Page 38 of Still Her
“No,” Jack replies.
“And can we just… not go there today?” I ask, shaking my head and rolling my shoulders as if I’m trying to get a wet blanket off of myself.
“Alright,” he nods, seemingly reluctant. I don’t miss the look he exchanges with Jack, who has come to stand beside me.
“You know what? We’ve got the perfect way to change the subject anyway,” Sarah intervenes, setting everything down before resting her hands on the counter top. “Jack…” she addresses him, but looks to the both of us as Mike’s hands rest on her shoulders. “Mike and I have decided that we want to name the girl baby, Isabel.” She keeps her eyes fixed on him now, looking like she’s trying to gauge his reaction. I look up at him, as I’m curious too, feeling a hopeful smile form on my lips. Isabel was Sarah, Melanie and Jack’s mom. She sadly passed away when they were little.
Jack just closes his eyes and smiles. It’s a genuinely happy, closed mouth smile that Sarah and Mike return. “I like it,” he nods.
“Really?” she asks with her smile wide and eyebrows up. “You’re okay with it?”
“Of course,” he chuckles incredulously, shaking his head and giving her a reassuring smile. “It’s perfect…”
* * *
JACK
“It’s all right here. You can look at it now, or take it with you and go over it later if you want.” Mike’s voice has taken on a tone that sounds completely downtrodden, despite the heartwarming news he and my sister gave us earlier. We’re each holding a cold beer as we stand over the desk in his office where he has the proposal laid out. “We’re going to start with low-balling him of course, and I’ve been reaching out to other partners in my firm in the hopes of forming a team that can go up against his when he fires back.”
God, it all sounds so intense and heavy as he says all this, yet the reality is staring up at me from his desk. My eyes scan through all of the legal jargon until they land at the number three quarters of the way down on the page.Shit. That’s a lot of money. It’s no object to me when it comes to protecting the woman who owns my heart, but she’s for sure not going to see it that way. She’s going to freak when she sees this amount. Even divided four ways between Maze and me and the other guys, it’s definitely a considerable amount, and this is just a jump off. Eli’s team will undoubtedly counter with a ridiculous sum. I can already feel this hitting me hard, and I know this entire process will tear Mayzie apart. It could drag on for months and it could take us years to rebuild, and I’m not talking about our bank accounts…
“Have you guys thought any more about it? I’ve been in touch with Eddie…” he trails off when he mentions the detective.
I release a breath that would rival a monsoon. “Yes, we’ve thought about it, but no, we don’t know what to do. And I already know what Morris wants us to do.”
“Yeah,” Mike acknowledges, somberly nodding. “His interest in the case sort of… goes beyond professional.”
“I know. Mayzie told me.” I run a frustrated hand through my hair and take a pull on my beer. I liked it better when I thought Morris was all business about this. Call me selfish, but I want the focus in all this to be completely on us. On Mayzie. “His plan puts her in danger, but this one… this one threatens her spirit,” I say, holding my hand out at the document. “She… doesn’t want to face him. And if I had my way, she’d never have to even look at him again, but I know she doesn’t wantthis.”
“Whatputs my sister in danger?” Ian’s voice comes from the doorway to the office that Mike and I have our backs to.
Fuck me. I lean on the desk and drop my head, stealing myself before turning to face my brother-in-law. This is not going to be fun.
“My agent… wants Mayzie,” I tell him, hating the taste of every word that rolls out.
“What do you mean,wantsher?” he asks, his eyebrows drawn together as he takes a couple of steps into the room.
“Don’t make me fucking say it, Ian.” I can’t even think it without wanting to pound the ever loving shit out of something.
“He… what the fuck? Did he do something to her on that plane?!” His voice is rising just slightly.
“He hasn’t touched her, but he’s been inappropriate, and there have been past cases of… sexual harassment against him.” I don’t mention any specifics. The less information her brother has, the better. Besides, I hate having to explain this to anyone. It’s magnifying the reality of this whole disgusting situation. “He’s threatening the band if he can’t…” I can’t fucking say it. I’m going to punch somebody in the face.
“Have her,” Ian finishes for me, nodding spitefully. The words spoken out loud make me set my beer down before I hurl it across the room and I press my fist into the palm of my other hand in front of me. I take in a deep breath and hold it a moment before letting it out.
“We’re taking care of it Ian,” Mike offers, trying to be helpful. “We’re working with a detective out of New York where Eli spends a lot of his time, and I’m seeing what I can do to get the band out of their contract so that they don’t have to associate with him any longer.”
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Ian’s voice is menacingly low. “What the fuck have you gotten her into?” His eyes are ablaze and zeroed in on me. His insinuationreallyfucking tests my restraint.
“I didn’t get her into anything, Ian. This is all on the actions of a pitiful asshole that we thought we could trust to be our agent, and I think you know damn good and well I will level anyone that touches her. If I had my way, that’d already be a done deal, except that my going to jail would hurt her more.”
“Her oryou?” He challenges, snidely.
“Her,” I say plainly. “I know you have a hard time getting your head around this sometimes, but she loves me.”
“Oh please,” he scoffs cynically, closing the distance with another step. “You’ve been nothing but selfish with her from the start. Marrying her after barely four months, bringing her into your whole rock world, and now look where she is!” He’s not lying. When it comes to Mayzie, I’m eternally fucking selfish.
“You don’t know shit about our life, Ian. Every choice she and I have made has been together,” I fire back between clenched teeth. “And you’re testing my already fraying temper. Be thankful I care too much about upsetting my wife.”