The Rock Star’s Fake Fiancee - Kenzie Reed Page 0,106

more chaotic. Hotel guests, having heard the commotion, have come downstairs to gawk. It looks like half the town is pouring through our front doors, eager for the latest gossip. Junebug’s trying to shoo out anyone who’s not a guest, but it’s just about impossible with the room so crowded.

A shrill, familiar voice jabs at me. “You better get your hands off me if you want to keep your job!”

I scan the crowd and see a deputy escorting Terra Jones out of the lobby. She has a huge smirk on her face; everyone’s staring and she’s basking in the attention.

I hurry over to the deputy. “I want to press charges against her for trespassing,” I tell him. “We’ve got a restraining order against her, and the judge ordered her not to come within a hundred feet of our property line. There’s already a pending burglary case against her here, and she’s got an out-of-state court date for stealing Sebastian’s cell phone.”

Her smirk fades. “You better watch who you’re messing with. I’ll go public with your attack on the press. I’m a journalist; I have the same right to be here as any of them.” She waves at the reporters in the lobby.

“First of all, it wouldn’t matter if you were a journalist. A court order is a court order. But you’re not a journalist, you’re a carny side-show with a blog. Have you looked up your own name online recently, Terra? You’re a meme, and not in a good way. People don’t visit your blog to read your articles, they visit to laugh at the freak.”

“You bitch!”

She lunges at me, her hand grazing my arm. The deputy catches her by the arm and yanks her back. He snaps handcuffs on her as she wails and struggles.

Someone taps me on the shoulder from behind. “Callie? What the hell is going on?”

Daisy, wearing pink silk pajamas and sandals, is holding Ethan and yawning. Chase is standing next to her, looking as rumpled as I’ve ever seen him, which is only slightly. He’s wearing slacks and a T-shirt; even as distracted as I am, the sight of him in casual attire startles me. If I weren’t so stressed, I’d be checking the T-shirt for diamond cufflinks.

“Don’t say the H-word in front of the baby,” I say automatically. “The penthouse has been trashed.”

Daisy’s eyes snap with anger. “Those bastards! Is Mama all right?”

“She’s having a mild freakout, but she’s holding up pretty well.” I groan and rub my face. Chase rubs Daisy’s arm supportively.

Angry shouts from across the lobby distract me. I look across the room, and see Sebastian and Magnus pushing each other. I hurry towards them.

“You think I did it?” Magnus yelled. “You think I’d do that? Fine! Fuck you! I did it!”

“Are you kidding me? You son of a bitch!” Sebastian bellows. “How could you do that to them?” His fist lashes out, and the next thing I know, Magnus is staggering back, clutching his jaw.

“I’m done covering for your ass!” Sebastian bellows.

“And I’m done with all of you!” Magnus turns and storms off.

The next thing I know, they’re being swarmed by deputies. Sebastian is being handcuffed. Magnus stands there swaying drunkenly, rubbing his jaw and yelling at the crowd, “I did it! It was me!” A deputy spins him around and expertly cuffs him before he even has time to react.

I grab the arm of the deputy who’s leading Sebastian away. “Let go of him!” I yell furiously, yanking his arm hard.

The deputy spins around and shakes my arm off. Of course, I know him. Cletus Spillwell.

“Cassie, this man just committed assault. He’s under arrest. Unless you want me to take you in too, you’ll back off.”

I open my mouth to snarl some very unladylike insults, but Sebastian shakes his head. “Callie, don’t. He’s just doing his job. I’ll post bail and see you first thing in the morning. And…I’m sorry about your room.” He looks so wretched that it makes me want to cry.

As the deputy leads him outside, I follow. When we get to the patrol car parked out front of the hotel, I speak up.

“Cletus, I’m sorry I grabbed your arm. Could I please speak to Sebastian for just a minute?”

He heaves an exaggerated sigh. “Only because it’s you.”

He walks a few feet away, and waves back the onlookers who are circling the car.

“Sebastian, help me understand,” I plead. “Why would Magnus do that? I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I’ve never heard of him