Wine and Whiskey (Surviving Absolution #1)

by Nikki Belaire

  Wrinkles crease her forehead in uncertainty. “I don’t understand.”

  “The bruises on your back.” Old and new anger swells in his chest. He may have failed before, but not this time. Not with her. “Someone is hitting you, and I need to stop him.”

  Shock flashes in her eyes before she shakes her head. “I wear a waist harness during my concerts for some of the stunts we do. It’s hard on my back to be suspended so much.”

  No one is hurting her. The pain in his chest evaporates from knowing she's safe. “I’m sorry I overreacted.” He nods and pulls the door open. “It was killing me thinking some asshole was putting his hands on you.”

  “It’s the equipment we use to put on a good show. You know, make sure the fans have fun.”

  She sits down, her gaze following him as he walks to the other side of the car. An expression he can’t decipher darkens her face. His irrational behavior may have pushed her away. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “No, it’s okay. You just…surprised me.”

  He glances over at her as he drives. Deep in thought, she stares out the window. Silence hangs between them, not quite as comfortable as before. Unsure how to reach her, he taps on the steering wheel, struggling to control his need to touch her. To keep her from slipping away before she’s even his.

  At the gym, he parks next to her car and takes a deep breath, trying to find the right words. Before he can speak, she turns to him, her eyes and smile sparkling again. “Thank you for dinner and the drink. I’m embarrassed about falling asleep, but I still had a great time with you tonight.”

  His body softens with relief. Somehow, he’s earned a second chance, and he won’t screw it up this time. “From okay to good to great. I must be doing something right.”

  Her sweet laugh quickens his pulse before she shakes her head. “You’re teetering on the edge with that cockiness. Be careful or you’ll slip back to pretty good.”

  Fucking shit. How can a woman this incredible not be taken? He slides her hand into his and holds it against his chest. “I have to see you again.”

  Pink tints her cheeks before she drops her eyes from his gaze. “Well, it just so happens we’re going running in the morning, remember?”

  “I mean a real date. Not exercising with Jason.”

  Her fingers squeeze his before she pulls away and opens the car door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  * * * *

  Jason paces outside the entrance as Shae pulls into the gym parking lot. He frantically waves her toward him, making her laugh. How can she drive faster when she’s trying to park?

  She climbs out and leans forward to give him a quick hug. “Good morning!”

  He shrugs her off, worry etched into his face, his somber gaze boring into hers. “Yeah, hi. Did you go out with Nick DeMarco last night?”

  “What kind of welcome is that? And, yes, he took me out for dinner. He’s cool.” And intense, sweet, sexy, arrogant. She smiles to herself. Jason may be her best guy friend, but he doesn’t need to know all that.

  His head shakes, his wide eyes conveying disbelief before he even speaks. “I can’t believe you went out with some guy you just met. What were you thinking? It could have been dangerous. You know better than that.”

  Warmth flames her cheeks from his disappointed tone. She does know better, but it’s difficult to feel guilty when exhilaration fills her heart instead. A deep breath escapes her mouth. Which is crazy. A simple dinner turning into one of the best nights she’s enjoyed in a really long time. “Me?” She points from her chest to his, not letting him push all the blame on her. “You’re the one who invited him to run with us. I figured if you liked him, he must be okay.”

  Jason’s face softens as he puts his hands on her shoulders. “Well, that’s before I found out he’s in the mob.”

  "What?" She laughs and rolls her eyes, her shame fading at his accusations. This is too much, even for Jason. “You’re crazy.”

  He holds up his phone and taps the screen. “I looked him up and read all about it. He’s very powerful and has tons of people working for him. They say he’s a real hard ass. They even say his dad killed his mom!”

  “You’re nuts.” She pushes the cell away and curls her fingers into air quotes, trying to bring her loving but high-strung friend back to reality. “Who are ‘they’? We read stuff about me all the time that isn’t true. This is probably the same thing.”

  He ignores her and scrolls through a list of articles, his finger tapping below one of the headlines. “See right here? ‘Nick DeMarco, wealthy financier with alleged ties to organized crime.’” She shakes her head and stretches across the driver’s seat and center console to get her bag, but his fingers tug at waist, pulling her back to face him. “All I’m saying is be careful. Or you could find yourself wearing concrete shoes at the bottom of the ocean!”

  “Oh, my God. You’re such a drama queen.”

  “Better than a mafia king.” Extending his arms to the sky, he runs his hands across an invisible marquee. “I can see it now…the pop princess and the mafia king…the perfect match.”

  Butterflies swirl in her stomach. With a reputation for theatrics as well-known as his training abilities, Jason’s melodrama can be easy to ignore. But this time, his concern seems sincere. He really is worried.

  And maybe she should be. Maybe she’s naïve. More than she realizes. The gates, the guards, the tough guy with the guilty smile who notified Nick of yet another problem. A lot of security for a legitimate businessman, no matter how rich and powerful he may be.

  She pushes his arms down as Nick drives up in his Jeep, unwilling to entangle him in their argument. Or let him know they’ve been gossiping about him when he’s been nothing but generous and thoughtful to her. “Shhhh! Here he comes.”

  “I’m serious.” Jason’s voice plunges to a whisper. “You don’t really know this guy, and I don’t want you to make another dumb mistake like last night. Check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

  “Okay. I promise." Humiliation fills her chest before she nods her head in Nick’s direction. “Just please drop it for now. I don’t want to get into it with him here.”

  “Fine.”

  She bristles at his irritation. They’ve never argued before, not ever had any squabbles or disagreements. Always on the same wavelength regardless of the problem or situation.

  Nick climbs out and jogs toward them. The butterflies float to her chest from the smile spreading across his face as he meets her gaze. “Hi, guys. Are you ready?”

  Ignoring Jason’s sigh, she matches Nick’s happy expression. “Let’s go.”

  * * * *

  Max holds up a thin tan folder as Nick walks into the foyer. “I’ve got the report on Shae.”

  Glancing at his watch, Nick shakes his head. “I don’t want to be late. You can tell me on the way.”

  They walk through the kitchen and into the garage before climbing in the Jeep. He pulls onto the road as Max reads from the file.

  “Twenty-four. No boyfriend or husband. Broke up about a year ago with an Evan Matthews after dating him for two years. Her mom died from a brain aneurysm. Dad’s never been around. She rakes in pretty good money, mainly from endorsements. Supports a big payroll, probably more than necessary. Looks like she has some moochers.”

  “Sounds about right. She’s too nice to cut the people she doesn’t need.”

  “Lives with Carrie Dunbar, noted as her best friend. Degree in Marketing from UC. Top ten wish granter for sick kids. No arrests, DUIs, diva behavior, meltdowns, or hotel trashing.”

  Not the usual reputation for a young, rich pop star. Yet, an exact match to what he knows to be true. Her quiet gentleness is a genuine reflection of her personality.

  Max flips through the papers. “Even her concert rider is simple—bottles of sparkling water, fresh orange slices, and some kind of sweets…either brownies, cupcakes, or cookies.”

  Nick chuckles at the last comment. Of all t
he demands she could make, dessert is her top priority. “That’s it?”

  “Yeah, and a few pictures. Some are professional. The others are paparazzi.”

  Nick holds the photos against the steering wheel, glancing at them as he drives. The first few are staged, maybe for magazine covers or publicity shots. Even with the sexy clothes and heavy make-up, her innocent beauty is undeniable.

  The others are casual. Shae and another girl walking arm in arm on the sidewalk. Driving her white Infiniti SUV. His pulse quickens at the last one. She clings to a man with his arm extended, trying to push their way through a huge crowd of people. Both the guy and her fear make his jaw clench.

  He passes the pictures back to Max, who pushes in the lighter on the dashboard. “She probably wouldn’t be happy to know you investigated her.”

  A rare feeling of guilt rolls through his stomach. Normally, he doesn’t care about what people think, but with her… He shakes his head. He can’t let her be mad at him. “I had to know more about her. She’s unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Definitely a good thing, with your track record.”

  The lighter pops out, and Max holds the red ring to the corner of the folder. As it burns, Nick turns off the highway to a beach access parking lot and stops next to a metal trash can. Once the flames are a few inches from his fingers, Max drops the charred file into the bin. When the papers are completely gone, Nick pulls back onto the road.

  “I need one more thing. Jessica called, but hasn’t left a message. Find out what’s going on. I don’t want to talk to her if I can avoid it.”

  Max’s grip around the roll bar tightens as he shakes his head. “Fuck that! I’ll do your other dirty work, but you don’t pay me enough to deal with her.”

  “I’ll give you an extra million.”

  “Ten wouldn’t be enough.”

  Nick laughs and pulls into the gym parking lot, scanning the vehicles before hopping out. His chest tightens at the absence of her SUV. He strides through the lobby and down the hall, searching the equipment as he passes. Maybe she’s just running late.

  Jason looks up from untangling ropes as Nick pushes the door open. “Happy Friday, Nick. Since Shae isn’t coming, I thought we could do a little cardio once I get these free, and then I’ll spot you while you lift.”

  “Where is she?”

  Finally pulling a rope loose, Jason hands it to him, beckoning for him to start jumping. “She had a photo shoot for her upcoming movie release.”

  Damn. Why didn’t she tell him? Once again, she keeps a barrier between them, assuming he wouldn’t miss her after working out together every day this week. Too modest to realize he’s disappointed not to see her. “You’d never know she’s famous by the way she acts.”

  “Yeah, that pop star princess thing is just an image created by Team Shae.” Jason rolls his eyes as his fingers curl into air quotes.

  “Team Shae?”

  “You know…her manager, agent, publicist.” Jason taps on his fingertips, ticking off the names, scowling with a level of disgust usually reserved for serial killers, child abusers, and lawyers. “All the people who claim to care about her, but really only care about their take of the money.”

  “Is it really that bad?”

  “In the music business, you have to be very careful who you trust. It’s just a game to get rich, which all of them are now, thanks to her hard work.”

  Sweet, yet jaded, she somehow thinks she needs to protect herself from him. Unaware the money and fame mean nothing. All he wants is her.

  Jason squeezes a rope between his fingers before taking a deep breath. “Listen, I know you like her, but I think you need to leave her alone. I know who you are, and she doesn’t need someone like you in her life.”

  Heat flashes through Nick’s body. This guy better know how lucky he is that he’s her friend. “Did you warn her about me? Is that why she isn’t here?”

  “No, she really does have a photo shoot.” Jason’s shoulders droop and he shakes his head. “She told me how upset you were about the bruises on her back. Just like I am. I’ve told her over and over to talk to the guys rigging her up to see if they could do something about it. But she doesn’t. Do you know why?”

  Nick’s anger flares at the realization. She’s not being beaten, but she’s still being hurt. Injured by the people who are supposed to be looking out for her.

  “Because she doesn’t want people to think she’s a bitch. She too nice to tell them they’re destroying her back, because she’s scared they’ll think she’s a diva. She’s always ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘everything’s fine.’ Even when it isn’t.” Jason shakes his head. “Shae’s one of the few genuinely good people in the world. She stood by me when I came out, and she’s gotten Carrie out of more scrapes than I can count. Now, it’s my turn to look out for her. I have to protect my friend.”

  “Not from me. I would never do anything to hurt her. You can trust me on that.”

  “All I know is the two of you together is a bad idea. I told her the same thing, but she wouldn’t listen. So, now I’m telling you.” Jason’s gaze never wavers but his voice cracks, revealing his fear.

  Nick takes a deep breath, trying to reign in his fury. He refuses to jeopardize his relationship with her regardless of how much he wants to pound this guy. “Don’t try to interfere with my relationship with her. If she doesn’t want to be with me, I’ll never bother her again. But, that’s for her to decide, not you.”

  “There’s a lot you don’t understand. It’s more than just her reputation I’m worried about.”

  While he appreciates the loyalty, Jason’s devotion to his friend isn’t enough to diminish his anger at the attempt to keep them apart. No matter how determined he is. “Tell me then. What don’t I know?”

  “No, I’ve said enough. It’s between you two now.”

  Irritation pulses in Nick’s neck at this guy jerking him around. “So, you’ve got the balls to insult me, but you won’t—”

  Jason puts his hands up in front of him. “Forget it. I don’t want to argue. Let’s just get to work.”

  Nick shakes his head and tosses the rope onto the tangled pile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  * * * *

  A light rap on the door halts Shae and Carrie’s conversation. A young woman, her hair in braided pigtails, one purple, one blue, stands in the doorway. “We’ll be ready for you in about five minutes, Ms. Armstrong.”

  After all these years, a little flutter still tickles her stomach at the thought of being in front of the camera. She smiles and nods her head. “Okay, thank you. I’ll be right there.”

  The production assistant taps on her tablet before pushing a button on her headset and rushing off, her voice fading as she races down the corridor. “Armstrong's in makeup and will be in the studio…”

  Carrie gently grips Shae’s chin and turns her back to face her. “Stop frowning so I can finish.”

  “I didn’t realize I was.”

  “Ever since I asked you about Nick, you’ve been smiling then frowning, then smiling again. You’re all over the place.”

  Because that’s what he does to her. Makes her emotions twist like a kaleidoscope blurring back and forth between giddiness and panic, while he remains forever constant. Decisive and determined. With his work and with her. Tiny fireworks burst in her chest. His intentions toward her are always very clear.

  With a careful hand, Carrie sweeps a glittery bronze eyeshadow across Shae’s lid. She leans over her kit perched on the black marble countertop, running her fingers across the tiny plastic cases until she finds the one she wants. “I know your mom liked you in pink, but this red dress is perfect. You look beautiful.” Shae tries to nod, but Carrie holds her in place. “Now, back to my question. Has he ever been arrested? Tried in court? Convicted?”

  “No.”

  Carrie waves her hand, shooing away the doubt. “Then, ‘alleged’ is just that. Nothing proven. Nothing certain.”
<
br />   “I know, but what if it’s true?”

  “Well, the real question is what are you going to do if it is? Are you going to keep seeing him?”

  Her head immobilized by Carrie’s grip, Shae rubs her fingertips on the arms of her chair. Uncertain if she can stop even if she wants to. He fills her thoughts and finds her in her dreams, encouraging her to let him in, to give in to what frightens her the most. “We had dinner once, and we’ve been working out with Jason. That’s it.”

  Carrie raises an eyebrow as she assesses her work. “Right. Five days in a row, but it’s nothing.” She shakes her head. “You’re not fooling me. He wants more, and so do you.”

  An involuntary smile crosses Shae’s lips, powerless to argue against what she knows is true.

  “That’s a smile I haven’t seen in a long time. You really like him, don’t you?”

  Unable to speak with Carrie’s brush on her lips, she shrugs.

  “You have to do what you think is right. But, you Googled him and he’s never been convicted of anything, he sits on the board of that domestic violence foundation, and he donates tons of money to them and a few other charities. Seems like a good guy to me.”

  “He was so upset when he thought I was being abused. It freaked me out at first. But a man who’s that caring and protective has to be a good person, right?”

  Carrie puts down her tools and stares at her. “You’re my best friend, and I know you better than you know yourself. You like this guy and want to go out with him. If you’re worried, ask him about it.”

  She laughs, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “Yeah, right. What am I going to say? ‘Thanks for dinner, Nick. By the way, are you in the mob?’”

  “Okay, so I guess that’s a stupid suggestion. But it’s either that, or go out with him and see what happens. If the police or whoever investigates that kind of stuff can’t prove anything, then how are you going to?”