Release Me (The Music Within Book 2) (26 page)

Cade
was pacing the floor. Gerard should have called by now. It was an hour past
time for Dwight to be released, and he was going crazy not knowing. He pulled
his cell phone out of his pocket to call his uncle just as the phone rang.

“Gerry?”

“It’s
done. The bastard didn’t give us any trouble other than calling Mal a faggot in
front of Cole and Toby. I thought Toby was gonna rip his throat out with his
bare hands. Probably would have if I hadn’t stopped him.”

“So
who’s delivering Dwight to his new home?”

Gerard
laughed. “Toby. His size along with the sniper rifle are enough to keep Dwight
Wilson in check for a long time.”

“Did
he hesitate to take the money? I know he was hell bent on getting revenge.”

“Nope.
The bastard didn’t even ask how much money was in the case.”

“So
you think this is really over?”

“Yes,
I do. Everyone can go about their lives and not look over their shoulder.”

“Thanks,
Gerry. I appreciate it.”

“One
other thing… I put a paragraph in the document stating he willingly grants
Suzette a divorce. All she has to do is sign the papers I’ve already drawn up,
and I’ll file them with the court. Pretty soon, Miss Suzette will be a free
woman.”

“Holy
fuck, that’s great news!  God, I wish I was there to see her face.”

“What
about Mal’s?”

“I’m
pretty sure I’ve lost him. But at least I can let him go knowing he’s safe and
has a good future ahead of him.” Cade wasn’t ready to let him go just yet. Not
until the day when Mal said the words to his face. The band would be in
Nashville in less than a month. Cade would take the opportunity to go see Mal
then and find out once and for all if they were through.

“I’m
sorry, Cade. Maybe he will come around once you’re off the tour and can spend
some time with him. Don’t count him out just yet.”

“I’m
trying not to, but I’m being realistic. I haven’t heard from him since the day
you called about Mom. That’s a long time to try to figure out your feelings.”

“Hang
in there, buddy. I’m going to call Mal and give him the good news.”

“Thanks.
For everything.” Cade thumbed off his phone and tossed it on the bed. It was a
little after two in the afternoon, and Cade had already decided he wanted to go
to DC and look around. He had been through the capital city once, but had never
taken the time to see the monuments. He knocked on Reed’s door and asked if he
wanted to go sight-seeing. Within half an hour, all four band members along
with their bodyguards, were loaded in two SUV’s and headed south.

To
be such a famous band, the guys were able to move through the city without
being disturbed. Every once in a while, someone would point and whisper, but
the sight of four large bodyguards was a good deterrent. After they had visited
all the monuments and briefly toured the Smithsonian, the guys headed to a
downtown restaurant for supper. The waiting list was an hour long until Cade
slid a hundred to the host. A table for eight miraculously opened up within
minutes. After Cade was seated and had a drink in front of him, it hit him that
Mal would have been irritated at Cade using money to get ahead of other people.
Cade doubted Mal had ever been to a restaurant fancy enough to have to wait an
hour. How he wanted to fix that. He wanted to fix everything in Mal’s life.
Show him things he’d never seen. Take him places he’d never been. He doubted
he’d ever get the chance.

All
night, Cade checked his phone. If ever he thought Mal might text him, it was
after today. After Cade made sure Dwight was no longer a threat. He looked one
last time at the blank screen before giving up and going to sleep. A few more
days of silence, and he would probably give up altogether.

The
band had an early morning meeting, much to Cade’s chagrin, considering he had
only fallen asleep a couple of hours earlier. They talked it over and decided
to head to Ocean City for the remainder of the week. The weather was pleasant
for August, and they all wanted to see the beach. Much like Echo had done the
year before, Afton rented them a house on the ocean that was fairly secluded
from the public. When Cade told Carl the plan, his friend cocked an eyebrow and
gave Cade the
oh shit, not again
look. Cade laughed and punched him on
the arm. “Don’t worry, Carl. My rebellious days are behind me. I want to sit on
the beach by a nice fire and watch the waves roll in.”

Carl
clapped him on the shoulder, smiling sadly. He had confided in his friend about
Mal and the lack of communication. Carl, like Gerard, told him to hang in
there, but the hanging was down to a thread. A thread that was unraveling more
every day.

The
house they were renting was large enough for all eight men plus Afton to each
have their own bedroom. The bodyguards secured the property as soon as they
arrived. Cade didn’t hesitate to make his way down the beach where he stood at
the surf’s edge. The cold waves rolled in and splashed apart, the white foam
stopping just before it reached his bare feet. Mal had never seen the ocean.
Cade took out his phone and made a video of the water. He included his feet in
the picture. Before he hit end Cade turned the phone around and said, “I miss
you, Cowboy. I love you. Still.”  Cade didn’t bother to review the video
before he sent it to Mal’s phone. He probably wouldn’t watch it anyway.

The
other guys joined him, and soon, they had a cooler full of beer buried in the
sand and a fire burning inside a ring of rocks. With Roarke strumming his
acoustic guitar, Reed lent his voice to the melodies. After a few beers, Logan
and Roarke joined in the harmonies, not always hitting the right notes. The
warmth from the fire should have been soothing. However, it was a sad reminder
of Cade and Mal snuggling by the bonfire at the farm. For a couple of hours,
the band belted out both classic rock and country songs. When Cade noticed
Afton had remained in the house, it made him miss Echo something fierce. She
had been all up in their business constantly, but it was because she was one of
them. He smiled to himself and prayed the firecracker was finding her place in
Nashville.

A
small group of people gathered round the men, listening to them sing. Before
the night was over, Cade held out his hand and asked Roarke, “May I?” The
guitarist handed over his instrument, and Cade’s fingers picked at the strings.
The melody took flight immediately, and the tune for the words he had written
came to life on a beach by a fire.

Mal

Mal
and his momma were both safe. Suzette would soon be completely free from the
man who’d caused her nothing but heartache. They were both able to move on with
their lives without having to worry about Dwight Wilson ever again. It was
almost too good to be true.

“Why?”
Mal asked Gerard.

“Why
what?”

“Why
would he do that?”

“Because
he loves you, Mal. He loves you and wants you safe. And happy.”

Because
he loves you.
Mal thanked Gerard for calling, and as soon as he hung up the phone, he headed
over to Walt’s house. He wanted to give his momma the good news in person. When
he told Andy and Bryan they were all safe, the two men hugged him and whooped
and hollered. “We should go celebrate!” Andy crowed, grinning.

“We’ll
do that tonight. Right now, I want to tell Ma the news.”

Mal
had no idea what kind of celebration his housemate had in mind, but he was
looking forward to getting away from the farm for a while. He and Moe loaded up
in his work truck and drove the short distance down the road to where Walt
lived. When he pulled into Walt’s driveway, his friend was looking out the door
holding a rifle. Mal realized he should have called and told Walt he could
stand down. He shut off the motor and jumped down from the cab. He let his face
morph into a smile he didn’t really feel so his old friend would know
everything was okay.

“Son,
what’s going on?” Walt asked from the porch.

“It’s
over, Walt. Dwight won’t be botherin’ us anymore.”

“What
are you talking about? What happened?”

Mal
climbed the steps and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Can we go inside?
I’ve got a lot to tell you both.”

“Of
course. Come on in. Your ma’s fixing some sweet tea.”

Mal
told Moe to stay on the porch before he walked into the familiar kitchen. True
to Walt’s word, there was his momma making tea. She amazed him with how far
she’d come since she moved in with Walt. Not only was she back to cooking, she
had also taught herself how to knit. “Mal, is everything okay?”

“Yeah,
Ma. Why don’t you get done with the tea and come and sit down? I got some good
news.”

Suzette
poured the boiling tea into the jug and stirred it to mix in the sugar water.
She took three glasses from the cupboard and added ice before pouring them all
a tall glass. He wondered if Cade was getting sweet tea wherever he was.

“Mal…”
His momma’s voice startled him. She was standing in front of him waiting for
him to take his glass out of her hand.

 He
took the tea, and once his momma was seated, didn’t make her and Walt wait any
longer. “Sorry. Dwight’s out of prison, but he’s already out of the state. He’s
gone, Ma. The attorney for the company made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
His mom and Walt were aware that Cade owned the company, but it hurt for him to
talk about Cade, so he always referred to him as
the company
. “They
basically paid him to leave and never come back. I’m not sure how they pulled
it off, but Dwight signed a contract that legally binds him to keep his word.
His parole officer was even in on the whole deal. And get this. When he signed
the contract, it was also him agreein’ to a divorce. All you gotta do is sign
the papers, and the lawyer’s gonna do the rest. Ma, you’re free. We both are.”

“Oh,
my god! Mal, that’s wonderful. I can’t believe Cade did that for us. Well, yes
I can. He loves you, so nothing he does surprises me anymore.” Mal and his
momma didn’t see eye to eye on Cade keeping the company a secret.

“This
is cause for a celebration!” Walt pulled Suzette out of her chair, picked her
up, and swung her around as much as he could in the kitchen. “Suze, this is the
best news ever. Now you can really be mine. Not just living here, but really
mine like you should have been all along. Mal, do you give me permission to ask
your momma for her hand in marriage?”

Mal
grinned and Suzette gasped. “Guess you’re not gonna surprise her, huh?” Mal teased,
smiling for real this time. His momma and Walt both deserved this happiness,
and it did Mal’s heart good to see it for two of the most important people in
his life.

“I’ve
already waited too long for this. For her. Now, you gonna give us your blessing
or not?” Walt glared at Mal – like he would actually say no.

“Of
course I give you my blessin’. You’re the best man I know, and I’d be honored
for you to be my step-dad.”

“Your
dad. I know you’re too old to adopt, but if you’ll have me, I’d be honored if
you’d call me Dad.”

Suzette
gasped again, and Mal couldn’t stop the tears. He hadn’t cried in months, not
since the first night he spent with Cade. “Dad…” Mal whispered, trying it on
for size. “Yeah, I like it.”

“Now,
that’s settled. Suzette, would you be my bride? You already know I love ya, and
I promise you’ll be cherished the rest of your life.”

“Yes,
sir, I’ll have you.” Walt picked her up again, but this time he gave her a
kiss. Mal blushed and turned away, giving them some privacy when it got a
little heated. While he waited for them to unlock their lips, he wiped the
tears off his face.

“Okay,
then. The men and me are goin’ out tonight, probably gonna head downtown. We’ll
all get together this weekend to celebrate, if that’s okay with you two?”

“Sounds
good, Son. Y’all be careful. And Mal? At least tell Cade thank you. What he did
was because he loves you.” This was from Walt, but his words didn’t surprise
Mal.

Mal
nodded and started for the door, but turned back. He pulled both his ma and
Walt into a hug. “Love you both.” He left before he started crying again.

Mal
had never seen a man take so long to get dressed. Andy was what Bryan called a
diva. He had less hair than either of them, but he took forever getting it to
spike just so. Bryan was closing up the barn, so Mal decided to check his
phone. Cade sent him at least one text message a day, sometimes more. He had
been worried sick after the cryptic text Cade sent regarding Dwight. He had no
idea what the drummer had planned, but now that it was over, Mal was relieved.
And grateful.

He
had been appreciative of Cade’s money when he hired extra security. And now,
here he was again, spending loads of dough to keep Mal safe for good.
He
loves you
. Mal realized it wasn’t the money, but the man behind it. Cade
didn’t have to pay off Dwight. He could have let Mal’s crazy father come after
Mal and pray the men he hired could protect him. This way, they had a written
contract. Surely his sperm donor wouldn’t be stupid enough to take the money
and go back on his word, knowing what was waiting if he did. Dwight Wilson was
a selfish sonofabitch. Too selfish to put himself in the sights of a rifle. Mal
had seen the rifle. Toby had broken it down, cleaned it, and put it back
together with the ease and expertise of a sniper. The man and his weapon were
one, just as Mal and Cochise were becoming one.

Even
with all the testosterone in the house, Mal hadn’t minded it. All four men were
former military, and all were big, bad motherfuckers. They made Mal feel safe,
but more than that, they befriended him. He didn’t feel like a boss to Andy and
Bryan or a job to Cole and Toby. He didn’t have anything in common with any of
them, but he knew he’d made four new friends. Still, he was sad. He missed
Cade. Missed his voice, and missed his smile. Missed his whiskers on his skin.
He would go out with Andy and Bryan tonight, but tomorrow, he had a big decision
to make.

Mal
wasn’t interested in going to Primus, but Andy was intrigued as hell. Bryan
said he was secure enough in his manhood to hang out in a gay club if that’s
where they wanted to go. Mal didn’t want to go. He didn’t want the temptation.
He was horny, but until things were over with Cade, he was going to remain
celibate. That didn’t mean he had to keep Andy from getting laid. Or at least
blown. While Andy was bumping and grinding with a cute little fella, he and
Bryan kept each other company at a high top table close to the dance floor.
Bryan kept his eyes glued to Andy, and more than once, the look on his face
changed from pissed to heated. Mal had to admit the way Andy was grinding on
the skinny guy was causing a little discomfort in his own jeans. Bryan had said
he was straight, but Mal had to wonder if living with the handsome blond was
messing with him. “You wanna go to a straight club so you can find a woman?” he
offered.

Bryan
crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled, “No,” never taking his eyes off
Andy.  Several men asked both of them to dance, but they declined every
offer. When the same guy approached Mal three times, Bryan growled at him,
“He’s taken, so keep your fucking hands off.”

Mal
was surprised by the vehemence in his voice, but it worked. The guy held his
hands up in surrender and never came back to ask again. “Uh, thanks.”

“I
can’t stand it when someone can’t take no for an answer. Besides, as far as I
know, you are still taken. You haven’t officially broken things off with Cade,
have you?”

Mal
shook his head before taking a sip of his one and only beer. He was the
designated driver, even though this was his night to celebrate. Bryan let the
conversation drop when Mal turned away from him. After a couple of songs, Andy
walked by with the young guy following him. Andy’s dance partner had to be at
least twenty-one, because you had to show I.D. to get in the door, but Mal
would swear the kid was a whole lot younger. He still didn’t see the appeal,
but the smile on Andy’s face was proof he did. Mal had told Andy about the
private alcoves where he could have a little alone time if he found someone to
blow him. Looks like he was about to get lucky. When Mal turned back around,
Bryan was scowling at the back of Andy’s retreating form.

About
ten minutes later, Andy reemerged from the back of the building with a
shit-eating grin on his face. “I can die happy now,” he shouted above the
music. Mal and Bryan finished their drinks, and all three of them headed down
to 2
^nd
Avenue to find something to eat. Something other than
Twinkies.

The
farm was doing well, and Mal had no trouble letting Andy and Bryan run things
for a while. Instead of heading outside as soon as he got up, he told the men
he had some paperwork to do. They never questioned whether he was really
working or not. They left him to do whatever he did in his office behind closed
doors. Mal opened his phone and sent the latest text from Cade to his email. He
printed it off and added it to the back of the notebook. Cade and the band were
walking around Washington, DC, but that was the extent of the message. Still,
he was letting Mal know where he was and what he was doing.