Face the Music Page 5

  “She could be,” Sonny said. “That’s for you to help her decide. Sophie’s pissed at me and won’t talk to Woody, so I’m leaving it up to you to work through this one. Is she worth saving? That’s the answer I want from you, and I need it soon. But you’ll need to sit with her, talk it out, before we can say for certain. I want you to look her in the eye before you make that choice.”

  “How soon?”

  “Couple of days, Buckaroo, but I’ve got faith in you to get it right.”

  The way her father said it so matter-of-factly made her think he was kidding. “That’s a joke, right?”

  “Not a joke, and you’re already wasting time,” Amelia said.

  The distinct vibe she was getting was that the right answer wasn’t letting Sophie go or letting her sink. “Okay,” she said, elongating the word. “Is she at the same hospital?”

  “Yes, and if you don’t mind, I’ll tag along to see what our game plan’s going to be,” Woody said. “She won’t talk to me, but at least I’ll know what’s going on.”

  “Our game plan is to be real honest, Mr. Woody. I doubt the public’s going to buy she has the flu and overdid it on the NyQuil.” She slapped her hands on the chair arms before standing and saying good-bye. The best course of action was to lock Sophie away somewhere until she was sober and had a plan to stay that way.

  * * *

  “Hey, good-lookin’.” Belle always answered the phone like she was working a sex line. “I missed you when you didn’t come back.”

  “I didn’t come at all, and hearing your voice is most certainly reminding me of that sad truth.” Mason slowed for the gate to open, then punched the accelerator and headed toward Nashville.

  “That’s easily remedied, stud, and you know my address.”

  “I wish that’s why I was calling, but I need you to put on your counseling hat and do me a favor.” She stayed vigilant for deer on the road, but her brain was trying to work out a solution.

  “You know I’m trying to retire from that, but it’s you, so I’ll do my best if what you need is advice. Please tell me it’s not for you personally, though.”

  “My addictions are beautiful sexy women and good music, and I don’t need rehab for either. I’m talking about Sophie Roddy.”

  There was a pause, but Belle didn’t hang up right away, giving her hope that the first plan that had come to her would be feasible.

  “I saw what happened, and I was really sorry for her. Her song ‘Standing’ is one of my favorites.”

  “You do it justice in your show.”

  “Stop buttering me up and tell me what you want.”

  “I’m on my way to Vanderbilt. She had to be rushed there, and someone alerted Sonny.”

  “That’s sad, and a horrible invasion of her privacy.”

  She smiled at Belle’s overprotective nature. “It was, and I agree on the sad part, but you know as well as I do that the vultures who live for this kind of crap will have a picture of her in the worst possible shape by tomorrow. People suck, but downfall stories sell.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  She sketched the general contours of her plan. The best thing for Sophie would be isolation for however long it took, but Mason couldn’t do it alone. “Don’t decide right now, but Sonny gave me two days. I could use your help.”

  Belle laughed. “Are you doing this because you want to make points with your boss, or is it something else?”

  “The first girl I kissed is a moment I’ll never forget,” she said, remembering the hot summer day on her daddy’s ranch. “She had on denim shorts, a tank top, and strawberry lip gloss. We were by the river with a picnic and the song on the radio was ‘Only You.’”

  “Sounds memorable,” Belle said softly.

  “I think about that moment every time that song comes on the radio, and I think there’re plenty more people out there who are waiting to make the same memories. And plenty who have memories like mine.” She parked by the emergency room. “The company will be mine one day, but I don’t deserve it if I don’t even try.”

  “You’re a hard one to say no to, stud, and I’ll take care of what you want. I’ll need about an hour, and a doctor’s assurance it’s okay for her to leave. Give whoever is in charge of her care my cell number, and I’ll take over.”

  “Start thinking of a way for me to repay you.”

  Belle laughed longer this time. “Oh, I have a few things in mind, but remember, I’m in charge. Make sure her people know to stay away until we’re done. If they don’t, this won’t work. And tell Sonny it took God more than two days to create the world. At least, that’s what my pastor was always trying to tell me.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “You always do.”

  The drive home gave her time to think of the best approach to deal with the first problem she’d encounter, and that wasn’t Sophie. It was Sophie’s angry manager. The woman had defended her client even though she didn’t seem to realize the danger of protecting Sophie from the consequences of her actions, but there was something about her that made Mason smile.

  She loved women, all women, but some had a way of grabbing her attention by virtue of the way they walked through the world. Sophie’s manager was fierce, and her anger really set off her beauty, pinging Mason’s hey, look at me response, making her attractive in ways that had nothing to do with beauty.

  “Forget it, Buckaroo,” she said to herself. “If she hated me before, it’s only going to get worse in about twenty minutes.”

  But what the hell was life about if not for impossible challenges?

  Chapter Four

  Sophie fell asleep after her talk with Victoria, and Victoria was happy for the few minutes of quiet. She needed to think about everything her mom had shared with her and all she’d learned about what made Sophie tick. Of course, it could all be a con to get out of the hospital and back to Weston, and Victoria’s cynicism made her gravitate to that possibility rather than to the possible sincerity of her mother’s words.

  “I wonder where that little asshole is,” she whispered as she gazed at her mother. She thought of all those years on the road and the numerous towns and countries they’d visited. It wasn’t the life she’d have chosen for herself, but it hadn’t been without great adventures. All of that seemed like it fell away from Sophie’s mind the day Weston came along with his bag of surprises.

  She made a note to freeze all her mother’s accounts to prevent any withdrawals if Weston wanted to hit the road in style. The idea of moving on to live her own life had to be buried for now—her mother needed her. Bryce walked in before she could make many more notes of things that needed taking care of, and she felt centered when he hugged her.

  “What happened?” Bryce asked, taking his hat off and holding it in front of him like a shield when he stepped next to the bed to look down at Sophie.

  “That asshole Weston called me,” she said softly, telling him the whole story. “She’s never been this bad, and I don’t know if she can go through it again. She almost died.” She pressed her hands to her mouth to prevent the sob from coming out. “Damn, it’s like she forgot she was here last night.”

  Bryce nodded, but a knock on the door stopped him from saying anything as he went and opened it. It was the Banu exec from last night.

  “Hey. Can I talk to you or whoever is in charge of Ms. Roddy’s care?”

  “What are you, a fucking asshole with no heart?” Victoria’s tears dried up, and she slammed her hands to Mason’s chest hard enough to make her take a step back. “She was right. Sonny Liner is an asshole if you’re here to either lecture her or let her go. Would you like to spit on her too?”

  “Honey, wait,” Bryce said, holding her back from hitting Mason again. “I’m the one who called Sonny. You can’t do this alone.”

  “Why?” she asked, not understanding Bryce’s motive. This was a betrayal and nothing less. “Why would you do this to her?”

  “Why not hear me
out before you have me shot and fed to the hogs.” The remark could’ve been condescending, but Mason’s handsome face held no trace of malice or ridicule.

  “Go on, honey, and I’ll stay with her in case she wakes up. She won’t be alone,” Bryce said.

  “This won’t take long.”

  She followed Mason down to the elevator and to the cafeteria in tense silence, where they both got coffee. Her time as her mom’s manager hadn’t given her the opportunity to meet the infamous Sonny Liner, though she obviously knew of him, but his henchman, or henchwoman, was incredibly attractive. The career killer he’d sent looked like a softer version of the Marlboro Man with her white shirt, jeans, cowboy boots, and gorgeous tanned face. The tan really set off the black hair and sky-blue eyes.

  “Maybe we should start with introductions that go beyond I work for Sonny and you work for Sophie.” Mason smiled and the dimples completed the whole perfect package. “I’m Mason Liner, and I work for Banu.”

  “Any relation to Sonny?”

  “Sonny’s my father, but I don’t get any slack for it. If anything, I’m expected to do double the work.”

  “Victoria Roddy.” She ignored the offered hand, not feeling especially social, not that she ever did. Mason lowered it and took a sip of her coffee instead.

  “Any relation to Sophie?”

  “She’s my mother, and you need to understand she’s more than a client. I’m not going to let you destroy her. What are you even doing here?” She combed her hair back and kept her hands on her head. “Sophie’s not that much of an embarrassment, is she?” It was a stupid question, and she knew it. A drunk star falling off a stage wasn’t something any label wanted.

  “Miss Roddy,” Mason said in that same even manner she’d used in their brief encounters. She was controlled but she also sounded warm. “These days an addiction problem isn’t the end of the road the way it perhaps once was, and my being here is to offer my help. The last thing I want is to be the cause of Sophie’s downfall.”

  “What can you possibly do to help her?” This was taking way too long, and she needed to get back.

  “Sonny put me in charge of how we move forward.”

  She slapped the tabletop with her hands and stifled the urge to scream. “And the easiest thing is to drop her, I’m guessing.”

  “How about you listen for a change, instead of attacking?” Mason lost her smile and, with it, the dimples. “I’m not your enemy, and neither is my father.”

  “Then what? What’s your brilliant plan that you think I haven’t tried yet?”

  “Your mom is one of the greatest talents to ever grace the stage, and I don’t want to see that end or to see her gift pissed away by booze and pills.” Mason spoke softly and waved over someone Victoria actually recognized. “All done, Mr. Woody?”

  “The hospital administrator’s been advised of the severe consequences of violating Ms. Roddy’s privacy by anyone looking to make a quick buck.” Woody smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but reciprocate. He’d always been really nice to work with. “Also, Ms. Lenox is here and waiting for permission to speak to the doctor.”

  “What are you talking about, and who’s Miss Lenox?” It was almost like the ground was shifting and she was having trouble getting her footing.

  “She’s a trained detox and addiction therapist with a unique practice. My hope, only if you agree, is to have her work with your mother privately, along with her team.”

  “My mother will never agree to that.” That was the simple truth, and not even the fear of losing everything was going to change her mom’s mind.

  “She needs to tell me what she wants her future to be, but only after the drugs and everything else are out of her system for at least a couple of weeks.”

  Mason was talking but had no clue what the hell she was saying. Sophie was going to tear her to shreds, and that might be the only entertaining part of this whole fiasco.

  “It’ll probably take at least a month for her to get to that point,” Mason continued.

  “Unless you lock her up somewhere, she’s never going to agree to that. You have to have a clue before you start spouting off about her telling you anything.” Victoria finally laughed at the absurdity of all this. “Are you forgetting, we met last night?”

  “I haven’t forgotten anything. Did you forget what I said to you?”

  Saying exactly what was on her mind probably wasn’t a smart move, but Victoria wasn’t as career minded as Sophie and every other wannabe who probably creamed their pants for Mason Liner and her goddamn dimples, but what the hell. “When someone is as big an asshole as you are, Ms. Liner, it’s hard to forget.”

  “If brutal honesty gets you in this big a twist, you’re really going to hate the next part,” Mason said, but the smile and the dimples were back. “And I have to compliment you on your insults. You’ve got a real talent in that department.”

  “What’s your brilliant plan?”

  “I want to lock your mother up in order to sober her up. Take her somewhere isolated, away from the press and other people,” Mason said, completely serious.

  At least she thought Mason was being serious. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?”

  “No, and I need your help.”

  The day had gone from truly crazy to bizarre. “She can barely stand me now,” she said, thinking how sad that was. “I can just about imagine what will happen if I help you do that.”

  “Which would you prefer? A dead Sophie or an angry Sophie? There’s no fixing one of those if that’s the road you take.”

  “Are you going to be this blunt the whole time? A few weeks of you, and I might need therapy myself.” There was no question that her mom was in serious trouble, but she didn’t know if this was the right choice.

  “I realize you think I’m a total asshole—biggest asshole ever, I believe you said—but I’m on your side when it comes to this. Your mother’s important, and it has nothing to do with money or her contract with our label.” Mason’s face seemed to soften. “She’s worth saving, even if she never sings another thing for Banu.”

  “Thank you for saying that.” For a moment, all the fight went out of her.

  Mason nodded and sighed. “I’m not trying to bribe you with sweet words. I’m only trying to help you save your mom.”

  “Where are you taking her?”

  “The best place in the world when you have to go through hell.”

  Victoria thought about this proposition in a different light. If Mason Liner could free Sophie from her addiction, it would also unshackle her to live her life free of the guilt she felt when it came to her mother and all her problems. And Bryce was right. She’d tried to do it alone, and they’d ended up here. She needed help. “Where exactly is that?”

  “Heaven.”

  * * *

  “We need to wait for the toxicology report to see what we’re facing here, but the doctor can at least confirm they got some oxycodone out of her stomach. We won’t know if she ingested anything else until those reports come in,” Belle said when Mason introduced her to Victoria. “The only reason she’s still alive is that she swallowed the pills whole and didn’t crush them.”

  “You think it’s more than that? An opioid addiction will be hard enough, but if she’s mixing it with other recreational drugs, it’ll take more work to get her clean.” Mason had no clue about any of this. She’d dabbled a little in alcohol and women, but never enough to lose control of her life. Addiction had been the subject of more than one lecture from both her parents because of who she was and what she did for a living. That power over people’s futures made it easy to let go of the reins.

  “There’s plenty we need to do to get to the root of Ms. Roddy’s problems,” Belle said, “but the one certainty we have is that she’s in trouble. I think we can all agree on that and go from there.” Belle reached out and covered Victoria’s clenched hands with hers. “She’s lost perspective, and that kind of thing leads you to swallow pills that cou
ld kill you because you either don’t know any better or you simply don’t care.”

  “Which do you think it is?” Victoria asked.

  “I have no idea, and it’s not my job to guess.”

  “What exactly will your job be?” Victoria crossed her arms and glared at Belle.

  Belle leaned away from Victoria and stared at Mason. Her expression was one Mason had never seen, and she couldn’t guess what it meant.

  “Problem?” Mason finally said after a long, uncomfortable silence.

  “She’s either an ally in this, or it won’t work, and if it’s not going to work, we’re all wasting our time.”

  One of the things she liked about Belle was her straightforwardness, but from her experience with Victoria, straight-shooting about her mother wasn’t something she was a fan of. Not in the slightest way.

  “If I’m going to be wasting my time,” Belle said, “I’d rather do it on something else that’ll be a hell of a lot more pleasurable than this.”

  “What do you want from me?” Victoria said, louder than was polite. “You don’t know anything about me or my mother.” She stood and left the room, letting the door bang behind her.

  “Are you sure about this?” Belle asked.

  Mason glanced at the door and shook her head. “Somehow I think my answer should be no, but it’s not like I have a choice.”

  “We all have choices, Mason. I asked already, but are you really doing this for Sophie, or is it something else?”

  “What does that mean, and why do I get the feeling you’re psychoanalyzing me?” She narrowed her eyes, suspicious of Belle’s widening smile.

  “We’ve already discussed your addictions.”

  “What’s your point, Dr. Feel Good?”

  “That’s a really pretty girl,” Belle said, as if it explained everything.

  “And?”

  “Nothing, I’m only making an observation. If your commitment to this is only to the young Miss Roddy, then your plan won’t work even if your heart is in the right place.”