Face the Music Read online

  Face the Music

  Synopsis

  Music producer, Mason Liner, has one passion: the acts she can bring to the top of the charts. When the biggest record label in Nashville hands her a new client, country music royalty, Sophie Roddy, Mason’s reluctant to take on a problem diva whose excessive lifestyle almost ruined her career, but can't turn down the challenge.

  Victoria Roddy has lived in Sophie Roddy’s shadow for as long as she can remember. Being her mother's assistant is more than a job description...it’s her life. Now arrogant and aggravating Mason thinks she can turn Sophie’s career around, but Victoria doesn’t believe Mason’s ridiculous demands and exhaustive schedule are what her mother needs right now.

  Mason and Victoria have to work together, so it’s really too bad they can’t stand each other, and even worse that they can’t seem to deny their attraction.

  Praise for Ali Vali

  Double-Crossed

  “[I]f you’re a die-hard Ali Vali/Cain Casey fan and read every book, you’ll be incredibly happy with this one and will be thrilled to find a new series to follow in the same universe.”—C-Spot Reviews

  “[An] action-packed mafia entertainment with a dash of romance. It’s quite good fun.”—reviewer@large

  “[T]here aren’t too many lesfic books like Double-Crossed and it is refreshing to see an author like Vali continue to churn out books like these. Excellent crime thriller.”—Colleen Corgel, Librarian, Queens Borough Public Library

  “For all of us die-hard Ali Vali/Cain Casey fans, this is the beginning of a great new series…There is violence in this book, and lots of killing, but there is also romance, love, and the beginning of a great new reading adventure. I can’t wait to read more of this intriguing story.”—Rainbow Reflections

  Stormy Seas

  Stormy Seas “is one book that adventure lovers must read.”—Rainbow Reflections

  Answering the Call

  Answering the Call “is a brilliant cop-and-killer story…The crime story is tight and the love story is fantastic.”—Best Lesbian Erotica

  “Is there anything better than a smoking hot butch woman in uniform?…If you enjoy stories with stakeouts, gun-slinging butch cops, meddling family members coupled with murder and mayhem around every corner, then this story is certainly for you.”—The Lesbian Review

  Lammy Finalist Calling the Dead

  “So many writers set stories in New Orleans, but Ali Vali’s mystery novels have the authenticity that only a real Big Easy resident could bring. Set six months after Hurricane Katrina has devastated the city, a lesbian detective is still battling demons when a body turns up behind one of the city’s famous eateries. What follows makes for a classic lesbian murder yarn.”—Curve Magazine

  “The plot is engrossing and satisfying. A fun aspect of the book is the images of food it includes. The descriptions of sex are also delicious.”—Seattle Gay News

  Beauty and the Boss

  “The story gripped me from the first page…Vali’s writing style is lovely—it’s clean, sharp, no wasted words, and it flows beautifully as a result. Highly recommended!”—Rainbow Book Reviews

  Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici

  “A stunning addition to the vampire legend, Balance of Forces: Toujour Ici is one that stands apart from the rest.”—Bibliophilic Book Blog

  Blue Skies

  “Vali is skilled at building sexual tension, and the sex in this novel flies as high as Berkley’s jets. Look for this fast-paced read.”—Just About Write

  Beneath the Waves

  “The premise…was brilliantly constructed…skillfully written and the imagination that went into it was fantastic…A wonderful passionate love story with a great mystery.”—Inked Rainbow Reads

  Second Season

  “The issues are realistic and center around the universal factors of love, jealousy, betrayal, and doing the right thing and are constantly woven into the fabric of the story. We rated this well written social commentary through the use of fiction our max five hearts.”—Heartland Reviews

  Carly’s Sound

  “Carly’s Sound is a great romance, with some wonderfully hot sex, but it is more than that. It is also the tale of a woman rising from the ashes of grief and finding new love and a new life. Vali has surrounded Julia and Poppy with a cast of great supporting characters, making this an extremely satisfying read.”—Just About Write

  Praise for the Cain Casey Saga

  The Devil’s Due

  “This is an enthralling, nail biting and ultra fast moving addition to the Devil series…once again Ali Vali has produced a brilliant story arc, solid character development, incomparable bad-ass women in traditionally male roles, leading both the goodies, baddies and cross-breeds.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  “A Night Owl Reviews Top Pick: Cain Casey is the kind of person you aspire to be even though some consider her a criminal. She’s loyal, very protective of those she loves, honorable, big on preserving her family legacy and loves her family greatly. The Devil’s Due is a book I highly recommend and well worth the wait we all suffered through. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out.”—Night Owl Reviews

  The Devil Be Damned

  “Ali Vali excels at creating strong, romantic characters along with her fast-paced, sophisticated plots. Her setting, New Orleans, provides just the right blend of immigrants from Mexico, South America, and Cuba, along with a city steeped in traditions.”—Just About Write

  Deal with the Devil

  “Ali Vali has given her fans another thick, rich thriller…Deal With the Devil has wonderful love stories, great sex, and an ample supply of humor. It is an exciting, page-turning read that leaves her readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.”—Just About Write

  The Devil Unleashed

  “Fast-paced action scenes, intriguing character revelations, and a refreshing approach to the romance thriller genre all make for an enjoyable reading experience in the Big Easy…The Devil Unleashed is an engrossing reading experience.”—Midwest Book Review

  The Devil Inside

  “Not only is The Devil Inside a ripping mystery, it’s also an intimate character study.”—L-Word Literature

  “The Devil Inside is the first of what promises to be a very exciting series…While telling an exciting story that grips the reader, Vali has also fully fleshed out her heroes and villains. The Devil Inside is that rarity: a fascinating crime novel which includes a tender love story and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger ending.”—MegaScene

  “The Devil Inside by Ali Vali is an unusual, unpredictable, and thought-provoking love story that will have the reader questioning the definition of right and wrong long after she finishes the book…first time novelist Vali does not leave the reader hanging for too long, but spins a complex plot of love, conspiracy, and loss.”—Just About Write

  “[T]his isn’t your typical ‘Godfather-esque’ novel, oh no. The head of this crime family is not only a lesbian, but a mother to boot. Vali’s fluid writing style quickly puts the reader at ease, which makes the story and its characters equally easy to get to know and care about. When you find yourself talking out loud to the characters in a book, you know the work is polished and professional, as well as entertaining. Ever just wanted to grab a crime boss by the lapels, get in their face, and tell them to open their eyes and see what’s right in front of their eyes? If not, you will once you start turning the pages of The Devil Inside.”—Family and Friends Magazine

  Face the Music

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copy
right of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Face the Music

  © 2020 By Ali Vali. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-533-2

  This Electronic Original Is Published By

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, NY 12185

  First Edition: April 2020

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editors: Victoria Villaseñor and Ruth Sternglantz

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Tammy Seidick

  eBook Design By Toni Whitaker

  By the Author

  Carly’s Sound

  Second Season

  Love Match

  The Dragon Tree Legacy

  The Romance Vote

  Girls with Guns

  Beneath the Waves

  Beauty and the Boss

  Blue Skies

  Stormy Seas

  The Inheritance

  Face the Music

  Call Series

  Calling the Dead

  Answering the Call

  Forces Series

  Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici

  Battle of Forces: Sera Toujours

  Force of Fire: Toujours a Vous

  Vegas Nights

  Double-Crossed

  The Cain Casey Saga

  The Devil Inside

  The Devil Unleashed

  Deal with the Devil

  The Devil Be Damned

  The Devil’s Orchard

  The Devil’s Due

  Heart of the Devil

  Acknowledgments

  Number twenty-five. Thank you, Radclyffe, for your support, your friendship along the way, and letting me indulge my imagination—I wouldn’t have reached this milestone without you. Thank you, Sandy, for all the great titles you come up with, this one included, as well as all your hard work on all our behalves. Thank you to my BSB family for being there through everything.

  Thank you to my editors, Victoria Villaseñor and Ruth Sternglantz, and all you do to get me over the finish line. You’re the dream team for sure. Vic, you make me laugh as we work our way through these books, which makes the process of learning new things a joyful process. You’re a gift, my friend. Ruth, thank you, buddy, for being an awesome finisher. You’ve been a great friend and it’s an honor to work with you. Thank you, Tammy, too for the great cover.

  Thank you to my beta readers Cris Perez-Soria and Lenore Benoit. You guys and your input definitely make all the difference when I need it most. You guys rock.

  The best experience of finishing twenty-five books is the great people I’ve met and the experiences it’s brought me. Telling the stories important to me is a privilege, but the friends I’ve made along the way has been the best part. Thank you to every reader who’s sent an email, stopped by to say hello at an event, and supported me from the beginning—every word is written with you in mind.

  To C, thank you for all the adventures and all the ones yet to come—Verdad!

  To C

  and

  To the romantic in all of us

  Chapter One

  Damn, damn, damn, damn…fuck. The string of curses running through Victoria Roddy’s mind was a mantra that kept her from screaming until she passed out, or running into the great beyond to start living as a hermit in the first cave she came across.

  “Damn it to hell, kid. Is she ready?” Bryce Benton asked Victoria with barely concealed aggravation.

  Victoria glanced at the door to the studio’s bathroom and tried not to grimace. There really wasn’t anything to say that would sound believable, and she wouldn’t lie or make anything up to try to con her mother’s longtime guitarist. Bryce had been there from the beginning and hadn’t retired to his goats and chickens because Victoria had begged him not to.

  In the last couple of years he’d been her ally in trying to keep her mother, Sophie Roddy, in check so they didn’t miss any professional obligations. Sophie was country music royalty and the reigning queen of Nashville, but it was hard to see the glamour when she had her head in the toilet and mascara smeared around her eyes.

  “She’s not feeling well.” The statement was the one she’d said with more frequency in the last year. “Give me ten minutes, and she should be good to go.”

  He shook his head and leaned against the doorframe. “I love you, kid, but it’s time for either rehab or a vacation so she can drink herself into the oblivion she’s gunning for. Some of the guys are starting to put feelers out for new gigs, and I can’t blame them. I owe it to you to give you a heads-up. Pretty soon the band is going to be me and the crazy guy that plays banjo over on Main.” Bryce put his arms around her when she couldn’t hold back the tears over the whole situation. “I know you love her, but it’s time to stop covering up all the stuff that’s not your fault.”

  “She’s my mother, Bryce. You know I can’t do that.” She took a deep breath and kissed his cheek before stepping back. “Give me ten minutes.”

  “This is going to be a long day, sweetheart. Blowing off a time in the studio is one thing, but tonight we’re going to the Opry. She’s got to be ready. That’s a big stage to fuck up on.”

  No matter how famous an artist was, they were as awed as a newcomer when it came to walking out onto the Grand Ole Opry stage and into the circle. That six foot section that had come from the mother church of country music, the Ryman, gave the new building some of the tradition and magic of the old place. Her mother had been there dozens of times in her career, but tonight’s performance was about to give Victoria hives. Drinking was one thing, but her mother’s new boyfriend Weston Cagle had introduced a cocktail of pills for Sophie to chase down with her drink of choice, Cinclair Whiskey.

  “She’ll be ready.” She said it, but there was no part of her that believed it.

  Sophie’s life of recording, touring, and performing was the only thing Victoria had ever known because Sophie had dragged her along for all if it, although all she’d really wanted was to stay with her grandparents. The only normal life she’d carved out for herself was the four years she’d gone away to college, but her absence had knocked the wheels off her mother’s runaway train.

  Any dreams of pursuing her love of playing her own music had been sidelined when Sophie’s manager quit a month after Victoria’s graduation because he’d been fed up with Sophie’s behavior. Victoria had taken over, but the last three years were about to drive her to drink as a way of escaping the hell her life had become.

  No time to dwell, so she opened the door to Sophie’s moaning and retching. “Are you okay?”

  “What have I told you about this fucking early morning shit?” Sophie got off her knees, staggered to the sink, and stared at the running water like she didn’t know what to do with it.

  “It’s one in the afternoon, and we got here twenty minutes ago. We were already an hour late, and it’s really not fair to the guys.” She handed Sophie a wet paper towel and crossed her arms. “You realize you’re the headliner at the Opry tonight, right? You need to get it together.”

  “And you need to reel the judgment back…a lot,” Sophie said, taking a moment to spit out the water she swished around her mouth. “You know I’m a damn professional who doesn’t need anyone to tell me my goddamned job.”

  “Your job’s been waiting for you for over an hour, and I’m shocked they stuck around. Why is it you’re the only one who doesn’t see that you’re killing yourself?” Her mother rinsed her mouth again and glared at her, making her bloodshot eyes really stand out. It was like looking at a racoon having a piss-poor
day. “Get mad all you want, but it’s the truth.”

  “Let’s go before the world comes to an end, since that’s how you’re spinning it. I just wasn’t feeling well, and y’all all act like it’s a crime.” Sophie smoothed down her platinum-blond hair that was a shade or four too garish to be her natural color and circled her shoulders as if to relax them. The big hair that was her mom’s signature and the moves she was making only highlighted how thin and frail she looked.

  Sophie totally schmoozed the guys in the control room like she always did, but the band didn’t appear at all enamored. They seemed furious until they began, and Sophie started singing. The song that’d probably be the first single off the first album her mom was putting out in four years sounded fantastic with her iconic smoky voice.

  Weston had floated a few songs and expected them to be chosen because of his relationship with Sophie, then got angry and disappeared when they were rejected. He’d made himself scarce around rehearsals and such, and he’d handed Sophie a bottle before they’d left the house. Victoria wanted to throw it away, but that would only start another argument when her mother found it missing.