Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)(23)

 

Beth waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it. I get asked that all the time. We have a nanny, but she's sick today." Cade realized that Beth had taken her question differently. Was that the secret? Look at everything with rose-coloured glasses? "We could certainly have hired another one, but I told JP I wanted us to spend time with the kids and not just pass them off to strangers all the time." Beth's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's insensitive of me."

 

Cade was confused at first, but when Beth's eyes flitted to Harley, she understood. "Oh, yeah. I'm more of a bodyguard than a nanny. Most days, at least."

 

The two women chuckled. JP appeared at Beth's side, and right in front of Cade, he wrapped his wife in his arms and plastered a deep kiss on her lips. Their little boy, Dante, snickered. Cade felt a blush on her cheek. She looked away to give them their moment, but unfortunately, she caught Jax's gaze on her.

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

He had a pensive look. His head cocked to one side, a furrow snaked on his forehead, and his lips were pressed into a grim line. She was in trouble. Cade swallowed the lump in her throat before focusing back on Beth.

 

"Wow! That was something!" Beth giggled, fanning her reddened cheeks.

 

JP had a huge grin on his face. "Did she tell you, Cade?"

 

"Tell me what?" Cade raised her brows.

 

JP patted Beth's stomach. "We've got baby number four!"

 

Cade's mouth dropped. Number four? The twins were around six, if she remembered correctly, Dante is just a shy of three. "Oh my … congratulations!" She gave Beth a hug, trying not to be awkward with Dante in the way.

 

Marco and Luke joined them and asked what the happiness and hugs were about. JP announced the pregnancy and the two men kissed Beth on the cheeks. Cade waited for Jax to be a part of the huddle, but he stayed in his spot, fiddling with his guitar.

 

"Can we get started? We're wasting time," Jax yelled.

 

His three band members shared looks, and even Beth seemed to know what was going on. Marco and Luke walked over to Jax. JP gave Beth another kiss before joining his group.

 

"Guess the rumour's true," Beth said under her breath.

 

"Rumour? What rumour?" Cade turned to Beth, asking quietly.

 

Beth clammed up, clearly afraid she had said too much. "Might as well tell you since you'll be affected too." A number of scenarios flooded Cade's mind, each one worse than the last, all of them concerning Harley, as she waited for Beth to continue. "Fiona wants Harley back."

 

A gasp escaped her mouth. Cade turned her head to where Harley bounced on the sofa with the twins, then she locked gazes with Jax. His eyes were brooding and full of agony. A dark cloud hung over his head. In that moment, despite what she had said in the hallway, she hurt for Jax.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Nine

 

 

 

 

 

"Why wasn't I told?" Cade gripped Zee's arm when they found themselves alone outside the studio.

 

Zee stared at the hand on his arm, then at its owner. He looked like he wasn't going to say anything, but then he blurted out, "It's not final. Jax is ready to fight Fiona for Harley." The big man exhaled. "Someone spread a nasty rumour and it reached Fiona."

 

"A nasty rumour? About what?"

 

"You."

 

Cade retracted her hand, as if she was burned by the accusation. She could guess how the rumour started … those groupies. She should have decked them. Her concern had been Harley. If her charge hadn't been in the bathroom with them, Cade would have had them running with bloody noses and bruised eyes to match.  

 

Her temples throbbed. If she didn't stop grinding away her teeth, she'd have nothing left to eat with. "You know it has no foundation," she affirmed. Cade and Zee were not close. They would never be close; the big man made sure of that. He was comfortable being Mac's right hand man, and anyone Mac didn't trust one hundred percent was certainly on Zee's untrustworthy list too. Cade had zero doubts that she was on the top ten of that list.

 

Zee focused on the crowd, which had gathered near the studio entrance. "You're new at this. Be careful who you trust." Zee pinned her with his dark eyes. "People will walk all over you, whether you're dead or alive, to get what they want. Don't say you weren't warned." Then he strode back into the studio, leaving Cade clenching and locking her jaw.

 

Her fury did not subside. Cade tried and failed to focus on the band's songs, but her ire would not lift. Crimson red, as dark as blood, was all she could see. Zee had given her a stern look a few times whenever she glanced his way. She was grateful Harley hadn't noticed. The eight-year-old sat with JP's children, all of them glued to their own iPads.