“Dax, I never meant to hurt you. Please believe me. I loved your mother, but I knew I couldn’t offer her the life she deserved. I left both of you so that you’d be taken care of. I never cashed that check. I didn’t want Tyler’s money. I just wanted you to have the best life possible. That’s why I left.”
“Do you want some kind of medal for not taking that money? Should I pat you on the back, Dad?” He paced the room, ignoring his ringing phone. “You’re a selfish asshole. A real man wouldn’t walk away from his responsibility as a parent, and certainly wouldn’t leave his own kid to be raised by someone else.”
“You’re right. It was wrong of me to discard you like that. But Tyler made it clear—”
“Fuck Tyler!” Daxton flipped over a table, liquor bottles crashing to the floor. “You let him call the shots? You’re fucking weak! A pathetic excuse for a man…for a fucking human being!”
“Dax, please. I came to try and fix this. Just give me a chance. I realize what I lost all those years ago. Your mother’s death crushed me, and I regret every day I didn’t have her in my life. I wasted so much time. I don’t want to lose any more.”
Daxton gripped the top of the couch, his thoughts swallowed by the clanging between his ears. Clenching the leather in his fists was the only way to keep them from pummeling Sam. “You’re twenty-four years too late. Thank you for showing me the kind of man I never want to become.”
“Dax, give me a chance. I’m your father. I want to make things right.”
“You’re not my father. You were a sperm donor, nothing more.” He opened the door. “Thanks, you’ve delivered your message. Now you can get the fuck out.”
Sam rose from the couch, eye-level with Dax. Same dark hair, same deep-set eyes, same muscular build. But beneath the surface, Sam represented everything Dax resisted. For all these years, he’d felt out of place, unwanted, and rootless. But standing next to this man, his legitimate father, it only amplified the feelings of rejection and abandonment. Through the years, Tyler had been cold, unfeeling, and standoffish. And even though he took care of Daxton as if he were his biological son, their relationship was rocky at best. They’d spent more time at odds than not, but Tyler never walked away from his self-imposed responsibilities. Not even when his mother left.
Now she was gone forever, and he’d never be able to talk to her again. He’d never be able to tell her how much he’d missed her, to cry at her bedside, or to say goodbye. He’d been grieving the loss for so long, yet the emptiness always remained, along with the flicker of hope that she’d come back. Damn her for thinking she knew best and for breaking his heart.
Closure. It had always eluded him. Maybe it was because he was on a never-ending futile quest – always trying to tie up the wrong ends…for the wrong reasons.
Chapter Twenty-Four
MICS WERE ALL IN PLACE and tested, and the room was set up according to the specifications she’d received from her boss. Calls to all the local press outlets were in progress, and Sara’s phone beeped incessantly with notifications from the team in Houston. But what would the message be? She’d been so occupied with the press conference, Gia’s condition eluded her, though all accounts were dismal. She seemed like such a sweet girl, always so peppy, and talented as hell. It shouldn’t have been her. It should have been me.
Her ringtone echoed in the empty room, silencing the dark thoughts. Casie’s name flashed on the screen. She stabbed the Accept button. “Casie, have you heard anything? How’s Gia?”
“Still in surgery. She’s in bad shape. They induced a coma to bring down the swelling in her brain, but her body is really mangled. It doesn’t look good. Lots of internal bleeding, too. That’s the big concern right now.”
“Oh my God…is she going to…?” No, don’t even say it. If Sara had been on that stage minutes earlier as planned, she’d have been lying on that gurney alongside Gia.
Casie sighed. “I really don’t know. Just try and hold it together. We’re handling the situation here at home. Stick with Kat; make sure she has your support and run point on anything she needs. We’ll get everything taken care of, I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Just remember, nobody makes a comment until after the press conference.”
“Got it.” Sara’s throat tightened.
“Security is ramping up as we speak. I’ve made arrangements for local police to monitor stage setup crews for the remainder of the tour to make sure there’s no foul play. No stones will be left unturned.”
Sara tugged at her earring. Daxton had spoken to security about her situation. They must have alerted the police. Better to let the authorities handle the investigation and for her to keep quiet. If something leaked, it might put the whole tour in jeopardy. It was time to trust in the team paid very highly for their protective services. “Let me know if you hear anything else.”
“Hang in there. We’ll chat again later.” Click.
Sara gnawed at her lip and studied the pages of notes in her hand, full of details about Punk’d, the replacement opening band – three guys, kind of dirt baggy-looking, greasy, and tattooed. Maybe the appeal was in their music. Riders for each scheduled venue for the remainder of the tour had been faxed over, and the PAs needed to start gathering items for the green rooms.
Green rooms…Dax. Where was he? He said he’d be back as soon as—
Another loud ring sent her leaping into the air with a gasp. Jeez, she was so jittery. Guess that was an unfortunate consequence of being stalked by a psychopath.
Her throat tightened as she stabbed the Accept button for the second time. “Mom?”
“Sara, what is so urgent? Don’t you know it’s election season? Your father and I have been working night and day on the campaign. You’re supposed to be keeping yourself occupied and out of trouble with that little public relations job in Houston.”
“I’m not in Houston right now. I’m in Phoenix, on tour with a band. There’s been an accident.” Her voice quivered. “I’ve been getting threats, Mom. Someone knows about that night.”
“Sara, I really don’t have time to play a role in your soap opera. You’ve already done plenty to sabotage your father’s career. I don’t think I need to remind you that had you been a better, more obedient daughter, you never would have gotten yourself into this predicament in the first place. Our lives have been thrown into upheaval because of your poor judgment.”
Tears stung her eyes. “Why is it always about you? Do you even care that someone is after me and trying to hurt me?”
“Enough with the dramatics. We have tried for so long to steer you in the right direction, but all you did was rebel and challenge us at every turn. Your behavior was appalling – parading around with your delinquent boyfriends, the drinking, the drugs…frankly, I’m glad you’re gone. Shame on me, I thought we’d raised you better.”
“Shame on you is right! You’ve treated me like an accessory all my life! I was a prop, not a daughter! Color-coordinated, coiffed, and manicured. Smile when I say. Retreat to your room when we’re done with the photo-ops. Speak only when spoken to. Keep the pole up your ass. It’ll help with your posture.”
“We gave you everything and you pissed it all away. You left because you weren’t strong enough to face the situation you created!”
“That’s not true! You and Dad banished me so it wouldn’t hurt your perfect little bullshit life!” The anger she’d kept bottled up for the past twenty-two years erupted, and the release wasn’t nearly as cathartic as she’d hoped. Because at the end of the day, her worst fears had been confirmed. Beneath all the posturing, her parents really didn’t care at all. She was a component of their plans, a checkmark on the list of requirements for a political candidate. There was no remorse or tearful apology from her mother.
Cold was an understatement for the tone of her mother’s voice. It was more like top-of-Mount-Everest-frigid. “If that’s how you really feel, Sara, then I think we’re done. Your father and I have spent far
too long trying to clean up the messes you’ve created.”
“You know what, Mom? Maybe if you’d treated me like a daughter instead of an employee, things between us might be different. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I have a list of regrets miles long. But isn’t the point of living and learning that you try to make your situation better? To reconcile with the people you’ve wronged?”
The silence was devastating, and so telling at the same time. “I can’t discuss this anymore. Your father needs me.”
Sara’s heart plummeted into her designer boots as the line went dead. Your father needs me. What about your daughter? Doesn’t she rate? Did she ever?
She stared at the phone in her hand, the answer plain as day. With a stifled sob, she sank into one of the chairs. Her life had been a gargantuan snowball of mistakes and regrets, gathering speed, poised to crush her.
“I’m sorry!” Tears came, fast and furious, streaming down her face, washing away all remnants of the person she was covering up. The makeup, the clothes, the shoes…the façade finally crumbled, revealing what had been broken for so long. “God, I’m so sorry!” Would she ever get the chance to be whole again, to prevent the past from consuming every remaining shred of happiness in her life? Or was she destined to suffer alone, punishment for the ills inflicted at her hand? She clenched her fists, expelling a long, steady breath. No, this was a new chapter, written by her. The control she’d always craved, now tightly gripped by her hands, was impossible for anybody to steal. Her story was far from over. It was just beginning.
The door creaked open, and Sean appeared in the doorway, a concerned look on his face. “Sara, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, Sean, life just sucks sometimes, but I’ll be fine.” Her fate wasn’t carved in stone, and dammit, she’d fight like a hellcat to make those words a reality.
Chapter Twenty-Five
COPS SWARMED THE ACCIDENT SCENE. Teams of engineers and stagehands were still cleaning up the rubble, testing each pulley and cable to figure out how hundreds of pounds of metal fell from the rafters and crushed Gia Lourdes.
Gia’s in bad shape. You need to get over here now.
It was the third text from Finn that Daxton had received in the past hour. Of course, the rest of the guys had texted him about twenty more times with similar messages. And there was still a phone call he needed to make to Tyler, but that one had to wait. Anger bubbled in his veins. All this time had passed, and Tyler never said a goddamned word about any of it. His throat tightened, the urge to pick up a bottle of Jack and hurl it against a wall was so overpowering. A temporary fix. Just like everything else in his life. Except Sara. Her presence alone blunted the pain, made him want to resist the fury before it unleashed.
Daxton bolted toward the pressroom. The door was wide open, but where the hell was Sean? Why wasn’t he guarding the place? His heart hammered harder with each step until Sara’s blonde head appeared. A small smile lifted her quivering lips, her face streaked with tears. She fell into his arms, her shoulders quaking. A strand of hair escaped her messy bun, tickling the stubble on his chin. He smoothed it back, using it as an excuse to trace his fingertips across her soft cheek. “What’s wrong, baby? Why are you so upset?”
Her eyes darkened for a fleeting second. “My mom finally called me back.”
“What did she say?”
Sara took a deep breath. “Exactly what I thought. She pretty much confirmed I’m on my own. But it’s fine. I’m fine.”
“Are you kidding me? She blew it off?”
“I’m accountable for my decisions, Dax, nobody else.”
“So your parents are just going to sit back and watch you be tormented by some psychopath stalker?” What the fuck was wrong with those people? Their daughter’s safety was at risk, and they didn’t give a good goddamn about it? He clenched his fists, trying to fight the urge to punch a hole in something. Christ, what he’d give to be standing in front of Sara’s father right about then.
“Hey. I’m a big girl. I can handle this myself. I made mistakes, and I need to face them, whatever the consequences.” She leaned in, nuzzling his ear. “Now go to the hospital. The sooner you go, the sooner you can take me back to bed.”
“Much as I like the sound of the last part, there’s no way I’m leaving you. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
“I’ll be fine. Sean and Kat are here.” She pulled away, a determined look on her face. Fierce. Strong. No longer the naïve, scared girl on the run. “Go. Really. Don’t let any more time pass.”
Another text vibrated his phone. Perfect timing. A quick glance confirmed it was Merrick.
He looked up. “I think you staying here is a really stupid idea.”
“Well, that just shows how little faith you have in me.”
“It’s actually my lack of faith in everyone else.”
Her lips brushed against his, making his cock spring to life in immediate response. He swallowed a groan. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to come?”
“Save it for later.” That wicked gleam in her eye sent blood rushing to his groin.
“You’d better take care of yourself while I’m gone,” he grumbled. “You’ve already teased me too much.”
“Just wait until tonight.”
Sean walked into the pressroom with a phone pressed to his ear. “Sara, Kat wants to review the attendee list with you and we have to confirm their access to the conference. Nobody gets in without a pass, no exceptions, per the home office in Houston.”
“Sure.” She nudged Dax. “Go. You have to be back here for the conference in a couple of hours.”
“Sean, I’m going to the hospital. Don’t leave her side, okay?” His gaze never strayed from Sara’s face. It was almost as if he needed to commit every detail to memory. The strength in her eyes, the resolve in her voice…he’d always sensed there were so many layers to this girl. She wanted her life, her way. Who the hell was he to challenge that?
“You got it, Dax.” Sean nodded toward Sara. “I told Kat we’d meet her back in the security shed.”
With a final wave, Sara disappeared around a corner with Sean.
Dax pulled out his phone and shot off a quick text to Merrick letting him know he was on his way. He jogged toward the exit and jumped into a waiting SUV, blacked out from top to bottom.
The driver slid into the front seat after slamming the back door shut. “We’ll be there in about twenty minutes, Mr. Cole.”
“Thanks.” He let out a deep breath and skimmed headlines on his phone until they pulled up to the Emergency Room at Banner University Medical Center. All the media outlets were speculating about Gia’s condition - nothing positive. A twinge of guilt pricked him. Their last heated exchange, the final break after months of being on-again, off-again…he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. Chick was definitely off her nut, but she was still his friend, and he was an asshole for not going to the hospital sooner. A cold feeling snaked through his insides. Add it to his ever-growing list of regrets.
The driver opened the door and Dax slid on his sunglasses, shielding him from the cameras. The sidewalk outside the entrance was flooded with paparazzi in preparation for his long awaited arrival.
“Daxton, any word on Gia?”
“Is Gia going to make it?”
“They’re talking long-term brain damage and paralysis. Can you confirm?”
“Are you two still dating?”
He pushed through the crowd, not uttering a syllable. Fucking vultures. Once inside, Finn grabbed his arm and led him down a hallway.
“She’s finally out of surgery. What the fuck took you so long, man?”
“Is she okay?”
“They were able to repair most of the damage to her spine and stop the bleeding, but she’s still in a coma and her legs have more pins than a bowling alley.”
“Fuck.” Dax rubbed a hand down his face.
“Dax, what the hell is going on with you?”
“It’
s Sara.”
Finn furrowed his brow. “What about her?”
“I slept with her.”
“Yeah, and?”
“You knew?”
“Did you think we were all on another planet last night when you brought her back to the bus?” Finn snickered. “Well, okay, some of us were.”
“But not you.”
“Not me. It wasn’t really a shocker. You’ve been cozying up to her since she showed up at that first show in Houston. I figured you’d just bang her and get it over with.”
Dax shook his head. “It’s more than that.”
“What? Are you in love or some shit like that?”
“Some shit like that,” he grunted.
“Damn. Finally got tired of groupies sucking you off?”
“Screw you. She’s different, Finn.”
“Different how? Did she let you fuck her in the ear or something?”
“You’re an asshole. I mean, I feel different when I’m around her. I like her.”
“More than just for sex?”
“Yes.” Dax rolled his eyes. “Is that really all it’s about for you?”
“Affirmative.” Finn grinned. “So, now you’re gonna be pussy-whipped like Liam? What the hell kind of a band is this turning into? Are we going folk?”
“Don’t worry, with your dick on the loose, our reputation will be salvaged.”
“I’m only one man. Does this mean I need to nail three times as many chicks now?”
“Aren’t you doing that already?” Dax pushed back his hair. “Listen, Finn. There’s more to this whole thing. It’s not confirmed yet, but—” His mouth snapped shut as a male voice floated into the corridor. Daxton’s ears perked up. He’d heard that voice before…talking about a girl…someone who was running from something, from her past. But when—? Daxton’s throat constricted when the realization hit. It was fucking Eli, and he’d been talking to Merrick about Sara when Daxton had overheard them in the green room. Eli knew.
Dirty, Dark, & Dangerous: A Contemporary Romance Boxset Page 12