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 could 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.”
“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.