Chapter 15
JUDE
‘Alright gents, here’s the preliminary run for the European leg,’ Mason, our manager, announced, slapping a thick folder down on the mixing console. ‘Fifteen cities in total.’
It was late; I had no idea of the time, and we were packing up after a long day of laying new tracks, shattered and ready to hit the sack.
Which is why I cared little about Mason’s tour announcement.
The relentless press, glitz, the glam, and talk-show couches were getting to me.
If I had my way, I’d stay barricaded inside a soundproofed studio for the rest of my career, playing riffs on my vintage Martin acoustic or tracking rhythm lines on my Gibson Les Paul until sunrise.
Levi groaned, sinking deeper into a leather couch with a pillow over his face.
‘You’ve got to be joking, Mase,’ he muttered from under the cushion. ‘We just finished up in Austin and Vegas.’
‘I’m wiped,’ Reign grunted. ‘Can’t care for another tour, man.’
We all tolerated the promotional circus and brutal tours solely because Mason insisted on the grind.
‘I get it gents, but Six Sinners is hot right now,’ Mason rasped, gazing at all of us with some fondness.
For all his hard-ass ways, he was an able and kind guide who commiserated with us.
‘We’re running on fumes,’ Bishop chimed in, adjusting his guitar strap. ‘We need a break.’
‘We’ve got four major tours locked in, can’t get out of those. We’ve a contract to fulfill and a global audience to thrill, one that’s growing every single week. After that, however, pitch me a gig I can take upstairs,’ Mason countered, crossing his arms and frowning at us.
‘What about a Vegas residency?’ Angel suggested from the piano bench. ‘One venue, zero packing bags every night.’
‘Vegas?’ Reign snorted, shaking his head. ‘We’re not a lounge act. We turn epic stadium concerts into deeply personal experiences, speaking bullshit-free to people’s hearts; not sure a cabaret act in Vegas cuts it.’
‘How about a three-month orchestral recording stint instead?’ I spoke up, stepping toward the console. ‘Bring in a full symphony, re-imagine the back catalog.’
‘Or we set up a six-month base in Europe,’ Reign offered, his eyes lighting up. ‘Rent a castle in France or Germany, let the European fans come to us since they love us so much down there. Both options allow us to chill a little, smell the damn roses.’
‘Now we’re thinking outside the box,’ Mason said, a slow grin spreading across his face as he picked up his file and strolled out of the studio. ‘Keep refining those ideas, and once we settle on one, I’ll work some magic. I’ll also build more downtime in between the road runs.’
As he disappeared into the corridor, my phone buzzed against my thigh.
I pulled the device from my pocket and tapped the notification link, which opened the live video feed from the front-door camera back at my home.
I arched a brow as the high-definition footage unreeled on the screen.
Abby stood on the stone porch of my house, her face twisted into an expression of pure, unadulterated malice.
Sofia was at the door, holding it half open with a bemused look.
I put on my earbuds, turned up the volume, and caught the end of Abby’s diatribe.
Even through the speaker of my phone, Abby’s condescending laugh echoed into the quiet studio.
‘This must be some joke. You have to be some random groupie he picked up at a dive bar or a concert to spite me.’
‘It’s not a prank, signora,’ Sofia stated, with calm I admired. ‘As I said, take it up with him if you’ve any doubts.’
‘We’ll see about that,’ Abby spat, her cold mask slipping as she threw a finger into Sofia’s face, causing her expensive leather handbag to slam against her hip.
‘You’re nothing to him; he’s never mentioned you before, and he won’t be throwing his life away on trash.
He must have gone mad during this tour. I need to have a word to set him straight.
Enjoy your little game while it lasts, hussy. ’
Her tone dripped with entitlement that made my stomach turn.
I glowered at the screen as Abby disappeared from view.
My heart twisted for Sofia as she stared, then shook her head in disbelief and disappeared inside.
My gut roiled with pure disgust.
Who the fuck did Abby think she was?
She had no right to barge into my home and throw dirt on a woman who belonged there. Her toxic games sickened me. Sofia didn’t deserve her venom or her insults.
The memory of my past with Abby was the only leash tying me to her, and witnessing her strike out like a viper cut that last cord for good.
Abby had a face, sure, but she possessed none of the poise Sofia carried.
She lacked the quiet dignity Sofia held onto while taking punches she never earned.
Hell, Sofia’s face and the wild heat of our night together had consumed my mind all day, ever since I walked away from her at breakfast.
The realization hit hard and clean: Abby and I were done.
Riled up, I replayed the video, watching the vitriol pour out of my ex, and spat a curse at the glowing screen.
‘What’s got your panties in a twist, mate?’ Angel called out from his armchair, thumb pausing over his phone. ‘You look ready to chew through a brick.’
‘Long story,’ I growled. ‘Abby’s just showed up at my place and cornered Sofia.’
Angel exchanged a hard look with Deacon, who was adjusting the brass hardware on his sax.
I flipped the screen toward them, letting the audio cut through the studio.
When I turned my phone off, my bandmates were shaking their heads.
‘Hell, Judah,’ Deacon growled. ‘You can’t let your ex’s bitchiness slide or allow Sofia to take her heat.’
‘I’m about to handle it,’ I gritted out.
‘You’d better,’ Angel murmured, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. ‘Sofia’s a queen, man. She’s got real class. Meanwhile, you’ve got this woman disrespecting your wife. You needed to cut the leash on Abby a long time ago.’
‘Now you tell me?’ I grumbled, bitterness.
Levi shrugged. ‘We just didn’t want to step on your toes while you were sorting out your past. Sofia doesn’t deserve your ex-girlfriend’s drama, and she sure doesn’t have to deal with it from you.’
It was clear Abby was a complication I needed to get rid of, rather than the pristine trophy woman I spent over a decade dreaming about.
It jolted me to realize how blind I’d been to the toxicity hidden behind her sophisticated mask.
For years, I had built her up into some ideal woman, yet watching her attack Sofia proved she didn’t possess a fraction of the poise my wife showed under fire.
I cut the power to the mixing board and snatched my keys off the counter.
‘I’m fixing this,’ I growled, my chest burning with quiet anger.
‘About time,’ Bishop muttered.
‘Go protect your woman, brother,’ Levi called after me.
‘Count on it,’ I growled, heading for the door with my mind set.
Moments later, I was behind the wheel of my truck, tearing out toward Brentwood.
The neighborhood slid past my windows in a blur of multi-million-dollar estates, manicured lawns, and exclusive gated entries, but I was blind to the affluence.
My wife’s face burned in my mind.
She did not deserve a single word of Abby’s venomous put-down.
Sofia had been through hell, and she was under my protection.
I jammed my Escalade into park at the curb outside the luxury townhouse her father paid for.
I hit the pavement, taking the marble steps two at a time to her front door and slamming my fist on the wood three times.
Abby pulled the door open, a smug smile hitting her face.
Her blue eyes lit up in immediate triumph the second she saw me.
She wore a slinky tan dress that cut low across her chest, the fabric clinging to her frame, showing off her slender waist and long legs.
Her golden hair fell in neat waves around her shoulders.
Once, that face had a hold on me.
I used to drown in her presence, blinded by the sight of her.
Now, she brought a cold shudder of disgust to my gut.
The fake charm and calculated warmth turned my stomach, killing the last shred of whatever I used to feel.
‘Judah. I knew you’d come when you realized what a mistake you’re making with that -.’
‘Shut your mouth, Abby,’ I growled. ‘You don’t get to say another word. How dare you? You went to my house and insulted my wife.’
Her face drained of color.
‘Your wife?’ Abby muttered, her mask slipping as she stepped out onto the threshold, hands waving in denial. ‘Are you serious? You married her? I thought she made it up.’
‘She didn’t,’ I gritted out. ‘If you set a fuckin’ foot on my property or approach Sofia again, my legal team will slap a restraining order on you so fast, your head will spin. Stay away from us.’
‘You didn’t tell me about another woman!’ Abby shrieked, her voice cracking as her composure broke. ‘I texted you thinking we had a future, and all this time you were hiding some charity case in your house? You lied to me, Jude! You owe me an answer!’
‘I don’t owe you shit, Abby. What we had ended years ago,’ I growled.
‘I was foolish enough to think about giving us a shot a few months back. That’s dead now.
You showed your real colors. Stay away from Sofia and me, or you’ll deal with lawyers who will tear you apart.
Don’t text me. Don’t come near me or my house. ’
‘Judah, no, please!’
She broke into loud sobs as I turned my back on her and stalked down the steps, her cries ringing out across the quiet street.
Fake tears for a cheap performance.
I threw myself into the driver’s seat, fired up the engine, and tore away into the night, leaving her in the rearview mirror where she belonged.
The drive back to Belle Meade felt like an eternity.
I prowled through my front door and found Sofia sitting in the living room, eyes on the TV, nursing a cup of tea.
‘Hey,’ she said, eyes slicing to me with a touch of wariness.
‘Sofia,’ I growled, stopping at the edge of the sofa and pulling off my leather jacket, searching for any hint of hurt or anger in her eyes. ‘Can we talk?’
She turned off the screen and swiveled to gaze at me.
‘Sure.’