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“Is everything okay?” Greyson asked, his brows furrowing as he took in my disheveled appearance. Running a hand through my hair, I tried to gather my thoughts before diving into the conversation that had brought me all the way to L.A.
“I had to see you,” I said bluntly. My heart was pounding, nerves and anticipation warring within me. “We need to talk.”
Bishop cleared his throat. “I’ll give you some privacy. Ghost, when would you like me to return?”
I glanced over at the man. “Thanks, Bishop. I’ll text you when I’m ready.”
Leaning against the wall, Greyson crossed his arms defensively. When Bishop left, he spoke. “I assume that this is about the article Remi wrote?”
I nodded. “Yes, it’s been bothering me. I have to know why she did it. It doesn’t make sense. I haven’t spoken to her. Have you?”
He studied me dispassionately. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Yeah, whatever you have is fine.”
Greyson led me to a room in the back of the house with plush carpets and antique furniture. In the center of the room was a large mahogany desk with a tall leather chair behind it, and two comfortable chairs sat in front of a crackling fireplace. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with an impressive collection of books. Thick curtains were closed over the windows, making the room look dreary until Greyson flipped on the light switch.
He indicated that I should sit in front of the fireplace while he fixed us some drinks from a bar cabinet. “I’m not sure if it was a good idea for you to come here. If anyone is able to identify you—“
“I don’t give a fuck anymore,” I said, and I realized I meant it. “How could it get any worse?”
Greyson crossed the room, handed me a tumbler of whiskey, and then sat down on the chair that was facing mine. “How is everybody doing? Talia told me a bit, but I feel like she’s shielding me from the full extent of how it’s affecting the band.”
“Bash is worried sick about losing custody of Kody even though his lawyer has assured him that wasn’t likely. Knox had to relive the worst moment of his life when the story of his fiancée dying in that car crash resurfaced and got picked apart in the media.” I clenched my fist, feeling anger bubble up inside me. “Sidney’s painful early life in foster care was exposed for the world to see.”
I paused, swallowing hard, before continuing. “And then there was that fake story she spun about Ryder and you being in a relationship, about Ryder’s marriage being a sham. It hurt all three of you.” My voice cracked, betraying the depth of my emotions. “She played with our lives and livelihoods, Greyson. I just don’t understand how she could do that to us.”
“Did you know Remi was gunning for a big promotion when she wrote it?” Greyson asked hesitantly, his gaze holding mine captive. I shook my head, feeling a wave of anger wash over me as I realized how calculating Remi had been.
“She was hoping to become the face of Hollywood Exposé, but her little stunt ended up getting her fired.”
I froze, my mouth falling open in surprise. “She got fired?” I repeated, disbelieving. I hadn’t heard a hint of this news before now. “Jesus,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. “So she betrayed us both just to get ahead in her career and ended up getting fired? It’s sickening.”
“Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in,” Greyson sighed, his shoulders slumping.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I tried to make sense of Remi’s twisted motives. “So, everything with her was fake? The time we spent together? It felt real. That’s the hardest part.”
“I understand how you feel.” He took a slow sip of his drink. “I wanted to marry her. I even had the ring and was ready to propose before she went on assignment with the tour.”
My brow wrinkled with confusion. “I thought you broke up with her?”
Grey leaned forward, studying me as he spoke. “We did take a break. I had some confusing feelings for someone else that I needed to sort out. I was honest with Remi. She knew that.”
Something in his heated look made me squirm despite the sudden bolt of jealousy I felt. Christ, what was it about this guy?
“Did you know that she was going to do this to me? To Ghost Parker?” I had to know.
“No. I knew she was writing an article, but she insisted she wasn’t going to hurt anyone.” He rested his glass against the armrest of his chair. “I spoke to her briefly after it was published. She actually denied writing the article. She claimed that someone was setting her up. She begged me to believe her.”
I sat up in my chair. “What? Why would someone do that?”
He shrugged. “She was in competition for the anchor spot with a colleague who was very competitive. Remi thought that woman had gotten ahold of her research somehow.”
“But you didn’t believe her?” I asked.
“I was dealing with a lot. The media was suddenly breathing down my neck. Devious said they might not renew my contract for next season. Men were coming out of the woodwork, claiming they slept with me.“ He was staring into the flames of the gas fireplace as he spoke. “It was all due to that article. And I was still reeling from the shock of her betrayal. I didn’t give her denial about writing it much thought.”
Fuck. Maybe I was just too weak to face what she’d done, but I latched onto Remi’s denial like a lifeline. “Have you thought about it since?”
