“How are two broken and damaged people like us supposed to make a relationship work?”
When she rolls her eyes at me I’m actually a little insulted.
“I’m being serious.”
Her eyes soften. “I know you are. But what you don’t seem to realize it that everyone is broken and damaged in some way. It’s one of the hazards of being human.”
“You and Nic aren’t. You’re both perfect.”
She scrunches up her little nose. “Far from it. We deal with issues like everyone else. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. You just have to do the best with what you’ve got. And you, Brooke Rhodes, have got Leo. You can try to push him away all you want, but he’s not going anywhere.”
I grin. “I guess I am stuck with him.”
“For the long haul.”
***
I find Leo in the guesthouse studio with the guys and Raven. It’s a frenzy of packing various pieces of equipment and instruments.
As soon as Leo spots me his eyes go wide and he practically leaps over to me. “Where’s your walker?”
“I decided to start moving around without it.”
“You should be using your cane then.” His voice actually sounds panicked.
“I’m fine,” I insist.
“You’re not fine. You just started moving around without it. You should have called me so I could walk with you. To make sure you don’t fall.”
“It took some effort, but I made it here.”
He kisses my cheek. “Don’t even think you’re walking back without me.”
“It looks like you’re busy helping the guys.”
He shakes his head. “They’ve got Darrow to help. You need me more than they do.”
“Did someone say my name?” Darrow gives me a huge, fake grin. The guy’s teeth are so white I practically need sunglasses when he opens his mouth. “How’s it going, lovely lady?”
I don’t want to be rude, but the guy gives me the creeps. There’s no doubt he’s good looking in a politician sort of way. If he ever ran for office he would easily win on looks alone. The guys said he’s from a very wealthy family and that he graduated from Julliard. He definitely looks like a spoiled rich guy who’s always had everything handed to him on a silver platter.
Leo is shooting daggers at him with his eyes. “She’s fine.”
Completely ignoring Leo, Darrow has his full attention on my body. Even impaired he’s looking me up and down like a hungry lion. It makes me want to vomit.
“I heard you’re a Friend of Bill W.”
Leo’s eyes turn to angry slits. “Where’d you hear that?”
“I told him.” Raven sidles up to Darrow and snakes her arm under his.
Leo and I glance at each other. Clearly we’re both wondering the same thing: what in the world is going on between them.
Then I turn my attention to Raven. Glaring at her I state, “I’m in recovery.”
“Pretty ironic that you got hit by a drunk driver.” She glares right back at me.
“Karma I guess.”
Darrow gives a phony laugh. Everything about the guy is completely manufactured. I’m having a hard time believing that Raven is falling for his pretenses.
But when I look into her eyes I see something there that I’ve never seen before.
Fear.
When has Raven ever been afraid of anything? Is she afraid of this creep Darrow? Then why is she with him?
Something about the scene doesn’t make sense.
When I scan the room to find Xander I see him watching Raven and Darrow like a hawk. And he looks pale, almost like he’s sick to his stomach.
What in the world is going on?
When Nic joins us he looks oblivious to the tense undercurrent. It doesn’t surprise me. He’s got a lot more on his mind than some kind of love triangle between Raven, Darrow and Xander. He’s trying to lead an entertainment empire.
“If you need anything, Brooke, just give us a call, okay?” Nic says.
“You mean give Harper a call,” I joke.
I guess he’s not in a joking mood because he doesn’t even crack a smile. “Give us a call,” he repeats.
When Nic is in one of his serious moods I should know better than to cross him.
“Okay,” I mutter. “Thanks.”
He pats Leo on the shoulder. “With this guy taking care of you I know you’ll be in good hands.”
“I know the shows will be great,” Leo says.
“I’m sure we’ll get by,” Nic says. “But it won’t be the same without you.”
When I glance over at Darrow he looks pissed. His mouth is set in an angry line and his face has turned to stone. What he doesn’t seem to realize is that Leo, Nic and Xander are family. And they always will be. He’s an outsider and a temporary replacement.
When Xander approaches he stands on the other side of Nic about as far away from Raven and Darrow as he can get. This might be the first time since I met the guys that Xander and Raven haven’t been all over each other.
“Are you getting tired?” Leo asks me. “Without your walker or cane?”
“A little,” I admit. Even though I’ve been exercising I still feel like I’m just learning to walk again. It is tiring, and I’m sure being out of shape when the accident happened didn’t help.
“I’ll help you back into the main house. We can sit down for a while.”
I nod. As sure as I am that Leo is concerned about me, I also sense that he wants to let the guys leave without a lot of emotion.
Xander and Nic both give Leo a quick hug, but I notice Raven doesn’t. Which I find odd until I see that Darrow has a firm grip on her. It’s almost like he doesn’t want her to touch Leo.
“I guess I’ll see you when you get back,” Leo tells the guys.
Nic and Xander both nod, but Raven looks pained. Something is definitely going on and it’s not right.
“I can walk back to the house,” I tell Leo, who seems to want to carry me back.
“I’m here if you need me,” he replies anxiously.
“I know. You’re always there for me.”
“And I always will be,” he adds.
His declaration tugs on my heartstrings. Harper was the only person I ever felt like I could count on. Now having Leo in my corner makes me feel like a very lucky woman.
“What’s with the guy, Darrow?” I ask. “Is Raven with him now?”
“Fuck if I know what’s going on with those two. The only thing I’m worried about is you.”
“I’m worried about Raven.”
“You’re worried about Raven?” He laughs. “That’s a first.”
“She doesn’t look right. I think something’s definitely wrong.”
“They need to deal with that shit,” Leo says. “The only thing I care about right now is making sure my Wild Child is put back together again.”
Sixteen
Leo
Four Weeks Later
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask as I hand her a helmet.
“I’m fine, Leo,” she repeats for what is probably the fiftieth time.
She’s worked so hard at recovering from the accident I don’t want to see her hurt again. “You’ll let me know right away if something is wrong.”
When she gives me her duck lips and frowns I know enough to change the subject. “This isn’t the nicest neighborhood,” I remind her.
“I want to see where you grew up. I want to know as much about you and your past as you’re willing to share.”
I give her a quick kiss on the nose. “Same goes for you.”
“Hold on tight,” I tell her as we both hop on my bike. I’m glad when she follows instruction and grabs a hold of my waist.
It takes about thirty minutes to get to the area of Mesa where I grew up. But the weather is nice and it feels good to ride my motorcycle again.
When we finally stop we’re in front of a dilapidated house that I’m surprised to see is still occupied. T
he neighborhood wasn’t great when we lived here, but it’s gone even further downhill. If I was a gambler I’d definitely put money on several of the houses in the neighborhood being drop houses for illegals or meth houses.
Even though we both get off the bike to stretch our legs I notice Brooke doesn’t make a move away from me or the motorcycle. Not that I blame her. The neighborhood is scary as hell. If it wasn’t the middle of the day and I didn’t know how to protect myself I’d be scared too.
“So this is it?” her voice is soft and unsure.
“This is it,” I confirm.
There’s pity in her eyes, and that’s the last thing I wanted. So I tell her that I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t grow up here. I know it sounds like one of my stupid cliché’s but at least it’s not mangled and it’s the truth.
“Tell me what it was like?” she probes.
“It’s weird because if you don’t know any better you think your fucked up life is normal. For a long time I didn’t realize that most kids didn’t live like we did. Then I started noticing things at school. Like other kids would have lunches that they said their mothers’ packed. Or they’d at least bring lunch money so they could buy a school lunch. If we didn’t steal candy bars from the little corner store on our way to school we wouldn’t have anything to eat.”
“If it’s any consolation your story is making me feel good about my parents for the first time.”
“I’m glad I could be of service.”
“What were they like?”
I take in a deep breath. “You know I’ve never talked about this stuff with anyone.”
When she smiles I realize that I would tell her anything, all of my deepest, darkest secrets, just to see that smile.
So I continue. “My mom was mentally ill. Bipolar. She had a hard time taking care of herself most of the time. She definitely wasn’t able to take care of her kids. She didn’t believe in counseling or doctors. She never really got any kind of treatment except when she was forced to. She self-medicated with booze or drugs. She eventually killed herself. My dad was in a rock band and travelled a lot. He overdosed. Rayne lived with us because his family was fucked up too. The three of us raised ourselves. We’re lucky we had music. Otherwise we probably would have been drug dealers and fit right into this ugly ass neighborhood.”
After Brooke gives me a quick kiss on the cheek she says, “Thanks for sharing that. I know it’s not easy.”
I shrug. “It is what it is. It’s in the past. The only thing I’m concerned about now is our future together.”
She gulps. And I can see the hesitation in her eyes. I’m hoping what I show her next will convince her that I’m serious about being with her.
“I have a surprise,” I tell her.
Raising an eyebrow she asks, “Does it involve ice cream?”
I laugh. “You’re obsessed with the stuff.”
“Especially when it also includes whipped cream and a cherry.”
“I hope what I’m going to show you is even better.”
She frowns. “I didn’t think there was anything better than ice cream.”
“Please say that fucking me is better than ice cream.”
She laughs. “Okay, you got me there.”
As I get on my bike I say, “Hop on. We’re heading back to Scottsdale.”
***
“What are we doing here?” she asks.
I parked in front of a model home in a brand new development that was just completed. I decided to buy it on the spot when the real estate agent showed it to me because it came fully decorated and furnished. A few weeks after I put the deposit down I signed a bunch of papers, gave them a cashier’s check for five hundred and fifty five thousand and was handed the keys to the place in return. I didn’t realize buying a house was so easy.
“This place is gorgeous,” Brooke’s eyes are wide as she scans the front gardens.
I remove the keys from my front pocket and dangle them in front of her. “Want to go inside?”
She frowns. “Who lives here?”
I smile. “We do. As soon as we bring our stuff over.”
Her jaw nearly drops to the ground. “How can we live here?”
I shrug. “I bought it.”
Her face looks skeptical. “You bought this house? How did you do that?”
“I signed a bunch of papers and gave them a check.”
“Didn’t you have to get a mortgage? That takes time.”
I shake my head. “I have no idea what that is. I just paid for it. They told me how much it cost and I gave them the money.”
She starts blinking really fast and it’s kind of making me nervous. “You just gave them the money for the house. All of it. You just paid for it. No mortgage.”
“Yup.”
“My parents have been paying a mortgage on their house for twenty years. And it’s nowhere near as nice as this house. How in the world did you just pay for it?”
“We sold a lot of music.”
She’s still blinking really fast. Like her eyes are about to explode.
“This isn’t really the reaction I was expecting,” I tell her.
“I guess I’m just in shock. It’s not every day someone just buys me a house to live in.”
I grin. “I hope not. I don’t want anyone but me buying you houses.” I pull her close and kiss her. A long, hot kiss that makes my dick twitch. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I’ve been inside of her. I lost count after the first thirty days.
“Forty two days,” she announces.
I narrow my eyes at her. “What does that mean?”
“How long it’s been since you fucked me…” When she looks at me seductively I hope to God she’s thinking the same thing I am.
“Let’s go inside.” I grab her hand. “I’ll show you around.”
She squeals and squeezes my hand when we walk inside. “It’s fully furnished. This is amazing!”
“Look around,” I tell her.
She pulls me toward the back of the house. The real estate agent told me it’s an open floorplan, which I assumed was a good thing when I saw that the kitchen, living room and dining area all had fantastic mountain views from the huge sliding glass doors.
“It’s like a postcard,” she exclaims as she stares out the glass door. “The landscaping is like a botanical garden. And that pool is so beautiful. I’ve never seen a pool with fountains like that.”
“Even Rayne doesn’t have a pool like that,” I tell her. “The fountains are on a timer.”
When she turns to face me she’s blinking back tears. “I can’t believe we’re going to live here. It’s like a fairytale.”
“Not quite. It’s not even half the size of Rayne and Harper’s place. But I’m not a movie star like Rayne, so I don’t have that kind of money.”
She places her hand on my chest and I take in a sharp breath. When our eyes meet those familiar sparks start to fly between us. “I wouldn’t want a place as big as Rayne and Harper’s place. This is beyond anything I ever imagined.”
“I was hoping you’d like it.”
“Like it?” She laughs. “I absolutely love it!”
She grabs my hand and pulls me into the kitchen. “I’m not much of a cook, but this amazing kitchen inspires me to want to learn.”
I watch as she runs her small hands over the brand new, state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances. The real estate agent insisted that the gourmet kitchen was a selling feature of the house and I guess she was right. Brooke seems very impressed with it.
“I’m lucky if I can boil water,” I joke. “If you can do better than that you’re way ahead of me.”
She smiles. She’s been doing it a lot lately and I can’t get enough of it. Her smiles are like a drug to me.
“I can handle boiling water,” she assures me. Then she closes the small distance between us and places a soft kiss on my lips.
I love her sweet taste. Another thing I can’t seem to get enou
gh of. When I grab her ass and pull her close she lets out a little squeal. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“I’m fine. I’m not a porcelain doll. You’re not going to break me.”
I narrow my gaze at her. “After the accident, when I saw you broken, it scared the shit out of me. I never want to see you like that again.”
“I’m fine now,” she insists. “All put back together again. You don’t need to worry about me.”
I run my thumb down her soft, smooth cheek. “I always worry about you, Wild Child. Every minute of every day. That’s what happens when you care about someone. It comes with the territory.”
When she glances up at me I see a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Want to show me the master bedroom?”
“I would love to...” I grab her hand and pull her through the kitchen and down the short hallway to the master suite.
“What do you think?”
Her eyes are wide. I hope that’s a good sign.
“This is beautiful, Leo. I mean, I know you didn’t decorate it, but you bought it. You have great taste.”
“This whole house reminded me of you, but especially this bedroom. It’s bold and colorful, but still classy. That’s how you are.”
Another one of her great smiles covers her face. “Do you really think so?”
“You know I don’t say things that I don’t mean.”
“I think we should test out the bed.” Her eyes are twinkling.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” I pull her close and give her a kiss. I know I probably sound like a chick, but her lips always make mine tingle.
It only takes a few minutes of making out for my dick to get rock hard. I want to be inside of her so bad it hurts.
“Do you have condoms with you?” she whispers into my ear.
I shake my head. “You know I haven’t been with anyone else. I haven’t left your side since the accident. And I definitely know you haven’t.”
She gulps. “I’m not on birth control anymore.”
“Good,” I tell her. “We have our own house now. We’re not freeloading at Rayne and Harper’s place. We’ve got plenty of kids’ bedrooms if I knock you up.”
“We’re not even married,” she protests although it sounds half-hearted at best.
“That’s a problem that’s easy to solve,” I tell her. “The courthouse isn’t far from here.” I laugh. “And neither is Las Vegas.”
Sometimes Brooke (The ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER Rock Star Romance Series Book 2) Page 14