Chapter 17 #2
“It’s Luke. I have to take this.”
I nodded. “I’ll just show them around.”
He smiled and winked at me. I knew it made him happy to see me excited for the studio. The boys were going to love it too.
“Right this way,” I told them.
They refrained from talking until we were down in the basement. I guess they thought it was safe to talk more openly down here, like Cruz couldn’t possibly hear them now. But they didn’t know how sensitive wolf ears could be.
“So you’re living here now?” Knox asked.
“Yeah, what’s really going on, Daise?” Cash added.
I sighed. “It’s complicated, and I’m still figuring it all out.”
“But you’re rejoining the tour this weekend, right?” Jonny asked.
“Of course I am. You guys all have lives outside the tour and the job. Is it weird that maybe I want that too?”
“Not at all. And we want that for you. It was just so sudden. You just disappeared in the middle of the night. You can’t scare us like that,” Knox said.
“Yeah, we thought you were dead on the side of the road or something. Like a wolf or coyote got you,” Jed said.
I almost laughed. If they only knew how accurate that was.
“I’m sorry. But you all know that if I’d said anything, Ronnie would never have let me go.”
“We understand that, but you don’t have to keep us in the dark. We’ll support you no matter what,” Knox said.
“I like Cruz. He’s a bit quiet, but he seems like a good man,” Jonny said.
“What are we doing in the basement anyway?” Cash blurted out.
I grinned and turned on the rest of the lights.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asked.
“Yup. Cruz and a bunch of his friends built it yesterday. We still have some work to do, but in between concerts and off tours, maybe I can work from here?” It should have been a statement, but it came out like a question. And the thing was, I knew they understood why.
“It’s perfect,” Knox said.
They all got to work checking it out and noting some tweaks to be made.
“Can we finish off the rest of this place? It’s kind of dark and dreary. I love it. But the others work best in a more cheerful environment,” Jed confessed.
“I’m sure we can do whatever we want down here.”
Jonny looked around seriously and nodded. “It’s a great space. We can absolutely turn this into a professional studio for you to work from. And if Cruz doesn’t mind us crashing every now and then, we could probably just all work from here when needed.”
“I can place some orders for equipment,” Knox said.
Cash already had his phone out typing in all their notes.
“We do have a problem though,” I confessed.
“What?”
“I don’t have access to my money to pay for any of this.”
They all shared a look.
“We know,” Knox said.
“Which is why we’ll take care of it all,” Cash added.
“You aren’t buying all this equipment for me. I’m sure I have money.”
“Oh, you have plenty of money,” Jed assured me. “And don’t worry, I snagged your wallet before we left. And I quietly pay attention from my corner of the bus.”
“What does that mean?”
“He’s memorized all the necessary passwords and information you need to gain access to your accounts,” Knox explained.
“Just say the words and I’ll lock Ronnie out of them completely. No way that asshat needs control of your personal funds,” Jed insisted.
“You can do that? I don’t even know how to access them. He’d never allowed it.”
“You’re a grown-ass woman, Daise. You do not need his permission and there is zero reason for him to have control of your money like this. It’s not right. Let us help you fix it,” Jonny said.
Tears pricked my eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“That sounded like a yes to me,” Cash announced.
I nodded.
“Do it before she freaks out and changes her mind!” he told Jed, who whipped out his phone.
His fingers flew over the tiny keyboard. “Done. I just need you to put in your own password.”
“This is crazy. He’s going to kill me.”
“He could try, especially when he realizes he’s being cut off and can’t spend your money anymore,” Jonny admitted.
“But we aren’t going to let that happen,” Knox insisted. “You want your own life, Daise, then this is the start of that. We don’t want you to stop singing and performing, but seeing you here, awake, happy, and thriving makes it clear that this is where you’re supposed to be,” Knox said.
“Just not all the time. We do still need you for job security and shit,” Cash added.
“You’ve barely seen me here, how do you know I’m happy?”
“Because you’re glowing in a way we’ve never seen you before,” Jonny said.
The others nodded.
“Plus, when people touch you or get too close, you stiffen,” Jed said. “What? She does, even around us.”
“True, but you were quite cozy and comfortable with Mister Cruz up there,” Cash teased.
I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “You guys are never going to let me live this down, are you?”
“Honey, I’ve got to run over to the ranch for a bit. I’ll bring back dinner. Will you be okay till then?” Cruz hollered down the stairs.
“We’re fine. Thanks.”
I heard him hesitate, but then he left. After talking with James, I couldn’t imagine how difficult this must be for him. Could I leave him with a houseful of unmated females even if they were humans?
Definitely not!
“So you found yourself a cowboy, huh?” Knox asked.
“He’s the best,” I told them honestly.
“She’s glowing again. I may need sunglasses to work around here now,” Cash teased.
“It’s stupid, right? Ronnie will never let me have this. When I return for the Cheyenne concert, he’s going to lock me away and never let me leave his sight again, isn’t he?”
They all shared an uncomfortable look.
Then Knox smiled. “I have a feeling that cowboy of yours is never going to let that happen.”
“You’re your own woman, Daisy. Take control of your life. We’ve got your back,” Jonny said.
“Controlling your own money is a big step in the right direction of breaking away from him,” Jed agreed.
“You’re right,” I said. “Now, let’s go shopping and get this studio complete so I have a place to work and hide from him.”
Having their support meant everything to me.
It also empowered me to boldly push forward.
Cruz was ready to make a place for me in his life, and I was ready to accept that, excited for it even.
The rest we’d battle when necessary. But as long as we did it together, it felt like maybe things could be different now.