Holding a Hero

by Layne, Lyssa

  “Maybe we could do the western movie thing and jump aboard,” Johnny said.

  Although she felt like she’d fallen into some twisted movie, Montana couldn’t see herself leaping onto a moving train like an old-time outlaw. “Only if you want to lose life or limb.”

  “At this point, I’m willing to risk about anything.”

  “I’m not.” Montana held out her hands and examined them. “I need my limbs and I value my life.”

  “And here I was getting all pumped up.” Johnny made a muscle and kissed it.

  “Save your strength, muscleman,” Montana said. “We’ve still got a long walk ahead.”

  Johnny groaned. “I’m so fuckin’ sick of those words.”

  “Look at the bright side. You’ll be in shape for your concert tour. You’ll be able to sing all night long…” Montana turned away, blinking hard. The events of the last few days were beginning to catch up to her—sleep deprivation, long hours of hiking, but most of all her mangled emotions had turned her into a hot mess.

  Wendall Weaver would not be impressed.

  He had raised his daughter to be a strong, independent woman. He’d expect her to square up and carry on.

  Johnny’s hand on her shoulder upset her more. “I-I’m fine,” she said.

  “Montana-girl—”

  She shook off his hand. “Don’t say things you don’t mean, Johnny.”

  ~*~

  A tree branch snapped.

  Johnny and Montana spun around.

  Out of the trees, a slight man walked toward them, his head and face covered by a bright orange ski mask. In his hands, he held a hunting rifle pointed in their direction. “Yeah, Cowboy. Don’t lead the girl on. We all know you don’t mean a word you say.”

  Stunned by the sight of someone seeming to come out of nowhere, pointing a gun at him, Johnny froze. “What the fuck?”

  Montana seemed equally bowled over. Her gray eyes were wide, her mouth slightly parted.

  The figure reached for his mask, keeping the barrel of the gun aimed at them. He pulled off the face cover. “Surprised?”

  Montana just stared.

  Johnny reeled as if he’d been sucker punched. “What the fuck, man?”

  “Not who you expected?” the gunman asked.

  “No,” Johnny said. “Not exactly.”

  Montana looked between them in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  Johnny took a step forward, but stopped when the gun lifted a fraction. “Joel—”

  “That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.”

  “You want to explain why you’re pointing a gun at me?” Johnny fought to sound reasonable, calm.

  Joel laughed. “You’ve done too many drugs, Cowboy. Your brain is fried.”

  “That may be true, but it doesn’t explain why I’m standing here with my manager holding a fucking gun on me.” He glanced at Montana. “Unless I’m hallucinating?”

  “You’re not.” Her face had gone white. “This is all too real.”

  “It’s been you all along?” Johnny couldn’t make the pieces fit. “You’re the one who’s been chasing us?” He tightened his hold on the rifle. “Scaring Montana? Tearing up her shit?” His voice rose. “Trying to burn us alive? When I trusted you with my money, with my life? With everything?”

  Joel cackled. “Your money, your career. What a joke, man. You destroyed your own reputation. I told you not to waste your time by putting out Heartbeat, but you wouldn’t listen. The great and wonderful Cowboy knows all. Well, you didn’t know so much after all, did you? Your arrogance took us all down with you. Me. The band. Teal. Every single one of us who are in this with you paid the price of your pigheadedness.”

  “I did what I thought was right.” Johnny knew he’d made mistakes. He planned to fix them with Betrayed.

  “Johnny—” Montana put a hand on his arm.

  “Yeah, Cowboy.” Joel pointed the gun square at his chest. “Shut up. I’ve heard enough.”

  “Joel?” Montana’s voice was soft, kind. “What’s this about?”

  He shot her a mocking look. “Do you think it was a coincidence I sent Cowboy to the wilderness where he could easily tumble from a cliff? What I didn’t count on was you falling for the rock star. You’re as bad as the rest of them. You’re as big a slut as every other girl Cowboy’s fucked and forgotten. Just another one rode hard and put away wet…while his spurs jingle-jangle as he rides off into the sunset.”

  “I’m no groupie.” Montana lifted her chin and eyed him coldly. “You don’t know anything about me, or who I have or have not slept with.”

  Joel continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Fucked the football player in college until he found sweeter pussy. Now it’s Cowboy’s dick you’re sliding right up inside you. From here you look like every other tramp who screws somebody famous.”

  “Shut up, Joel.” Johnny’s fist around the rifle stock tightened. He had never wanted to hurt someone so badly in his life as he did at the moment. Not even Teal or Keifer.

  “Denying it?” Joel sneered. “And you. Mr. Big Dick. Did you tell her how many girls there have been before her? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands, even?”

  “Jealous?” Montana taunted.

  Both men stared at her—Joel with disgust, Johnny in admiration of her bravery.

  “Jealous of you and Cowboy doing the horizontal hop?” Joel curled his lip. “Hardly.”

  Johnny could give a hot shit what Joel thought about his love life, but the way he was dragging Montana through the mud made him want to kick the guy in the nuts.

  Instead of taking offense, Montana kept her voice kind. “Well, if you’re not upset about who Johnny or I sleep with then maybe you could explain to me what has you worked up enough to want to hurt us. What do you hope to gain?”

  His wild eyes calmed a little. “I didn’t initially want to involve you, Montana. You were nice to me in college when most weren’t. I was looking forward to seeing you again.” He took a shuddering breath and his expression turned viscous. “But then you did what every other woman who comes close to Cowboy does and that’s jump in bed with him.”

  “Joel,” Montana said softly, “we haven’t seen each other in years. Why would you care what happened between me and Johnny?”

  He laughed loud and shrill. “You think I give a shit that you got down and dirty with Cowboy?”

  “Apparently you do,” she said.

  “I don’t care about who you fuck,” he screamed, waving the gun. “Stupid bitch.”

  Johnny had heard enough. “Close your fucking mouth, Joel. Now.”

  “Coming to the lady’s defense?” Joel laughed again. “That’s rich. You’ve never given a crap about a woman before. Not Peyton, who you ran off to Nashville. Not even your own wife—”

  “Wife?” It was Johnny’s turn to laugh. “My wife didn’t know the meaning of the word. She fucked my best friend in my own god damn house in my own god damn studio—”

  “Shut up!” Joel shrieked. “Just shut up! Stop talking about her like that!”

  Montana held out a hand. “Take it easy. Why don’t you explain it? So that we understand. You think Johnny treated Teal badly?”

  He jerked his head in a sharp nod. “Yeah.”

  Johnny snorted, but let Montana take charge. How had he not seen that his manager was certifiable?

  “How did Johnny do Teal wrong?” Montana didn’t look his way, instead focusing intently on Joel.

  He paced back and forth in front of them. “How much time do you have?” He stopped and faced Johnny. “She loved you, Cowboy. You were her hero. When you helped make her CD, she was on top of the world. Then you stole it all.”

  “She slept with Keifer.” Johnny spoke slowly as if he were explaining to a small child. “Should I have looked the other way?”

  “She only did that because of the endless stream of groupies,” Joel said. “You music guys can’t keep your dick in your pants. Look at Stoney. He slept with the wrong girl backstage
at some concert and made a baby he can’t even see.” He shook his head sadly. “And you. If it has a vagina you hump it.” He looked at Montana. “You think you’re special? Don’t believe it. Poor Teal. All those nights she sat home crying over you when you didn’t even care.”

  Rage boiled in Johnny’s gut. He’d been faithful. Those lonely nights had been Teal’s choice. He’d asked her to come on the road with him and she’d refused. She’d claimed she wanted to stay home. Said she trusted him.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t I?” Joel suddenly looked sad. “Who do you think comforted her all those times? Who held her while she cried when you cheated on her time after time?” He tapped his chest. “Me. That’s right. Reliable old Joel.”

  Johnny’s mouth fell open. He snapped it shut. “You fucked my wife, too?”

  “Of course not!” Joel looked affronted. “Our love was too pure to cheapen it that way. But her heart and mine are linked. Forever. Teal and I are soulmates.”

  “You terrorized Montana and me because my wife claims I screwed groupies during our marriage?” Johnny couldn’t wrap his mind around it. “What about Keifer? She’s fucking him now. Are you going to shoot him, too?”

  “I’ll deal with Keifer in due time,” Joel said.

  “If you and Teal’s love was so wonderful, why didn’t she turn to you instead of him?” Johnny couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.

  “You drove her into Keifer’s arms,” Joel said almost robotically. “You hurt her. Not me.”

  “Joel,” Montana said. “That makes no sense. I don’t know this woman, but why wouldn’t she turn to you instead of Keifer when she left Johnny?”

  Johnny held his tongue. Teal hadn’t left him; he’d kicked her out. He pinned a hard stare on Joel. “Well?”

  He hung his head. “I’m not a musician like you boneheads.”

  “So, by killing me you’re going to vindicate your one true love and make her croon like a songbird?”

  “Exactly.” Joel nodded earnestly. “When I return the CD, she’ll see how much I love her.”

  “Dude, you’ve lost your mind.” Ignoring the warning look Montana shot in his direction, he continued. “First of all, Teal’s a gold digging tramp who only loves herself. Second, I never slept with groupies or anyone else when we were married. Third, even if you kill me here and now, what’s your next plan? Fly to L.A. and whack Keifer? Then what? You and Teal live happily ever after on the run like a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde?”

  “Johnny—” Montana sounded far away.

  He was so angry he couldn’t think straight. “Last, you’re not taking that CD anywhere. It’s been destroyed.”

  With a roar of rage, Joel lunged at him, brandishing the rifle over his head like a club.

  Montana screamed.

  Years of dodging flying objects hurled by fans had given Johnny quick reflexes and he easily sidestepped Joel’s wild charge. One foot slipped on the slick river bank and Joel scrambled for purchase.

  Joel couldn’t stop as the rifle flew out of his hands and he grabbed air. He flew over the riverbank and into the racing water. His shrill scream reverberated through the valley, bouncing off nearby mountain peaks.

  Johnny spun on his heel, ready to dive in, but he instantly saw the fast-moving water had grabbed Joel and sucked him under.

  Running alongside the river, Johnny tried to keep pace, but the current was too rapid, dragging the body under. Joel’s bright hunter orange bobbed under the surface like a crazy cork until it outdistanced Johnny. There was no hope.

  Johnny stopped and doubled over.

  “Jooooooeeellll!” He bellowed his anguish. The mountains seemed to shake from the power of his voice.

  Next to him, Montana grabbed his sleeve. “Dear God.”

  What the fuck?

  Nothing that had happened in the last few days made sense. Johnny fought to process everything, but his mind churned in wild circles. He couldn’t seem to focus and the world tilted sideways.

  Montana moved into his arms and hugged him tight. “I’m so sorry.”

  Automatically his arms tightened around her. “Yeah.”

  He didn’t know how long they stood there, but he finally cleared his throat. “We have to go. I have to tell the authorities what happened.”

  Seeming to understand he didn’t want to talk about what just happened, Montana nodded. “Okay.”

  As they trudged down the railroad tracks next to the gurgling river, Johnny tried not to look at the swift current and imagine Joel’s gruesome death. His mind whirled, trying to sort out everything that had happened. His gut churned and his eyes burned with unshed tears.

  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that his friend, his confidant, had wanted him dead.

  How had he not seen Joel was in love with Teal?

  He’d assumed his band manager was loyal. Joel had been a superb actor.

  Or was Johnny just blind? Or so arrogant he assumed that no one else had a chance with a woman he loved?

  Keifer had blown that theory all to hell.

  Now that Joel had kicked him in the balls and gotten his attention, he saw how the other man felt about Teal. He’d always been puppy-like in his adoration of her. When she cheated on Johnny, Joel had been furious and hurt. Now Johnny understood it was because she betrayed not only him, but Joel as well.

  Was there anyone the woman hadn’t used and thrown away like shitty toilet paper?

  Johnny almost felt sorry for Keifer.

  Many, many times Joel had suggested Johnny let her have the CD. He’d claimed it was the right thing to do and would make Teal go away.

  Johnny had never understood his manager’s logic. He was under no obligation—either legally or morally—to turn over the CD to his ex.

  Now Joel’s motivation began to make sense.

  A chill sent a shudder through Johnny. Had Joel given Teal his house codes all the times she’d supposedly broken into his home? Was she cleaning him out while he was here? The CD she wanted so badly was locked in his lawyer’s safe, but he had a shitload of valuables he’d hate to lose.

  When they reached the sheriff’s office, he’d ask someone to check his house in L.A.

  Montana stopped and turned to him. “Are you holding up okay?”

  His throat clogged. “Yeah.”

  “Good.” She pointed. “Because there’s a bridge up ahead. We’re less than half a mile from the highway. We should be able to flag down a ride.”

  He looked to where she pointed. A bridge stood between him and his real life. When Montana held out her hand, he took it. He dragged in a steadying breath.

  Shit was about to get real.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  After a lengthy interrogation and a two-hour drive home, a sheriff’s deputy dropped Montana and Johnny on her doorstep.

  She’d never been so happy to see a place in her life. Boots met her at the Jeep, wagging his entire body, showing his happy doggy smile. She bent to pet him, almost as pleased as the Border collie.

  She rubbed behind his ears. “I wasn’t sure I was going to ever see you again.”

  He spun in crazy circles of joy.

  Johnny knelt to stroke the dog’s head. “Hey, buddy. You remind me of my gang at home. I’ll be glad to see them again.”

  Montana ignored the knot building in her stomach. She had a feeling it would be there for years to come.

  The front door burst open and Shannon, Ryan, Adrian and Stoney all poured out. Questions came in rapid fire.

  “Are you okay?”

  “What happened?”

  “Where are the horses?”

  “Why are you here? How did you get home?”

  Montana held up her hand. “Let’s go in the house and we’ll tell you everything.”

  The comforting scents of home—coffee, the sage potpourri she kept on the mantel, lemon furniture polish—filled Montana’s senses. She
inhaled appreciatively. God, it was good to be home safe and sound. Coming in after a hunting trip always felt great, but this time was heaven.

  Her stomach tightened.

  Johnny would be leaving soon.

  The sheriff had cleared them of any wrongdoing. Johnny had no reason to stay longer.

  Someone handed her a cup of coffee, and like magic, Johnny was given a shot glass with what she presumed was vodka.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked Adrian.

  The singer waved a hand. “Perfect. I spent a night in the hospital where they hydrated me with an I.V. After that it was all good.”

  “Sit, sit,” Shannon said.

  Montana sank onto her green corduroy couch with a sigh. To her surprise, Johnny sat beside her, his thigh touching hers. She’d assumed the minute they hit civilization he’d withdraw from her. He hadn’t said much on the long ride from Durango and she’d let him be, certain his thoughts rested on Joel.

  She imagined he dreaded the task ahead of telling his friends what happened to their manager. Her fingers found his and curled around them, wrapping tight.

  He squeezed back.

  Shannon followed the movement, and catching Montana’s eye, she smirked.

  Montana looked away and blinked hard. Shannon had the wrong impression. This wasn’t about sex; it was only a move to comfort Johnny. She tightened her hold on his hand.

  “Where are the horses?” Ryan asked.

  Drawing a deep breath, Montana glanced at Johnny. “Still in the mountains.”

  Ryan looked astounded. “What? Why? Are they hurt in some way?”

  Montana began filling them in until Johnny picked up the story where Joel had caught them by the river. He looked at his friends with deep sadness etched onto his face.

  “Joel would have killed me and Montana if he hadn’t drowned.”

  A horrified silence filled Montana’s living room as the story sank in.

  Finally Adrian spoke. “Damn. Joel was in love with Teal? I never knew.”

  Johnny scrubbed his hands down his face before grabbing Montana’s hand again. “No one did. Teal used him to get the CD she made.”

  “Man.” Stoney ran his hands through his hair. “That’s insane.”