Page 35 of Behind the Lyrics
Need to tell Andy what I want him to do.
Chapter 31
Angela Morales
“Hey, Terri.” I breezed through the front office and slogged toward the hallway connecting to the studio, avoiding her stare.
“Oh no you don’t.” She grabbed my wrist when I passed. With her lips pursed and her brows lowered, she stood from her chair and pulled me close. “You okay, honey?” Her gaze, full of warmth and concern, nearly undid me.
Nodding, I swallowed and shrugged. “You saw?” I jutted my chin at the television mounted on the wall in the small waiting area.
“Yeah, just a few minutes ago. That no-good, lying, cheating piece of shit.” She wrapped me in a tight hug, her stout floral perfume clogging my nose.
Don’t cry, don’t cry.I sniffed. “It doesn’t matter. Not like we had anything official going on.” Tears flooded my eyes while I thought about that night in the recording studio with him, how he’d made the guitar and my body sing under his touch.How many times has he done that with other women?A sob escaped, and I desperately tried to keep my cool.
“Well, you wipe that maggot from your mind.” She stepped back and squeezed my upper arms then gave me a small shake. “He’s a blind fool for not seeing what a sweet and good person you are.” Leaning toward me, she gave a savage smile. “And if I ever see him again, I’ll grab him by that long, wild mane and chop off the little prunes dangling under his dick.”
A snort flew from my mouth at the mental picture in my mind. I had no doubt she’d do it, too. Terri was a hell of a woman and could probably hold her own with any man. She had a second-degree black belt in jiujitsu, and she wasn’t afraid to use it.
“Thank you.” I wiped my nose with her proffered tissue then lifted my chin and marched straight to the studio, glad for its calming effects.
Two hours into my shift, Terri called through the phone intercom. “Angela, uh, I hate to ask this, but—”
“Ask what?” I kept my eyes on the time. In forty-five minutes, at the top of the hour, I’d take live requests and dedications. Until then, I was free to continue working on tomorrow’s playlist.
“Your truck’s paid for, right?”
I laughed, and some of the dread inside lightened. “Yeah. Do you really think anyone would offer a loan on it?” Rusty had been a steadfast companion, and as I’d told Viktor, the old truck might look used up, but under the hood, it still had what it took.Unlike a certain prick I know.I shoved the thought away and focused. “Why do you ask?”
“Get your ass out here, then. You need to see this shit.”
I hurried out the doorway and down the hall then stopped right in front of the door, my jaw hinging open. A tow truck had a chain attached to the front of Rusty.
A man gave the metal a solid shake then jumped into the driver’s seat of his ride.
My surprise turned to blind rage, and I threw myself out of the building.
“What thefuckis going on?” I sprinted to the passenger’s side since it was the closest and smacked my palm on the window. “Open up. Right now.”
His eyes, a light blue, opened in surprise, but he lowered the window. “Ma’am.” He inclined his head. “What’s the problem?”
“Theproblem?” My voice climbed an octave. “The problem is you’re hauling off my vehicle.”
He grabbed a clipboard from the seat and gave it a quick glance. “Your name’s Angela Morales?” His stare returned to mine.
“Yeah, but I don’t see what that has to do with—”
“Welp, I’m just doing what I’m paid to do.” He shifted the gear into Drive and gave me a small shrug. “No hard feelings.”
“You can’t take my vehicle, you asshole. It’s parked legally, I don’t owe any fines, and it’s paid for. What gives you the right?” My face burned from the desert heat and my anger. I wanted to yank open the door, pull the keys out of the ignition, and demand he unhook Rusty. I glanced at the poor old rust bucket and tried not to cry from frustration. My life, so good a month before, had turned into one colossal shitshow since Viktor fucking Farrow.
“It’s part of the agreement.”
“Whatagreement?” My teeth ground together.
“What the hell is going on?” Terri’s voice, her pitch low and dangerous, came from behind me.
I stepped back and half-turned to her. “This guy says stealing my car is in some kind of agreement.”
