Part 510
Outside the club, the five bodyguards quickly gathered their charges using their bodies to shield them from the reporters and photographers that had magically appeared. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. This was Lou’s doings; another attempt at discrediting the Backstreet Boys.
In the car, Howie put his arm around Sarah as he said, "Nick called."
"Why’d he call you?" questioned Kevin.
Sarah mumbled, "Probably to avoid YOUR attitude." Howie shot her a stern look and she mumbled, "I’m sorry."
AJ spoke up. "What difference does it make who Nick called? The fact that he called means Pearlman got to Becca."
It didn’t need to be said. They all knew what the phone call meant. Silence gripped the group as the car made its way through the night to the hotel. Each man had his own version of what had happened playing in his mind. It didn’t take much to anger them in the case of Pearlman but to have him going after them through the wives was too much.
Just before they reached the hotel, Kevin broke the silence. His voice was controlled but the anger clear. "Sarah, I promise you, we WILL protect you and Becca no matter what it costs us."
"I know that, Kevin."
"Howie, you need to call Steve and have him here as soon as possible. I’m calling our attorneys and getting them here too."
"If we’re getting the group attorneys, why does Howie need Steve?" asked Brian.
"Because Steve has already started proceedings to stop Lou from printing anything and for what he said in that interview about Howie and Sarah. He can help our attorneys."
Sarah spoke softly, measuring her words carefully. "Kevin, I know that we’ve tried very hard to keep my past quiet but I’m tired and I can’t keep doing this. Becca and I are fair game to whoever tries to destroy you as are the girlfriends."
"’Angel’, what are you trying to say?"
Sarah looked up at him and kissed him softly. "Baby, you’ve been so wonderful in EVERYTHING you’ve done to protect me but it’s time for me to step up and put it on the line to protect you, Kevin, AJ, Brian, Nick, and Becca. My past is going to keep being an issue no matter WHAT we try to do. A statement needs to be made to the press or at the very least, when asked, I don’t want to dodge the question."
"NO!" was Kevin’s resounding answer. "We are NOT sacrificing YOU to protect the rest of us, Sarah. Your past is behind you and THAT is where it is going to stay. The attorneys will handle this."
"But…."
"No ‘buts’, Sarah."
Howie spoke, his voice calm and soothing. "’Angel’, you and I will talk about this later but Kevin’s right. We aren’t sacrificing you to save the rest of us. NONE of us wants that. What we need you to do right now is be ready to help Becca. She’s gonna need you."
As the door swung open, Kevin said, "BOTH of them are gonna need all of us."
It was a somber group that headed up to their floor. On the elevator, Howie held Sarah close, her head resting on his shoulder as his lips pressed against her forehead. He watched her making sure that she was okay.
Sarah watched the men she was with wondering just how much Lou had done to them during the time they were under his management. She and Howie had talked about his association with Lou so she had a pretty good idea about the others. Now, they were fighting with everything they had to keep Lou away from her and Becca.
Stepping off the elevator onto their floor, security was tight, tighter than back in September. The proverbial wagons were being circled; the attorneys and management on the outside, then security, then the boys and finally, on the inside, the wives. No one was going to hurt the wives or one of them no matter what it cost.