Read Wine and Whiskey (Surviving Absolution #1) for Free Online Page B

need.”
    “Lives with Carrie Dunbar, noted as her best friend. Degree in
Marketing from UC. Top ten wish granter for sick kids. No arrests, DUIs, diva
behavior, meltdowns, or hotel trashing.”
    Not the usual reputation for a young, rich pop star. Yet, an
exact match to what he knows to be true. Her quiet gentleness is a genuine
reflection of her personality.
    Max flips through the papers. “Even her concert rider is simple—bottles
of sparkling water, fresh orange slices, and some kind of sweets…either
brownies, cupcakes, or cookies.”
    Nick chuckles at the last comment. Of all the demands she could
make, dessert is her top priority. “That’s it?”
    “Yeah, and a few pictures. Some are professional. The others are
paparazzi.”
    Nick holds the photos against the steering wheel, glancing at
them as he drives. The first few are staged, maybe for magazine covers or
publicity shots. Even with the sexy clothes and heavy make-up, her innocent
beauty is undeniable.
    The others are casual. Shae and another girl walking arm in arm
on the sidewalk. Driving her white Infiniti SUV. His pulse quickens at the last
one. She clings to a man with his arm extended, trying to push their way
through a huge crowd of people. Both the guy and her fear make his jaw clench.
    He passes the pictures back to Max, who pushes in the lighter on
the dashboard. “She probably wouldn’t be happy to know you investigated her.”
    A rare feeling of guilt rolls through his stomach. Normally, he
doesn’t care about what people think, but with her… He shakes his head. He
can’t let her be mad at him. “I had to know more about her. She’s unlike any
woman I’ve ever met.”
    “Definitely a good thing, with your track record.”
    The lighter pops out, and Max holds the red ring to the corner
of the folder. As it burns, Nick turns off the highway to a beach access
parking lot and stops next to a metal trash can. Once the flames are a few
inches from his fingers, Max drops the charred file into the bin. When the
papers are completely gone, Nick pulls back onto the road.
    “I need one more thing. Jessica called, but hasn’t left a
message. Find out what’s going on. I don’t want to talk to her if I can avoid
it.”
    Max’s grip around the roll bar tightens as he shakes his head.
“Fuck that! I’ll do your other dirty work, but you don’t pay me enough to deal
with her.”
    “I’ll give you an extra million.”
    “Ten wouldn’t be enough.”
    Nick laughs and pulls into the gym parking lot, scanning the
vehicles before hopping out. His chest tightens at the absence of her SUV. He
strides through the lobby and down the hall, searching the equipment as he
passes. Maybe she’s just running late.
    Jason looks up from untangling ropes as Nick pushes the door
open. “Happy Friday, Nick. Since Shae isn’t coming, I thought we could do a
little cardio once I get these free, and then I’ll spot you while you lift.”
    “Where is she?”
    Finally pulling a rope loose, Jason hands it to him, beckoning
for him to start jumping. “She had a photo shoot for her upcoming movie
release.”
    Damn. Why didn’t she tell him? Once again, she keeps a barrier between
them, assuming he wouldn’t miss her after working out together every day this
week. Too modest to realize he’s disappointed not to see her. “You’d never know
she’s famous by the way she acts.”
    “Yeah, that pop star princess thing is just an image created by
Team Shae.” Jason rolls his eyes as his fingers curl into air quotes.
    “Team Shae?”
    “You know…her manager, agent, publicist .”
Jason taps on his fingertips, ticking off the names, scowling with a level of
disgust usually reserved for serial killers, child abusers, and lawyers. “All
the people who claim to care about her, but really only care about their take
of the money.”
    “Is it really that bad?”
    “In the music business, you have to be very careful who you
trust. It’s just a game to get rich,