Page 99 of The Bitter Words

In the echo of your laughter, in your soft whispers through the night,

Forever, I’ll hold you in my arms where everything is so right.

They can try to hurt us, take their swings.

I’ll do what I need to protect you. I’ll do it with all my might.

As the stars fade and the dawn breaks, I give you angel wings.

Go ahead now and take my escape.

Trust, I love you always, even with every bad choice this stupid boy makes.

Hawke and Cooper cut out and Bren holds the last chords, letting the song melt away.

“Good night, Philly! Until next time.” The lights go down and I race off the stage.

Uncle John hands me a towel to wipe my face. “You missed your line.”

“It wasn’t that noticeable.” I dry off with the cloth. “Why are you looking at me like you have awful news?”

He glances down. “Leon’s here. He wants to see you.”

All my nerves leap. “Fucking hell. I was afraid that’s what you were gonna say. Where is he?”

“Out in the back parking lot in a limo.”

“I can’t go out there.” My body shudders on reflex. “I haven’t touched a drug or had any alcohol today.”

“What’s that got to do with it?” Uncle John’s brows cometogether. “Cash, is he still doing shit to you? You told your ma he stopped.”

“I… It’s just easier to forget things if I’m loaded before I see him.” My heart rate speeds up. “I can’t be with Leon and his crew tonight. It’s my birthday.”

A heavy hand lands on my shoulder and I peek over to see Leon’s security guard.

He flashes me an evil grin. “Cash, you know how this works.”

Yeah, I do and the more I fight it, the worse it’ll be. I don’t have time for that. I need to figure out what he’s planning so I can make sure Livianna’s safe.

My chest muscles tighten. “Show me to him.”

Uncle John pats my back and mumbles, “I’m sorry I got you involved in this mess. This is all my fault.”

“Don’t say that. I was the one who asked. All you did was… It doesn’t matter how we got here.” I take a step toward the parking lot.

Leon’s goon gives me a little shove and leads me out to Leon’s car. My stomach spins and flips the entire time I take the walk of dread.

How do I get out of this?

It’s a question I ask myself every time Leon demands to see me and I never get an answer. The guard opens the back door of the limo and I slide in.

Leon’s gray eyes are fixed on me the second we’re enclosed. “Cash. Your performance was off tonight. What happened?”

“I got distracted for one second. It was hardly noticeable.”

“Or could it be you were thinking about how you’re going against my wishes?”

I shift and peek out the darkened window. “How am I doing that, Leon?”