Page 113 of Queen Of Clubs
“What would she think about you killing people?”
“How do you know I kill people?” I raise a brow.
“You just said so.” He glares at me.
“No.” I chuckle. “I said I know people.”
“Don’t play that mind game bullshit with me,” he growls.
“Fine,” I sigh. “For the most part, I do pay people to do my dirty work. But sometimes my hands get dirty. Trust me, when father passes away, my hands will be stained a glorious shade of red.”
“And that’s what I want in on.” He gives me a hard, determined look. “I want justice for my mom. She wasn’t able to get it for herself, so I’ll give it to her.”
“Alright.” I nod. “When the time comes, I’ll let you know.”
With that, he nods.
We sit in silence for a while before he speaks again. “If I was never meant to exist, why did he sign me to the label?”
At that, I grimace. “That would be me.”
“You signed me?” His brows furrow.
“There's more I haven’t told you,” I admit.
“Just fucking great,” he growls. “Well, don’t hold back now.”
“I knew about you for about two years before you signed with the label.”
“What!” he shouts. “What the fuck, man? How?”
“You and the guys used to put music out online. Well, my job was to find new talent for the label. Sometimes, I’d search up bands on YouTube channels, and I came across yours. At first, your music pulled me in, but as soon as I locked eyes on you, I couldn’t leave. You looked so much like me, it was crazy. It got me thinking and after some digging, I found out about your mother, you being born, and how you were placed in foster care.”
“So you knew about me and you didn’t do anything!” he yells, chest heaving with anger. “You could have gotten me out of foster care!”
“Oh, come on,” I scoff. “Are you telling me you would have left the guys behind, left Jade?”
That shuts him up real quick.
“Still. You could have at least made yourself known.”
“And risk that bastard finding out? No chance in hell. He would have tried to take custody just because he could, and you wouldn’t have any control over your life. He would have seen your talent and exploited you.”
“Why would he want anything to do with me then, when he didn’t when I was born?”
“Because, back when you were a baby, you were a mark on his pristine image. Once he knew what he could get out of you, you would have been his prized cash cow.”
“So then you went ahead and signed us to the label? If you wanted me to stay away from him, why bring me in! I don’t get it.”
“Because I own half the label,” I explain. “When you were of legal age and old enough to make your own choices, I saw your demo pop into my email, and I snatched you up. I signed you myself. Yes, the label’s name was on that contract, but I owned your band. Not him. He had no control over you. Yes, he gets part of the money, and that’s the only reason why he’s left it alone. He fought me on it at first, but I had to lie through my teeth and make it seem like I was playing his game to get him to fuck off.”
“So you're in charge of our band.” I nod. “Not him.” I nod again. “Wait, so why did he hire Gianna, if you’re in charge of the band?”
“Because Gianna seemed like a promising manager. She was fresh out of college, had a good head on her shoulders, and was ready to do the job. On paper, she looked perfect. I wanted to give her a chance. And she was the perfect fit, wasn't she?”
“Until Jade came into our lives, yeah,” he grumbles.
“Right. And even though he suggested her, I was able to fire her from being your manager. The only reason why she’s still on this damn tour is because our dear old dad hired her as the social media rep. I could fire her from that too, but that would bring too much attention to you guys, and I need him to stay off my radar as much as I can to have my end goals work.”