by Rachel Cross
“We haven’t had any luck.”
Asher scowled. “Keep trying. Maddy and I will be happy to clear up any misunderstanding, but if this gets out there will be hell to pay. Taking me downtown is guaranteed to put this in the spotlight. If I have to, I’ll call my lawyer. Right now I need to get my assistant, Justin Montoya, and let him know what’s going on.”
The officer took down the number.
The sergeant sighed. “I’m going to call my lieutenant off-radio and see how he wants to handle this. Hold up, guys.” He pointed at the female officer. “Get a tow truck to get that car back into the driveway.” He stepped away to mumble into the cell phone.
The house phone rang. Asher lifted an exaggerated eyebrow, asking permission to answer his own damn calls. Sergeant Greene tipped his head to indicate permission.
Asher picked it up on the third ring.
“Man, I have been calling and calling your cell. What the hell?” Justin asked.
“My cell is busted. Listen, the police are here.”
“I figured,” Justin said.
His eyebrows shot to his hairline. “You figured?”
“Yeah, I’ve got Maddy here with me — ”
“You’ve got Maddy?” he parroted.
“Yeah. We’ll be there in five.”
• • •
“Oh my God!” Maddy rushed into the house and launched herself into Asher’s arms. His arms went around her and he held her to him in an embrace so tight it bordered on painful.
She pulled back, studied him and saw the desolation in his eyes. “Oh Asher, really?” she said, pulling him against her.
He leaned down and captured her mouth — her breath — in a soul-stealing kiss.
Someone clearing their throat caught her attention, and she stepped back.
The officers were pretending not to look at them.
Asher draped an arm around her, pinning her to his side.
Justin stood grinning in the entryway, still holding Maddy’s purse. “How ‘bout I go move the car?” he said.
“Yeah, keys are in there.” She gestured to the bag he held.
He held it out to her.
“Side pocket,” Maddy said, unwilling to tear herself from Asher.
With a grimace, Justin dug around, finding them. “Be right back.”
The female police officer pulled her radio to her mouth, identifying herself to dispatch. “Cancel tow truck for Lowe residence.”
One of the police officers, Sergeant Greene according to his name plate, stepped forward.
Maddy regarded him, then Asher before stepping away.
His eyes were narrowed, his face flushed and his hand fisted at his side.
“Maddy, what the hell?” Asher said.
“I’d rather talk to you about this in private,” she said softly, reaching for the hand.
He shook her hand off, his face settling into furious lines. “Now that the police are involved, that’s not an option. You know that’s not a good thing for me, Maddy, not with the Ella situation.”
Yeah, it wasn’t. But neither was it the time to tell him about being kidnapped at gunpoint. She didn’t need the police to hear that until she knew how Asher wanted to handle her. It was his mother after all.
“Your mother — ”
Asher’s body jerked as if he’d been given an electric shock.
The officer standing closest to them put his hand to his gun reflexively.
Oblivious to their tension, he moved Maddy so she was facing him. His grip was tight on her upper arms.
The female officer stepped toward them.
Maddy squirmed but met his gaze.
“Oh my God,” he said hollowly, understanding dawning.
“Yeah.”
“You wanna tell us what’s going on?” Sergeant Greene asked. He stepped forward, pad in hand. Maddy pressed her right foot onto Asher’s toes, gently, meaningfully.
He let her go, his eyes boring into hers. “I’ll get them to pick her up.”
“Asher, maybe not the best idea with Sterling and the Ella situation.” Maddy turned to the sergeant with forced smile. She looked back to Asher and caught his nodding agreement to her cryptic words.
“When I went to leave for the doctor’s appointment, Jacqueline — that’s Asher’s mom — was blocking the driveway with her limo.”
Sergeant Greene stopped writing.
“Apparently she wanted to meet me.”
She spared Asher a glance.
Rage sketched into his expression.
“So I left the car … I was upset about some things on the radio — ”
Asher made a pained sound, and two of the police officers wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Great. So everyone heard those men trashing her?
“I was with her for a bit, then I called Asher. I was upset. Not making sense. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.”
She reached to squeeze the hand Asher held in a fist by his side and laced her fingers through his resistant ones.
Justin returned, keys in hand, and swiftly shut the door behind him. He tossed them back into the purse sitting on the floor in the foyer. “I secured the gate. That’s the good news. The bad news is paparazzi are swarming the street, some have come on the property,” he said.
Sergeant Greene shook his head, clearly uncomfortable with the events. “Excuse me a minute while I call my lieutenant again. Keep all communication off the radio.”
“Oh dear,” Maddy said softly. This had the makings of a real farce.
Asher reeled her back to his embrace. “Maddy,” he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Heedless of their audience, they kissed again. Maddy stifled a moan as her lips met the firm pressure of his mouth. He raked his fingers through her hair, gripping her skull, holding her head firmly while he ravished her.
She pulled him closer, eager.
“Guys?” Justin called out. “Paparazzi. On the property.”
Maddy resurfaced, lethargic, lost in Asher’s hot, hazel, heavy-lidded eyes.
“Mmmm?” she said absently, resting her hands on his hips.
• • •
Asher pulled away from Maddy, taking a few seconds to get himself under control and his brain reset.
“So she’s fine, everything is fine. Just a misunderstanding.” Asher told the three police officers in his foyer. He looked meaningfully at Sergeant Greene, who was still in a deep phone conversation, and indicated the front door with his head.
Sergeant Greene tucked his cell phone away.
“Here’s how we’re going to play this,” Asher stated. “Maddy, Justin, and I will walk you all out. They’ll snap a few photos, shout a few questions. Sergeant, you tell them it was a malfunctioning gate and security breach, and that has now become a trespassing issue. I’ll press charges against anyone who is not off my property within five minutes. Is that clear? We’ll all be very friendly.” He gave them his most charming smile.
Justin tilted his head. “Ah, we’re blaming this on them? Brilliant, boss.”
The sergeant gave them a harassed glance. “I’ll need to call the lieutenant back; he’s on his way.”
Asher frowned at the man shuffling his feet, refusing to make eye contact.
“This lieutenant of yours, he wouldn’t speak to the press, would he?” Asher said, “He’s not going to make this more difficult to explain, just to see himself on television?”
A quick glance at the expressions ranging from pained to amused on the other officers’ faces told him all he needed to know.
“We’re not waiting for him.”
Sergeant Greene made a token sound of protest.
Asher held up a hand. “Does everyone know their roles?” he barked.
There were nods all around.
He turned to Maddy. “You. Love struck. Hero worship.”
She laughed, then sobered and said quietly, “Your mom?”
He stiffened. “I’ll deal with her.”
“She has a gun, Asher,” she whispered so quietly in his ear he could barely hear her.
Fuck. That bitch. So, she showed Maddy her Derringer?
He pulled Maddy away and gave her a gentle shake. “Trust me. I’ll take care of it.”
She relaxed imperceptibly.
“Justin?”
He grinned. “Ready, boss.”
He surveyed the glum group surrounding him.
“Smiles, everyone. Smiles!” He gave them his thousand-megawatt grin and they filed through the front door, led by Justin.
Asher pulled Maddy up against his body as they made their way awkwardly down the steps together. There must have been twenty-five people there with cameras. Some with badges. Most of them appeared to have slept in their clothes. Asher shook his head, grin firmly in place. Parasites.
Sergeant Greene shouted, “Listen up, people. The security gate malfunctioned. The homeowner called us. I’ve got reinforcements on the way and will be citing for trespass. Just because the gate was open doesn’t mean you’re allowed to enter. This is private property. Now get out.” The three other officers started ushering the photographers down the driveway.
Someone shouted, “We heard it was a domestic dispute.”
“Yeah!” someone else echoed.
That was his cue. He pulled Maddy’s resistant body into his arms and kissed her. Really kissed her with his lips, tongue, and breath. She clutched at his shoulders and he was totally lost.
The sound of Justin’s laughter recalled him moments later. He lifted his head, dazed. Far from leaving, the paparazzi were catcalling and, most of all, snapping photo after photo of him and Maddy. He glanced down and grinned, a real honest-to-God happy grin.
Her gaze was unfocused, with no trace of self-consciousness despite the audience of their press.
He grabbed Sergeant Greene’s arm.
“I’ll let you take it from here. I have things to attend to.”
Sergeant Greene laughed.
• • •
An hour later he left a sleeping Maddy in his bed and made the call to his father.
“Sterling Lowe.”
“It’s Asher.”
“Is Ella okay?”
“Ella’s fine. I’m calling because that bat-shit crazy bitch kidnapped Maddy at gunpoint.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Apparently she’s still got that Derringer.”
“That shouldn’t have happened. I’ve got people on her.”
“You do?”
“Of course. How do you think I managed to keep her away from you all these years?”
“Well, I’m heading over there to — ”
“Don’t. I’m not going to tell you your business, but it’d be best if you let me handle this.”
“No.”
Sterling sighed. “Please, Asher. She wants your attention. She’s like a child. If you give it to her, you let her know that is how she can get to you, and she’ll continue to try to get you through the people you love. That could mean Ella, too. Any interaction fuels her. I have this on the best authority. But I can make sure it doesn’t happen again. You have my word.”
“I need to be sure she won’t try anything, with Maddy or Ella.”
“It’s as important to me as it is to you. She’s not healthy, Asher. She never has been.”
“Would she try anything with Ella?”
“Taking her?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s possible. With her anything is possible.” His tone underwent a subtle change. “You’re too close to Jacqueline in LA, Asher. Ella would be safer here with me.”
Here come the machinations.
“Forget it Sterling. If you can’t take care of Jacqueline, the police — ”
“No. I’ll tighten up security on her and keep her occupied with something else. I can usually create enough drama to suck her attention away somehow.”
He was surprised the man was admitting to being so manipulative.
“If she creates another problem for me, I’ll go public with her mental illness, press charges about kidnapping Maddy, all of it.”
Sterling sighed. “That won’t do any good, but I’ll keep better tabs. You have my word.”
Asher padded back to the bedroom where Maddy was awake and stretching.
“We need to talk,” she said, solemnly, fluffing the pillow behind her and leaning back.
She watched him approach, top button of his jeans unbuttoned, shirtless. “I know. I’m sorry Maddy. I had no idea — she’s never done anything like this before. It has been a dozen years since I’ve had contact with her. I just talked to Sterling about it. He’s been keeping tabs on her, he thinks maybe the press about Ella or you in my life set her off. Or maybe she came off her medications? But it’s being taken care of.”
She sat up and folded her arms around her sheet-covered knees. “Yeah. Well, good. I’d hate for Ella to be in her sights. But, I’m more concerned about you. Your willingness to accept that I would break up with you because people said nasty things about me. And on the phone? I would never.”
“Maddy, I haven’t dated many women unaccustomed to celebrity. Nearly all of my relationships have been with women who knew what they were getting into with me — in fact, for many of them, dating in the public eye was more of a perk than a hindrance. I’ve kept a pretty low profile since Dee died. Deliberately. And I should’ve warned you that there would be nastiness once you were publicly linked with me. I’m sorry.”
She tensed and hugged her knees to her chest. “Because I’m not up to your usual standard?”
He made a choked sound and she looked up, affronted.
“Maddy, you are so far and away above my usual standard, it’s laughable.”
It was as though the wind had been knocked out of her, a warmth settled in her chest. It wasn’t a declaration of love but it was some kind of declaration and she reveled in it.
“After Dee’s death I lost interest in doing a lot of the things I normally enjoyed — the parties … uh … the women.”
She reached for his hand and he gripped it tightly. “You were struggling.”
“You met me at my lowest point. I’ve been in a successful band for two decades. I’ve experienced burnout — from the road, groupies, conflicts within the band — you name it.” He played with the fingers on her hand. She winced and he dropped it, and gathered her into his lap with a sympathetic sound. “I’m not complaining. But when Dee died … I’ve never experienced anything like that. For a while I was numb. But things are better now. So much better with the two of you.”
She wrapped an arm around him and traced the raised, inflamed skin over his shoulder blade, a newly inked Celtic symbol with something that looked vaguely like the number four upside-down, entwined within. “Were you going to mention this?”
His shoulder twitched under her ministrations.
She moved her hand to the nape of his neck and stroked him. “Dee?”
“Yeah.”
He leaned back, until she was straddling him, he laced his fingers through her hair and pulled her down to his mouth.
Chapter 17
Asher put the guitar down and checked his messages. He’d missed a flurry of calls from his attorney and held the phone to his ear to listen to the message the man had left. Minutes later his guitar lay in pieces around him in his home st
udio. If there was ever a rock musician voted least likely to smash up a perfectly good Gibson, it was Asher Lowe. Cars? Hotel rooms? Most certainly. Guitars? Never.
At this rate he’d be headed to anger management classes. Not that it would be necessary, as it appeared he was on the verge of losing custody of Ella. With a dim sense of unreality, he entered his office and picked up the documents his attorney had faxed and skimmed them.
“Fuck.”
He took the sheaf of papers to the living room to await her return from the store. He looked through the papers again, numb with disbelief. His attorney called back, there would be an emergency hearing but it hadn’t been scheduled.
By the time he heard the slam of the front door, it felt as though he’d been waiting hours for Maddy to return.
“Asher.” She halted mid-step, staring at him. “What’s happened?” she whispered. “Is it Ella?”
He stood, holding up the sheaf of papers, in a hand that trembled.
“Is this how he did it?”
Maddy was close enough to see her mother’s bank logo on the front of the top piece of paper. He watched her closely. Despite the mounting evidence, he’d held on to a frisson of hope. But there it was, a damning flash of guilt across her face before she looked away.
Something tore inside, a physical pain accompanied the evisceration of his heart. He’d actually fallen in love with her, he realized with dawning horror. He’d always been so careful not to get too deeply involved. Not to lose himself in a woman, not to trust like that. And now that he had, she would cost him everything. Disbelief and pain were morphing back into fury. God knew what showed on his face, but inside searing rage raced through him.
She held up a hand, beseechingly.
“How could you do this to me? To Ella?” he gritted.
“Asher, your dad contacted me but — ”
“Oh I know,” he replied, in a voice so bitter he barely recognized it as his own, “an emergency custody hearing has been scheduled. My attorney tells me you’ve been busy keeping my father up to date with all my failings. Sterling knows all of it, and he’ll leverage it to take custody from me. You … you … deceitful bitch,” he heard her gasp, but continued, raggedly, “you know how hard I tried — ” his voice broke and he turned away.