Phoebe
“ T he foils really make your eyes pop. Maybe you should’ve gone for silver.” Lena plopped herself down in the empty salon chair beside her while waited for the box dye to be stripped from her hair.
“Sorry, I didn’t even notice you come in. I was half asleep.” swivelled in the chair to face her friend. Lena’s own hair was styled to perfection. was beginning to think she rolled out of bed perfect.
Despite being home a week, every night since Nick’s party, she’d woken up in a sweat, terrified someone was breaking in. Booking an early hair appointment had been the easiest way to avoid people, but she wanted to die whenever a Brothers of Anarchy song came over the radio during the application. The desire to make a run for it was only quashed by the anxiety of having to cancel an appointment when she’d already arrived. Thankfully, her stylist was more concerned about the layered box dye in her hair more than who she was.
“I thought you fixed the sleeping problem?” Lena asked, being the only person she’d told about her and Axel.
“Being with Axel helps, but we’re still waiting to hear from Isaiah, a detective friend of Elijah’s, to find out if Gunther was up to his old tricks or if this was someone else.” They had called after the spray paint incident, and thankfully, Isaiah had been eager to help.
“Has he given you any updates on leads?” Lena asked, tapping away on her phone, the queen of multitasking.
“He is reaching out to the media outlets who were the first to release the stories about Cillian and I. So far, he’s learnt that the tips were all sent in anonymously, or the outlets are refusing to share their sources. The sender didn’t want money, which makes me think it wasn’t Sheen, since he admitted he broke into the studio because he was paid.”
“Not much to go on without a name or a money trail.” Lena shook her head. “I’ve tried to reach out to some of my contacts to get their sources. I got one or two bites from friends, but fake email addresses were used to send the footage about the accident and the studio break-in. If you try and email them back, it doesn’t go through.
“If you want a career change, you’d make a good detective,” said, grateful for her help.
“Nobody hurts my clients, especially not my friends.” Lena rested a manicured hand over hers. “If they don’t want money, why the hell are they bothering to go to all this trouble?”
“To hurt me. Axel and I were thinking that if it is Sheen and, like with the studio, someone paid him to leak the articles and videos, he wouldn’t need to be paid by the outlets.”
“That’s if Sheen was telling the truth. That person would have to trust him a lot, and they could be working together either way.”
hadn’t considered that.
“There’s one way to figure that out. You’ve sent stuff to LouderTech before, right?”
“Contracts and the like, sure.” Lena shrugged. “Why?”
“How tight is their security? If someone sent an unmarked package, would it be accepted?”
“No way, it must be registered, addressed and signed for. Even couriers must sign in and out, otherwise it doesn’t make it past the mail room. I made that mistake of leaving a contract at the front desk without signing for it,” Lena said.
So, had Sheen been lying?
“Sheen said that an envelope of cash was waiting on his desk when he got back from Munich,” told her. “Could someone have got into the building and left it there without raising alarm bells?”
“There’s no way someone would be able to do all that and remain unseen,” Lena said, looking unsure. “Unless the person who left the money worked for the company. They’d be able to get into the office and leave anything on someone’s desk with little notice. They’d be caught on camera, though, which would be one hell of a risk.
“If you want, I could try and bribe someone in security?” Lena offered, sounding rather excited. “Getting you what you need would only take a little grease. Find out once and for all whether he’s lying or not. I’d only need a copy of the footage from that week.”
wasn’t sure. “Getting involved could get you in trouble, and LouderTech was an account you worked so hard to get. With Isaiah looking into things, he might not appreciate you messing with the investigation.”
“I could send Isaiah a copy of the footage, then I wouldn’t be withholding evidence,” Lena argued.
“I can’t ask you to do that,” said, though she got the impression that even if she warned Lena off, she was still going to investigate.
“Don’t ask. Consider it done.” Lena was up and tapping on her phone. “I have to love you and leave you, because your paintings have arrived at the Reid Gallery for your show this weekend. This space is perfect for a smaller collection, and the gallerist is very excited to work with you. We are going to get everything organised today, and then if you want to stop by tomorrow, we can make sure you’re happy.”
“I can come by in the morning to help with the hanging arrangement, and I can grab one of the guys to help me bring over some boxes of prints and stickers for the front desk,” offered.
“Last time, are you sure you want to go ahead with this? I can still cancel, and the gallerist would completely understand.”
“Olivier is going to help with security and only those invited or with a ticket can come in, so I think we’re safe enough,” said. She wouldn’t let the trolls win. This was her dream, and she wasn’t going to see it go up in smoke.
“Okay, I just wanted to triple check. If you’re happy, so am I. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After a quick hug, Lena was out the door. wanted to run after her and tell her not to mess with LouderTech, but with all the foils in her hair, she couldn’t. She wished she had kept her big mouth shut, but also counted her blessings to have Lena on her team. She almost felt sorry for whoever was behind this—Lena could be merciless.
“Ready to rinse?” the hairdresser asked, standing behind her in the mirror with a cheery smile.
never should have dyed her hair in the first place. No one could force her into a corner. If they wanted to come for her then let them.
“Ready.”
took a deep breath, feeling as though she was readying herself for battle. The first step: no more hiding.
Arriving home with her lavender hair restored, left Axel’s favourite pecan and white chocolate cookies on his bedside table as a thank you for all his support. She chuckled as she heard him singing in the bathroom, as he struggled to recall the lyrics of the songs she had written.
tiptoed to the en-suite door. She had never heard him sing before, not without the others. She opened the door a crack to hear him better. The door creaked; she winced, and he stopped.
“Care to join me?” he asked, unashamedly peering his head around the shower curtain.
She resisted temptation. “You can sing?” she asked, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door in case someone came down to the basement.
“And your hair is purple again!” he exclaimed.
“I decided I’m not going to hide anymore. It took a team to get the box dye out of my hair, but I feel like myself again.” She swished her hair from side to side.
“I love it.” Axel leaned out of the steamy shower and kissed her.
“No distracting me with those lips.” She backed away, leaning against the sink. “Why didn’t you put yourself forward for vocals? You never said a word when we discussed Nick taking over lead vocals.”
“Because I’m happy on drums, and I keep my solos for the shower. I don’t mind giving you a private show though.” He reached for her, but she dodged him.
“You’re going to get me all wet,” she groaned.
He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.
“I don’t care, come here.”
He followed her out into the bedroom. As tempting as he was, she didn’t want to have to wash her hair again.
“I care, and you’re soaking wet,” she said, trying to hide how much she loved that he was as obsessed with her as she was with him.
“Funny, it’s usually the other way round,” he said with a wink, as he backed her up against the bed.
“Axel!” she squeaked, covering her flaming cheeks. Her knees buckled as they hit the mattress.
“I love how you say my name,” he teased, leaning over her on the bed. Kissing her neck, her shoulders, as she squirmed. He pinned her arms above her head and settled between her legs.
“It tickles,” she said against his lips as the droplets from his skin landed on her. The smell of his orange body wash made him even more irresistible. She was beginning to wonder if she’d ever tire of his caresses; he showed no sign of tiring of hers.
They were interrupted by his phone, and his disgruntled groan made her laugh.
She squirmed out from beneath him and tossed him his phone. He paused, eyeing the box of cookies. “You got me cookies?”
“I know how much you love dessert,” she said with a smirk, only for his smile to drop when he looked at his phone.
He settled close to her as he answered, putting it on speaker.
“Axel? Hi, it’s Isaiah. I wanted to give you an update. I’ve talked to the officers who were looking into the break-in, and I managed to find Sheen. I tried to get through to Ms Fletcher, but there was no answer. If you’d like to wait to discuss it together later, I can call back.”
shook her head, glad Axel was with her.
“She’s with me now,” Axel told him. “I have you on speaker.”
“What did he say?” asked, nervous about what Sheen might have said about the damage she did to his car, even if it was deserved.
“Nothing he didn’t tell you. That he was paid to break into the gallery and report it to the media. His own company leaked the incident, and they have confirmed that he was paid and don’t believe any law was broken,” Isaiah explained.
Axel frowned at her.
“Not breaking any law? Sheen ruined thousands of euros worth of artwork,” raged.
Axel took her hand, calming her so she didn’t clench her injured hand.
“I’m afraid LouderTech’s legal department is stating that you paid them. That the break-in was a publicity stunt. When I spoke to the police, they said they received the same information from LouderTech’s legal team. I’m worried that you could be charged with filing a false report. If you weren’t aware of the stunt, then we will need to prove it.”
“Proof? How about that I was in a coma when the money was left on his desk? This is insane. What about the camera footage?”
“I’m afraid I’ll need a warrant, and even if I got one, I’d say it’s long gone by now. I don’t think they care whether Sheen is telling the truth or not, they are just protecting themselves,” Isaiah said. She didn’t doubt it. “LouderTech is supplying Mr Sheen with legal aid. He is also saying that you destroyed his jeep as a threat to keep him quiet about your involvement.”
“Framing must be part of his plan,” Axel said. “He comes up with a story to say that he was paid, and now the person behind him is . There is no way would ever pay someone to break into her own studio. Her work is a part of her, it would be like me setting my drums on fire.”
“I understand your frustration, but I’m afraid LouderTech have supplied the investigating officers with security footage of Ms Fletcher entering their underground parking on the day his jeep was vandalised, which backs up Sheen’s version of events. The officers had their own suspicions, given the substantial insurance payout on her work. Since Ms Fletcher took out the claim only a few months before the break-in, it doesn’t look good. I’m not accusing her, but it’s why you haven’t heard from them.”
So that’s why they weren’t giving us updates, realised. I’m their key suspect.
She rested her head in her hands, not believing this was happening.
“My agent took out that policy because of the show I had before Munich. The gallery insisted that I have substantial coverage, given the notoriety. Why would I destroy work that I could have easily sold?”
“Someone is orchestrating this to make you look guilty,” Isaiah told her. “Sheen was contacted through a burner phone and paid in cash, so he can point the finger at you. If there is someone behind Sheen, they’re too good at covering their tracks. If you’re called in by the investigating officers, do as they ask, but do not say a word without a lawyer, and ask them to call me. Given the press attention, they are looking to wrap this up quickly.”
“Did you get any prints off the fan mail package we gave you?” asked. She had dug it out of the recycling as soon as they had got back from Italy.
“Only yours, your manager’s and the head of your security. There was no postage or customs stamp, which means it was left at your studio personally. I’m afraid it doesn’t help you offer the officers another culprit.”
“Great, so the media sees me as a villain, and now the police are going to prove it,” said.
“Don’t lose heart, I’m looking into a few loose ends. I’ll update you when I know more.” Isaiah didn’t sound all that hopeful.
let out a long sigh. “What about my show this weekend? Should I cancel?”
“Our security team is going to be attending, and it will be invitation and ticket only,” Axel explained. She knew he didn’t want her to have to cancel, but she didn’t want any of them to be put at risk.
Isaiah hesitated, putting them on edge.
“No,” he said eventually. “This might be a good opportunity to draw whoever is doing this out. Sheen might be a lackey, but with the guaranteed media coverage, whoever is harassing you might not be able to resist attending. A small gathering, in a tight location—we could see who stands out.” It sounded risky. “I can be there and help your security keep an eye out,” he offered.
Axel looked at , waiting for her thoughts.
“If you think it’s a good opportunity, I can’t say no,” she said, wanting to catch Sheen, or whoever it was that wanted her life ruined, before she ended up in cuffs.
They hung up, both deflated. Still, she had some hope that Lena might pull through with the footage from LouderTech—unlike Isaiah, she didn’t need a warrant.
“Axel! We have reservations in an hour!” Nick yelled down the basement steps, interrupting their tense silence.
“Sorry, I’m only just out of the shower, but I finalised the last two songs. I sent you the recordings, you can listen with August while I get ready,” Axel shouted back, clearly trying to stop her brother from coming downstairs.
“No need, I already sent them on to Mike to finish the production. Once he adds your solos then we’re done with the album,” Nick said cheerily.
was sure the three of them had been sleeping less than her while working on the album, but at least they could channel their energy into something. Painting at such a slow pace was only adding to her frustrations.
The sounds of footsteps interrupted her thoughts, and panicking, she hurried into the bathroom. They weren’t ready to tell anyone about the two of them just yet. She just hoped she hadn’t left any visible evidence that she’d been sleeping down here every night.
She listened at the door like a guilty teenager.
“Any news from Isaiah?” Nick asked. “It’s been a few days.”
“No luck with prints on the fan mail, but he’s working on some leads,” Axel told him, cool as a cucumber.
“Who the fuck could do this to her?” She hated to hear her brother so upset. “That fucking party, I let them into the damn house. Anita gave me such a scolding that night, but I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t know about the fan mail; I didn’t think the threats had become so real.”
“It’s no one’s fault, this is a fucked-up situation. We’ll figure it out—it’ll just take time, and she has all of us behind her,” Axel assured him.
“I’m glad she has you. I know you’ve never been close, but you’ve been a good friend to her since everything fell apart,” Nick said. cringed. If only he knew how good Axel had been to her. Now she had an idea of how her brother must’ve felt keeping secrets from her for Cillian.
“I don’t know how to comfort her, or even talk to her about any of this,” Nick continued. “I feel like all this could have been avoided if I’d just told her what Cillian was doing. This all started with Munich.”
“You’ve got to let go of the guilt. It’s going to eat you up, and none of us can change the past. Right now, we can only focus on making sure she’s safe, that’s it,” Axel said.
She hated the weight her brother was putting on himself. He wasn’t to blame; they were all in a no-win situation, then and now.
“You’re right.” Nick’s voice softened. “Once we find this prick, I swear I’m going to string him up by his feet and treat him like a pinata.”
rolled her eyes. Nick liked to play tough, but he was really a big teddy bear.
“I’ll bring the bat,” Axel chuckled.
“Have you seen ? I texted her about dinner today, but she hasn’t said whether she’s coming tonight or not,” Nick asked. “August said she was going to get her hair done, but I figured she’d be back by now since she left so early.”
“We wouldn’t have this album without her, so we can’t celebrate without her,” Axel said. “I’m sure we can convince her to join us.”
already had every intention of going. She wasn’t going to let anyone stop her from living her life, especially not when it was such a big night for all of them. August had booked the whole restaurant, but considering how much he hated crowded rooms, she guessed it was for his benefit instead of her protection.
“Good luck with that.” Nick sighed.
“I’ll think of something,” Axel said, and she hated the smugness in his voice. “She’s probably in her room.”
Once the coast was clear, tiptoed out of the bathroom.
“I hate lying,” she said.
“I didn’t lie, this is your room,” he said with a cheeky grin.
She rolled her eyes at his annoyingly cute statement when she was trying to be serious.
“I should hurry. We’ve got a celebratory dinner to get to,” she said. She hadn’t even decided what to wear, and her concealer was in desperate need of touching up since all the stress was causing her to break out. She was beginning to think she should buy stock in pimple patches.
“Go up the back staircase and you can beat your brother.”
She hated sneaking around, but they had enough to deal with right now, so she padded upstairs. She had only just closed the paint-stained door behind her when her brother knocked.