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I press my lips together as tight as I can as Vaughn’s lip curls in revolt. Tearing my sub down the middle, I hold out half in offering. “I’ll never finish it all.”
Alex nods his thanks before plucking the sub from my outstretched hand and taking a large bite. “I’m famished.” He speaks around the mouthful as a lock of his hair falls forward across his forehead, making him look much more boyish than moments before. “Today was a long ass day, and I have another meeting across town in a couple of hours, so it’s not over yet.”
Vaughn hands him a tumbler of whiskey and offers one to me, which I decline before he settles back into his chair to eat his own sub.
Alex, having swallowed his first bite and washed it down with a healthy swig of the amber liquid that is uncannily similar to his own unique eyes, turns to face me. “I’ve done everything I can. Called in alotof favours. My name carries weight here, especially in the industry.”
DeMarco Holdings is an entertainment giant known worldwide and owning more than its fair share of media outlets. I feel a thrill of hope starting to build in the pit of my stomach as Alex continues.
“I’ve been able to kill it.For now. That’s not to say your involvement at Rogue won’t leak in the future. I very strongly believe something like thiswillhappen again, Summer.”
“Surely, once enough time has elapsed, I’ll become a blip on their radar. I’ll go back to being nobody. They’ll leave me alone, and my working here won’t matter to anyone, right?”
Alex doesn’t pull any punches. “It’s unlikely.”
My shoulders slump, but he continues. “You’ve been linked to arguably the most sought-after newly divorced singer on the planet. Not only linked, Summer, but have you actuallyseenthe footage?”
I shake my head. “I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch it.”
“It’s clear to see that the man worships you. He looks at you as though you hung the moon. A great number of the comments online mention that. And therein lies your next issue.”
I turn confused eyes to Vaughn, finding him as perplexed as I am.
Alex shakes his head and expels a breath before injecting a healthy dash of patience into his tone. “Misdirection, in general, has a serious fan base, but Caden, inparticular, has attracted some true…how shall I put it? Some truegems. Many of his female fans would send death threats to Layla regularly. A woman spotted asking him for an autograph on Broadway was hospitalised hours after pictures of their innocent chat appeared online.”
Alex stops for a moment when he takes in my astonished face. “Oh myGod!”
He nods slowly. “That story never saw the light of day, thankfully for Misdirection. For now, I’m concerned that if news of your association with Rogue leaks, it may question your loyalty to Caden. That was Layla’s downfall. Their on-again, off-again status, alongside rumours of her indiscretions, made it very hard for his fanbase to take her to their hearts. Now, while everything istechnicallyabove board here, rumours abound about secretperformancesand illegalauctionsin back rooms.”
He winks dramatically at Vaughn, making my friend roll his eyes right back into his head. “Shut up, you idiot.”
Alex grins, then sobers before I can ask what he meant about auctions. Having never been privy to theRavishside of Vaughn’s business, I have a lot of questions, but Alex goes on. “I just want you to be aware that you, being linked to any part of this establishment, could see the true crazies out in their droves. I wouldstronglyrecommend getting ahead of this.”
My hope ebbs as despair takes flight, and I fall back in my seat, dropping my nibbled-on sub onto the wrapping on my lap as a frown crosses my face. “I don’t mean to sound obtuse, Alex, buthowwould I do that exactly?”
He holds my gaze unflinchingly, and I instantly see the resemblance to his older brother.
“Come up with a plan to either get ahead of it by way of staging something for the media or find a way to bury your days here. Either way, I would talk to Caden. Or at the very least, his people. I know his manager is fucking allergic to any kind of media storm—he’s the one who put the kibosh on the Broadway incident, obviously. Even though you two didn’t do him any favours at the Alexandra Palace recently, I reckon he’d be more than capable to downgrade this potential mess. The man owns half the media around the damn globe and has the remainder in his back pocket.”
I can feel myself shaking my head, but the words won’t come out.
“We won’t be involving Noah Spellman, Alex.” Vaughn’s voice is firm, and I shoot him a thankful look. Alex glances between us, heaving a heavy sigh before biting another chunk off his sub.
“Well…” Alex trails off in apparent thought, chewing his sub quietly as he mulls over my options. “If it were me, I’d distract the masses with a bullshit story. Spin the truth to suit the narrative, ensuring that the club and you, Summer, come out crystal clean.”
I chew my bottom lip, nodding along with him. “Your plan definitely has merit, Alex. Thank you.”
He tips his chin, his eyes finding mine again. “For what it’s worth, I genuinely think going straight to Caden is a must here. He’ll appreciate your honesty in the long run, even if it pisses him off in the present. Think damage control, Summer.”
I know he’s right. I know I need to tell Caden about working here before the news leaks, but I also think this could well be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I’m the mother of his son and nothing more. I know where I stand now, even as it pains me to admit it, but I don’twantto tell him this. I don’t want to risk him removing me from Jesse’s life.
But what alternative do you have?
“Thanks for thoroughly raining on our parade, motherfucker.”
Vaughn, having finished his marinara in record time, scrunches up the wrapping, shoots it at the wastepaper bin like a basketball, and levels me with a look.
