Chapter 34

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FOUR

The ringing of Cillian’s phone woke him. He didn’t recognize the number, so he hit ignore and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep even though it was daylight, but now that his brain had registered it was morning, he needed to take a piss.

His phone buzzed; the caller had left a message.

“Fuck it.” He rolled back over and picked up his phone.

Snap stretched, pushing against his leg, then walked over his bladder and balanced on his ribs before settling on his chest and purring obnoxiously loud.

Cillian scratched Snap’s ears as he listened to the message, fully expecting it to be a scam call of some kind.

His hand stilled, and he forgot how to breathe.

It was a lawyer wanting to speak with him regarding his client, Hayden Davidson.

Snap nibbled on his fingertips, wanting the petting to continue.

Cillian couldn’t move.

He wanted to delete the call, but he was one hundred percent sure the man would just keep calling. He tried to swallow, but his mouth dried and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

As soon as he refused to lie, his dirty laundry would be pulled from beneath his bed and displayed for public consumption.

“Stop it.” Cillian lifted a finger. He did not need his fingers smelling of cat breath. Snap went to bite it, so to stop the nibbling, he resumed scratching beneath Snap’s chin.

He needed coffee.

He wanted to run away and disappear.

Which wasn’t exactly possible when he had to perform and was booked up for the next couple of months.

He needed a plan.

First, text Dahlia and tell her that he’d been contacted and ask if it was okay for him to return the call and tell the truth.

He typed out the text while Snap helpfully rubbed his head on the corner of the phone, which resulted in Cillian dropping the phone on his face.

“For fuck’s sake.” He lifted Snap off his chest and sat up, then fixed the text and hit send. “You need to learn some boundaries.”

Snap head-butted his elbow and made a move to settle in his lap.

“Nope, I am wide awake, in need of coffee and food, and I should go to the gym.” He was up early enough that he had time to stop at the grocery store on his way home, and if he was really on top of things, he’d throw his sheets in the wash.

Stress tended to push him into doing something… everything.

Snap glared at him. This was not how they started the day.

“I’m just as pissed as you,” he assured the irritated feline before setting him on the floor.

He stripped the bed, putting the sheets in the washing machine before making coffee. He fed Snap, and himself, changed for the gym, and was remaking the bed, with Snap’s help, when Dahlia got back to him.

Yes, go ahead.

What kind of answer was that? Was she not going to share anything? He wanted to know the color of the ducks she had in a row. He was assuming they were ducks… they might be swans, or something else.

Anything you want to share?

No. I don’t think there will be any blowback. He’s going to have his own ethical problems.

Cillian read the message twice, not entirely sure what she meant, only that Hayden must have done enough to get himself into trouble, and she had the evidence.

He finished making the bed, only needing to put Snap on the floor twice, before steeling himself to make the call. What should he say? How should he say it? He paced, waiting for someone to pick up.

The receptionist answered. “Hello. Thank you for calling Mr. Smith’s office. How may I help you?”

“This is Cillian Fraser, returning Mr. Smith’s call.”

“Just a moment.” Hold music played.

The washing machine finished, so he put the phone on speaker and pulled out the bedding to elaborately drape over the clothes airer, and two dining chairs.

Sure, he could toss it into the tumble dryer, but it was warm enough that it would dry during the day.

“Mr. Fraser, I’m glad we could connect.”

Cillian scowled at the bullshit. “What’s this regarding?”

“You are a friend of Bianca Wright and Hayden Davidson?”

“I only know Hayden because of Bianca.”

The lawyer was silent for a moment. “Would you be willing to write a statement regarding Biana and her relationship with my client?”

“Sure.” His heartbeat was loud enough that Mr. Smith must be able to hear it.

“Specifically regarding her infidelities.”

Cillian drew in a breath. “I don’t know of any.”

“But you were close to Bianca?”

Had he been? Or had they moved in the same circles and liked each other well enough to say they were friends? “Not really.”

“You did a series of performances with her.”

“Yes. I do performances with lots of people and so does she. It’s our job.”

“You spent a lot of time with her while she was with my client.”

“That tends to happen when you’re working together. If you are insinuating I had an affair with her, you’re chasing the wrong man. I’m a gold star gay.” He hoped Mr. Smith squirmed.

“A what?”

Cillian smirked. “I have never been attracted to women or slept with one.”

“Oh.”

“Do you still want me to write a statement?”

“I’ll get back to you.”

“No, you won’t. If you wish to contact me again, please do so via my agent, Dahlia Edwards. Her information is on my socials and website.” He hung up and leaned against the wall, shaking out his hands.

That was fucked up. What had Hayden told his lawyer?

He definitely needed to go out instead of dwelling on the mess, and going to the gym would burn some of the adrenaline away. His heart was beating fast, as if he’d already completed a full workout.

By the time he left the gym, unable to push too hard on the weights in case he fucked himself up when there were still shows to go, he had a text from Anthony and had four irate calls from Hayden.

None of which he was brave enough to listen to.

Not even Anthony’s.