Love Rock'ollection: The Brutal Strength Rock Star Trilogy, books 1-3 (23 page)

Avery sighed. She’d had enough of this. Time to cut to the chase. “Speaking of looking good V, didn’t Marcus look nice today?”

“I’ve already been there, done that, honey.” V leered at Avery. “If you know what I mean.”

Riiiight, Too much information
, Avery thought. She couldn’t imagine what Marcus had ever seen in this woman.
Better just spell it out for the dense witch, so I can leave
. Speaking slowly, like she was talking to someone who couldn’t hear or think straight, Avery said, “V… Marcus-wanted-you-to-know-he-is-interested-in- getting-back-together.”

There, duty done. She texted Marcus immediately.

Avery:
Told V. ? on interest… c u tomorrow…

Avery slid her cell phone into her pocket, stood up, and pushed back her chair. Her abrupt action startled V whose elbow had been resting there. “I’ve gotta say goodnight, V. Early rehearsal in the morning and all.” Avery turned away, tossing a parting volley over her shoulder. “Night, JR. Don’t get too comfortable tonight. I wouldn’t plan on sleeping well.”

Watching Avery exit the lounge, Veronica eyed the guitarist hungrily. ‘
So Marcus wants to get back together, does he? How great is that?
’ She would be like the woman in that Eric Clapton song, “Layla,” with two rock gods fighting over her. That had been her plan as soon as she’d seen Avery backstage. There was some kind of strange undercurrent between Marcus and his new guitarist that she was dying to exploit to her advantage. She might even finally make the cover of
Rolling Stone
if things worked out just right…

THE NEXT MORNING, Manny strutted into V’s presidential suite, looking like a gigolo with red leather pants and a collared paisley shirt undone almost to the waist.

“What the hell are you wearing?” V screeched in horror the moment she saw him.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he preened, stroking his mustache. “Just a little something I put together that I thought you’d like. I got your message,” he said, running the back of his knuckles down her cheek.

V scampered away from him, looking at him as if he had the crazy virus and that it might be contagious.

Over in the corner of the room, Marie and Toby attempted to cover up their laughter with bouts of coughing.

V glanced their way suspiciously. She wasn’t so self-absorbed that she didn’t guess this bizarre behavior of Manny’s had something to do with the two of them.

Turning back to her assistant, she looked down her nose at him, and dressed him down with her most haughty tone. “I don’t know what
message
you’re talking about. You look completely ridiculous, and Besille is going to be here any minute with his crew.” She really needed the talk show host’s help to get the ball rolling in the right direction with Marcus and Avery. “You don’t have time to change but for heaven’s sake button up that dreadful shirt.” Exasperated, V threw her hands up in the air.

By the time the interview with Besille wrapped, she was even more exasperated. But at least she thought that she’d baited the hook temptingly enough to land a spot on Besille’s show. All she had to do now was seduce her two rock star targets. That would be a piece of cake. But first she had to deal with her personal assistant.

She was beyond infuriated with Manny. For whatever reason he had been making eyes at her, blowing kisses, and belting out Lionel Ritchie songs between takes. His half-ass attempt at a moonwalk had been tragic. She had barely been able to concentrate. Whatever had gotten into him today, V was going to put a stop to it right now.

“Manny, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you on drugs?”

Manny shook his head. “I’m just high on you, baby.” His eyes twinkled giddily.

“Whatever,” she said with a dismissive wave. Her staff was out of control. She wasn’t going to let these idiots ruin this love triangle thing she was working so hard to line up. It was too good an opportunity for her career. “If you weren’t one of the best personal assistants in the business, you would already be out on your ass after this stunt. I think the stress must be getting to you. Call my therapist, schedule an appointment for yourself immediately, and stow the cheesy smarm, or I’m firing you!”

BRUTAL STRENGTH’S MORNING rehearsal went much better. Everyone was well rested and less out of sync, except for JR who missed a couple of cues yawning. He had received his payback from Avery in the form of three, four, and five a.m. wake up calls.

After the band exited the stage, Stephen cornered Dwight. “What’s going on? What’s going on between Marcus and Avery?” he demanded. “I’m worried. I heard a rumor V might be involved with both of them.”

Dwight lifted a brow. “Not a chance. Their issues have nothing to do with Miss V, I promise you.”

“Well, whatever it is, help them get it straightened out. You’re the glue that holds this band together, and tonight’s performance needs to be flawless.”

The easy going bassist gave him a thumbs up over his shoulder, but Stephen wasn’t completely appeased. He needed more insurance. He pulled out his cell and called Trevor. It went directly to the agent’s voicemail so he dictated his concerns. “Your guitarist and my lead singer are acting strangely. It’s in everyone’s best interest that we get to the bottom of this before Brutal Strength takes the stage tonight. Call me as soon as you get this message. We need to talk.”

IN A RUNDOWN motel in East Los Angeles, Antonia Bartoli made a face as she navigated around the empty beer cans and discarded fast food sacks on the floor. She flicked her long black hair over her shoulder and checked her makeup in the dresser mirror instead of fixating on her shabby surroundings. Stroking a thumb down her cheek, she smoothed more foundation onto her luminescent olive skin and picked up black eyeliner coloring around the outside of her gray eyes before taking a tube of lipstick and running it over her lips.

Antonia knew she looked good, but she still frowned at her reflection.

This was getting old.

The accommodations were well beneath Joe Campanella’s former fiancee’s standards. Antonia was a Four Seasons kind of girl, used to room service and caviar. She knew it was necessary, though. Still, being grateful to be alive and not at the bottom of the East River was one thing. Being moved around from one substandard motel to another could hardly be called living…

Antonia had fallen hard for Justin Jones the first time she had watched him perform with his twin sister Avery at Club Indigo. His pretty boy good looks had gotten her attention, but it had been his voice that had utterly captivated her. Not long after that, she made sure they became an item.

She’d managed to keep her relationship with him secret for a while, but eventually Joe found out and flew into a murderous rage. Joe Campanella was not the forgiving, live and let live type. More like a shoot first, send ‘em to the morgue, and ask questions later, psychotically jealous type.

It had taken all of Antonia’s considerable charms to calm him down, but she left his place certain she had convinced him that Justin had just been a harmless flirtation. But when she’d slipped back into his apartment to retrieve the purse she’d left behind, she found out differently. With the pay-per-view fight on at full volume down the hall, Joe didn’t notice her return, but she overheard him in his office with his enforcer, Vince. And what she heard had sent ice down her veins.

“Get rid of him, Vince.”

“You mean kill him?”

“I mean, make Justin disappear,
capice
? No one crosses me, Vinny. I’ll handle the girl myself.”

Antonia had left quickly and quietly, heart in her throat. She had wandered the darkened city streets for hours, terrified and unsure what to do. Afraid to go back to her own apartment, she had finally headed to the midtown restaurant where she had arranged to meet Justin the day before. When she mentioned the name on the reservation, the hostess had glanced around worriedly and hustled her into a back office.

Vince had risen as she entered the room. She had managed a frightened step backward before noticing Justin sitting in the other chair.

“It’s ok, it’s ok,” Justin had assured her, standing up and coming over to her. “We’re safe here.”

Vince had opened his wallet, flashing his FBI badge. Antonia had stared at him incredulously. Vince had been around since before she’d started seeing Joe. He was someone Joe seemed to trust, implicitly. His cover had been good. She’d had no idea.

“We’ve known for quite some time that Campanella’s had his hand in a lot of illegal stuff,” Vince had explained. “But we’ve been wanting to catch him in something big, something that would really stick. Conspiracy to murder you and Justin ought to finally do the trick.”

“I know. I overheard you two in his office.”

“Well we’re going to make him think I carried out his order, and we’re going to make you disappear, too. Put you both where he can’t find you until we get all the charges lined up. With what I got on the wire tonight and testimony from the two of you, we should be able to put Campanella away for a very long time.

Hearing the hotel door opening brought Antonia’s thoughts back to the present. She gave a relieved sigh when she saw him. Remembering that night made her edgy, but the sight of Justin still took her breath away. He wasn’t tall or pumped up, like the men she usually preferred, but he was gorgeous nevertheless. She loved running her fingers through his silky copper colored hair, and when those green eyes focused on her all lit up with passion, well, he was certainly sexy and more than a little distracting. But playing with him was one thing. Living with him twenty-four seven was another.

“I have great news,” he told her as he smoothed down his windblown hair. “They arrested Campanella today.”

“That’s fantastic!” Antonia threw her arms around him. “Finally!”

He withdrew her arms from around his neck. “I’m calling Avery, babe.”

Given the unyielding tone in his voice, Antonia knew his decision wasn’t open for debate. Though younger than her, Justin wasn’t easy to manipulate, something the FBI had discovered. Justin had fought them tooth and nail when they refused to let him contact his sister, not even just to let her know he was alive. He only relented after Vince finally convinced him that Avery’s continued ignorance would be the only thing that would keep her safe.

“Justin, the fact that Joe’s in jail doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. He could still get a message out to one of his guys.” She made her hand into a gun and pretended to fire at him. “Then boom, he’s got one less witness to worry about.”

Justin shook his head. “I’m done with this, Antonia. I’ll take my chances. I’m more worried about my sister now than myself.”

“At least let me make the phone calls for you,” Antonia urged him. “The fewer people in New York that know you’re alive, the better.” She dialed Avery’s apartment number. Hanging up after a brief mostly one sided conversation, she informed him, “Jeff said Avery hasn’t been there in weeks. I think he was being purposefully vague. He wouldn’t tell me where she was. Just that she was off doing studio work somewhere.”