Her Reckless Rockstar by Gena Snow

Chapter 19

 

Tristan

 

 

 

It’s nearly four in the afternoon, and I’m leaving the studio to help Avery and Harper pack.

I say goodbye to Dylan and Brian and get in my car, but my phone rings before I start the engine. It’s Max.

He doesn’t even say hello but barks as soon as I answer it. “What the hell are you and Avery doing? What game are you playing?”

“What’re you talking about? We’re getting back. She and her sister are moving into my house.”

“I know. You told me that this morning, but it’s not what she says on Twitter.”

“What does she say?”

“She’s just posted something there, like two minutes ago.”

I get to Twitter right away and check, and then my blood drains from my face.

“I’m sorry to announce that Tristan and I are splitting. He’s a wonderful person, but I don’t deserve him…”

What the fuck? “I’ll call you back, Max.”

I hang up to call Avery, but noticing an unopened text message from her, I open it instead.

Avery:“I’ve thought about it long and hard, Tris. I think we should split sooner than later. You’d be better off without me, trust me. I’m going to be out of town. I need a vacation. And please don’t try to look for me.”

Shit. I release the brakes and speed toward Avery’s apartment. I knock on the door but hear no answer.

“Avery! Harper!”

I call both of them but again get no answer.

When I walk back to my car, the door of the house across the driveway opens, and a man steps out. I turn to look. He’s the perv who watched me by his window when I was here before.

I tense up when he speaks to me. “Avery isn’t home,” he says.

I shrug. I don’t know how close Avery is to her neighbor, and I don’t want to talk too much, especially he probably knows who I am. “I know. I’ll be back.”

I walk a few steps, and then an idea strikes me, and I turn. “They haven’t moved out, have they?”

“I don’t think so,” he says. “Avery’s got a large suitcase with her, but Harper looked like she was going to work.”

Good. That means at least Harper still lives here and will be home.

Without thinking, I hand my business card to the man. “I’m Tristan Alton, Avery’s husband. If you see either of them come back, let me know. I would really appreciate that.”

“Sure, no problem!” the man grins and introduces himself. “I’m Bob, her landlord. It’s an honor to meet you!” For some reason, his smile unsettles me, and I instantly regret speaking to him.

 

 

I’m holding Avery in my arms, kissing her and stroking her soft body. She moans and returns my kiss while gripping my morning wood. …

“Oh God, baby. Tell me you’re mine.”

“I’m yours, Tristan. Forever yours.”

My seed fills her hot pussy, and spills onto the bed. It’s all wetness around me….

I wake. Shit. It’s a wet dream. The pillow next to me is empty, and the sheet is sticky with my come.

Fuck.

It’s been two days, and I still haven’t heard from Avery and her sister.

I’ve issued an announcement on social media, telling my fans that Avery and I are working things out.

I also texted to tell her that I loved her and would wait for her to come back.

We’re coming close to our first virtual concert, but I’m not even excited. I’ve done a lot to promote the album, gone as far as keeping a fake marriage. In retrospect, it was a poor decision. It brutally changed Avery’s life, and she clearly has a hard time adjusting to it. It was foolish and selfish of me to hope she’ll change her mind and stay married to me. A wise thing to do would’ve been annulling the marriage and building her trust before proposing to her properly.

I clutch the pillow that still has her scent, and hold it and kiss it. And then my cell phone beeps.

I glance at it. It’s an incoming message from an unknown caller. I tap on it and my blood freezes in an instant. It’s a photo of a nude woman, a very young girl, definitely underage, and she’s none other than Avery!

My cock swells right away. She looks very young, even younger than I first met her. Her innocent eyes look vulnerable—my stomach clenches. The picture cries sin.

Who the hell sent this? Not Avery, no. She wouldn’t do such a thing. She was mad when I took her nude photos.

Another message arrives shortly. “If you do not want it to appear on social media, contact me.”

What the hell? My blood chills to a freezing point as soon as I realize I’m being blackmailed.

I begin wishful thinking that the picture isn’t Avery’s. But no matter how many times I look at it, I can’t deny the fact. She’s a lot thinner back then, but her young curves are already beautiful and resembling what I’m familiar with. Her brown eyes are so innocent that it hurts me to gaze at them. She’s smiling, but it seems forced and it isn’t hard for me to detect the shame and fear in them. Who took the picture? I want to find the bastard and murder him.

Why did she let anyone take the picture? I clench my jaw as I recall her angry face when she deleted the pictures on my phone. My God! This is why. She must’ve been forced to take these pictures or have done it without a choice. And she hated it. This explains why she doesn’t trust men like Harper said. Regret stabs my heart like a sharp knife. I was such an idiot.

 

I should probably call Max or a lawyer first and ask them what I should do, but I’m not in my right mind, and I dial back instead.

A man answers it on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Who are you?” I ask. “And what do you want?”

“I want a hundred grand, cash.”

I recognize his voice right away.  Avery’s landlord. “You’re Bob, the man I spoke to the other day!”

“Very well,” the man chuckles. “I’m glad you remember me.”

“Where did the photo come from? You sick bastard!”

“I took it,” he says. “I didn’t force her to. She willingly posed for me.”

“Liar! You must’ve made her. She couldn’t possibly be willing.”

He chuckles again. “Well, it was a business transaction. You see, she thought she was paying rent, but in reality. I was doing her a favor. The hundred grand barely covers what she owes all these years.”

My heart bleeds. I was right. Avery did it out of no choice. “You’re a monster. I’m not going to pay you.”

He scoffs. “Are you sure?”

Damn. I’m not. “I’m going to call the police.”

He laughs louder. “No you are not. Letting the cops involve in this won’t do you or her any good. You might be able to save a few grand, but think of how she’ll suffer.”

He’s got me. Money is not my primary concern. I would rather die than publicizing Avery’s picture.

“I’ll write you a check, and you’ll get it from my lawyer,” I say. 

“Very well,” the voice says. “I’ll be waiting.”

After I hang up, my impulse is to call or text Avery. But I have no idea what I’m going to say to her. It must be shameful to her. Suddenly, everything makes sense. I understand why Avery pulled the stun on me when she and Harper were supposed to move to my house. Bob must’ve blackmailed her first, and she realized the photos would hurt me, so she took off and broke up with me.

Jesus. She did it to protect me and my band. My heart aches for what she’s gone through and her sacrifice for me. How could this little girl be so strong? I’m supposed to be protecting her, not the other way around. And I don’t even know where the hell she is.

Knowing neither Avery nor Harper will respond to my phone calls or texts, and Harper must be in school instead of home, I call my brother Jared instead.

“What’s up?” Jared sounds surprised because I don’t call him often.

“Hi Jared, I’m sorry to bother you, but can you do me a favor? I need to get hold of Avery’s sister, Harper, right away. She’s a student at your college. I know she has a class right now, but I don’t know which classroom. Can you do a search for me?”

Jared pauses, obviously not willing to. “Why can’t you call her?”

“She isn’t answering. Avery broke up with me and I don’t know where she is. Someone is blackmailing me using … some of her photos. I need to speak to Harper to discuss my options.”

“Christ. Okay, just hold on. What’s her last name?”

“White. Thank you. I owe you one.”

 

Half an hour later, I’m at Alton College, waiting for Harper’s class to end. Her mouth drops when she walks out of the classroom.

“Tristan!”

“Where’s Avery?” I ask, ignoring the people that stare at me.

“She’s err… on vacation,” she stammers. “And I promise not to tell you the rest.”

I pull her out of the building and find a private spot on the lawn.

“Why did she leave me suddenly?”

“I can’t tell you. But she does it for you.”

“Really?” I’ve guessed it. “Does it have to do with some pictures she took in the past?”

Harper gasps. “How do you know?”

“The guy is blackmailing me.”

“He is? That pervert! He has the nerve. How much does he want?”

“A hundred grand.”

She gasps again. “No, don’t pay him.”

“But he’ll post the picture online and I can’t let it happen.”

“Poor Avery,” Harper’s face crumples as tears roll down her cheeks. “But you must not pay him. Avery did what she did was so you wouldn’t have to. Do you understand?”

“I know,” I sigh. “But I can’t let her deal with it alone. I’m going to speak to my lawyer soon, but I need to know what exactly happened. How and why did she let the guy take the photo.”

Harper struggles with her emotions for a moment and then told me what happened. “We couldn’t pay the rent. Our mom wasn’t around, and he threatened us with eviction.”

That fucker. I clench my fist and smash it against the tree trunk next to me. I want nothing but to put my hands on Bob’s bony neck and strangle him.

“She hated it, Tristan. She hated it!” Harper says while sobbing.

“I know!” I pat her back. “But she shouldn’t have run away. She should’ve told me.”

“She couldn’t have. She was afraid you would despise her. And she saw what a storm her last interaction with the bar customer caused, so she thought it was better you had nothing to do with her.”

“No, it’s not the only way,” I say.

“What’re you going to do?” Harper asks.   

I sigh. “Like I said, I’ll ask my lawyer. But I’ll probably pay for the ransom. I can’t let the photos be seen by the public.”

“But Avery doesn’t want you to. She wouldn’t mind.”

“I doubt it,” I say. “And I mind. She is my wife. I won’t allow anyone to humiliate her like that.”

“Why don’t you just call the police?” she asks.

“I don’t want the world to know about it,” I say. 

Harper smiles through her tears. “Avery is lucky to have you, Tristan.”

I smile. “Now tell me, where the hell is she?”

She bites her lip and pauses. “She’s in… Mexico.”

I don’t believe her. She’s still lying because hell, she isn’t looking into my eyes when she says it.