Page 37 of Relentless
Cody:Likely. She gets paid a lot. But not enough to live the high life. And over the years, I’ve stopped having her travel with me as much
Ethan considered this. All the Warwicks worked, but they also had access to a substantial family trust. None of the cousins drew from it, but they all knew it was there should they need it. And because he’d never hurt for money, the concept of wanting it badly enough to betray someone was foreign to him. He also considered the fact that if Cody had been paying Alex well for all the years she’d worked for him, then she should have built up a nest egg herself. She shouldn’t be hurting for money, either. Not unless she wanted a lot of it.
Ethan:Have you told Tia?
Cody snorted before responding. Alex whipped her head around, and Tia’s gaze flickered to them in the rearview mirror.
Cody:I don’t have to tell Tia anything. Somehow, she just knows
Ethan:That’s uncomfortable
Cody:You have no idea
Alex turned her body around, and her gaze darted from Cody, to Ethan, to Kara, then back again.
“Well, you Warwick boys certainly have a type, don’t you?” she said.
“Tia?” Cody said, ignoring his assistant.
“We’re five minutes out,” she responded.
“Thanks,” he replied. Then, turning his head from where he’d been staring out the window, he looked at Alex. “I have a few things to take care of before the sound check. We can drop you at the venue, and I’ll meet you there when I’m done.”
Alex’s spine stiffened again. “We should go over the details of the meet-and-greet before the sound check since it follows immediately after.”
“I know how to talk to the press,” he said, keeping his voice level. “And like I said, I have other things to do.”
Alex’s gaze studied Cody. Whatever questions had been dancing in her mind seemed to resolve, and she turned forward again. “You can drop me at the buses, I’ll walk over.”
Tia flickered another look at Cody in the rearview mirror, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod. When they reached the grounds, she continued around the back of the stadium to the cordoned-off lot filled with buses and trucks. A few minutes later, they pulled to a stop in front of two coaches parked side-by-side so that both their doors opened to the space between them.
“You’re in your usual and Ethan and Kara are right next door,” Tia said as she killed the engine.
“Me,” Cody said, pointing to the black bus with heavily tinted windows. “And you,” he said, pointing to the equally fancy-looking blue one beside his. “I have some security that travels with me and occasionally one of the band members if we’re in the mood to write. But for the most part, my coach is mine, so feel free to stop by whenever.”
Ethan’s phone buzzed as he slid across the bench and exited the SUV. Glancing at the screen, he saw another message from Cody saying he’d be over shortly. Ethan didn’t understand the subterfuge around the visit but figured it might have something to do with Alex.
Nodding at his cousin, he returned his phone to his pocket, then led Kara to their temporary home.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Twenty minutes later,he and Kara were unpacking when a knock sounded at the door followed by Cody’s voice. “Are you decent?”
“I feel like that question is a waste of words, Cody,” Kara said, walking out of the bedroom as he trailed behind. “Whether I say yes or no, you’re still going to come in, aren’t you?”
Cody grinned as he climbed the three steps into their coach. Tia and four other people followed him in.
“Probably. But if it had been E who wasn’t decent, I would have thought twice,” Cody responded, eliciting another middle finger from him.
“While it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye,” Tia said, stepping between the cousins, “I’d appreciate a briefing on why you requested extra security, why we have nine buses instead of eight, and why your family suddenly decided to tour with you. Not that you’re not welcome, of course,” she said, directing that comment to him and Kara. “I get the feeling that this is more than just a fun weekend away, though, and I’d like to know what we we’re up against.”
Cody flopped onto a couch. “Kara? Ethan?”
“Before we start, coffee anyone?” Kara asked as she eyed the machine fastened to the counter in the small kitchen. A murmur of yeses came from everyone except Tia. “And intros would be nice,” she added, glancing over her shoulder at Tia.
Tia looked as though she’d be happy not to waste time with introductions, but she dutifully performed them. “Ethan and Kara, this is Mazi and Bill,” she said, pointing to the two men who’d come with her. The first was a large Black man with long braided hair pulled back into a knot. The second was a much shorter and wiry man with thinning blond hair and a look in his eyes that all but taunted people to underestimate him.
“And this is Anne and Cass,” Tia said, pointing to the two women. Anne was tall and looked Chinese or of Chinese descent. Cass, on the other hand, was almost her exact opposite. With her flaming red hair, fair skin, and freckles, she looked as if she’d stepped out of an advert for Ireland. She’d tried to tame her corkscrew curls into a bun, but Ethan got the sense that the job was probably more effort than it was worth.
