Page 31 of Rocking Cedarwood

Leif shrugged. He draped his arms across the back of the couch again. He didn’t say anything.

“Oh, so you don’t talk when you want something? You did enough talking the other night when you called my boyfriend.” He hated to be the one accusing. He’d rather have Leif out himself.

“I’m not the one trying to pull a fast one on the country. You’re trying to be someone you’re not and get this guy—he seems sweet but dumb—to fall for you while you’re expecting the music business to accept you as this hard-ass metal god. You can’t have both and he needed to know the truth. Everyone did.”

“Coming from you?” Michael snapped.

“Someone had to tell him.”

“You wanted money and to be part of the entourage. You wanted to be part of the staff, but did nothing besides out me.”

Leif smiled. His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned. “Whatever works.”

“It doesn’t work.” Michael met Leif’s wolfish smile with a glare. “You see, I’ve already told him. I had planned on telling him at this concert.”

The muscle in Leif’s jaw twitched.

“I wouldn’t have paid you blackmail money no matter what. If you needed cash for something, I might have given it to you. Hell, until you came on to me a few minutes ago, I would’ve given it to you anyway. Not now.”

“You’re an ass,” Leif growled and shot to his feet.

“Probably.”

“How can you do this?”

“Do what? Prevent you from getting a payday? Pretty easily. I don’t feel guilty about it.” He widened his stance. He wanted to see this ass crumble. “Oh, and Dex told me he’d kicked you out. He’s not marrying you or anyone else.”

Leif stepped toe-to-toe with Michael. “How do you look at yourself in the mirror? You have a decent guy wanting to be with you. Doesn’t he understand the rock star isn’t the guy who sleeps at night? Once the persona’s off, you’re a boring piece of shit. You lied to him, right?”

“Nope.” He refused to let this jackass see him angry. No way.

“Bullshit,” Leif spat. “I looked your boyfriend up on the Internet, and when I found his number, I called him. Yeah, I tried to extort you, but you’re fucking him over. He actually really liked you. I say that past tense. Once he learned the truth, he wanted to run the fuck away from you. You’re a goddamn idiot. You could have me and you want that asshole.”

“I never would’ve picked you.” He gritted his teeth. Christ. He hadn’t thought this out at all. He was so screwed. Leading the double life wasn’t working out at all how he’d planned and he’d sort of known all along he’d end up on the losing end.Fuck.

“I will ruin you.”

“No, you won’t. You fucked up my life, yeah.” He’d messed up so much. Michael rubbed his head, wishing he still had his hair. “But you’re not winning.”

“Your problem, not mine.” Leif ducked his head. “Time to put out the fire with Dex.”

“I doubt he wants to see you since he never invited you along, but good luck. When you need bail money, don’t call.” He waited for Leif to leave.Christ.He should’ve kicked the guy’s ass. God knew he hated Leif’s guts right now. But damn it, Leif was Dex’s problem. Michael needed to focus on Niall. If there was a chance to get Niall back and to salvage his life, he needed to take the chance. But how? Niall wasn’t going to talk to him. Niall wanted nothing to do with him.

He checked the clock on the wall. Fuck. He had to go onstage in less than half an hour. Even if Niall wanted to talk to him, Michael didn’t have time. He still had to apply the fucking makeup again and reattach the piercing.

Michael looked at his reflection in the glass of the painting above the sofa. He didn’t recognize himself. The bald head, the piercing and makeup weren’t him. They used to be his persona. But things had changed. He didn’t want to be known primarily as Bandit. He wanted to rule his classroom and enlighten the minds of children.

God, he was fucked up.

Behind him, the door opened. Dexter inched into the room. The lines around his eyes seemed deeper and his shoulders were slumped. “Okay, so where are we?”

“Last time I checked, we were beneath the arena.” Michael rested his hands on his hips. “Oh, you mean, with Niall and Leif? I’ll tell you what I know if you spill what you know.”

Dexter shook his head. “I couldn’t get anything out of Niall. He’s locked up tight in the special box you had reserved for him. He just stared at the stage and rested his feet on the chair in front of him. I’d assume he’s pissed and hurt.”

To the core. Michael kicked the leg of the couch. “Fuck.”

“What about Leif? Besides that he’s not going to be my partner?” Dexter stepped between Michael and the couch. “What did he say?”

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