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You unravel my maze, the light in my haze

You’re everything I need to know

You may drive me crazy

But when I’m with you I’m just Casey,

and that’s how I know,

that’s all I need to know,

I’m yours”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I hate lying to the two people I care about most, but they can’t know about my deal with the devil. While Callie and Luke watch a movie in the living room, I tell them I’m going to get some air.

There’s nothing I like about heading two floors down to suite 208 instead.

I take the stairs to avoid being seen. I’d like to encounter as few people as possible. The door to the suite opens the moment my knuckles make contact, as if he was waiting for me.

“Come in. Didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” Orin’s oily smile triggers a twinge in my stomach.

I enter the suite, but stop just inside the foyer. The door shuts behind me with an ominous click.

“If I do this, I want all the pressure off Callie and Luke. Spin whatever the hell you want to make this go away, but I want it gone.”

“Callie?” he asks with a predatory edge. “The new girlfriend?”

“Swear it. I’m not saying shit until you do.”

He searches my face in the light of a crystal chandelier. Nomatter how hard he looks, he won’t find a single flinch or sign of weakness. I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life. He already sent the documents confirming what we agreed on, but I want to hear him say it with my stare cutting into his.

His shoulders sag slightly before he squares into battle mode. “Fine. But whatever you have better be good. What can I get you to drink?”

Somehow I manage not to laugh when he heads toward the main area of the suite. As if I’d ever accept a drink from this person.

“We can do this right here,” I say, holding my ground.

He spins back in surprise. “You’re not serious.”

“I’m not going further into your room, Orin.”

His gaze turns dark, but at least he doesn’t insult me with weak protests and pretend confusion.

“Fine,” he snaps. “This better be good.”

I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.

After a long pause, I force the words out. “I will give you three exclusives. Also, as soon as we’re done here, I’m calling my manager and the Label to let them know I spoke with you. If you fuck with me, you’ll have them to deal with as well, got it?”

He holds up his hands. “Of course. Damn. When did you get so paranoid?”

I ignore the ridiculous question. “The first is about my on-again-off-again relationship with Jana Furmali.”

“The actress you’ve been dating?”

“Yes.” I take a deep breath. “It was never real. Well, it wasn’t supposed to be. It started as a PR move. The engagement she keeps talking about was part of the original plan. We would have called it off, eventually, but she needed a boost and the Label wanted to inject fuel into NSB’s sputtering PR engine. We were becoming irrelevant, and I was the only band member left with a high enough profile to matter.”