She shrugged. “I’ve met them once or twice. Cash is my stepbrother’s best friend.”
“Caleb?” She nodded. I knew the name but not the guy. Cash told me about his best friend, but Caleb lived in Virginia, so they didn’t see each other often.
“We grew up together. Caleb had Cash’s back in high school. Didn’t care that his father was some hotshot politician who spent more time in DC than at home with his family. His grandmother more or less raised him.” She made a sour face. “That old lady scares the hell out of me. She has this ability to look right through you and find your biggest weakness so she can exploit it to get exactly what she wants.”
“Yeah, I noticed that about her, and I haven’t even met her.” I pushed my plate of barely touched food away. Thinking of Cash’s Gigi had completely killed any appetite I had. It seemed not even the baby liked that old woman.
“Damn,” Kin muttered regretfully. “I didn’t mean for you to get upset.”
“Cash was dating one of my best friends behind my back for his grandmother.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “While we were supposed to be exclusive.”
“Okay, first, I’m just surprised that Cash wanted to be exclusive with anyone. He’s kind of a player, so the fact that he had a steady girlfriend is kind of mind-boggling.”
“And second?”
Kin grimaced. “I’m not all that surprised that he would do something like that if Doris Mathias was behind his actions. He has a weak spot for her.”
“That weak spot is probably considerably bigger now that she’s dying of lung cancer.” I grabbed my bottle of water and took a small sip, trying to calm my now-tossing stomach.
“Hell. That’s got to be rough on him. I wonder if Caleb knows since he hasn’t mentioned it to me.”
It was rough for Cash. Every time he mentioned his grandmother, I could see the pain in his eyes. He loved her and didn’t want to lose her. My heart ached just thinking of the pain he would be in once she was gone. I wanted to be beside him when that happened, just as he was beside me when I lost Dad.
But if he couldn’t accept the baby, then that wasn’t going to be possible. Unlike my own mother, I wasn’t going to let anyone come before my child. Especially not some guy who didn’t want my baby in his life.
Chapter 20
Cash
The noise in First Bass was enough to rupture a person’s eardrums. The new band that had taken the Blonde Bombshells’ place for the weekly shows every Thursday night was rocking the club, bringing in just as big of a crowd as the all-girl band used to. Harris Cutter had a knack for finding the perfect bands to sign for exclusive contracts. Being the son of rock legend Devlin Cutter had given him the ability to spot talent from a mile away. A talent he used to bring the masses to his club every week, the only place on earth to see the bands he found.
Tainted Knights had been the first band ever to play exclusively for First Bass, and we’d gotten a contract with Emmie Armstrong the very first show. The Bombshells hadn’t been provided that same luxury, but Harris had extended their contract by another year just because they brought in a crowd that sent his net worth skyrocketing. Hearts of Stone was only continuing that rise for him, making First Bass the most sought-after place to get into in the state.
I moved through the crowd to get to the bar and ordered a beer from Nate, the bartender/assistant manager who had been working there since the place opened. I got a smooth nod as he continued to mix drinks for the slutty chicks in front of him, and I turned to see if I could spot anyone I knew.
At the banister that overlooked the stage below, Gray had his arms around Kassa. His lips seemed permanently attached to her neck as she leaned back into him. The butterfly-shaped diamond on her left hand glittered in the overhead lighting as she lifted her hand to hug him closer to her.
Nate put my beer in front of me. I tossed him a few bills and, without a word, headed through the crowd. As I was about to join Kassa and Gray, someone caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I met Riley’s gaze as she sat with the Bombshells, Sin, Kale, and Santana.
She glared at me for a second then her shoulders seemed to droop, and she lifted her hand in an almost shy wave. Shyness and Riley weren’t words that went together. Curious about why she would be feeling like that—and dying for any possible news she might have concerning Amara—I changed direction.
This far from the stage, the noise was considerably less, and Sin tore into me as soon as I reached them. “Where the fuck have you been lately? People have been wondering if you died or some shit.”
I shrugged. “Haven’t felt like going out, man.”
“At least text someone every few days and let them know you’re still breathing, fucker.”
I glanced around for a place to sit. There was nowhere free, but Sin pulled Roanna onto his lap, and Aubree moved to sit on the arm of the leather couch beside them. Riley stayed where she was beside Sin, and I dropped down beside her.
“Hey,” she muttered.
“Hey, how have you been?”
She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “My new roommate comes and goes all day long, so I don’t see her very much. With Amara gone, it’s been lonely.”
“How is she?” How is the baby? I wanted to ask that question too, but it got stuck in my throat. It had been almost six weeks since I last saw Amara, six weeks of pure hell not being able to talk to her or know what she was doing. If she was sick or hurting or missing me like I was missing her.
“She seems okay from the few times we’ve Skyped. She texts me every day, though, just to check in.”