Face the Music Read online

  “Unless you’re blind, the young Miss Roddy isn’t a fan of mine, and my commitment is to getting Sophie back to a place where she can be comfortable in her own skin. I’ve got some experience in that area.” She’d been an idiot to think a no-strings relationship wouldn’t come with, well, strings. Jealous women were gifts from Satan. “All I need to know is if you can do the job.”

  “I didn’t tell you that for the reasons you think, stud.” Belle moved until she was behind her and placed her hands on her shoulders. Mason smiled when Belle kissed the top of her head before resting her chin on it. “Victoria Roddy comes with her own set of complicated problems, and she and Sophie feed off each other. In a healthy relationship that’s a good thing, but this thing between them only further entrenches their problems. When the solution you pick is drugs and booze, it’s a vicious cycle.”

  “What’s Victoria addicted to?” The feel of Belle pressed to her was something she was trying to commit to memory. Once they started down this path, it’d probably be the end of their intimate relationship. That didn’t rise to the level of making her sad, but she was really disappointed. Belle wasn’t simply a great bedmate, but an interesting woman. They could still enjoy a great friendship, but the sex would be hard to forget.

  “If I had to guess? Anger, and she’s got an infinite supply of it.”

  “Hmm.” Victoria Roddy did seem like a woman wound a little too tight. The day she snapped she’d probably take out whoever was within a hundred feet of her. “What’s she so mad at?”

  “The root of a lot of people’s problems begins and ends with the woman who gave them life. Not everyone is as lucky as you, Mason. Amelia is a gift God gave you because she knew how to handle the blessing of a child. That obviously can’t be said of Sophie Roddy.”

  Mason thought for a moment, lulled by the way Belle massaged her shoulders. “It’s a lot to ask, Belle, but will you help them both?”

  “Only because it’s you who’s asking, and only if you allow me to do my job.” Belle held her tighter before letting go completely.

  “You’re in charge here as much as you are at Skull’s, Madame Lenox.”

  “Good. Your assignment is the young Miss Roddy. Sophie won’t have a choice for a while, but her daughter needs to come to me for help of her own free will. The only way to get her to do that is if someone takes her by the hand and leads her.”

  Mason laughed without humor. “I take her by the hand, and I’ll be in a cast for six weeks when she breaks my arm.”

  “Don’t forget who you are, stud, and I’m not talking about your last name. Amelia raised you to be a compassionate soul, and that’s what Victoria needs.”

  Nothing like throwing your mama’s teachings at you to get you to behave. “I’ll try my best.”

  “That’s good enough for me, and we both need to get to it.” Belle kissed her before leaving, and it gave her a few moments to think about what came next. Two days wasn’t enough time to give her father a complete update, but that’s what she had.

  “Suck it up, Liner, and get to it.”

  It took her an hour to find Victoria, who made a sad picture sitting outside on a bench, alone in the dark. The attractive strawberry-blonde resembled her mother somewhat but not completely, which made Mason wonder who Victoria’s father was. The real question was where was he, and didn’t he know his kid was in trouble?

  “Mind if I join you?”

  Victoria didn’t turn around, but she did shake her head. “Why are you really doing this?”

  The question smelled of distrust and accusation, but she thought of what Belle had said. “How about we make a deal that’ll last exactly the time it’ll take for us to get through two questions.” She held her hand out and waited.

  “Depends on the two questions, I guess.” Victoria took her hand and held it.

  “I’ll answer your question about why I’m really doing this,” she said, holding Victoria’s hand tighter before letting go. There was no way for her to know for sure, but she had a feeling Victoria didn’t care for manhandling, no matter the circumstance. “And you answer my question.”

  “Like I said, it depends on what it is.”

  “What does your mother mean to you?”

  Victoria laughed and combed her hair back, making Mason notice the slight curl in it. “Can we start with something easier?”

  She smiled, but not too widely. She didn’t want Victoria to think she was taking this lightly. “Nothing says you have to answer right this second, but that’s my question. The answer to your question is simple. My father gave me discretion on what to do for your mom. The easiest solution would be to mind my own business and do nothing, but I listened to her music tonight, and it touched something in my soul.”

  “Get to know her, and she’ll kill that as fast as if she’d used a gun.” Victoria spoke softly, but the hurt in her voice resonated as much as Sophie’s music had. “I’m sorry. That was a horrible thing to say.”

  “We all carry our pain, Miss Roddy, and it’s what we use to shield us from any further wounds. Don’t be sorry. Just let me help your mom get back to life without all this.”

  Victoria nodded, her shoulders hunched like she was protecting herself. “Go ahead and try, but let me warn you about being disappointed. She’s my mother and I love her, but her greatest talents are her voice and disappointing people who love her.”

  “I’ll do that, if you promise to stop blaming yourself for all of this.”

  Victoria finally really looked at her. “Why do you think I do?” Those pretty green eyes filled with tears but they didn’t fall.

  “Because you’re sitting out here crying in the dark. Those tears mean you love her more than anyone in the world, but you don’t know how to help her.” She took a chance and wiped away the few tears that had finally fallen. “Together we can give it our best, and the rest will be up to Sophie.”

  “Thank you, but I can’t let her go alone. Not to a place I don’t know.”

  “That’ll be up to Belle Lenox.” If they’d had a moment, the expression Victoria was giving her meant it was over.

  “That’ll be up to me. If you want me to go along with all this, don’t forget it.”

  “I very much doubt you’ll let me forget that or anything else.” Mason smiled and was relieved when Victoria gave her a small, quick smile in return. She was pretty, but the shadows in her eyes warned of a woman who didn’t trust easily, if at all. That wasn’t someone she needed to waste time getting to know, but her allure made Mason want to take on the challenge. Okay, maybe allure was a little over the top, but Victoria Roddy wasn’t a woman easily ignored, and she had Mason’s attention whether she liked it or not.

  “Shall we?”

  Victoria nodded and Mason tried to convince her head that the words didn’t go well beyond just the obvious. The problem was, her heart knew better.

  Chapter Five

  “Get Victoria in here.” Sophie pulled the sheet up to her neck as if it would protect her from Belle and the two guys she’d brought with her. “Get out.”

  Belle was familiar with all the steps Sophie would go through before the recognition of what was happening finally sank in and she accepted nothing was going to change the course they were on. The next month was going to be hard, but not as tough as the next week or so as Sophie’s body went through withdrawal.

  “Victoria’s busy right now, but she signed off on you coming with us. There’s no choice in that, and you’ll make this easier on yourself if you simply agree.” Belle didn’t make any moves toward the bed, wanting to avoid a violent outburst.

  “Give me my fucking phone.” Sophie’s screaming brought the doctor to the room. “Get Weston on the phone and tell him I’m ready to go home.”

  “I’d rather not do restraints, but if that’s what it takes, I will. All we need is a clean exit out of here.” Belle spoke to the doctor but kept her eyes on Sophie, already missing the life she was working toward.

  She’d done this for years, staging interventions and private rehab for the privileged few who achieved the kind of fame Sophie had, but who then handled the stress of it with chemical enhancements to cope with their chaotic lives. Getting them back to sobriety had burned her out, and she’d escaped to Skull’s and her girls. When she was onstage, her only responsibility was to her audience, and she didn’t have to peel their layers away to figure out what their problems were or how to help them. She lost herself in performance and music. Yet here she was.

  “A little sedative will do the trick,” the doctor said, “and the laundry area is empty at this time of night, so that’s your best bet out.” The doctor waited for the guys to hold Sophie down before injecting the small dose that would make the move more manageable.

  “I’ll have your ass for this,” Sophie said, but she was already speaking softly. When her eyes closed, the doctor escorted them out the way he’d mentioned.

  There was an ambulance waiting for them, and the EMTs were quick in transferring Sophie from the hospital bed to the gurney. Belle closed her eyes when she was seat-belted into the back, knowing it was at least thirty minutes to Mason’s, and she was curious about what she’d find. Her relationship with Mason was about fun and mutual satisfaction, but she wasn’t familiar with the rest of Mason’s life.

  Until this moment, she hadn’t given it much thought. What Mason did when they weren’t together wasn’t something she dwelled on because she knew the parameters of their relationship or, more accurately, their arrangement. Mutual satisfaction was at the center of who they were together, so this was weird. Once she exposed all of Mason’s secrets, perhaps it’d make it harder to stick to what they knew, but it was too late to turn back now.

  She opened her eyes when they stoppe
d, and she heard the driver talking to someone. Belle glanced outside and saw they were following a utility type vehicle, and it took a few minutes before a beautiful house came into view. The rest of her team were waiting at the front, but there was no sign of Mason.

  “Hey, Belle,” Cassandra Unger said as Belle stepped down from the ambulance. “We’ve set up in one of the guestrooms, and there are another three right by it. I went ahead and set the schedule, but I thought we’d take the first week.”

  Belle had worked with Cassandra from the time they’d graduated together and Cassandra now owned the practice they’d built together. Their specialty had been private, individualized rehab for the rich and famous, away from any type of formal treatment facility, which minimized the chances of anyone trying to exploit their recovery. She and Cassandra still saw each other, though, since Belle gave her dance lessons, but it had been a while since they’d shared anything like this.

  “If anything, we get to enjoy how the other half lives while we work.” She heard snorting coming from the other side of the white fence close to the drive and went to investigate. Belle smiled when she saw the large black horse staring at them as if they were bothering him and his home.

  “That’s Zeus, and he runs the place,” Mason said as she materialized out of the dark. “He should be in his stall, but we give him the run of the farm.” Mason raised her hand, and the stallion pressed his nose to it. “He probably came out to see who’s disturbing his domain.”

  “You have a beautiful home, Mason.” She scratched Zeus between the ears, and he whinnied loudly. “Maybe it’s time to share it with someone.” It slipped out, and she hoped Mason didn’t take it as some kind of hint.

  “My big boy is a major pleasure hound, so stop before you’re out here all night, and I share this place with Jeb.” The horse trotted off when Mason kissed his nose and gave him a gentle shove.

  “Who’s Jeb?”

  “That’d be me, ma’am.” The tall African American man who’d joined them had a handsome face and a head topped with gorgeous snow-white hair. Belle didn’t know him, but she had a sense she’d like him. “I’m Jedidiah Abbott, and I’m Blue Heaven’s manager. We got everything you requested, but if we’re missing anything, give me a call.” He handed over a card with his name and information.

  “Thank you, and I’m Belle Lenox. I appreciate the help.”

  Jeb took his hat off to shake her hand, and smiled when they touched. “Mason did a good job describing you, ma’am, so I know who you are. I’m pleased to meet you.”

  “I’ll have to hear what she said later. Right now I should go see our patient.” Belle placed her hand on Mason’s forearm and gazed up at her. “Hopefully you’re not a light sleeper. Once that sedative wears off in about an hour, Sophie is going to raise forty kinds of hell.”

  “Do whatever you need to. I’ll be okay. I’m going to wait for the delightful Miss Roddy and get her settled before I decide on my sleeping arrangements.”

  Belle kissed Mason’s cheek before walking toward the house. She certainly seemed to know her audience, since both Mason and Jeb stayed quiet until she disappeared into the house. The extra roll of her hips had to be the cause. “It’s good to know my glamour works without the pasties on,” she said softly, glancing back once before going through the front door.

  * * *

  “You sick in the head or something?” Jeb asked with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

  “Some people certainly think so, but why do you ask?” Mason shook her head, remembering the last time she was alone with Belle and how sexy she was in that bustier, but it wasn’t the time to dwell on that. She wanted to get some sleep, but tired didn’t seem to trump horny, and she was certainly both.

  “I’d be begging that woman to take my ring. She’s beautiful.”

  “She’s also smart, kind, and sexy as hell, but she doesn’t want my ring, or anyone else’s. Belle’s a strong woman who knows what she wants, and more importantly, what she doesn’t. I’m not it.” The quiet was broken by another vehicle approaching.

  “You’re an idiot.” Jeb slapped her on the back and laughed when Victoria got out of her car. “Or maybe you’re after something else.”

  She rolled her eyes at the absurd thought. “Do I look suicidal to you?”

  “That little bit scares you?” Jeb laughed as he started toward Victoria.

  “Scared is a strong word, but after a few minutes you do feel like running.” She lifted her hand in greeting, and Victoria’s stony expression never changed. “Can I carry your bags upstairs, or are you going to come and go?”

  “Where is she? I want to see her.” Victoria spoke as if she didn’t hear a word Mason had just said.

  “Right this way.” Mason glanced at Jeb before walking off. “Meet you down by the west barn at seven. Thanks for tonight.”

  “The girls did all the work, and you were right. Sometimes running keeps you sane.”

  She laughed and then guided Victoria upstairs, but they heard the screaming way before that. Whatever was wrong with Sophie, be it withdrawal or cravings, it was making her nuts. The behavior was totally out of control and irrational, but the addict could no more help that than breathing. Mason had only seen it once before, and she prayed, at least for Victoria’s and Sophie’s sakes, this time the result would be different.

  “Maybe you should wait a few days.” She wanted to spare Victoria some of the pain this was going to inflict. Not that she hadn’t endured enough already, but the coming days were going to be a fresh kind of shit storm.

  “Maybe you should worry about yourself, and I’ll worry about me.”

  Then again, maybe Victoria was a masochist without any of the fun parts. “Go right ahead.” She pointed to the door before going back down to the kitchen for a drink. The screaming went into overdrive as she got to the bottom step, and from the sound of it, Belle was louder than Sophie. Then a door slammed, and it was back to the Sophie Roddy show.

  Both Victoria and Belle had no problem finding the kitchen. Mason poured herself a glass of orange juice, and both of them stared at her as if she was supposed to pick sides. She’d rather stick a fork in her eye.

  “Mason, it’s time for you to explain to Ms. Roddy how this works. If she’s not intelligent enough to follow the rules, I’m out of here.” Belle didn’t give her a chance to refuse. She walked out and left a pissed Victoria behind.

  “Juice”—she held up the pitcher—“and don’t.” Victoria was going right back upstairs from the set of her shoulders, and Belle seldom if ever kidded about walking away. “Don’t go back up there. Belle’s methods may not be orthodox, but they work, and you need to fall in. If Belle quits, we’re right back to what got us here, and there’s no guarantee Sophie survives the next round. What about that do you not understand?”

  “She’s all I have left. What about that do you not understand?” Victoria shot the words at her like daggers. “I’m not leaving her to face this alone. She needs me.”

  “How about we compromise? There’s another option that’ll keep you close by but not in the house. Will that make it easier for you?”

  “I’m not leaving,” Victoria said each word slowly and angrily.

  “I know you don’t want to hear this, especially from me, but what she needs is to face this alone. She got to this point alone, and that’s the only way for her to get out of it. Belle will navigate her through it, but the last thing your mom needs is a crutch. You keep giving her a pass, and she’ll keep taking it right to the grave.”

  “What the hell do you know? You’ve probably lived a charmed life, with your dimples and big house. What do you know about this kind of pain?”

  Victoria apparently had a real talent for finding the vulnerable fleshy parts and driving a knife right through them with no hesitation.

  Mason’s anger simmered red hot right under the surface, but she remembered her promise to Belle. “I know plenty.” She moved slowly, and Victoria seemed wary, but Mason put her arms around her and held her. Victoria was stiff at first, but it didn’t take long for the tears to come and totally overwhelm her.

  “Oh, Christ.” Victoria clung to her in a desperate kind of way.