Face the Music (A Brothers of Rock - GONE BY AUTUMN - Novel) (21 page)

Jocelyn closed her eyes and nodded. She heard people shouting her name. Asking questions. The emotions collecting on her shoulders. She stumbled and found comfort against a wall. Ryan called her name but Jocelyn started to shake her head. She slid down the wall and put her face to her knees.

The fantasy was over. The reality was here. She had fallen in love with the rockstar who wanted to protect her. And now he was in surgery and would probably never play a guitar ever again.

(18)

The moment Jocelyn saw Asher she burst into tears again. For some reason she had it built in her mind that seeing him would be a million times worse than what it was. He sat up in the bed, looking tired. His left hand was bandaged and looked five times the size of a normal hand.

Asher looked at her and smiled. “Hey, love.”

rushed around the bed and had to kiss him. She cried, touching his face, kissing him again and again.

It had officially been the longest night of her life. While the sunrise brought a new morning to the world, Jocelyn still felt trapped in the dark hell she created.

“I’m so sorry,” was all Jocelyn could say.

“No,” Asher said. “There’s no sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I did. I stayed with him. I let all this happen.”

Asher let out a groaning sigh. “Love, it’s going to be okay. I’m alive. He didn’t kill me.”

“But he did. Your hand. Your guitar…”

“I’m not worried about that right now. I just need you to take a deep breath and sit down. I just got done being drilled by detectives and police. And then Sam.”

“That guy probably hates me. I keep fucking up your tour.”

“No, he doesn’t hate. Nobody does. Your father wants to talk to us. Both of us. I’m sure that’ll be something fun.”

“Maybe he’ll understand now.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Asher said.

Jocelyn took Asher’s right hand. “What were you thinking?”

“I had no time to think,” Asher said. “He must have been planning it. He knew about us in that office at your father’s place. Someone must have been snooping. I don't know. But that guy has to be done. He has to go away for a long time now. No more of this, Jocelyn. I promise you, it will be okay with your business and everything you want to do. Your dreams are alive and well. Just like me.”

Jocelyn wiped away a tear. “It’s so unfair. All of it.”

“My life has been unfair for a long time. And look where it has gotten me. Something like this isn’t going to bring me down. At least I know with this hell, there comes heaven.”

“How’s that?” Jocelyn asked.

“All this… it needed to be done.
He
showed his true colors and got caught. He told me I could either go inside and tell you our fling was done… or pay the price… so I paid the price. And now you get to face all these demons, love. I’m sorry that you have to do, but you’re free now.”

“You chose this?” Jocelyn asked.

“Yes. I’d rather lose my damn hand than lose you.”

Jocelyn lunged at the bed. She kissed Asher once, twice, offering her mouth, her tongue, slowly trying to climb onto the bed to offer her body. The hellish moment quickly turned passionate. Right up until Jocelyn bumped into Asher’s left arm and he let out a groan.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I’m terrible at this.”

Asher touched Jocelyn’s face. He stroked her hair. “No. You’re beautiful at all this. You’ve got me, Jocelyn. Hook, line, sinker, whatever cliché you want to use. I’m all yours. I’m… I’m in love you. That’s all I thought about when it was happening. I told
him
that too. That I love you. And now I get to tell you. I love you.”

Jocelyn gasped and it took her a few seconds to find air. When she did, she took a needed breath and said, “I love you too.”

They shared another kiss and it would have kept going but there was a knock at the door.

It opened and Jocelyn got yet another surprise of a lifetime when she saw her father walking into the room. Right behind him was Sam.

“Uh… Mr. Jacksenne insisted…”

“It’s okay, Sam,” Asher said.

“Do you want me to stay?” Sam asked.

“No,” Asher said. “I have a feeling this is going to be more personal than business.”

Sam left the room and Jocelyn stood from the bed. She watched as her father walked to the end of the bed and stood there. His face always like stone. Always looking like he found out something terrible happened.

“What did the docs say about your hand?” her father asked Asher.

“Nothing yet,” Asher said. “Just need to let it rest for now. Look, the tour is fine. We have our other guy now, JT, and he’s great.”

“I’m not talking about that right now,” Victor said. “I’m here to talk about all the circumstances around this. I received a phone call and some documents from an attorney…” He looked right at Jocelyn. “Your attorney, my dear daughter.”

“Yes,” Jocelyn said. “I hired someone to help. Chad is not a good person. He’s been… bad for a long time. I always trusted in the company and his vision, but lately, it’s been bad. Wrong. Everything I do he gets angry about. And he… he hurts…”

Her father shut his eyes and his nostrils flared. “I read the police reports. He was really doing that?”

“You can’t question her on that,” Asher snapped. “How dare you? Do you think she’d make that up?”

Victor stared at Asher and Jocelyn grew uneasy.

“I wasn’t asking you…”

“But I’m answering,” Asher said. “I saw it happen. I stepped in and took care of Chad once.”

“You saw him hurt her?”

“Yes. I took care of it. I took care of her. And I fell in love with her. Because she’s a beautiful and strong and passionate woman. She deserves more than what’s been presented to her. And she’s been afraid to talk to you, Victor, because she fears you won’t listen or believe her.”

Jocelyn watched her father look down and then slowly look to her. “This is all true?”

“Yes,” Jocelyn said. “This was a college project that grew. But then you stepped in and Chad stepped in and look where it ended up. It’s this big mess. I never wanted this to happen. And I was afraid of you, him, and everything. I just needed someone… and Asher is that someone.”

“Well, that doesn’t make me feel like a proud man,” her father said. “And the documents presented to me… Chad is in serious trouble.”

“And me?” Jocelyn asked. “Because everything is tied to me.”

“No,” her father said with wide eyes. “I have people working on it. Chad was using the company to funnel money in and out of other illegal operations. He was laundering money and making things looks bad when it benefited him and made things look good when it did the same. There were years of multiple tax returns, false investments, and projections that were just absurd. In fact, Jocelyn, if you hadn’t called a lawyer about this, you would have gotten in serious trouble. We’re in control now…”

“We are,” Jocelyn said and put a hand to Asher’s. “He’s the one who called the lawyer, not me. He pushed me to do this because it was wrong. And I was afraid.”

“And here I thought were just some rockstar.”

“Yeah, well, I was. Until I met Jocelyn.”

Jocelyn’s father nodded his head. “Well, this is a disaster to say the least. We’re going to have to dissolve the company, Jocelyn. It’s the only way to pick it apart and make sure all the wrong is done right.”

“I agree then,” Jocelyn said. “I’ll start another company.”

Her father laughed. “It’s not that simple.”

“Actually it is,” Asher said. “She has new products, lines, and even contracts to sign.”

“Contracts?”

“At our meeting, Victor, remember Sam talking about merchandising?”

Jocelyn’s father looked at her again. “You’re the contact?”

“Yes, I am. Don’t you trust me?”

“I’m digesting right now,” her father said. “I’m not sure what to do first. Be angry this happened. Happy nothing worse happened. Or just go after Chad and kill him myself.”

“Stand in line, Victor,” Asher said. “Because if I ever see him…”

“You won’t, Asher. He’s gone and staying gone. I’ll exhaust every last penny I have to make sure of that.”

“Good. We actually agree on something.”

“Right,” her father said. “Right. Agreement. Well, since the three of us are together at once… I just want to say thank you to you, Asher, for taking care of my daughter. I believe what you said is true; she deserves more, better. I will look into myself in private and accept what I’ve done wrong. I’ve only wanted the best for her and it appeared things were the best.”

“They were far from it,” Jocelyn said. “Right down to when my picture showed up online with Asher. And you and Chad…”

“That was before I knew anything,” he father spat. “Don’t point fingers.”

“Don’t treat her like that, Victor,” Asher said.

Jocelyn watched her father suck in a breath. Asher wasn’t afraid of him. Hell, he wasn’t afraid of anything. And that… was really sexy.

“Fair enough,” Victor said with a sense of defeated pride in his voice. He tugged at his suit jacket. “I guess we can all agree that it’s good nobody was severely hurt. Or killed.”

“Define sever?” Jocelyn asked. “His hand…”

“He’s right,” Asher said. “Be thankful and move on.”

“Yes,” Victor said. He then looked at his daughter. “Would you mind if I had a word alone with Asher?”

Jocelyn was taken back that her father asked her a question rather than demand her action.

“Sure,” Jocelyn said. She looked at Asher and smiled. “You going to be okay in here?”

“Where am I going?” Asher asked.

“It’ll only take a moment,” her father said. “Please.”

Jocelyn walked around the bed. She touched her father’s arm but received nothing in return from him. She walked to the door and looked back at the bed.

She smiled, feeling good that her true emotions for Asher were able to be in the open. She didn’t just like him. She wasn’t just falling for him. He didn’t just save her life, in so many different ways. It was a little simpler than that.

She was in love with Asher.

Yet, as she looked back, the stare between the rockstar who stole her heart and her father was vicious, cold, and filled with tension.

Please… don’t turn reality back into a fantasy.

*

Asher waited for the door to shut before speaking. “I assume you’re not going to talk about the tour?”

“Oh, I am,” Victor said with a grin. A forced grin. “You trust this other guitarist to fulfill all necessary duties as needed?”

Yes. I do. It takes a lot out of me to admit that.”

“I see. Yes. I can imagine a man like yourself fearing having to share the spotlight. After all, the new guitarist will be garnering all the attention from the half drunk, over zealous willing women.”

“That doesn’t concern me,” Asher said.

“Because of my daughter?”

“Because of Jocelyn,” Asher said. “I am in love with her, Victor. I can tell you that with a straight and honest face.”

“Along with the liquids seeping into your veins,” Victor said. “Funny how a little vulnerability and weakness make a man who so tough become… well… weak.”

“Do you have speak like a villain from a comic book?” Asher asked. “I don’t care what’s being pumped into my veins. I know how I feel.”

“You know, I came here with the intention of being so angry, Asher. But as I thought about what I learned, I realized that Jocelyn had been right. You saved her. My only daughter. The only thing I have that truly reminds me of my lost wife. So I will be a humbled man again and say thank you. Not in a public setting for the attention of others, but as two men. You, a man who put yourself in harms way for a woman. A woman that I care about.”

“I appreciate that,” Asher said. “But your version of caring for Jocelyn is far different than mine.”

“Right,” Victor said. “You’re going to save her dream and business and life. What happens when you go on tour? The first couple shows, sure, you can remain strong for her. But what about a month in? The stage. The life. The party. Come on, Asher, I see it all the time. Rockstars are all the same. In and out. In and out.”

“We’re not in and out,” Asher said. “If you researched Gone by Autumn, that’s one thing you’ll learn quickly. We are
not
in and out of this business. This is our life. Our love.”

“Exactly,” Victor said. “So keep it there, Asher. Stay away from anything else you feel tempted for today. Today’s temptation is tomorrow’s regret. Hope you realize that.”

“The only thing I’m going to regret, Victor, is this conversation with you.”

Victor grinned again. “So you’re going to force my hand, aren’t you?”

“What does that mean?”

“I will not let my daughter go from one recluse asshole to another.”

Asher gritted his teeth. He glanced to his bandaged hand. One thing was for sure right now and that was Victor was a lucky man. Because right then Asher wanted nothing more than to punch the old rich bastard right in the mouth.

“And what makes you think that I’m some asshole?” Asher asked, forcing himself to stay calm.

“Look at it all, Asher. From the outside. That’s what I’m asking. Don’t play from the inside of this. How you feel right now. What you think you’ve done. I get all that. I’ve thanked you for it. But be honest.”

“I know how I feel right now,” Asher said. “And that’s not going to change. And if it was going to change at some point in my life, what business is it being yours?”

“She’s…”

“Where were you when Chad was hitting her?” Asher growled. “You had her in fear, Victor. Fear.”

Victor gripped the end of the bed. His eyes went wide. Asher figured the old man wasn’t used to someone standing up to him and calling him out on his shit.

“I don’t want this for her,” Victor said.

“Then what do you want? A suit and tie?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t guide her heart. And I won’t break her heart.”

Victor stepped back and stuck his chin out. “Then it’s quite simple, Asher. You must decide what’s more important. Defying me or hurting your band.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Victor started to walk away, smiling, because he had the power right now. The power to walk away because Asher couldn’t chase him down.