Mogul (19 page)

“I have to get to the studio,” he said. “Are
you going to be okay?”

She nodded. “Julian will be home soon,” she
said. “And I guess I can call the doorman if there’s an
emergency.”

His jaw clenched. “You can call me, too,
Holly,” he said. “And you should.” He watched her sway on her feet.
As if on second thought, he picked up her suitcase and took it into
her bedroom. She followed behind him obediently. “You should rest,”
he told her when he turned around and faced her where she stood
leaning against the doorframe, staring wistfully at the crib.

She finally, and silently, walked over to the
bed. He turned down the covers and helped her into bed. “Thank you,
Vanni,” she said softly as he pulled the blanket over her legs. Her
eyes met his. “For everything.”

He nodded. “Do you need anything?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but
then seemed to think better of it. She shook her head.

He left her only momentarily to grab a bottle
of juice from the kitchen, which he brought to her along with a
small plate of crackers and peanut butter. “Keep up your strength,”
he advised. “I’ll call you later.”

She nodded again as she snuggled against the
fluffy pillows propped up against the headboard. He gave her a
smile, which she returned. Almost on impulse she reached for his
hand, and he allowed her to guide it to her tummy. She was so thin
the baby bump was more prominent at 13 weeks than Andy’s had been,
but as his hand closed over that firm bump he realized that no
matter how complicated the entire process would be – this baby was
just as important as his daughter with Andy. They were his
children, and they – more so than anyone else in the world –
deserved his best.

It was time to man-up and make it work.

Toward that end he called Yael as he drove to
the studio. “Vacation’s over,” he told him. “We’re getting the band
back together.” He paused only for a split second before he added,
“With Julian.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Burbank, California

March 10, 2011

Vanni was still trying to figure out how he
was going to tell Andy about the new development with the band when
he pulled into the studio lot. He was trying so hard to carve their
happily ever after out of the shithole he’d created with Holly, and
no one was more aware of how impossible it would be to keep the
balance between them than Vanni himself. But what choice did he
have? He couldn’t leave Holly to flounder in squalor until they got
some little piece of paper that made him legally liable for her
child. A child’s life was on the line; this was not the time to
squabble over specifics. That time would come sooner than they all
thought as week chased after week in both Andy’s and Holly’s
pregnancies.

But it really didn’t matter. Holding out any
hope that Holly was lying seemed a complete waste of time to Vanni,
who was certain that the DNA test would prove his obligation toward
Holly and her baby. He’d fucked up so much of his life; this was
just the price he knew someday he’d have to pay. He didn’t deserve
a happy ending… but Andy did.

And so did his children.

So he’d take the lumps. He had earned them
ten times over. He just needed to figure out how he could shield
Andy from paying any further price for loving him. She’d been
through enough. She deserved to be happy with their new home, the
upcoming arrival of their daughter – and ultimately their
wedding.

He decided the first order of business was
not to hide behind Andy when it came to facing Graham. Vanni was no
fool. He knew Graham still loved her. And likely he would do
anything she asked to keep her happy, even when he didn’t agree
with her choices.

After all, he’d let her go in December,
knowing she’d be with another man.

A lesser
man
, Vanni reminded himself.

But it was a dick move to
hide behind her and use her as a shield in his career. He was still
in charge of his own destiny, and he could assert direction over
his career. Graham was getting a sweet deal out of the
Fierce
production; he
could suck it up and allow Julian a gig in the band.

Maybe Vanni could even convince him how much
easier that would make things for Andy. If Julian was the
substitute provider and caretaker for Holly’s child, maybe she
wouldn’t feel so insecure she’d have to come between Andy and
Vanni, trying once again to steal him away.

He was her brother, after all. Holly had to
trust Julian. She had become fiercely protective of her baby; if
she trusted Julian to be around their baby, then Vanni felt he
could extend that same trust to playing guitar for his band. They
could have a cordial working relationship, and Graham could handle
all the legalese that would protect Vanni’s – and Graham’s –
interests.

So it was Graham he decided to tell the news
to first. It just seemed more practical. And he felt sure he could
convince Graham that Andy didn’t need to be bothered with these
minor details that would only serve to distress her.

Graham was in his office on the lot, which
was common now that production had started for the taped segments
of the show due to be broadcast in May. He worked closely with
Shannon on all the details of the show. The two were often seen
tooling around the lot in their golf cart, with Maggie many times
sitting dutifully behind, just close enough to be there if he
needed her.

Vanni knocked on the partially opened
door.

“Come in.”

He pushed open the door. Maggie poured Graham
a cup of coffee where he sat at his desk, but said nothing as she
glanced up to see who had entered. “Hey, Graham.”

Graham didn’t look especially excited to see
the younger man. They had developed a cordial working relationship,
but every time he looked at him he saw a thief… someone who had
stolen Graham’s very future away from him. Vanni had never rubbed
any of it in Graham’s face, but the swagger that made him a
superstar was ingrained in every pore of his body.

It wasn’t personal. It just felt that
way.

“Vanni,” Graham said. He nodded at Maggie,
who discreetly exited the office, shutting the door behind her. “To
what do I owe the pleasure?”

Vanni sat in a chair opposite Graham. “I
wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to go ahead with Dreaming
in Blue. The band is going to be working on instrumentals and
songwriting, as well as background vocals, so that I can pick up
with recording and rehearsals for a tour by the fall.”

Graham leaned back in his chair. “Sounds
good. But I thought you were putting the band on hold indefinitely.
What changed your mind?”

“My boys need to work,” he offered simply.
“It’s not fair to cash in a ten million dollar payday and expect
them to just chill until I decide I need to get back in the studio.
This way, everyone wins.”

“That’s very responsible of you,” Graham
said, as though a part of him was surprised to be saying it.

“You may want to hold off on any ‘attaboys’
until you hear the rest, Graham.”

Graham’s eyebrow rose. “What does that
mean?”

Vanni took a deep breath. “I’ve decided to
bring Julian back into the band.”

“What? Why?”

He tried in vain to remember all the
arguments he had crafted in the car. “It’s complicated,” he finally
answered. “But I think it’s the best solution for everyone.”

Graham was clearly unconvinced. “By everyone,
you mean Holly and Julian. I honestly fail to see how this could
benefit you, Andy or…” he paused ever so slightly, “your
child.”

“I fucked up, Graham. I know that. I really
fucked up. There is no way I can make any of this completely right
for everyone. I’m just trying my best to minimize the damage from
here on out.”

Vanni looked so sincere, Graham nearly
believed him. “So how does it help anyone to put a known criminal
and conman right in the midst of your band? You do understand
you’re tossing a lit match into powder keg, right?”

Vanni leaned forward, his elbows on the desk.
“If we put him to work – honest work – maybe it’ll convince him to
fly straight. Especially since his sister is going to have a baby.
This isn’t some fake baby, this is real responsibility. He’s doing
day labor now just to keep their heads above water. I mean, they
didn’t even come to me for money when they got to L.A. They’re
trying to do it on their own. That says something to me. This way
he can actually make a living doing something positive. And you
know how talented he is. Yael hasn’t wanted to go back to the way
things were ever since he first played with the band.”

Graham nodded with a bemused smile on his
face. “I can’t believe how naïve you’re being, Vanni. You’re
honestly willing to bet your future on a couple of pit vipers on
the off-chance they’ll change. People don’t change.”

Vanni could read well into that thinly veiled
subtext. “People do change, Graham. When they have incentive
to.”

“And what’s your incentive, Vanni?” Graham
wanted to know.

“My family.”

“Which one?”

Vanni took a deep breath. “I know you don’t
like me, Graham. That’s pretty clear. But think about Andy.”

Graham laughed. “How in the world does your
throwing in your lot with Holly help Andy?”

“Holly is operating out of intense
insecurity. The only reason she wants a family with me is because
that will help her kid grow up in a better environment than she
did.”

“That and your money,” Graham reminded.

“She can have my money. I don’t care about
the money. I want to make sure my kid has a nice roof over his head
and shoes on his feet and can go to school without being tailed by
the paparazzi. Taking care of her materially isn’t the problem.
It’s her emotional need that will drive her to do something
stupid.”

Graham didn’t say anything for a long moment.
Finally, “You seem to know an awful lot about what Holly
feels.”

“I’ve been spending some time with her,”
Vanni admitted.

“Does Andy know?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Ah, yes. I forget. You have different rules.
You can have a separate relationship with another woman, that’s in
the game book. What, exactly, are you doing to make sure Andy
doesn’t feel insecure?”

Vanni hadn’t expected the encounter to be
easy, but he was damned if he’d take a browbeating. Especially from
someone so clearly committed to thinking the worst of him.
“Honestly, Graham, that’s none of your business.”

“My business,” Graham repeated. “Funny thing
about my ‘business.’ Everything you do affects it because you are
under my brand. You and your womanizing ways, your colossal public
fuck-ups, your love-em and leave-em, baby mama drama bullshit – all
that affects my business. Every headline your name is splashed
across, every magazine you sell. Every lawsuit, every criminal
charge - all of it… my business.”

Vanni’s jaw clenched but he said nothing.

“But what’s more my business is how your
selfish, entitled, egomaniacal behavior affects someone I love.
See, that’s more than business. That’s personal.”

“She’s not yours to protect,” Vanni reminded
quietly.

“She is if you refuse to,” Graham replied.
“As much as you have a choice on which family you’re going to go
home to, she’s got a choice in whether or not to put up with it.
She deserves way better than what you have ever given her, or even
ever can give her.”

“But she loves me, doesn’t she? And that’s
the part that chaps your ass the most.”

Graham’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the
younger man. “Yeah. It does. But unlike you, this isn’t about
winning for me. I want her happy. Even to the point I’d let her go.
Can you say that? Have you ever been able to say that?”

Vanni leaned forward.
“You’re right, Graham. I can’t let her go. She’s been under my skin
since I met her in a dive bar in Philadelphia. In the last four
years she’s woven herself into my heart. I can’t breathe without
her. And you know what? She feels the same way about me. And that’s
something
you
can’t say.”

Graham glared at him during a fierce
stare-down. Finally Vanni said, “But I understand if you feel that
having Julian would be a liability. In that case I’d like to
formally ask for Dreaming in Blue to be released from our contract
so we can find a new label.”

Graham sneered. “And just who do you think
will touch you with a ten-foot pole?”

Vanni stood. “Maybe I’ll
start my own label. Been thinking about it for a while. This way my
brand is my responsibility only. And despite all the drama, the
lawsuits and the gossip, I still have a whole lot of clout. After
all, you made me a star.
Fierce
should keep that star on the rise. And you trained
Andy well to run things as an executive at a record label, right?
My wife and my right hand… has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?” He
glared down at Graham, knowing his barb had hit its mark. “Think
about it and get back to me,” he spat as he turned on his heel and
left the office.

Graham grabbed the full cup of tepid coffee
and hurled it toward the door. It shattered into a messy stain
against the white door, which a very concerned Maggie opened. “Are
you all right?”

He was trembling with anger. Of course he
wasn’t all right. “I really hate that man,” he gritted through his
teeth.

Maggie closed the door and inspected the
mess. “So I see.” She bent to pick up the broken ceramic cup.

He sighed as he watched her, once again,
clean up his mess. “I’m sorry, Mags.”

She leveled her troubled blue eyes on him.
“Me, too. I hate to see him get to you like this. You’re too good
of a man to sink to his level.”