Rock Me Faster (Licks of Leather #4) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,40
her after all these years?”
“I made a promise to your father.”
“You mean the sperm donor.”
“If it weren’t for that donor, my life would be empty.” Bernie lowered his voice. “It does my heart wonders to see you with that pretty girl.”
“It’s not what you—”
“Hush. Don’t steal an old man’s hope.”
Ross chuffed, then slid in beside me.
As we pulled from the curb, his muscles tensed. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention anything about my reunion with Bernie to Sylvia.”
“Never.”
“Thank you. Fraternizing with the help is strictly frowned upon, and I don’t want her to fire him.”
“Bernie means a lot to you.”
I was stating the obvious, but I hoped it might entice Ross to open up and tell me more about the man behind the wheel.
“He’s always been more of a father to me than my own flesh and blood.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”
“I saw him four and a half years ago, but I wasn’t able to talk to him.”
“Because of your mother?”
Ross stared out the window for long seconds before shaking his head. “No, because I was at the intake center before heading to rehab and couldn’t leave the building. I’d been in my room, waiting on paperwork and staring out the window, wondering how I was going to un-clusterfuck my life when I saw Sylvia’s Maybach pull to the curb.
“Bernie got out and opened the door for her. My mother stared at the building in revulsion, then tossed her nose in the air and stomped toward the entrance. As he closed the door, he paused as if sensing me watching him. Then Bernie turned and we locked eyes. He sent me a worried smile, then gave me a thumbs-up and a sharp nod. Maybe it was the meds they’d given me for withdrawal, but I could hear him silently telling me, Be strong and you’ll kick this, son. And I did, because of his faith in me.”
My heart ached and soared for him at once. Though thrilled that Ross had given me far more honesty than I’d anticipated, the tone of despair in his voice wrecked me.
“I need to warn you,” he announced, dragging his gaze back from the window. “It’s probably going to get very ugly. And Sylvia is going to malign you every way she can.”
“I’ll be fine, Ross. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”
“No, you don’t understand. Sylvia probably won’t lower herself to even speak to you. She won’t outright insult you to your face, she’ll do it by humiliating me.”
“For Pete’s sake, why are you throwing yourself under the bus for me?”
“Because none of this is about you. It’s about me. I’m done…done letting her run over me,” he snarled. “Done having her show up at my hotel, trying to send me on some cross-continental guilt trip. I pray to everything holy that tonight will be the last time I ever have to lay eyes on that hateful cunt again.”
Chapter Nine
Ross
When I’d finished my rant, Harmony’s face was lined in shock and horror.
Fuck. Sylvia is going to chew her up and spit her out.
Why the hell had I invited Harmony to this ugly bloodletting?
Because you’re a coward…a lazy, selfish coward.
Christ, we were still blocks from my mother’s building, and I was already letting the bitch crawl inside my head.
“If that’s how you feel, then I truly hope this is the last time, if only to restore your peace of mind.” Harmony lifted her chin.
The ball-churning sprite was already in my corner, cheering me on, and I hadn’t even put the gloves on yet. I hadn’t done a fucking thing to deserve her loyalty, yet she was handing it over to me without question. Why? It was time to get some answers.
“Why are you here?”
She blinked at me and scowled. “Because you invited me.”
“No, I mean why did you agree to let Quinn hire you? Why did you willingly sign on for the shit show of reporters, living on a cramped bus, hopping from town to town so fast you wake up wondering if you’re in Cleveland or Albuquerque?”
“Because you needed help.”
“Christ, Harmony…you don’t even know me,” I barked.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re being persecuted by the press.”
“One of us in the band is always being maligned by the press, but I guess you already know that.”
“I didn’t, until today.”
“What do you mean?”
She lowered her lashes. The gesture was so submissive I wanted to wrap my fist in her luscious curls and drag her to her knees.