Fast Lane - Kristen Ashley Page 0,29

his hands still on me, but he didn’t force me to look at him again.

“I heard the album,” I said to the coffee table.

He rested his forehead against my temple.

So sweet.

Preacher.

God.

I remember that the most.

So, so sweet.

From the very first words he spoke to me.

“This has been intense, but I’m glad.” I swallowed. “I’m glad we got things straight, but you can, you know, use Jesse’s bed and I’ll hang in the lobby until it’s time to—”

“Be quiet, Lyla,” he whispered in my ear.

I shut my eyes tight.

“I’m gonna kiss you now, baby.”

I shut my eyes tighter because I’d wanted that, dreamed of it, fantasized about it.

For what felt like forever.

But now…

“I don’t want a mouth on mine that another woman has had tonight, Preacher.”

“Fuck,” he breathed.

I hadn’t seen him kiss one of them.

Or other things.

But he had.

Damn.

I opened my eyes and again saw coffee table.

“You need to get off me so I can go to the lobby.”

“I thought you blew me off.”

I started pushing at his shoulders. “You need to get off now.”

“You know things about me only Jesse knows.”

I stopped pushing.

“No one, but them…cher, no one on this fuckin’ earth but Jesse knows what you know about me.”

I didn’t say anything.

“I am not a guy to cross,” he told me.

Well, I’d learned that.

“I was pissed, and I was hurt, and when I’m those, I lash out to hurt back. I did that, Lyla. I hold my hand up. I did that tonight to hurt you because you gutted me, you didn’t mean to, but you did. And now it’s done. And I’ve got my girl, and she’s got her man, and you lost your mom and he’s got your sister. And that is my sole fuckin’ focus. Are you with me?”

“Preacher—”

He read my tone and his hands on my head gave a gentle squeeze.

“Are you with me?”

I shut my eyes tight again.

Lyla:

[Looks out the window]

I was with him.

I was always with Preacher.

Always.

[Off tape]

It’s public record your father lost custody of your younger sister Julia and she was returned to your grandparents three months before she graduated from high school, which was one month until her eighteenth birthday, an event which would have allowed her to return home of her own accord.

Yes.

It’s known, in the beginning, you were almost rabidly opposed to doing anything that could be construed as taking advantage of Preacher McCade’s wealth.

[Looks from window]

This was my sister.

You must be aware that there are a number of rumors about Tom Mancosa’s interactions with your father.

Preacher was protective of me.

And Tommy was protective of Preacher.

You’ve never used a last name. You’ve always been known solely as Lyla.

[Firmly]

Yes, I have.

Jesse:

[Off tape]

It’s general knowledge that Bobby Sheridan demanded the Roadmasters be dropped from the tour after the incident in the hotel restaurant that next morning in Chicago.

[Laughs shortly]

Yeah.

[Shakes head]

Yeah. And for once, that wasn’t him being an asshole. That was punk-ass shit we pulled.

Lame, punk-ass shit.

Josh’d had a busy night that night, including talking to that reporter and spewing the bullshit lies he spewed.

But that’s no excuse.

Tom was getting calls from the label, from Bobby’s manager, from the National Enquirer, [shakes head again] from everybody.

And bad timing for Josh, Preacher was coming down for breakfast when Tom got in the elevator with him and Preacher’s already not happy with Josh.

So, he got an earful.

They show at the breakfast table, Josh is sittin’ there with me and Dave, and to this day, I wonder what screw he had loose that he did what he did and then showed at band breakfast like he hadn’t pulled that shit hours before.

But whatever screw it was, it was fuckin’ loose.

And when Preach and Tom got there, they were rarin’ to go.

When he’s ready to roll, it’s impossible to hold Preacher back, and not because he was such a big guy.

Only one who could do it was Tommy.

Unless Tommy was good to let loose.

And the shit that Josh said and what it might mean to the band?

Tom was good to let loose.

Josh had no hope.

I was just glad Preach left Lyla up in the room.

It’s rumored that Preacher gave Hardy a broken nose and jaw. The label then paid for his medical care and for him to quietly go away.

Listen, I don’t know anything about that.

Really, [holds up both hands and shrugs] that was done on a level way above me.

I know they were getting ready to drop “Night Lies” and the album was selling like crazy and Bobby was from the south and he