Chapter Eleven #3
I glance at her stilettos and groan, imagining her toppling down headfirst. “That stupid fuck. All you have to do is go down there and explain why you said those things.” And I’ll get the cops to arrest Gold as soon as possible.
Summer shakes her head. “I told you he’s insane. He’s not thinking clearly or else he’d know that.”
“But you’re okay? He didn’t hurt you?” I ask, hating that she as alone with him, even for a short amount of time.
“I’m fine.”
I incline my head, forcing myself to breathe calmly and believe her. “Then let’s go fix this mess.”
I pull out my phone and hit the stored number I have for Jade Glow’s security, quickly relaying what I know about Michael Gold.
“Coming down now,” I say and shove my phone into my pocket. “Come on.” I grab her hand and lead her to the main set of elevators. “You need to recant that video.”
She bites down on her lower lip. “I hope you’re right. And what about Tawny? She was blackmailing him!”
“We’ll get it sorted.” I meet her gaze and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, hoping to reassure her.
She retrieves her shoes, and we wait until the elevator doors open. We step onto the level where the press junket took place. Photographers and reporters are gathered in a group, lights flashing, as they surround someone I assume is Michael.
“Come on. Let’s sneak up on him.” We start to walk around the group of people when a voice calls out.
“It’s her!” All eyes turn back, finding Summer, and the crowd starts toward her.
I keep a firm lock on her waist, standing by her side as she is surrounded by reporters.
“Summer!”
“Summer! Is it true? You dropped out? You’re handing the opening act to Tawny Renee?”
She squeezes my hand and releases it, then draws a deep breath and speaks.
“What’s true is that I made that tape under duress.
Michael Gold, Tawny’s agent, lured me to a solitary stairwell and offered me a huge amount of money to drop out, and when I refused, he nearly pushed me down the stairs while demanding I make that video. ”
“Liar!” Michael lunges forward but security grabs him, holding him in place.
The crowd erupts, shouting more questions, the predominant one being why Michael would go to those extremes.
Summer glances at me, and I give her a subtle nod, encouraging her to tell everything to the press.
“Mr. Gold is having an affair with Tawny Renee. According to him, she was blackmailing him, threatening to tell his wife about the affair unless he did whatever he had to in order to get me to drop out of the competition. I’ve been the victim of quite a few incidents, including an attempted drugging—all documented by the police. ”
“You lying bitch!” Michael would have gone after her if two men weren’t already holding him tight, but Summer eases closer to me.
“She’s not lying.” Tawny pushes through the throng of reporters and faces Michael. “You had one job, and you couldn’t do it right. I didn’t ask you to hurt her; I just asked you to get me this position.”
“You threatened to reveal everything to my wife! What did you think I’d do?” Michael shouts back.
“Do they not realize they have an audience?” Summer whispers to me as reporters capture every word between them, as do the police, who’ve arrived and surrounded Michael and the security holding him.
“Let me go!”
“We’re bringing you down for questioning. You, too, Ms. Renee.”
Tawny appears horrified. “What? No. I had nothing to do with this crazy scheme of his!”
“From what I understand, Mr. Gold is being accused of false imprisonment, he’s accused you of blackmailing him, and according to police reports on file, we have numerous other offenses that potentially involve you both.
So you can come willingly or we can do this the hard way.
” The officer pulls out handcuffs, giving Tawny a choice as to how she wants to proceed.
“Fine. I’ll come. But you’re going to realize I’m innocent. And I want my lawyer,” she says, stomping off with the officer in charge.
Michael is already being taken away by the police, photographers and reporters documenting the entire humiliating thing.
Summer turns to me, looking up at me, gratitude and what I want to believe is something more in her eyes. “Thank you. I don’t know how I would have gotten through this without you by my side.”
I don’t want to say I am just doing his job, because although that’s how this began, it is by no means how it is ending.
She places her hand in mine. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next but—”
“Summer!” At the sound of her name, Summer turns.
I glance over to see Jade Glow approach, surrounded by security of her own. With her long, flowing red hair, green eyes, and heavily done makeup, she stands out in any crowd. But once she draws closer, I realize she looks younger than the persona she likes to project to the world.
“Summer, I can’t believe everything I just heard! I’m so sorry I set you up for a competition that led to something like this,” the pop star says. “Let’s talk.”
Summer shoots me a regret-filled glance. I understand she feels pulled in two directions, wanting to finish her conversation with me and needing to see what Jade wants to discuss.
Knowing what I have to do, for her sake, I step back and let Jade take Summer’s attention.
Summer’s agent joins them soon after. Summer keeps glancing over her shoulder to see if I am there, guilt and worry in her expression.
I can’t have that. As much as I want to wait around, all that will accomplish is pulling Summer’s concentration away from where it needs to be.
I head up to her room to wait, but after an hour, I realize she isn’t coming back anytime soon.
I have my duffel with all my things because I packed light, and we talked about staying over depending on how late today’s event ran.
If I walk out of here now, I have no reason to go back to her place except to talk.
And I don’t know if or even when she’ll arrive there, tonight or tomorrow.
And she no longer needs a bodyguard, which means I have no choice but to go home.