One Night with a Billionaire

A doctor emerged, and Cade jumped to his feet at the same time Daphne’s manager did.

“She’s sleeping,” the doctor told them. “We’ll keep her in intensive care for the next few hours, but she’s in no danger.”

Kylie watched as Cade’s shoulders slumped in relief. Daphne’s manager simply nodded and began to dial on his phone. Cade watched the man, and she could see his lip curling in obvious disgust. He shook his head and then sat back down next to Kylie, burying his face in her neck.

She hugged him, glancing over at Snoopy. She was deliberately not looking at Kylie and Cade, and she knew that she was probably feeling like Kylie was—conflicted in her loyalties. No one wanted Daphne to destroy herself for Kylie’s happiness. Not even Kylie.

“You okay?” Kylie murmured, running her fingers through Cade’s hair.

He nodded against her throat, and she felt his breath against her skin. “I should call Daph’s family. Let them know she’s out of danger. They should hear about it before they see it on the news.” He straightened, pulled out his phone, and swore under his breath. “No bars.”

Kylie gave him a gentle push. “Go find reception. I’ll wait here and hunt you down if there’s any change.”

He gave her a grateful look, kissed her mouth, and then got up and headed down the hall toward the parking lot, Kylie guessed. The manager followed him, holding his phone in the air and trying to get reception also.

Then it was just her and Snoopy. Carmela. Jeez. Now she was as bad as Daphne.

Carmela looked over at Kylie. She hesitated a moment, then got up and moved to sit down next to her. “Can we talk?”

“Of course,” Kylie said, trying to smile. She was pretty sure what this would be about.

“So here’s the thing.” Carmela squirmed uneasily next to Kylie. She chewed on her lip for a second, and then continued. “Daph’s not my favorite person in the world. I don’t know that she’s anyone’s favorite person in the world at the moment. And I hate what she did to you. With that.” She gestured at her forehead, indicating Kylie’s bruise.

“But?” Kylie asked, sensing this was coming.

“But I am super uncomfortable about you and the guy being so kissy while she’s in the hospital. It feels . . . I don’t know. Disrespectful.”

“I know,” Kylie said, sighing. She kind of felt that way, too. Like she was being a dick by being happy.

“I mean, you couldn’t wait until the tour was done to be all happy with each other? You both knew how fragile she is. It’s not like all this,” she gestured at the hospital waiting room, “is a surprise to anyone.”

Kylie nodded, her guilt overtaking her happiness. Was she being that unfair to Daphne? No one questioned that she was troubled. Thing was, was it fair to ask everyone else to put their happiness on hold just so the precious pop star wouldn’t be upset?

Then again, hadn’t she signed a contract stating she’d do exactly that?

“I just feel . . . I don’t know. Really bad for her. I feel like no one has her back at the moment.” Carmela twisted her hands. “And part of me feels like she deserves it, and part of me thinks that no one deserves this, you know?”

“I know,” Kylie said softly. Because she was thinking the same thing.

—

With every ring of the phone, Cade’s stomach dropped a little lower. God, he dreaded calling Audrey and telling her the bad news. No one deserved to hear something like this over the phone. He thought of the last time he and Audrey and Daphne had been together. It had been in a hospital room then as well. Daphne had overdosed after sleeping with Cade because she thought she’d hurt Audrey and to get at the pills that Cade had been carefully hiding from her, doling out as her doctor prescribed.

Daphne had never really liked rules, though.

On the fourth ring, Reese picked up. “It’s early,” Reese groaned into the phone. “This better be important, man.”

“It’s Daphne,” Cade said quietly. “Can you put Audrey on the phone? She should know that her sister attempted another overdose last night.”

“Fuck!” Reese’s expletive was loud enough to make Cade wince. “That selfish little shit. If she only knew what Audrey—”

A low, feminine voice murmured next to him, and then Cade heard the phone being transferred. “Hello?”

Even through the phone, Audrey sounded in control. Indefatigable. So very different from weak, brittle Daphne. “Hey, Aud,” he murmured. “How’s the baby?”