accent. Her eyes scanned down over the muscular chest on display through a half-buttoned multi-colored shirt. If Brogan Byrne was as good looking in person as his brother, maybe her job wouldn't be as arduous as she imagined.
"Carly Montgomery. I'll be managing your brother going forward."
"Fair play. I'm Nevan Byrne. He is going to need some managing and some babysitting. Good luck with him."
Nevan started for the door. Carly halted him with her hand on his arm. "You're not leaving, are you? I could use your help, you being family and all. I have to get him on a plane for New York."
"I'm not my brother's keeper, not anymore. I'm not sticking around to wipe his nose or his arse. That's your job, one you're being paid to do."
The man spoke with no emotion. Jeez, cold bastard . She could imagine his family had had enough of Byrne, though. She couldn't really blame him.
Carly sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I can smell your brother from here."
She glanced over to the darkened corner of the large dressing room. A rather well-shaped and muscular bare ass was clearly visible along with a long, lean, gorgeous body face-down on the bed. Even his calves were perfectly shaped. Loud, ragged snores wafted across the room. Carly let her admiring gaze linger.
She turned to Gio briefly. "Get him in the shower, stuff him into some clean clothes, and toss him into the limo. We leave right away. I'll deal with the stadium guys. They'll have to bill us for this mess."
Carly glanced around the room: broken lamp, empty liquor bottles, half-eaten pizza and—yuck—a used condom.
Carly turned back to Nevan and flashed her most charming smile. "Sure you don't want to come to New York? Cascade will pay all your expenses. In fact, I can put you on the payroll for this leg of the tour if you'd like. Name your price."
Gio went to the bed and slung a still-unconscious and naked Byrne over his shoulder like a sack of dirty laundry. He headed toward the bathroom.
Carly smiled again. "Gio is my muscle and my assistant. I think he will do nicely for handling your brother. Is there anything you can tell me about him, anything I should know, besides the obvious?"
Carly watched in amusement as Brogan Byrne was taken away. She soon heard the water running and a shout from the rock star. No doubt cold water. Good.
"What else is there to tell you? Lately he's been a stranger to me, as he is to our younger brother, Reese, and his own girlfriend, Abbie. They were here last night. Brogan all but forced them to join an orgy he had going on. He needs medical care. I was going to take him to the doctor—you can do it. He needs to dry out. He needs a swift kick in the arse. And I'm sorry, it won't be me. I'm not interested. Not anymore."
Carly observed the pain that flickered briefly in Nevan's eyes. Oh, he cared. He'd had enough of his brother's antics and needed out. Well, she couldn't force him. She reached in her pocket and handed him her business card.
"If you should change your mind, call me. I'll do what I can, but if his own family can't get him to straighten up and fly right, I can't see me having much success. My job is to see he is sober and able to perform on the night of the concert. What he does in between shows—" Nevan Byrne flashed a brief, pained expression again. "Okay, I'll try. If I have to hire someone to stay with him day and night, I will. But the record company and the concert promoter will put up with only so much."
Nevan nodded, "Tell Brogan." He slipped the card in his shirt pocket. "I'll try to make the Newark concert, but I can't promise."
Carly said, "Fair enough."
* * * *
"Where the feck am I again?"
Looking at him, Carly shook her head. "Are you going to become one of those pathetic, burnt out, brain-fried bastards who need index cards wherever you go so you know what city you're in?"
He interrupted her and in an uninterested tone explained, "Love, I always needed index cards to tell me what city
"Carly Montgomery. I'll be managing your brother going forward."
"Fair play. I'm Nevan Byrne. He is going to need some managing and some babysitting. Good luck with him."
Nevan started for the door. Carly halted him with her hand on his arm. "You're not leaving, are you? I could use your help, you being family and all. I have to get him on a plane for New York."
"I'm not my brother's keeper, not anymore. I'm not sticking around to wipe his nose or his arse. That's your job, one you're being paid to do."
The man spoke with no emotion. Jeez, cold bastard . She could imagine his family had had enough of Byrne, though. She couldn't really blame him.
Carly sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I can smell your brother from here."
She glanced over to the darkened corner of the large dressing room. A rather well-shaped and muscular bare ass was clearly visible along with a long, lean, gorgeous body face-down on the bed. Even his calves were perfectly shaped. Loud, ragged snores wafted across the room. Carly let her admiring gaze linger.
She turned to Gio briefly. "Get him in the shower, stuff him into some clean clothes, and toss him into the limo. We leave right away. I'll deal with the stadium guys. They'll have to bill us for this mess."
Carly glanced around the room: broken lamp, empty liquor bottles, half-eaten pizza and—yuck—a used condom.
Carly turned back to Nevan and flashed her most charming smile. "Sure you don't want to come to New York? Cascade will pay all your expenses. In fact, I can put you on the payroll for this leg of the tour if you'd like. Name your price."
Gio went to the bed and slung a still-unconscious and naked Byrne over his shoulder like a sack of dirty laundry. He headed toward the bathroom.
Carly smiled again. "Gio is my muscle and my assistant. I think he will do nicely for handling your brother. Is there anything you can tell me about him, anything I should know, besides the obvious?"
Carly watched in amusement as Brogan Byrne was taken away. She soon heard the water running and a shout from the rock star. No doubt cold water. Good.
"What else is there to tell you? Lately he's been a stranger to me, as he is to our younger brother, Reese, and his own girlfriend, Abbie. They were here last night. Brogan all but forced them to join an orgy he had going on. He needs medical care. I was going to take him to the doctor—you can do it. He needs to dry out. He needs a swift kick in the arse. And I'm sorry, it won't be me. I'm not interested. Not anymore."
Carly observed the pain that flickered briefly in Nevan's eyes. Oh, he cared. He'd had enough of his brother's antics and needed out. Well, she couldn't force him. She reached in her pocket and handed him her business card.
"If you should change your mind, call me. I'll do what I can, but if his own family can't get him to straighten up and fly right, I can't see me having much success. My job is to see he is sober and able to perform on the night of the concert. What he does in between shows—" Nevan Byrne flashed a brief, pained expression again. "Okay, I'll try. If I have to hire someone to stay with him day and night, I will. But the record company and the concert promoter will put up with only so much."
Nevan nodded, "Tell Brogan." He slipped the card in his shirt pocket. "I'll try to make the Newark concert, but I can't promise."
Carly said, "Fair enough."
* * * *
"Where the feck am I again?"
Looking at him, Carly shook her head. "Are you going to become one of those pathetic, burnt out, brain-fried bastards who need index cards wherever you go so you know what city you're in?"
He interrupted her and in an uninterested tone explained, "Love, I always needed index cards to tell me what city
Similar Books
Worlds Enough and Time
Joe Haldeman
Say Yes
Mellie George
The Unexpected Guest
Agatha Christie
The Devil—With Wings
L. Ron Hubbard
Acrobat
Mary Calmes
The Wheel of Darkness
Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
Secrets of a Summer Night
Lisa Kleypas
Life on the Preservation, US Edition
Jack Skillingstead
