“It’s my own damn fault,” Frank said finally, reaching for the glass. “I built something that I couldn’t handle. I sold myself to the devil, to the suits, to the fans. Everyone got the piece they paid for. There are no more pieces left. Nothing to create new music from. I’m fucking dried up.”
“That’s not true,” I countered. “You have a lot more music in you.”
“Don’t be naïve.” He chuckled, bringing the drink to his mouth. “This song you give me so much credit for isn’t mine. I’m just riding piggyback.”
“You’re drunk, Frank. I don’t see why we need to discuss this right now. Let’s go back to bed.”
He ignored me. “Tell me, you seriously think I deserve all the praise I’m getting?”
“You and Isabella are amazing together. Fans will love you both.” I stepped closer.
“You promised to be honest.” He dropped his gaze to the drink in his hand and scanned the leftovers of the liquor.
“I am being honest. I think what you’re doing is very noble.”
Frank drained the glass and set it on the table next to the empty bottle. Just like my father, he was a miserable drunk. Talking to him was like talking to a wall and I hated it. He made little sense and refused to compromise. But what I hated more was the horrible feeling of dread that had been clutching my gut all night. I was losing this battle to Frank’s demons. Everything we’d built over the past few weeks was crumbling right now like a house of cards.
He said it then, “She’s better off on her own.”
My heart stopped beating. Tightness pulled at my chest. “You’re going to bed.” I reached for his hand.
“In a bit.” He shook his head.
“Come on.” I slid my palm into his to lace our fingers together and made an attempt to get him up, but he was too heavy. “Frank, I’m serious. We have a long day tomorrow.”
His other hand rose from the arm of the chair and grabbed at my leg, pulling me closer. I stumbled and lost my balance. My chin landed on top of his left shoulder.
“You smell nice,” he slurred against my cheek as I tried to steady myself. His alcohol breath was hot and unpleasant.
“I’m really tired. Please, let’s just go to bed.”
Frank’s hands continued to roam my body aimlessly. “You’re the best girlfriend I’ve ever had, doll.”
At that moment, the compliment didn’t matter much, because something dark lurked between us. We weren’t whole anymore.
I woke up at the crack of dawn. My head pounded and every muscle in my body ached from last night’s struggle with Frank. It’d taken me a good hour to get him to calm down.
He slept like a rock while I paced the bedroom and checked my phone. Marshall Burns was all over Facebook and Twitter and judging by the comments, most Hall Affinity fans weren’t as upset as I’d thought they’d be. Of course, a few die-hard Frankie Blade followers didn’t shy away from posting their opinions, but objectively speaking, Marshall was a good choice.
In the kitchen, Hannah was preparing breakfast. She sensed my anger instantly. The bags under my eyes were probably another reason why she asked me if everything was okay.
I shook my head and tossed my phone on the counter, needing a break from Marshall’s face. “He was drinking again yesterday.”
“Aye!” Hannah’s brows knitted together. She palmed her cheeks and gave me a sympathetic look.
“I don’t know what to do,” I confessed. My mind roared after my hell of a night and I couldn’t imagine pulling another twelve-hour day in the studio. Besides, it’d be double the work with Ashton and Levi there today. But the main question was whether Frank would be able to lay vocals hung over.
“Maybe you should tell Mr. Billy,” Hannah whispered, handing me a container with creamer as I fixed myself a cup of coffee.
“Maybe I will.”
My phone rattled against the marble countertop. The call was from Ashton, and while I was tempted to let it go to voicemail, my brother calling me this early could only mean one thing—an emergency.
The panic in his voice twisted my stomach. “My car is gone!” he screamed as a wall of noises came from the background.
“What do you mean, gone?”
“I mean it’s gone from where I parked it.” The din of the street traffic muffled his hysterical sobs. “Someone stole it!”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at Samy’s. I went inside to take care of business. Came back out, the car’s gone.”
I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath through my teeth. Today hadn’t even started yet, but it already promised to be a total shitshow. “First of all, why are you at Samy’s? Second, where did you park?”
“I told you. Levi asked me to pick up a lens.”
Fucking Levi, I growled internally.
“I understand that. Where did you park your car? On the street? In the lot?”
“On the street.”
Somehow it didn’t surprise me at all. My brother and road signs weren’t friends. I should have seen this coming.
“Where on the street?”
“Behind the building.”
“Why didn’t you valet it?”
“A bunch of assholes blocked the entrance. I didn’t have time to wait around.”
Smiling apologetically at Hannah who was unwillingly subjected to my brawl with my brother, I took a generous sip of my coffee to get my brain going. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but your car is probably on its way to some impound lot in Venice Beach.”
“Well, I have to get it back!”
“It’s not going to happen until tomorrow, Ashton.”
“I’ve got gear in the trunk. I need it for today.”
Of course, as if my life didn’t need more complications. Babysitting two grown men had never been so much fun. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I gritted out.
“You know what?” Ashton huffed. “You’re a shitty sister.”
“And you’re a shitty car owner.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and tried to think. Frank didn’t have to be at Sherman Oaks until eleven. Technically, he didn’t even need me to go with
