Love Hard (Anything But Mine Book 2)

by Barbara Justice

  “Yeah, right,” she said as she looked in the mirror and tugged at a beaded, blush colored mini dress. “This is a little short.”

  Sky was salivating at the sight of Meg’s long legs on display below the hem of the mini dress. “Really? I don’t think so. I’m all kinds of turned on right now. You’ve got legs that go on for days.”

  “What event did you envision me wearing this to?”

  “I don’t know, maybe the one Jack and Becky are giving the night after the ACMs.”

  “She mentioned something about a dinner the following night, but didn’t give me any details about it.”

  “Yeah.” Sky approached Meg, unzipped the dress, and pulled her close against his chest. He brushed her long hair aside, and kissed the back of her neck. “I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time we went to bed,” he whispered while nibbling on her earlobe.

  Meg slid out of the dress, and placed it back on the hanger. “I really don’t know how to thank you for all of this,” she said, gesturing to the closet.

  “Oh, I can think of plenty of ways,” Sky chuckled. He took her by the hand and led her to his bedroom.

  Meg immediately spied the lingerie laid out on Sky’s bed. “What’s this?”

  “I decided to pick myself up a little treat while I was shopping for you. Been waiting all night to see you in this, baby,” he said while running his fingers over the silky material. “I’m going to wash up in the bathroom, and when I come back, I expect to see you wearing it.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  After the confrontation in Meg’s kitchen, Mallory drove south into Georgia, knowing the police were looking for her. She went to the first emergency room across the state line, where she got treatment for her broken nose. As soon as her nose was set and bandaged, she snuck out of the hospital, and drove west until dawn. She pulled over at an empty rest stop and removed her license plate, replacing it with one she stole from a parked car on Meg’s street. She checked into a flea-bag roadside motel, where she paid for a two night’s stay with cash and registered under a false name.

  After checking out, she drove west until she reached Reno, where she was able to purchase some false identification and a burner cell phone. She got a job at a bar that didn’t ask too many questions about her background, and was happy to pay her in cash.

  When it was slow at the bar, she made it clear to her male customers that her body was available in exchange for “a special tip”. Each time she brought a man back to the cheap motel room she called home, she offered it up to the only thing that mattered to her – finding Sky Johnson and convincing him that she was the woman for him.

  One night after work, Mallory stopped into a convenience store to check out the latest gossip magazines. She bought one that had a cover story about the upcoming ACM awards, and brought it back to her hotel room.

  She carefully tore the article about ACM nominations out of the magazine, and placed it in a scrapbook with all the other photos and articles about the Johnson Bishop Band. “He’ll be in Vegas for sure, because they’re nominated in three categories.”

  She caught a glance at her reflection in the hotel room mirror, still surprised whenever she saw herself with dark hair and glasses. “He likes brunettes anyway, it seems,” she said aloud about her disguise.

  Three days before the ACM awards, Mallory packed her few belongings into the trunk of her car, and went to work at the bar in Reno for the last time. After closing, she brought a drunken patron back to her motel room, where she gave him a blow job. Once he passed out on the bed, she rifled through his pockets, found his wallet, and removed all the cash, stuffing it in her purse.

  The seven hour drive south to Las Vegas was monotonous. The only thing that kept her awake was the music on the radio, and the photo of Sky Johnson taped to her dashboard. Each time a Johnson Bishop song came on, Mallory sang along. “I’ll be with you in just a few days, Sky. I’m coming for you.” She thought of the woman, Meg, who Sky had been dating, and rubbed her nose. “I’m coming for you, too, Meg. My revenge will be so sweet,” she said with a cackle.

  When she arrived in Las Vegas, she scouted out the area around the ACM awards venue. She walked around, asking workers about the red carpet arrivals, and learned where members of the public could watch their favorite performers arrive for the awards show. Each worker she talked to warned her to arrive early in order to get a prime viewing spot. “I’ll be sure to do that,” she said to each person she spoke with.

  On the morning of the awards show, Mallory woke early. She went to a coffee shop for a quick breakfast, then returned to her motel in order to shower and get ready. She dressed in light clothing for the hot, sunny, dry day. As she reached for her boots, her eye caught the two scrap books on the nightstand.

  She picked up the scrapbook on top first. The cover page had a photo of Sky with his arm draped around her from the Bowling Green concert meet and greet session. She smiled, remembering the thrill of him taking her back to the Johnson Bishop tour bus after the concert and making love to her.

  Flipping the page, she ran her fingers over the next meet and greet photo of her and Sky from the following night in Lexington, and the meet and greet passes and concert tickets she had preserved under plastic. She paged through the rest of the scrapbook, pausing to look at more photos of Sky that she had cut out from magazines and newspapers. “Oh, Sky,” she sighed. “In a few short hours, you’ll be all mine.”

  She picked up the other scrapbook and began paging through it. Her brows wrinkled as she looked over the pages of photographs of Meg, and articles about Meg and Sky’s relationship. “What do you see in her, Sky? You should be with me, not her.”

  Mallory stared at a clipping from a tabloid with a photo of Sky and Meg as they left Kayne Prime a few months earlier. She spoke aloud in a sing-song voice. “What is it like to be you, Meg? How does it feel to have him touch you night after night? What do you have that I don’t?” She stared at the photo, and began to shake as the rage inside her boiled over. Reaching for her pocket knife, she repeatedly slashed through Meg’s image until she felt calm again. “Time to say bye-bye, Meg. It’s over for you.”

  She checked her hair and makeup in the mirror, and smiled at her reflection. “Time to claim what’s mine,” she said, as she loaded a small handgun and slipped it down the side of one of her cowboy boots.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Meg took a sip from the container of ice cold coconut water, before placing it on the table next to the lounge chair at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. “I’m glad that we were able to reserve a cabana,” she said, turning to Becky. “It’s so hot out, and I don’t want to get too much sun.”

  “You’re so lucky that you always look tanned. Why is that?”

  “Just my DNA, I guess.”

  “Novak? What nationality are you?”

  “My last name is Polish.”

  “But I didn’t think olive skin was a Polish trait.”

  “It’s not. I’m also part Italian, so I guess I inherited my olive skin and dark hair from that side of my family.”

  “And where did you get your green eyes from?”

  “The eyes are from the Irish side of my family. Guess I’m a bit of a mutt.” Meg caught Becky staring at her, and asked, “What?”

  “It’s just…well, you’ve never spoken about your family before.”

  Meg flipped over onto her stomach. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty private.” She opened a magazine and began to page through it.

  “So, then, is your mom half Irish and half Italian?”

  I’m not going to have this conversation, Meg thought. She stood up and slipped her feet into her flip flops. “It’s sweltering – I think I’m going to take a dip in the pool. Want to join me?”

  Becky was startled by Meg’s brush off. “I think I’ll stay here in the shade. I feel pasty white next to you. And if I go in the sun, I burn.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  Becky
watched as Meg walked to the edge of the pool and slid her body into the water. She muttered under her breath. “What was that about? Was it something I said?”

  “Hey, baby,” Jack said as he and Sky entered the cabana. He leaned down to kiss her, and noticed her frown. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Becky replied, looking at Sky. “We’ve just been hanging out. Glad you finished up your interviews and can take a little time off.”

  “Yeah,” Sky said, looking around the cabana before walking out into the sunshine to scan the sunbathers around the pool. “Where’s Meg?”

  “In the pool,” Becky said.

  “I’m gonna go in and surprise her.” Sky pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on a nearby lounge chair. “Order me whatever you’re having to drink.”

  Once Sky jumped in the pool, Jack turned to Becky. “He’s like a lost puppy without her. She’s completely knocked him off his game. He’s in love and he doesn’t even realize it.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right.” Becky frowned again, as she watched Sky swim up next to Meg and pull her into his arms.

  “Something’s bothering you. Spill it,” he said.

  “I’m probably reading too much into it. Meg and I were talking, and the subject of her family came up for the first time ever. Then it got really weird. I asked about her mother, and she abruptly got up and left the cabana to go into the pool. It was clear that I hit nerve with her.”

  “Not everyone comes from big, happy families like we do,” Jack said, as he pulled Becky tight and kissed her on the top of her head. “Look at Sky, and everything he’s been through. He didn’t want to talk about his family for the longest time to anyone. Maybe they bonded because she understands him in a way no one else ever has. I don’t know, but maybe she’s had a similar experience.”

  Becky nodded her head. “Well, you could be right. It makes sense.”

  A waiter came by, and Jack ordered a round of drinks. He and Becky continued to watch Sky and Meg in the pool, and he called out to them when the waiter brought over their order. “Yo, Johnson! There’s a beer with your name on it.”

  Sky pulled himself out of the water, and Meg trailed behind him. He placed a fluffy white towel over Meg’s shoulders, before taking another one and wrapping it around his waist. He reached for the beer bottle, took a long swig, and sank into a lounge chair. “Aahhh…that hits the spot.”

  Meg sat silently on the far side of the cabana. She could feel Becky’s eyes on her, and was afraid to look up.

  “Do you want a beer, Meg?”

  She turned towards Becky, who was reaching towards her with a beer bottle in her hand. “Umm…sure. Thanks,” she said, forcing a smile. She’s been so nice to me. I’ve got to try to put the awkwardness behind us and move forward. She took a sip from the beer bottle, and asked, “So, what is the schedule for tomorrow?”

  Becky perked up, and pulled a sheet of paper from her tote bag. “Let’s see…we’re booked for hair appointments at noon, and then makeup afterwards, which will give us enough time to get dressed and walk with these guys on the red carpet.”

  “Sounds good.” Meg gave Becky a warm smile. “You’ve been a great friend. Thanks for showing me the ropes.”

  The next day, Meg followed Becky into the two adjoining hotel rooms where the teams of hairstylists flown in from The Dry House in Nashville were assembled. After checking in, they were handed glasses of champagne to sip while they waited for their turns to be primped and pampered. The constant whir of the blow dryers drowned out the chatter between the stylists and their clients. Meg’s eyes grew wide as she recognized some of country music’s biggest female stars getting ready for the awards show.

  A few of the women greeted Becky on the way out, and she introduced each of them to Meg. “I know a lot of them, because they’re my clients,” Becky explained. “Here comes another one,” she said, as she stood up and kissed a short blond woman on the cheek. “Larissa Townsend, this is Meg Novak. Meg, this is Larissa. She just signed with the same record label as Johnson Bishop.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Meg said, as she stood to shake Larissa’s hand.

  “The pleasure is mine,” Larissa replied, as she looked Meg up and down. “So you’re the girl that’s caused broken hearts across the country.”

  Meg was puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re the girl that snagged Sky Johnson. And here I was hoping he would show his new label-mate around town. Silly me.” Larissa leaned in to kiss Becky and Meg goodbye, before saying over her shoulder, “See y’all around.”

  Before she had a chance to say anything else, Meg and Becky were escorted to their respective hair stylists. Meg’s long, thick locks were styled into loose waves that cascaded down her back. After a light spritz of hairspray was applied to keep her hair in place throughout the long night ahead, she was turned over to the makeup artist.

  “I’m not a big fan of heavy makeup,” Meg said, as foundation was applied to her face with a sponge.

  “I’ll try to keep you natural-looking,” the makeup artist responded. “But you’re going to be on camera, and you don’t want to appear washed-out. Trust me, you’ll look even prettier than you already are by the time I’m finished with you.”

  Although she found it uncomfortable to have her face touched by a stranger, Meg sat still until she was handed a mirror. She looked at herself, and couldn’t believe her eyes. “Oh wow! I look like me, just better. Thanks for keeping my look natural,” she said, as she put the mirror down on the nearby table and picked up her purse.

  Sky was getting out of the shower with nothing but a towel around his waist as Meg walked through the hotel suite door. “Whoa, baby! Look at my gorgeous date for tonight,” he said as he bounded towards her. “If I didn’t think your hair and makeup would get messed up, I’d drag you to bed right now.”

  Meg ran a fingertip across his torso, just above where the towel met his still-damp skin. “Mmm…I’d love that too. You’ve got me thinking all kinds of naughty thoughts right now.”

  “Hold those thoughts, baby. After the show, we’ll make our appearances at all the important after-parties, but then I’m dragging you back here for a night you’ll never forget.”

  “Caveman,” Meg teased.

  “Seductress,” Sky responded in a sexy whisper.

  She slipped her fingers just below the towel. “Yeah, and don’t you forget it.”

  The sunshine was blinding as Sky, Meg, Jack and Becky stepped out of the limousine when it was their turn to walk down the red carpet. They were immediately flanked by security guards, and Meg was overwhelmed by the noise and all the cameras pointed in their direction.

  “Don’t worry,” Sky whispered in her ear. He took her by the hand as they entered the walkway, where hordes of fans were gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite musical artists.

  Sky and Jack stopped to sign autographs and take selfies with their fans, but Becky suggested she and Meg follow them at a distance. “I like to let them do their thing,” Becky explained. “Sometimes the fans can be overwhelming.”

  After a few moments of greeting their fans, Jack called out to them. “You girls should join us. You’ve got some fans too.”

  The two women exchanged glances before joining Sky and Jack near the rope line separating them from the fans. Sky and Jack continued to sign autographs and pose for photos, while Meg and Becky shook hands with fans and answered some questions.

  They took their time on the red carpet, greeting as many people as possible. When they were about halfway through the fan area, Meg noticed a girl with brown hair staring at her from about ten feet away. She tried to look away, but became uneasy as the hair stood up on the back of her neck and her heart began to beat rapidly. Why does she look so familiar?

  Sky was busy shaking hands, and she squeezed his free hand to get his attention, but it was too late. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glint of sunlight reflecting off metal and
heard a security guard yell one word.

  “Gun!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Meg heard the crack of the gun firing as chaos erupted around her. She was pushed to the ground as people screamed and ran for cover. She heard Sky calling her name, and saw Jack and Becky also on the ground next to her.

  “Sky? Sky where are you?” Meg’s eyes darted around the crowd until she found him. She raised her hand and waved at him. “Over here!”

  “Holy shit! Were you shot? You’ve got blood on your arm.”

  Meg looked at herself and noticed the blood for the first time. “I’m fine, but…,” her voice trailed off as she scanned the area and saw a security guard lying on the ground. She rushed to him and turned him over. “Sky, over here…hurry.”

  Meg stripped off the security guard’s shirt, and turned to Sky. “He’s been shot, and he’s losing a lot of blood. Get help. Now!”

  While Sky ran to get help, Meg fashioned a make-shift bandage out of the guard’s shirt. “Your quick thinking saved me, but got you shot instead,” she said to the guard. “Stay with me. Help is on the way.”

  The security guard’s voice was weak and strained from pain. “Are you okay? How do you know the bullet was meant for you?”

  “I’m pretty sure the girl who fired the gun is someone who has tried to kill me before. But don’t worry about that. You need to save your strength.” She applied pressure to the gunshot wound until the ambulance personnel arrived and placed the security guard on a stretcher.

  Sky, Jack and Becky appeared at her side. Their faces were grim. Sky said, “The police want to talk to you.”

  “I had a feeling you were going to say that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the bullet was meant for me. I got a good look at the shooter. It was Mallory.”

  There was a collective gasp from Sky, Jack and Becky before were interrupted by a police officer. “Ma’am? Officer Thornton of the Las Vegas Police Department. I have some questions for you.”