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"She just signed her first deal?" Riley asks, glancing at me over her shoulder.
"Yeah. She should have had one long before now." I know I'm biased, but it's also true. Her voice is phenomenal. She can sing her ass off, and she knows how to play to a crowd.
"Why didn't she have one before now?"
"You'd have to ask her."
"I'm asking you," Riley says.
"She promised her parents she wouldn't sign a deal before she finished college. She graduated three years ago. Her dad died not long later. Her last manager wasn't great. He didn't know how to handle a girl like her," I say frankly. "And John is a fucking prick, excuse my language."
"John Ballentine?"
"Yep."
Riley's nose crinkles. "He's a shark."
"Yeah."
"You said her last manager couldn't handle a girl like her. What'd you mean by that?" Riley asks, her gaze probing.
"She's not a delicate little flower," I say, giving it to her straight. I think she appreciates it that way. "She knows what she wants, and she isn't afraid to stand up for herself and her music. If you want someone willing to change everything about themselves to fit a mold, it isn't her. She knows exactly who she is and what she stands for. She won't follow along blindly. But if you want someone who knows her shit and is willing to fight for it, that's your girl on the stage. She works harder than anyone I've ever met."
Riley nods, listening to her as she finishes the song. "What aren't you telling me, Gideon?" she asks as Kenna turns to speak to the band. "Why are you here? And don't tell me it's just because you're in love with her. I know better. I have connections too, you know."
Well, shit.
"Does it stay between us?"
"I can't guarantee that," she says. "But I can promise that it'll go no further than the people who absolutely need to know. And those are the people who will take whatever you tell me to the grave."
I deliberate for a long moment and then say fuck it. If keeping Kenna's stalker under wraps means she loses this opportunity, it isn't worth it. The woman standing in front of me can open doors for her that no one else in this town can. She knows everyone. She's worked with everyone. Her company is the best in the business. Kenna needs Riley in her corner now more than ever. If I can make that happen, I'll do it.
"She has a stalker," I say quietly. "We don't know who it is, but they've been sending her threatening messages and gifts for the last couple of months. At her last show, they slipped into her dressing room and left dozens of photos of her all over the walls."
Riley's eyes widen.
"She fired John right after the same show. He didn't take it well."
"You think it's him?"
"My gut says it is, but all the evidence says it isn't."
Riley nods. "Trust your gut, Gideon. There have been whispers about John crossing lines with clients for a while, but nothing has ever been confirmed. He has an army of lawyers and millions of dollars to throw around so people tend to tread carefully when it comes to him."
"Yeah, well, I prefer to stomp and make a lot of noise myself."
She grins at me. "I kind of figured."
"Not to put you on the spot, but Kenna could use a manager like you in her corner. Especially right now."
"Then let's go down and meet her, shall we?"
"Riley Jamison?" Kenna squeaks, tackling me as soon as we're in my truck. "You freaking called Riley Jamison?"
I laugh, hauling her the rest of the way across the console into my arms. "Well, I called Addison Devine. She called Riley."
"You're the best boyfriend ever, Gideon." She kisses all over my face, her joy contagious. The meeting with Riley went fan-fucking-tastic. Riley will send the contracts over to Kane to look through before anything is signed, but as of now, Kenna is under new management.
