Rock Me Faster (Licks of Leather #4) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,35
when we’re on stage tomorrow night?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll ask Sofia to stick to her like glue. If anyone tries messing with Harmony with Sofia around, they’ll wish they hadn’t. My girl is scary vicious when she’s pissed.”
“Thanks.”
He opened his mouth to say more but simply nodded as Kenny eased the coach to a stop in front of the hotel.
Unwilling to take any chances, I waited for Harmony to descend the stairs, then tucked her in tight against my side and entered the lobby.
“There you are, Rosner. I was about to instruct Bernard to take me back to the penthouse.”
I swung my head toward the sound of my mother’s pretentious voice. As I locked eyes on her, my blood turned to ice. Dread pinged my system. My legs tried to move, but my feet were frozen to the glimmering tile beneath them.
“Afternoon, Mrs. Walker,” Burk greeted with a fake-as-fuck smile, giving me time to pull myself together and shove my shock down. “It’s a pleasure to see you as always.”
Of course, he was lying. Being anywhere near the cold, contemptuous bitch was a fucking nightmare.
Sylvia Rosner Walker arched a sculpted brow, looked down her nose at the singer, and flashed a brittle smile. “Likewise, Burton.”
“My name is Burk,” he corrected, lips straining tightly.
“Who’s that woman?” Harmony whispered.
Dismissing the man with a wave of her hand, Sylvia studied me, or rather my arm banded around Harmony’s waist. My mother’s brittle smile morphed into a cynical sneer as she regarded the girl with the same disdain she did toward her hired help.
The shrieking demand to shield Harmony from my mother’s venomous wrath punched me from my stupor.
But before I could open my mouth to confront her, Sylvia’s eyes slid to my blood-covered shirt.
“Aren’t you a little old for barroom brawls, Rosner?” she tsked.
I clenched my jaw as Harmony darted a visibly confused glance between Sylvia and me.
Holding my mother with an icy glare, I eased Harmony from my side. “Burk, would you and Sofia please escort Har—” I snapped my mouth shut to keep from saying her name. I’d be damned if I was going to hand my mother a silver bullet she could lock and load in her judgmental rifle. “Make sure my girl gets safely back to her room?”
“Don’t send her away yet, Rosner,” Sylvia cooed.
Her softening expression accentuated her stunning beauty, which was nothing but a façade. Much like the delicate orchid mantis, Mother lured her unsuspecting prey in with a blinding smile before the carnivorous bitch devoured them whole.
“I’m very disappointed in you.” When haven’t you been? “You haven’t even introduced me to your little…friend.”
And I didn’t plan to, either.
“What are you doing here, Mother?” I bit out curtly.
Chapter Eight
Harmony
Mother?
That…woman is Ross’s mother?
My eyes grew wide and my jaw nearly hit the floor as shock waves rippled from the tips of my toes to the top of my head and back again. The tall, willowy blonde with flawless skin and glistening ruby-red lips was exquisitely beautiful. Her sophistication commanded the attention of everyone in the lobby. From the outside, she shimmered like the twinkling diamonds adorning her ears, neck, wrists, and fingers. But the black tailored pants, tweed herringbone blazer, and leather clutch gripped in her manicured fingers couldn’t camouflage the pure evil spilling from her soul.
The resentment and anger bleeding off Ross merged with the malevolent darkness of his mother and filled the air with a choking thick, toxic cloud.
“Since you’re habitually unable to carve any time from your busy schedule to visit your own mother when you’re in New York, I rearranged mine to come see you.”
Oh, wow. This explains a lot…a whole lot.
“Now that you’ve seen me, you can leave.” Ross’s tone was flat, void of all emotion.
She let out a catty chuckle. “I see your sense of humor has returned, that or your wit is still pharmaceutically induced.”
A muscle in Ross’s jaw ticked as he turned and started to walk away.
“Rosner Malcom Walker, don’t you dare turn your back on me. I raised you better than that.”
Pausing, he tossed an arctic glare over his shoulder. “You didn’t raise me, Sylvia, the nannies did. Take care, Mom.”
As Ross started to walk away again, Sofia moved in beside me. Her eyes were filled with sadness as she looped her arm through mine.
“Wait,” Sylvia called as she hurried toward Ross and grabbed his arm. “Don’t go. I know you’re still angry with me, but please…let’s have lunch and…talk.”
“I already ate.”
“Then come to the penthouse this evening. I’ll hire