Page 100 of Follow the Rhythm
“Hold on, no one’s trying to cut anyone out,” Ellis said, sounding earnest.
“Ellis didn’t leak the album,” Charlie interjected. I swallowed my rage and looked at both of them. They were still holding hands. I felt sick all over again.
“Bollocks,” Johnny said.
“Kieran. I swear I didn’t,” Ellis said, a hint of pleading in his voice.
Kieran was inscrutable as always. “Then who did?”
“I haven’t got a clue, but it wasn’t me. Can we talk? Just us, without all this?” he asked, gesturing to Johnny and the lawyer.
Kieran sighed. “What do you think?” he asked, turning to me.
I started, still surprised and touched that he was treating me like a partner. I tried to put aside my recent insanity and give a rational answer. “It couldn’t hurt to hear him out, right?” I said finally.
Kieran nodded. “Give us a minute,” he said to Johnny.
“Did you not hear me say this fella gets paid by the hour?”
“I’ll pay for the full fucking hour. For the whole goddamn day. Just give us a minute,” Kieran growled.
Johnny grumbled on his way out of the room, followed by the lawyer. I steeled myself for being stuck in the lobby with them while Kieran and Ellis talked. Would Charlie come too? Would that be better or worse?
As I moved towards the door, Kieran caught my arm. “Where are you going?”
“I thought you’d want some privacy,” I said.
“No, love, I want you with me.” He stroked the skin on the inside of my elbow.
I nodded, and we all took seats at the conference table. Charlie had stayed too, I noticed.
We sat in awkward silence. I looked over Charlie’s right shoulder so I didn’t have to look him or Ellis in the eye.
“I’m not going to defend my behavior. I acted like an abominable dickhead, so I don’t blame you for assuming. But I didn’t leak the album, Kieran,” Ellis said. “Why would I do that after buying out the contract with Echelon?”
“He didn’t leak it,” Charlie agreed. “I know he didn’t.”
“How?” Kieran asked.
Charlie cleared his throat. “Because we were together. At my parents’ house, upstate.”
I clenched my hands in my lap. They had gone away together on a little vacation? While I was stranded at home, pining after them like a pathetic fool? Fuckallthat.
“But I also just know he wouldn’t do that. Ever,” Charlie said after a tense pause.
“With all due respect, I’ve known him a hell of a lot longer than you have, mate,” Kieran answered. “Or I thought I knew him.”
All the color had drained from Ellis’s face. My stupid Omega brain picked up on the distress signals in his pheromones, and I had a sudden urge to hold him and tell him everything would be okay.
He doesn’t need you, I reminded myself.He has Charlie.
“It doesn’t matter whether you believe me. I have something much worse to apologize for anyway,” Ellis said.
“That’s not ominous or anything,” I mumbled.
“Like what? Ruining the tour? Treating Grace and the crew like shit? Acting like you’re the only one hurting?” Kieran asked.
“It’s my fault Michael’s dead,” Ellis said baldly, as if he wanted to rip off a band-aid.
