by Megan Derr
"No, he's not. His stupid, good son, kiss ass little ego loves to be a white knight. Do we have any food around here?"
Laughing, Jet went to scrounge snacks, leaving Dai to call his brother and plead his case.
Track 06
Out of Place
Cooper had expected the mess of hungry press when he'd gotten off the plane, had counted down the seconds until he faced hell with every heavy step. Didn't make it easier to have them pushing and shoving, screaming in his ear and clamoring so hard he couldn't make out one word in fifty. He tried his damnedest to get through the mess, but it was like trying to run while being half-buried in wet sand—wet sand covered in squawking seagulls.
"Clear the way!" A voice cracked out, full of the kind of authority that made Cooper want to reply that he hadn't done it, honest, even though he had not a clue as to what was going on. It was also vaguely familiar, which was even stranger.
Then the reporters parted, and all Cooper could do was stare at the source of the imperious order. The man didn't look exactly like Dai, but close enough to mark the family resemblance. No mistaking those intense, focused eyes, even if they weren't mismatched like Dai's.
The man signaled to one of the two large, looming figures standing just behind him, then stepped forward and gently grabbed Cooper's arm, and hauled him away from the chaos.
Cooper couldn't stop staring as they reached the man who had to be Dai's brother, because despite the obvious resemblance it was hard to reconcile the handsome man in an expensive suit and fancy cologne with his pink-haired, lace-wearing rockstar. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you're Jason Kristopherson. Dai talks about you a lot."
"I'm sure he does, and then he expects me to help him anyway," Jason replied with a sigh, though it didn't sound nearly as put out as Cooper thought it was probably supposed to. "Let's get out of here before we talk further, hmm?" He turned sharply on his heel and headed out of the airport, keeping Cooper firmly at his side, with the bodyguards in front and behind them.
A gleaming silver Bentley was waiting at the curb. Jason nodded to the two men, who faded off to another car waiting a further ways down. Jason's driver, as ominous looking as the bodyguards, opened the door of the Bentley for them. A dark glass partition had been put up between the driver and passengers. Cooper was used to the things being famous could bring, but this was a bit much. "I don't understand why you're here, though I'm immensely grateful for the help back there. Is Henry okay?"
"Yes, she's fine. I spoke with her a few hours ago, told her you had retained my services. She mentioned she was picking you up, and I offered to attend the matter." He smiled, and though it was a cold, hard smile, Cooper could suddenly see more of the family resemblance. Dai and Jet hadn't gotten as far as they had, as fast as they had, by being gentle. That smart, hard-working ruthlessness must be a family thing, 'cause it definitely showed in Jason right then. "I also spoke with the firm representing Shine the Moon and told them that from here on out, all communications with you must go through me; they are not to speak with you directly. If they try to speak with you alone, tell them to go to hell."
Cooper smiled faintly and stared out the window. "Mighty skilled of me to retain you while I was stuck on a plane with my phone turned off."
Part of him wanted to be annoyed. This was his problem, and he still didn't think it wasn't nothing he and Jake couldn't have sorted out if Jake had just talked to him instead of going right for the damned lawyers. Every time he thought about it, he just got madder and more hurt.
All those times he'd wished he'd told Jake the truth… it was a real good thing he hadn't.
He looked at Jason, some of his misery and angry tension replaced by the warm thrum of knowing that Dai had his back, even after Cooper had been an ass and told Dai to stay the hell out of it. "Dai told me to call you, but I admit I was stubborn about it. Guess he was smart enough not to listen to me."
Jason lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "Don't give him too much credit, Dai is very, very good at ignoring people when it doesn't suit his own ends. That being said, he's not entirely stupid."
"He's the least stupid person I know," Cooper said. "I thought you two didn't get along, even if you are his lawyer."
Jason shrugged. "Does any family one hundred percent get along? We have very different views on things, to oversimplify the matter, but neither of us would ever wholly abandon the other. And I know a bit of what you're going through."
"Being stabbed in the back by friends?"
"Having to keep a secret," Jason said quietly, and Cooper didn't know what to say. Dai had never mentioned his brother had some secret romance. Hell, maybe Dai didn't know. "Now, my firm has offices in this city, and they've kindly let me borrow a desk for as long as I'm here. I've set people to tracking down information and preparing what we'll need should this go as far as court. That being said, I doubt this will ever get close to court. Nobody wants to drag matters out that long if it can possibly be avoided. We have a lot to discuss, but my main question is this: are you willing to reveal your relationship with Dai to clear your name? If not, that's fine. It will just make the fight a bit more interesting. But being honest, at least in a private meeting, will expedite matters."
"Expedite them, then," Cooper said. "I would have told Jake soon, anyhow. Some things get to be too important to keep them under lock and key. I ain't keen for the world to know because I don't want it coming down on the band and my family, but if that's what it's come down to then so be it."
Jason nodded. "And do you want to leave the band, or are you hoping to reconcile things?"
Cooper opened his mouth, then closed it again. He went back to staring out the window. "I don't know yet."
"Fair enough. Shall we stop somewhere to eat?"
"I could use a good steak and a beer," Cooper said, settling back. "Jerry's Steakhouse, on Bluelake Avenue. Best in the city, if not the state."
Jason nodded and pushed a button, activating an intercom. He spoke with the driver a moment, then pulled out his phone. "My assistant informs me Shine the Moon's lawyers have requested a meeting. Friday morning, ten o'clock."
"Okay."
Jason texted a reply and slipped the phone into his blazer again. "Done. Now, Henry mentioned reporters had been bothering her at your home."
Cooper made a face. "Damn it. I shoulda guessed they would. Poor kids. They got enough of that shit when Henry and Dominic divorced. I'm usually left in peace there, but I shoulda known those damned paparazzi would get there eventually. Guess I'd better figure out how to deal with that."
"I can assign bodyguards to watch them and the property. I know a couple of firms. One of them makes a point of having at least as many women on the payroll as men."
"Do it," Cooper said. "Don't care about the cost. I should be able to cover it. I'll work something out, anyway."
Jason nodded and pulled out his phone again. "Do you want personal protection?"
Cooper grimaced. "Do you think that's necessary?"
"I think it never hurts to be overcautious," Jason said. "Even I occasionally wind up on the wrong end of a baseball bat. But if you prefer to go without for now, I think you can. But always travel with at least a driver; don't go places by yourself if you can help it. I doubt your bandmates would do anything, but I am concerned about crazy fans who will flip out at perceived betrayals and the like." He tucked the phone away again. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you how a small number of fans can behave."
Heaving a sigh, Cooper let his head fall to thump against the back of the seat. "How 'bout a compromise: I'll stay holed up somewhere that ain't my apartment while this is going on." This entire damned thing was going to bleed him dry, but he didn't fucking care. He'd started the whole damned mess with barely a nickel to his name. Ending it the same way wouldn't kill him.
Jason smiled faintly, looking pleased. "I wish all of my clients were as cooperative as you. I can't even get Dai to listen to my advice half the time. The firm retains
a handful of condos and apartments in the city, all of them with impeccable security. I'll send someone to collect your things and arrange for a condo. Is there anything other than clothes and such that you absolutely can't live without?"
"My violin," Cooper said. "Wouldn't mind the stack of books collecting dust in my room. And I left my laptop there, too. Not that I'll be using it a whole hell of a lot." Just thinking about the emails and shit that would be waiting for him from friends and family and god alone knew who else made him sick.
He wanted to be overseas, damn it. Wanted to be with Dai, rolling in the sheets or sneaking around to see the sites. He wanted to be acting like a man madly in love with his boyfriend. Not a man who had something to be ashamed of.
"Pardon me a few minutes, then," Jason said, and once again pulled his phone out. This time he hit a button and pressed the phone to his ear.
Cooper tuned him out, wishing he could give in to the urge for a nap. He didn't realize he actually had until someone called his name and gave him a shake. "What—?" Cooper groaned, scrubbed at his face. "Sorry."
Jason chuckled. "No worries. You slept through tedious phone calls and full-stop traffic. I would have slept through it too if I could have. But dinner awaits, and we can discuss matters a little more." He climbed out of the car and Cooper followed him.
The bodyguards fell into step around them like shadows, and even after they were in the restaurant, the two men settled at a nearby table. A waitress came up to Jason and Cooper's table, which was situated in the back in a corner where no one could get to them without being seen well in advance. Jason smiled politely, speaking briefly of taking the check for both his table and the bodyguards. After they'd placed drink and appetizer orders, she faded off.
"So I have a list of every suspicious absence asked about," Jason said, pulling a small notebook from his blazer. "Tell me where you were for each of them, who you were with, exactly what you were doing."
Cooper laughed. "Sure you want to know all the details?"
A blank look filled Jason's face for a minute, before he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I think you summarize some of it."
Cooper nodded and Jason started listing them. Of the twenty-three dates he listed, eighteen had been Cooper either meeting up with Dai or holing up in his room or somewhere else he could be alone to talk to Dai for than five minutes. The rest were various lunches and such he'd gone off to when he'd encountered folk while out and about. One of them had been with Hard Play; the others with some random producers and songwriters. He hadn't realized those constituted sneaking around just because he'd forgotten to mention them later.
He finished off the beer the waitress had brought shortly after they started. "All of this and they jump right to me sneaking around to find a better deal. I don't get it by half. Jake especially should know that if I wanted out, I'd just fucking say I wanted out. I ain't never been one for sneaking around, except when it comes to the fact I'm gay. And he don't know about that. So far as he knows I ain't one for sneaking around at all. This don't make no sense."
"Oh, backstabbing and cutthroat behavior make plenty of sense," Jason said, smile cold, eyes hard but lined with the kind of exhaustion only cynicism could bring. "I once was hired by a wife who'd been married to her husband for seventeen years. He accused her of cheating, she hired me, it all ended in an ugly court battle, and to my knowledge, they still do not speak to each other. And the whole thing began with a series of small misunderstandings that could have been cleared up if he'd only spoken to her. Your case is not as uncommon as you think." He twirled his wine glass in his hand. "We'll get it sorted out, one way or another. Once we explain to them the real cause for you absences, they'll look like fools of the worst sort. After that, we'll proceed however you decide, be it stay with the band or remove yourself."
"Thank you," Cooper said. "You didn't have to do all of this for me."
Jason shrugged. "I'm good at what I do, and I like opportunities that force me to strain my muscles, so to speak. And as I said, I know a bit of what you're going through."
"I’m sorry you do. I hope you can sort it out someday," Cooper said quietly.
"Thank you," Jason said with a stiff smile that said that would never happen. "I had another question for you: do you have any enemies?"
Cooper shook his head. "None I can think… The only person I don't much get along with is Henry's ex-husband, Dominic. She probably already mentioned him. We don't get along even a bit, but I don't consider him an enemy. Just a pain in the ass who needs to stop harassing his ex-wife and kids. If I have enemies, I'll be the last to know it."
"Mm, I already have people working on Dominic." Jason's smile was as chilly as the first cold snap of winter."
"Dai mentioned once ya'll don't much care for him."
"No, the firm does not. I was not personally involved in that matter, but I know all about it. If Dominic Edgecombe is involved and we have an opportunity to hurt him… well let's just say that matters enough this could be on the house for you."
Cooper shook his head, not at all certain what to say. "I'm just grateful for the help."
Jason nodded. "I should have a prelim report regarding Dominic on my desk by morning. Does he have any ties to the band that he could use to hurt you?"
"None that I—" Cooper stopped, mouth snapping shut and drawing into a hard line. The waitress returned then with their main courses. When she was gone, Cooper finally said, "Those lawyers are his damned friends. Way back when he was the one what recommended them to Shine the Moon. That was before I came on board, right before they fired the guy I wound up permanently replacing. Would they really act against us just because he and I don't get along? Because of the divorce?"
Jason nodded. "Yes, they would. I wish I could say all lawyers are upstanding and respect the job they do, but there are many unsavory clients tied to my firm, and I can't swear the lawyers who work for them wouldn't do unsavory things. It is not a clear cut or remotely kind industry, but you can take cold comfort in knowing my firm is far better at their job than the one that represents your band, and the Kristopherson family in particular is known for how heartless and ruthless we can be."
"I don't know about heartless," Cooper said with a smile, "but I ain't surprised ruthlessness runs in the family. I'd already surmised as much. You and Dai both got a look about you, and he wouldn't settle for representation that ain't as relentless and hardworking as him. And from what I hear, Jet's the same way."
Something Cooper couldn't decipher flickered across Jason's face and was gone so quickly he almost might have imagined it. "Yes, they never did do anything halfway. Neither do I. If this is happening because Dominic is using his lawyer buddies to exact some sort of petulant revenge, then I will nail his ass to the wall. Did you ever encounter him at any of these times you were with Dai or your friends/associates?"
Cooper shrugged. "Not that I'm aware, but that don't mean he wasn't there. Dominic ain't the kind to cause a scene in a public place. He's exactly the kind to make note of it and use it against you later." He was still fucking hurt that Jake, of all people, was so quick to believe lawyers and possibly Dominic over him. Cooper stared moodily at his empty pint glass. "I feel like I should have seen this coming, but I still can't see it no matter how hard or how many ways I look at it."
"If this was all the result of someone scheming against you, then of course you wouldn't have seen it coming, and I'm sure you had plenty else on your mind. I—" He broke off as his phone buzzed, frowned at the message. "No rest for the wicked. I have another fire to put out. Do you mind if we postpone our meeting at the office until morning?
Cooper shook his head. "Not a bit. I'm wrung out anyway, not sure how much use I'll be here soon."
"Then I will have Mr. Worth there take you to your condo. If your belongings are not already there, they'll be delivered soon. The car will come around tomorrow at eleven a.m. to take you to the office. Come prepared for a long day. You have my phone numbe
rs from Dai, yes?"
"Yeah," Cooper said and walked out with him after Jason had paid the tab. Jason and the slightly taller of the two bodyguards got into the Bentley. Another one was behind it, and the second bodyguard escorted Cooper to it.
Half an hour later he stood in a well-appointed but cold-feeling condo. Made him feel like he was playing at something, pretending to be someone else. All his belongings were there, but they didn't lend much comfort. He wanted his bed, with his soft sheets and the quilt his mama had made for him, his rodeo and music awards on the walls, the worn blue carpet that ran through the whole place except the kitchen. His beat-up coffee machine and the fancy little espresso thing Dai had given him. His noisy washer and dryer, the fancy TV he'd bought recently, all his shelves crammed with books and DVDs. The way the place always looked cluttered but seldom was actually messy.
Instead he was stuck in some rich man's condo, counting down the hours until he told Jake and the others to go fuck themselves. He'd liked his life, damn it. He'd enjoyed the rodeo, but hadn't realized how glad he was to be gone until he'd joined up with Shine the Moon and found out how it really felt to love what he did. Even if being a celebrity intimidated him on a good day, he wanted to keep playing with Shine for a long time. Wanted to someday retire because he was ready to stop or move on to something else. He didn't want to go because of secrets, anger, and misunderstandings.
Throwing his hat on the fancy leather couch, Cooper went to find a shower. Half an hour later, refreshed and feeling a little less sour, he carried his phone into the kitchen and located a glass and a pitcher of water in the fridge. It was packed with containers of food as well, each one with instructions and expiration dates taped to the lid.
Closing the fridge, he headed into the living room and stared at the table where his laptop seemed to be waiting patiently. He flicked through his phone for messages and calls, then set it on the table next to the laptop and reached for the nearby remote.
Lord, for what amounted to a dressed-up hotel room, the place sure had a hell of a cable package. There was even a channel to watch the rodeo. Been so long since he'd been involved in that corner of the world, he didn't even recognize most of the names. A few of the guys kept in touch, and he always had an old fan or two come up at most concerts, but mostly that part of his life was long faded and covered in dust.
