“It started out as things that were true,” she softly replied. “Like I was short. Didn’t cook well. Or couldn’t clean to his expectations. It didn’t feel like abuse. Just him pointing out all my faults. It didn’t feel good, though. After a while, he moved on to saying I was ugly and fat. Although I knew better, he convinced me that was why no other men wanted me.”
Tommy stroked her cheek and murmured, “You’re smarter than me, but it don’t scare me.”
“Thanks.” She knew he understood somehow. As she turned to face him, she was surprised he was so close. Briefly, she brushed her lips over his. “You’re not like anyone I’ve met before.”
He grinned and rubbed her nose with his. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” He closed his eyes and tried to will his desire to abate. “Sorry. I need to be serious. Tell me more.”
“Like what?”
Tommy caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. “You shake when you talk about him.”
“I do?” She had not realized that.
He nodded. “Yeah. I wasn’t gonna say anything, but you’re obviously afraid of him. Why?”
“Um. I guess because he used his size and strength to intimidate me. Like back me into a corner and make me think he’ll hurt me. He was huge.”
Quietly, he asked, “Do I scare you when I pin you to the wall or to the bed?”
“Sometimes.”
“I’m not trying to.”
She smiled. “I know. Well, I didn’t know at first, but I understand it now. I’m sorry I kneed you earlier.” His face screwed up. She kissed his nose. “I was vulnerable and... it was just bad timing. Sorry.”
“I’m over it, don’t worry. Nothing broken.” At least, I hope not. “Can we get back to him? I can feel there’s more, and I wanna know what.” He slid his knuckles over her jaw line. “After today, if you never wanna talk about him again, that’s cool with me.”
Hailey wanted to end the curiosity and knew he would keep his word. “OK. Um, so I was isolated most of the time. There was no one to talk to or confide in. I didn’t have a job, so he supported me fully. He reminded me of that daily, although he wouldn’t let me look for one.”
“How’d you get away?” Tommy was in awe of the strength she possessed. She looked down, but he lifted her chin. “You have nothing to fear from me. I’ll never hurt you.” He bit his lip. “Unless you ask me to. Sorry. Bad timing again.”
She smiled. “It’s OK. I get you.” She understood he had a one-track mind, even when serious. “Our neighbor came over and asked to use the phone. I had never seen her before. We didn’t have a house phone, and there was no internet either. It didn’t take her long to put it all together. She told me to pack a bag and drove me to a shelter that could help. I never looked back.”
“Are you still married?”
“No.”
Tommy gripped her hand. “Are you OK staying with me tonight? Or do you want me to take you home?”
“I’m OK.” Strangely enough, she was. “Can you hold me?”
“Of course.”
He settled down on his pillow and laid his arm out. When her head was on his chest, he wrapped his arms around her. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and kissed her hair. He really enjoyed the way she hugged him all night.
“Giovanni’s not violent, right?” Hailey lifted her head slightly.
Tommy hesitated. He remembered Crystal’s bruises the day she came to stay with him. “He’s a good guy.” He knew Giovanni had dialed back on the roughness. “He would never hurt you if we all got together.”
Chapter 33
Ten days later, Dominic oversaw Winter Winds’ studio time. Jon and Tommy were in Florida. Although Sam still ran the show, Dominic was there for managerial input. He sat on the couch in the main room of the basement and glanced at his phone again. Both Jon and Tommy texted him when they arrived in Fort Lauderdale. Then Tommy let him know they arrived at Brandon and Mackenzie’s home safely. He was glad they went.
The stress of the studio, Wicked End’s publicity and band issues became too much for them. He had watched them both pretend they were fine, but who would be? A vacation was perfect. He was glad he didn’t have any side projects or businesses to run.
“You heard from Dean?” Dominic asked Crazy Mike when he stepped out of the soundproof control booth.
Mike shrugged. “Not in a few days. He’s been quiet since rehab. I think he’s trying to stay straight. Hard to do that with bad influences around.” He rolled his eyes. “Bones worries me. That guy has gotta be on some heavy shit.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Dominic had seen Bones, Raining Black’s drummer, backstage more than once a bit out of it. He didn’t see Dean’s bandmates often, but he agreed they weren’t a good influence. “Good that Dean is staying away. But I need to check on him.”
Noelle sang in a booth. The look of worry on Dominic’s face caught her attention. She watched him lift his phone to his ear and speak into it after a while. Then he leaned his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. I hope it’s not the kids or his parents. As soon as she was done with that take, she exited the room.
“What’s going on?” She approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Should we go?” She rubbed his back. When she got no answer, she asked, “The kids OK?”
He sighed and looked up. “No. No. It’s not them. It’s Dean. I’m trying to trust him. No one’s heard from him in a few days. I even texted Ash and Raven. They’re not getting a response. I called and left him a voicemail. At least his phone’s not off.”
“We can go check on him.” Noelle slid a hand to his face and smiled. “I’m sure Sam wouldn’t mind.”
Sam stood against a wall, as he texted. “Go ahead. Mitchell needs to get his vocals done anyway.”
“Stay.” Dominic put his hand over hers. He loved that she supported him. “If I don’t find anything at his place, I’ll call. There’s a few places he might be. Not the first time he disappeared. Last time I found him in an abandoned building high as fuck.”
Noelle moved forward and dropped into his lap. She held onto his shoulder. “Think positive. He’s fighting this time. I can see in his eyes he doesn’t want to disappoint you. He looks up to you.”
“He does?” Dominic had not realized that.
She smiled and lifted his chin, so she could kiss his lips. “Yes. I think he looks at you like a father figure. He didn’t really have one. Right?”
“Not a good one.” He knew Dean had a hard life. “I guess I treated him more like my kid than not. That’s why I’m worried. I want him to beat this.”
She pulled his head to her shoulder. “He will. If you need to leave, I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “Emilio will keep Mitch at bay.” A giggle escaped. “Seriously, I’m fine. Go.”
“OK.” Dominic helped Noelle up then got to his feet. Before he did anything else he checked his phone. Nothing. “I’ll be back.” He tugged her close and kissed her lips. “Thanks.”
“I’m always on your side.” She palmed his face again. “Always.”
He walked out with a grin on his face. She eased his nerves so quickly. Once in the Jeep, he took a few deep breaths and let the angst go. He’s probably just hiding out. The press had hounded him when they caught wind he was released from rehab. Dean hadn’t complained, though. He knew it was his own fault for a change.
Dean didn’t live far from Jon, so the ride was short. He sat in the vehicle for a few minutes and planned what he would say if Dean was drunk or worse. When he turned off the car, he stared at the key to Dean’s apartment on his key ring. Jon and Tommy had one as well, just in case. Dean had gone on too many benders for them to trust him fully.
“Please be sick in bed,” he said as he opened the door. That would be the one excuse he would accept for no returned text or phone call.
By the time he reached Dean’s floor, his imagination had gone wild. In it, they rushed to the hospital because Dean overdosed. He shook his head to
destroy the vision and knocked. No answer, so he knocked louder. Nothing. He didn’t hear music, which wasn’t a good sign. He braced for disaster and unlocked the door. Then he opened it slowly. It was quiet. He stepped inside and shut the door. Anxiety gripped him. If he found Dean a wreck again, it would be awful.
A female cry startled him. He wasn’t sure it came from within the apartment, though. He walked into the living room and looked around. No beer or liquor bottles. No drug paraphernalia anywhere. He checked the kitchen. Dishes in the sink but nothing helpful. Another cry echoed.
“Oh God, Dean!”
Dominic’s mouth dropped. His face heated up when the woman screamed again. It wasn’t a pain filled cry, but Dean was known to go too far when high. He waited, ready to bust into the bedroom if he heard anything that resembled pain or fear. When nothing but passionate cries filled the place, he sat on the couch to wait for the woman to leave.
* * *
Sometime later, Dean ventured out of his room to get two bottles of water. He grinned, completely satisfied for the third day in a row. Amanda knew exactly what he liked and gave it her all in the bedroom. He hadn’t needed to hook-up with anyone else since their affair started. She even stayed at his place while she was supposed to be on vacation. It made that the best week of his life.
Eyes open wide, Dominic stared as Dean walked through the room naked, oblivious to his presence. He followed Dean with his eyes to the kitchen then back through the room.
“Glad you’re alive.”
Dean jumped. ”Holy shit!” He turned to see Dominic on his couch. ”Damn it! You scared the crap outta me.”
“Where you been?”
“Here with… uh… someone.”
Dominic’s eyebrows scrunched up. ”A chick stayed over? Are you OK?” That never happened before as far as he knew. “Who?”
“No one.” Dean glanced toward the bedroom when he heard a door creak.
Amanda called out, “Who’s here?” She heard voices.
“Uh, it’s a friend, don’t come out here.” Dean panicked. He was scared Dominic would tell Jon.
Curious, Amanda peeked out. She wore Dean’s T-shirt. “Why?” She stepped into the hallway, and her eyes met Dominic’s. “Damn.”
Dominic stood, stunned. “Whoa! I don’t know what you two’re doing, and I don’t wanna get caught up in the backlash.” He leaned toward Dean. “You hurt her again, and Jon’s gonna beat your ass.”
“My life. My choice.” Amanda glared at Dominic. ”Tell my brother to fuck off. Dean’s a good lay.”
That hurt Dean just a bit. He thought they had a connection. He had done things to her he would never do to a groupie. He hoped she just faked it for Dominic, so he let it go. ”Please, Dom, don’t say anything. We’re, uh, just having fun.” I guess. He wanted more, though.
Dominic looked from one of them to the other, unsure what to do. They were adults, but neither had made good choices in the past few years. Although, they seemed to calm each other down. Both looked happy, too.
“So, uh...” Dominic looked to Amanda again. “Was this your idea or his?”
She gave him a death stare. “Mine. I’m having a good time, and so is he. Leave it at that.” She put her hands on her hips. “You can go now.”
“Please, Dom,” Dean pleaded again. “I been clean and just having fun.”
Still skeptical, Dominic threw up his hands. “If this blows up, Jon’s gonna go ballistic.” He pointed at Amanda. “Don’t you bitch about Dean when he moves on. You know how he is. I don’t wanna hear about this like last time. I hope I don’t regret this.” He started for the door. “Seriously. Both of you be careful. You may think you’re immune to heartache, but no one is.” Without another word, he left.
* * *
At Jon’s house, Noelle and Mitchell stood side by side while they listened to playback. She glanced at him. That day he had been polite but a little cold. She was not used to it. He nodded his head as their voices played over the speakers. She felt a bit slighted but also relieved. Since the rest of her band had arrived, he pulled away more every day.
Mitchell felt her eyes on him. He forced himself to stay focused. The last thing he needed was to see she cared, even if it was as a friend. He had busted his ass to let her go emotionally. It worked, mostly. She still invaded his dreams. He couldn’t look at her for too long for fear her naked body would come to mind. If Dominic knew the fantasies that had played in his head when they were alone, he’d flip out.
“It’s good,” Noelle said when the tracks ended. “Blends well.”
Mitchell smiled. “Yeah.” He was glad she didn’t balk at the duet he wrote. It was about her, but he claimed it to be about a woman he met recently in Seattle. “So, we’re done for the night?” It was after 8:00.
“Unless you wanna start on a new song.” Sam turned in his chair. “I don’t mind staying. I’m sure Mike’s cool with it, too.” A knock on the door startled him. He waved at Trevor to come in.
Trevor stepped inside and moved toward Noelle. “Hey. Can I borrow your phone? Mine died. Savanna went shopping, and I wanna ask her to pick me up hair ties.”
“Sure.” Noelle walked into the main room and bent down to grab her purse.
Mitchell’s eyes almost popped out as he watched. She had on a skirt. While bent over, he got an eyeful of her panties. As his cock grew, his mind went wild. It took all of his willpower not to run up behind her and shove his dick into her. He groaned silently, while he remembered how she felt wrapped around him.
“Eyes off her ass!” Emilio suddenly shouted.
Mitchell’s head whipped around. He gaped at Emilio. “I wasn’t... I—I—It was... Fuck.”
“You promised me, man.” Emilio glared at Mitchell. They had a long talk the night they arrived. “Off. Limits.”
“I know,” Mitchell mumbled. “She don’t have to put it out there.”
Emilio quickly looked her way. “I’ll ask her to wear shorts next time.”
The tension surprised Noelle when she returned. The door had been closed. So she didn’t hear the brief argument. “Did I miss something?”
“Nothing important.” Mitchell smiled. “Everything’s good.”
Trevor took the offered phone. “I’ll be back.” He dialed as he walked.
“Hey.” Dominic put a hand out so Trevor didn’t crash into him. “Seen Noelle?”
“Sorry.” Trevor looked up. “Control room.”
Dominic patted Trevor on the back and continued on. He poked a head into the control room. “I’m back.”
“You find him?” Noelle asked as she put a hand out.
He grasped her hand. “Yeah. We’ll talk about it later.” From the car, he had called Tommy to let him know Dean was fine and sober. The reaction was good, so the trip had to go well so far. “We staying or leaving?”
Sam walked into the room. “That’s what I wanna know.”
“How about a short break?” Noelle asked and squeezed Dominic’s hand.
With a shrug, Sam replied, “Fine with me.”
Dominic tugged her toward the stairs. “Let’s go out on the back porch.”
“Isn’t it cold out?” Noelle had not been outside since early that morning.
As he led the way upstairs, he answered, “It’s not bad. The jacket you brought is fine.”
Once outside, Noelle took a deep breath. “This is nice.” She slipped an arm around Dominic’s back. “Was Dean OK?”
“Yeah.”
“Why hasn’t he called you back?” She didn’t understand Dean at all.
He laid his arm over her shoulders. “He’s been in bed… migraine.” He hated to lie, but knew he had to keep Dean’s secret. “I think he’s got what he needs now.” He rolled his eyes. He didn’t understand why Amanda was so naïve.
Chapter 34
“Are you bringing these boots?” Dominic walked into his living room with Noelle’s red boots in his hand. “Is it colder there in December?”
/> She looked up as she closed her suitcase, which lay on the couch. “No. I have a pair of winter boots at home. I’ll break my neck on ice with those. And yeah, sometimes it’s colder in Seattle.” Her condo was sold, and the closing was the next day. “I’ll only be gone a few days. The movers come Tuesday. Then I’ll be home Wednesday.”
“I know.” Dominic set the boots on the floor. “I’m gonna miss you.” He pulled her into his arms. “Too bad you’re gonna miss the party.” Triple Threat’s release party was the next night.
She held him tight. “At least, I’ll be back long before Tommy’s New Year’s party. We have to celebrate your birthday before that, though.”
“OK.” He didn’t like a fuss made for his birthday, but Tommy found a way to announce it every year. “Good thing we don’t have a concert that week.”
Noelle furrowed her eyebrows, confused. “Why?”
“Tommy gets the whole place to sing to me.” He blushed. “You know I don’t really like attention.”
She got up on her toes and kissed his lips. “Something I love about you.” She sighed. “Tell Brandon and Chico hi for me.” She felt bad she would miss them.
“Sorry it worked out this way.”
She smiled. “It’s OK. I’ll see Brandon at Tommy’s at least. I’m sure Chico will let me know when things settle down in Boston. Then maybe we can go see him and Ashley. So glad that boy finally settled down.” She stepped back. “We need to leave.”
“Yeah, I know.” Dominic sighed. “It’s only a few days. I’ll hang out with my brother or something.”
Noelle palmed his cheek and looked into his eyes. “It’s great you two reconciled.”
“Don’t forget. We close on the new house Friday.”
“I won’t.” She was excited they would have more living space.
Evolving Urges (Gasoline Book 2) Page 26