Chapter 14 #2
None of it has been easy.
I gaze up at the blue sky. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen daylight.”
“I guess. I’ve never paid attention to it. We work all day and when we’re out on the road, we perform at night. Daylight seems overrated.” He gestures to his car. “Hawke and Cooper are at that little bar up the street. Let’s go meet up with them.”
“Yeah. Whatever.” I toss my cigarette on the ground and snuff it out. I pick up the butt and throw it away. “You’re driving.”
“Figured.” He unlocks the door and we get in. He starts the car and tears out of the parking lot. “You gonna let Livianna know where you are?”
“Later. She’s filming.” I used to text her whenever I could, but now it just seems like a hassle.
I’m too high and have no energy to maintain a conversation over messages. My focus is songwriting, getting the music etched into my memory, and wondering if any of it is worth it.
Bren turns down the radio. “It’s none of my business, bro, but I think she’d appreciate it.”
“Maybe, but she won’t see it for a while, so I’ll do it in a bit.”
“Right.” He drives forward but doesn’t turn the stereo up. After a minute of silence, he glances at me. “How are you gonna deal with her while we’re out on tour?”
“Like I always do.”
“That’s gonna be a problem.”
“Why? We’re fine.”
“Are you?”
I shift and peer over at him. “Are you trying to tell me something, Guns?”
“Cash, you can’t seriously think everything is great between you two.”
“Is it bad between us?”
“No, but it’s not good.” He grips the wheel tighter. “Let me be blunt.”
“When aren’t you?”
“You’re such a dick sometimes.”
“I’ve never claimed not to be one.” I tap my pocket to make sure I have my money and smokes.
He jabs his finger my way. “See, right there is what I’m talking about.”
“Fucking hell, Guns. This is getting exhausting. Say what you need to say.”
“Another comment to prove my point.” He’s not saying it to me, but his frustration is apparent. “You’re a damn good musician, but you suck at everything else. You have this apathetic attitude about everything but the band. It’s like you’re dead inside.”
Because I am.
I shrug. “I’m still writing lyrics loaded with soul and have a powerful message, so I don’t see why this is concerning. So what if I’m being a little self-absorbed right now? Everyone goes through it.”
“Hey, asshole, if you haven’t noticed, we’re pushing out of town next week and you’ve yet to talk to Livianna about Zara’s band opening for us. You know it’s bothering Livianna and every time she brings it up, you tell her not to worry and demand to drop the subject.”
“I don’t see the point in talking about an issue that won’t be a problem. There’s not a bone in my body that wants to interact with Zara, so Livianna shouldn’t worry herself with it. Enough said.”
“You’re fucking hopeless.”
I know, mate. I know.
“Guns, can you swing by the bank? I need to grab some money.” And transfer Leon’s allotted weekly payment he wormed his way into getting out of me.
“Yeah, sure.” Bren switches routes to our new destination.
When I took Jaxon’s and Mr. Hemings’ advice, I set up an irrevocable trust so all my assets are in there, including royalties I’m still collecting from my pops’ estate. Everything I have or will have, filters into it.
The terms outlined in the trust are set up so I get paid enough money that goes into my personal account to live a nice lifestyle, but Leon takes half of it since he claims I screwed up.
If I don’t, I get threats of various kinds. Usually, it’s a leak of a video of me or my ma caught in compromising positions.
Not only that, but he was the one who gave my uncle the meth and the drugs they used on me to make it look like I spent New Year’s Eve with Zara. All the terrible events that have happened in the past two years go right back to Leon.
I fucking hate Leon Baker.
Once he found out that I set up everything in an irrevocable trust, he lost his shit.
Since I can’t change anything in it without getting the trustee from the personal trust company I hired to manage it involved and give me permission to go to court to get an approval for changes, nothing can be done.
There’s no way a trustee would agree to what Leon is asking for.
I made Livianna and any children we may have together the beneficiaries. I could ask the trustee to ask Livianna to change it, but that’s out of the question because she knows nothing about it. Even if she did, she wouldn’t do it, anyway.
Leon knows my hands are tied, so that’s how the weekly payments came about.
I thought I’d have enough that my ma was taken care of and I’d be building enough of a nest egg to set Livianna and me up for a great future. Instead, my family still struggles while I fatten his pockets.
Bren and I get to the bank and I get my affairs taken care of. A few minutes later, we meet up with Hawke and Cooper. We stroll into the place and find them sitting at a table near the bar.
Bren snags a chair and sits. “I figured we’d join you guys so I don’t have to deal with this prick on my own.”
“Thanks.” Hawke rolls his eyes. “You know, Cash, we could all use a break from your shitty attitude.”
“Cut me some slack. I’m stressed out.” I turn my seat and straddle it, resting my arms on the back of it.
“We’re getting ready to live our dreams.” Cooper smacks the back of my head. “Snap out of it.”
I flip him off and change the subject. Like usual lately, I lose track of time, drinking and getting high in the restroom.
I come out of the bathroom after doing another line, feeling pretty damn good. That is until I see a wild-eyed Livianna sitting at our table.
She’s pissed off and looking for a fight. Fucking hell, this isn’t gonna end well.