fisted my hands.

  She looked up at the cop. “Is he free to go?”

  The officer inclined his head. “Just processed him out. Evidently he’s got friends in high places.”

  “We’re sorry for the disturbance.”

  “Don’t apologize for me,” I said tightly.

  She curled her fingers tighter around her phone. “Someone should.”

  Shame climb
ed up my gut into my throat. First I had to call my big brother to bail me out, and now Kenny was looking at me like I was chewed gum on hot pavement.

  Banner day, Jordan.

  She lifted her chin and stepped forward. “I’m here for Indie’s sake. Not yours.”

  I cracked my knuckles. They hurt like hell, and the pain cleared my head. “I used my one phone call. I’m good.”

  “Everything cool, Red?”

  She threw a sweet smile over her shoulder. “Thanks, Remy. We’ll be fine.”

  The cop gave me a hard look before he returned to the room that I’d just been booked in. She was clean and fresh. Her hair was a mass of fistable curls that I wanted spread across my damn pillow. Fuck that, I wanted them across my belly again, with her sleeping beside me. I was dying to put my face in her neck. To breathe in her sweet floral scent until the sweat and stench of the jail faded into a memory—but I still had fingerprint ink staining the pads of my fingers and blood in my teeth.

  I was a goddamn mess.

  And Kennedy’s client had been the one to remind me who I used to be. Kennedy lived and breathed everything I hated about this damn town. In fact, it was her job to perpetuate it.

  No matter how much I wanted her, I couldn’t let that back in my life again.

  “Go home, Kennedy.”

  Her amber eyes glittered before the polite mask fell over her face. “I’m glad you’re all right. I’ll let Indie know you’re out.”

  “I already did.”

  “Right.” She looked down at her phone, typed in something before dropping it into her purse. “Then if everything’s taken care of here, I’ll leave you in your brother’s capable hands.” She turned with a blank look before heading for the door.

  “Fuck.”

  “You’re an asshole,” Noah muttered.

  He didn’t have to tell me. One of my best friends was in the drunk tank screaming out inventive ways he was going to fold my dick inside out, the girl I’d thought was different turned out to be a little too much like my ex, and what should have been the best week of my life had been punctuated with an arrest.

  May was officially a shitstorm and my life was the epicenter.

  Noah turned out the side entrance of the police station and I followed him. He didn’t wait up for me. His long legs ate up the pavement to a McDonalds parking lot across from the precinct.

  I hurried to catch up.

  Noah shot a heated look at me across the hood of his Escalade. “You know what? I had a beautiful woman’s legs around my neck about an hour ago. I had the pleasure of hearing her come her brains out.”

  “Thanks for the recap of your night.” I climbed into the passenger seat of Noah’s truck.

  He got in and slammed his door. “Yes, but the important part of this story is that I had to leave that lovely lady, put her in her car, and send her home. So, not only did I have to bail your stupid ass out, but I have a very nice case of blue balls as a bonus parting gift.”

  “So, that’s why you weren’t at the bar as my backup.”

  “I didn’t know you required backup, asshat. And I was at your party. Just had a better incentive to leave than to watch you idiots drink booze you can’t handle.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “You aren’t allowed to have whiskey if you can’t hold your liquor, and Bats definitely cannot. Or, he was drunk on pussy. Which is exactly what it sounds like. What in the fuck?”

  I slumped down and stared out the window.

  “No answer?”

  “Fresh out.”

  “If you own a rockstar dick does that negate the bro-code? You don’t dip your wick in a friend’s girl. Period. Even if she’s an ex. How hard is this?”

  “You don’t know Victoria.”

  “I can guarantee that it wouldn’t matter how hot she was, I wouldn’t fuck her or get mixed up with her.”

  “Yeah, well she has a way of getting under your skin and making you want to take care of her. I was fooled for a long damn time.” I stared out the passenger window.

  I’d still be with Victoria if I didn’t catch her in bed with her co-star. I’d been utterly blind to her. She’d wrapped me up good and tight until I couldn’t further her career any longer.

  Then she’d moved on to another poor bastard. Now that Hammered was climbing the charts again, and everyone wanted a piece of us, Vic was back.

  Knowing she was running the same game on Bats brought up all the anger I thought I’d put aside. When I’d been with Victoria I’d been in the center of that bull shit. I’d lived for parties and people that were only interested in how many A-listers you could name drop.

  When I’d walked away from her, I’d gone looking for more. I’d found it in my music, in my friends, in my quiet house in the Hills away from the cesspool that was Los Angeles.

  This fucking magazine thing had me smack in the middle of all of it again. I thought Kennedy was different, but she was worse. She steered the ship and showed people how to act, how to play, how to become the super famous.

  I’d walked right into it again—blinded by a smile and my dick. I was a stupid son of a bitch.

  Seeing her protect her client, to immediately side with her and walk away from me proved that well enough.

  “So, does that mean the house is empty?” I asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. Then I can smoke your ass on Call of Duty.”

  Noah was quiet for a moment, then a smile stretched across his face. “Dream on, brother. You seem to forget who died magnificently in our last game.”

  “And I learned, and have been practicing.”

  “Oh, is that the way?”

  “Damn right.”

  “All right. We’ll see. Just because you spent an hour in jail doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on you, you know.”

  “I’d think it would be the opposite.”

  “Now you’re learning.”

  I sure as fuck hoped so.

  20

  Kennedy

  I swore and threw my liquid liner into my makeup bag. Again. This was only my fifth time trying to do my face. I was a freaking pro at liquid liner.

  What the hell was my problem?

  I dabbed at the corner of my eye with a Q-tip, giving up at the bright red eyes staring back at me. I hadn’t heard from Hunter in three days. There was full on radio silence from Indie, and Lila hadn’t returned my texts since yesterday.

  Sales for Hammered’s album were holding steady. In fact they’d bumped higher after Hunter and Reed’s arrest Wednesday night.

  Wyatt and Hunter had been in the Rolling Stone headlines again, this time for a guest appearance at a Foo Fighter’s show. Wyatt and Dave Grohl had a drum off, and Hunter had convinced Dave to bring his guitar throne back out for the show.

  I’d watched the YouTube clips eleven times last night. Only five this morning.

  Dex, their record executive¸ got his wish. Every time someone asked Hunter about who he was dating, he answered that he was single as single could be.

  When anyone asked him about me, he gave a careless smile and gave a few different versions of an excuse I would have written.

  “Nothing serious.”

  “We had a fun night, but we both are working too much.”

  Nothing that painted either of us as anything other than two busy professionals.

  Perfectly adequate.

  I didn’t remember throwing my blush Dior heel at the television, but Carter had informed me that it would cost me a hundred bucks to fix it.

  Since they were my favorite pair, they were currently sitting in a cobbler’s shop. There were a surprising number of them in Los Angeles. Women loved their expensive shoes.

  And now I had to go to a Love & Paws charity benefit without my lucky shoes, and hope I didn’t run into him.

  I was the one charity that he supported without fail, but I still had his itinerary. He and the band should be at a showcase concert for Ripper Records.

  If
I went early enough, I should miss him.

  “Here she is.”

  I turned away from my vanity and smiled. “How’s my baby?”

  Sammy, my Australian Border Collie rescue, put her paws on my lap. I scratched his ears pressing my forehead into his as he whined. He wagged his tail so hard he lost his balance and tumbled to the carpet.

  “Did Uncle Carter and Aunt Felicity spoil you rotten?”

  Carter dropped into one of my club chairs. “He led Felicity on a five mile chase through the state park.”

  “I’m sure she loved that.”

  “She’s still cursing me and Sammy.” Carter grinned. “New hiking boots.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Yep. Blister city. You owe her a pedicure.”

  I huffed out a laugh. “Send her for a Spa package at Willow’s.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Man. I’ll walk Sammy more often if I’m getting pampered like that.”

  I turned back to my vanity. “Make it a couple’s retreat. On me.”

  “Okay, now I know you’re really in a state.”

  I blew out a calming breath and made a perfect line with my liquid brush. “I’m fine.”

  He stood behind me in the mirror. “When’s the last time you slept?”

  “Last night.”

  He gave me a deadpan stare.

  “I did.”

  He didn’t need to know it was only two hours, but I had slept. I dabbed concealer under my eyes and finished off with a light powder. I gave Sammy a quick rub down and shrugged out of the button down I as wearing.

  He frowned. “Where’d you get that?” He fingered the material and checked the label. “Since when do you have anything by Hugo Boss?”

  “It’s just a shirt.”

  “You’re the girliest girl I know. The only thing you would have by Hugo Boss is a jacket. Definitely not a men’s shirt.”

  “I’m not a nun, Carter. No matter how you like to infer otherwise.”

  “Oh, boy. The teacher voice is coming out. You’re seeing him tonight, aren’t you?”

  “What? No.”