Jersey Six - Jewel E Ann Page 0,43

have one?”

“You’re an asshole.” She pivoted and retreated to the door.

“Yeah, well, so are you.” He didn’t wait for her to respond, leave his room, or figure out how to open her hotel room door with the key card. Ian closed and locked the bathroom door, removed the rest of his clothes, and stepped into the hot shower.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Just as Jersey unplugged the hair dryer, Max opened the door to the hotel room. She paused, blinking several times at Jersey’s reflection in the mirror—the unmistakable cut by her eye and red bruise along her jaw.

“Ian’s going to fire me.” Max stepped the rest of the way inside of the room, and the door shut behind her. “He’s going to fire me and keep you. Which is insane!” Max tossed her purse onto the desk. “Because I do everything for him so he can focus on the one thing he loves most in life. I am the keeper of schedules, the fixer of catastrophes, the right brand of crackers, the two-dozen room-temperature, glass bottles of spring water neatly lined up and ready to go before he even realizes he’s thirsty.”

She tore open the blinds to the room and sighed while staring out the window. “And I do it because I love my job. I do it because he loves his job. I do it because I respect him. I genuinely respect him and how he chooses to run his business. I respect the way he treats his employees, his fans, and other musicians.”

Jersey shut off the bathroom light and slid around the corner, unable to make eye contact with Max.

“But here’s the issue … I don’t know why a man worth millions of dollars picked up a stranger off the street, clothed her, fed her, employed her, did whatever it was he did to or with her in a private jet last night, then allowed her to assault him, and still … refuses to let her go or explain to anyone around him his reasoning for keeping her. I … I … I just can’t wrap my head around this.

“But he just kicked me out of his hotel room for caring about him. Have you seen him? Have you taken a good look at him? The hickey is the least offensive thing he has going for him at the moment. I just stood in the hallway canceling his appearances for today. The silver lining is he doesn’t have to perform for two more days, and hopefully makeup will do the trick by then—unless you decide to take out your anger on him again!”

Jersey rubbed her bruised knuckles. If Ian killed Dena and Charles, she knew death would never be enough. People like Max held him too high on an unreachable pedestal. One blow, one cut … it would never be enough. Jersey would bring down his whole world, killing him slowly, so slowly he wouldn’t even realize the end was near.

But … if he didn’t kill them, then the man down the hallway genuinely cared for her and her needs. Either way, she had to dig deeper and find that truth.

“I’m sorry.” Jersey turned and opened the door.

“For what?” Max asked on a chuckle.

“I’m not sure yet.” Jersey let the door close behind her and took the ten steps to Ian’s door, slapping it several times to save her knuckles from more misery.

When he didn’t answer, she slapped it several more times. He opened the door, holding a glass tumbler in his hand and a vacant look in his eyes—the good one and the slightly swollen eye.

No shirt.

No shoes.

Dark jeans.

Wet hair.

“Nice hickey.”

Ian stared at her, maybe trying to lift his eyebrow in disbelief, but the swelling prevented his attempt. He turned, letting the door begin to close.

Jersey shoved her foot into the space before it clicked and followed him inside the room. The knocked over barstools and displaced coffee table were back in their spots. Ian collapsed onto his bed, leaning against the turquoise padded headboard, gaze locked to the basketball game on the television.

Basketball … clearly, he liked it. Did that mean he played it? Did he play it with Chris?

Ian sipped his drink while expertly ignoring Jersey.

What would he say if she just asked him?

Did you accidentally run over two people eight years ago and let your rich family keep you out of prison? Did you take away my entire future? The only people I’ve ever loved and who ever loved me?

Would his reaction give her the truth? Or