The Last Love Song (A BWWM BDSM Romance) (21 page)

Afraid isn't the right word, that man is afraid of nothing
. He just couldn't face the questions - he couldn't face the guilt. And those paparazzi assholes would go for the jugular.

I sat back down and finished my drink alone. Then, I finished his. Then I blotted away some errant tears in the bathroom.
I'm not actually crying over this. We can still fix it. I can fix it. I can do anything
.

But, staring at my mascara-smeared reflection, I wasn't so sure. I couldn't change my life for him, I wouldn't even consider it. And I couldn't change him. I'd gotten him to open up a little, but he'd shut right back down faster than a rat trap. And he'd fled.

Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe I'd go home and write another heartbreak song.

San Francisco. It was with a heavy heart that I watched out the window as we landed on the tarmac. Vaughn hadn't contacted me since he left me in the bar, and I hadn't reached out to him either. I wasn't sure if I was giving him space or giving up.

Lexi had certainly made her opinion known. "You don't want any bad press right now, and he's bad press," she said.

"Oh, give it a rest," I said with a dismissive wave, "The tour sold out in less than two minutes. What are you so worried about?"

She didn't answer. I was beginning to wonder if she was just sick of her job.

"Is everything ready for the party tonight?" I asked. I knew the crew was itching for a little celebration. We'd be too tired for much as the tour wore on.

"Yes," she said, "I'm going to go ahead but the limo will pick you up either in front of the hotel or the back. They'll let you know."

I nodded my approval. "And security? I won't tolerate another Camden slip-up."

Lexi rolled her eyes. She rolled her damn eyes! "They'll be on the lookout for anyone not on the list and anyone with the blasphemous yellow flowers."

"If you have a problem with any of this, Lexi-"

"It's fine," she said, "It's just frustrating. He's still trying to push artists at us for collaborations." She waved a dismissive hand at me. "Pauline even thinks some of them might be a good idea but we know you won't go for it."

"She thinks they're a good idea?"

"Yes." She gave me a level look. "Your Camden ban is cutting off a pretty decent pool of new musicians."

"Look around you, Lexi. We don't need them. We're doing perfectly well without them."

"We're just considering the future. That's all. His brand is growing, and one of these days-"

"One of these days he’s going to snap and you’ll all see what I saw. I just hope no one else gets hurt while you all work with him and pretend that he isn’t a lit stick of dynamite." I squeezed my eyes shut.

I knew why she was saying what she was saying. It was one of my biggest fears - eventually Camden could hold more influence over the music industry than I did. And when that day came, it could very well be the end for me.
They don't know how unstable he is. He's big fucking trouble.
I kept waiting, waiting for the day that his true colors showed and it all blew up in his face. It would happen, dammit. I would keep my throne, and he and his "brand" would fade into obscurity. He wouldn't be a threat anymore.

"I know what you're saying," I said, "But I have been nothing but clear about this."

Lexi looked away. "You're the boss."

Damn right.

◦◦◦

Gavin was the only one riding over to the party with me. Lexi would already be there, and Pauline was running late. He was very excited about it. "Will you and Pauline play matchmaker tonight?" he asked, practically bouncing in the seat facing me. "If you do, I'd like to volunteer myself."

I gave him an indulgent smile but I made no promises. I wasn't in much of a partying mood. The limo pulled away from the hotel and onto the highway, and I stared out the window and watched yet another city roll by.
Back to recording after this tour
, I promised myself.
Writing, recording, and not traveling at all
. I needed a much longer break from the road than the one we'd just had.

We were stopped at a stoplight only five minutes from the venue when a car pulled up next to us and four figures filed out. Gavin sat up with alarm as they circled our car. "What the fuck-"

Glass shattered. The driver spat curses as someone reached inside and cut his seatbelt with a big pair of scissors, then pulled him out through the window by his collar. The same happened on the passenger side - my bodyguard was bodily yanked from the car.

"What the fuck?! Who the fuck are you?!" I shrieked, reaching for my door. I swung it open - and Camden caught it.

"Hey there, Z," he said.

My stomach churned and I tasted bile.
He's finally gone off the deep end - and he's going to take me with him.

The opposite door opened and one of Camden's suits yanked Gavin from the car and sent him rolling on the pavement. Then the guy got in.

All the doors closed. The engine revved, and the limo flew forward, stealing me away.

Camden stroked my hair. "Did you miss me?"

I jerked away. "You sick fuck, what the fuck are you doing? Are you insane?" I already knew the answer to that myself.

He shook his head. "I know that song was about me, Z, no matter how much you deny it."

My phone was in my purse. But my little eye-flicker in its direction was all the hint that Camden's goon needed - he grabbed it and he sat on it. "Dumb fuck," I snarled at him. "This is kidnapping. How much is he paying you for kidnapping?"

The guy only glanced at Camden before studiously staring straight ahead and not replying, like a good goon should.
He must be getting a pretty nice bonus check
.

That left Camden. Or the driver and the guy in the front, but somehow I didn't think yelling at them would get me very far. "You can't really hope to get away with whatever it is you're trying to get away with, here."

"Sure, go ahead and press charges," Camden said. He pressed a tablet into my hands. "Just be prepared for me to release this."

It was
me
on the screen. Eight years younger, naked, posing for the camera, giggling about it. "You told me you deleted this," I hissed in disbelief.

"I lied."

"You've had this all this time?" I stared at myself, fascinated. The years had been mostly kind to me, but that fresh and youthful smile, that carefree attitude, that was all long gone. "Why now?" I whispered.

"Because of that guy," he sneered. "Your bodyguard. I can deal with you being alone. But not with someone else." His face twisted as he spoke. Like a madman. "You're mine, Z, even when you're not."

I slammed the tablet to the floor. "You bastard. What the hell do you want? I'm not getting with you, Camden, not ever. Not even this video will make me do it."

The limo pulled to a stop. "Where are we?" I asked, peering out the window. The sun hadn't fully set yet, and though our windows were tinted I could see that we were in a deserted parking lot. "Camden-"

Someone knocked on his door. He opened it with a smug grin.

My jaw dropped. "Lexi?"

"Zenaida." She had her clipboard with her. As soon as she was seated next to Camden's goon, she passed it to me. "What the fuck is this? Are you in on this? Do you have any idea how much time you'll serve for being involved in a kidnapping, you dumb bitch?!" I was working myself up into my famous fever pitch, but Lexi remained calm.

"This isn't a kidnapping, this is a negotiation. Sign these contracts and the video never sees the light of the internet."

I slapped the clipboard to the floor. "And what are you getting out of this?"

"A promotion."

Figures
. Camden retrieved the contracts from the floor. "It's nothing so onerous," he said, "Just a few endorsements, a few collaborations. Appearances. All fairly ordinary."

"And you think our labels will just play along?"

"Have you been under a rock? I've transferred. Your label signed me this week."

My world was falling apart around my ears. My own label - traitors. I almost started reading the contracts, just to check them out, to see what exactly he was after. But then Camden upped the crazy - just as I knew he would. Just as Lexi and apparently else didn't seem to believe he could.

He grabbed my hair and dragged me to him, making me lean awkwardly across the seat. He buried his nose in the straightened black locks and inhaled deeply. "God, I've missed you," he said. "Do you know how often I watch that video?"

I bit my tongue.
Don't scream. Calm him down
. "Nobody wants to know about that, Camden."

"I will have you back," he hissed down at me. "Your girl here tried to keep you and that white dickhead apart but obviously she did a shit job!" He shouted the last two words and twisted my hair even harder. I swallowed a yelp.

"Camden, come on, this is just business. Let her go." Lexi sounded nervous. Obviously she'd underestimated this man's level of crazy.

But I hadn't, and I wasn't now. I had to swallow my own terror and diffuse him somehow or else all of us were in serious trouble.

"Just let me go and I'll sign," I said.

He smashed my face into his lap and screamed, "Not good enough, Z!" I struggled to escape but he was too much stronger.
Shit, shit, not again, I'm not doing this again!
Then suddenly his grip loosened and he was smoothing my hair back. I turned my head away from his crotch but I didn't dare get up. Resting against his thigh, I tried to catch my breath and tamp down the panic that was threatening to grip my mind.

"Baby," I said, "Do you want me to write a new song? About you? You can add that to the list."

"Not one of your bitch anthems," he snarled, his hand gripping tight and threatening to tear my hair out.

"A love song!" I yelped, "One just for you!"

"Lexi," he said, "Add it to the deal."

The girl had remained silent and still and she made no move to change her frozen state. "Lexi!" he barked again. I could only see her knees; her body jerked as if she’d been shocked back to life.

"Okay," she said shakily. She retrieved the clipboard from the floor.

I waited quietly while she wrote.
All I have to do is get out of here in one piece. He can take that contract and fuck himself. He can show that video to the world. I just need to escape.