AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No,” he says, his lip twitching in amusement. “You can call like normal, and be fine. No one will be able to track the signal on this phone.”
“Thanks, spy man,” I grin, taking the phone from him. Orion sputters, and I fist pump as I leave the room.
It’s fun to surprise him, but also rare.
Dropping to the couch, I dial Music Horde Records from memory. I could just ask Jordan to call him, but he once told me that James rarely has his phone on him. It’s easier to leave a message for him here, because he checks in regularly with them.
“Hi,” I say as the receptionist picks up. “This is Lennon O’Reilly, and I’m calling because I need to get a hold of James Campbell. Can you direct me to his office if he’s in?”
I don’t actually know if he’s out of the office, I’m assuming.
“I’m so sorry Miss O’Reilly. He’s not in at the moment, but I’m going to transfer you to the person he checks in with the most regularly,”the receptionist says.
She doesn’t give me time to thank her before she’s gone.
Humming absently to myself, I listen to music they play while I’m on hold. I smile as I recognize one of the label’s artists. I’d much rather listen to this than instrumentals.
“Lennon, how are you?” says Laurence and I freeze.
Fuck, I didn’t think this through. Swallowing hard, I figure out how to make my tongue work while speaking to Prescott’s father.
“Hi, Laurence,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m okay, just trying to get in touch with my—James. I’m at a new number, and can give that to you.”
I have too many goddamn secrets to keep track of, and it’s starting to catch up to me.
“Oh okay. I can get your message to him. I’ve been watching the news, and it’s all so crazy. I hope you’re staying safe. Please,”Laurence blows out a breath.“As business oriented as we are here, I want you to take care of yourself. Don’t worry about anything, your fans have been flooding social media with videos about how much they adore you. Between you and me, if you wanted to retire, no one would bat an eye. You’ve been touring and in the music business for ten damn years. Now, what’s that new number of yours?”
This man is surprising me right and left today.
“Thank you, that means a lot. I’ve been writing, but I don’t know if it’s something that’ll ever see the light of day. It’s just too raw, which matches how I’m feeling these days,” I sigh. I make sure to give him the new number before I forget.
Laurence writes it down on a notepad before continuing. “I was never a fan of how hardThe Darkest Nightshas worked this past year. Prescott didn’t help things, and I take full responsibility for her actions. I was just excited she was interested in the business. I haven’t heard from her in over a month, and even before that, she’s been avoiding my calls,”Laurence grumbles.
He doesn’t know his daughter is dead, killed because she’s crazy and a threat to me. I take a shallow breath, feeling as if there’s a large stone on my chest.
“Laurence,” I whisper, not knowing what to say.
He continues as if he’s lost in his thoughts. “Prescott always wanted more than she was given, and I always wondered if she secretly hated the music industry because I worked so much,”he muses.
“Laurence,” I try again, trying to keep my voice clear of tears. “You did the best you could with her.”
He’s silent as he thinks about what I said. “Did she have something to do with what happened to you? I saw the interview right after you were abducted from the stadium after your show.Did… Lennon,” Laurence’s voice becomes harsher as tears flow faster. I cover my mouth so he can’t hear me. “Did my daughter help those people?”
“I’m sorry,” I sob, breath hitching. “She was involved, and seemed to have a vendetta against me. Prescott made it clear I would never be safe from her.”
“Then I’m the one who’s sorry,” he says softly. “I’m actually glad your call was directed to me. James tends to call me when he does check in. I won’t be surprised now when I don’t hear from Prescott. Take care of yourself, Lennon.”
The call softly disconnects and I drop the phone, wrapping my arms around myself as I cry. Laurence didn’t question me, he could just hear it in my voice and the way I talked about her. Prescott is no longer alive.
“Hey, Lennon,” Orion murmurs, walking back into the room. I’m not surprised that he didn’t go far. “Baby, what happened?”
“Prescott’s father picked up the phone,” I mewl, and he scoops me into his arms, trading spots with me on the couch. “Apparently, James checks in with him when he’s away from the office. Laurence said he’d pass along the message, but what are the chances that he would pick up.”
Orion grins, his hand smoothing my hair. It feels good, and I lean into him. “If I had known, I would have found someone else to call him. Are you sad that we killed her, or because Laurence lost the idea of who his daughter was?”
That’s a really interesting way to put it, and I take an easier breath as I think about it. Prescott wasn’t well, even if Grant and my mother took advantage of her need to be special.
“I’m not sad she’s dead,” I rasp as I wipe my tears on Orion’s shirt. He just chuckles at me and kisses my forehead as he hugs me. “I just realized how many secrets I’m keeping, and I kind of told Laurence that his daughter isn’t coming home…”
