“Open the door, Billy. Now!” Skyler said, concern rising at the tone of her voice.” Do it now, Billy, or I’ll kick the fucking thing down.” He had unknowingly threatened to do the same thing Jerith had a couple of hours before, but this time, Billy didn’t give in. Skyler considered following through with the threat, but he decided a peace officer kicking in a hotel room door wouldn’t be well received. He went downstairs and grabbed the manager. “I need you to get me into a room, right now.”
“Sir!” the manager said snootily.
“Look,” Skyler said, pulling out his badge and putting it in the man’s face. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Just get the key to room 702 and come with me.”
Ten minutes later, the manager was opening the door. Skyler walked inside, motioning to him to go. He closed the door and looked around. The place was a disaster. Skyler walked toward the bathroom and saw Billy’s reflection in the mirror. She was getting ready to snort more cocaine. He took long, hurried strides, getting to the doorway in time to slap the vial out of her hand. She cried out in surprise, then glared at him, her hand coming up to slap him. He grabbed her hand, yanking her around to put her back against his chest with her arm in front of her. She struggled furiously.
“Billy! Knock it off!” Skyler tightened his hold on her arm, reaching around her small waist with his other arm to give himself added leverage.
“Let go of me, you son of a bitch!” Billy screeched, reaching up to claw at him. She caught at his temple and raked her nails dangerously close to his eye. Skyler yanked his head back out of her reach, tightening his hold on her arm until she cried out.
“Calm down and I’ll let you go, but not until you do.”
Billy let her body go slack, but Skyler wasn’t fooled. He carried her into the other room and moved to set her down on the bed. He’d no sooner let her go than she launched herself at him. Billy’s tiny frame was no match for Skyler’s, and she felt like she’d run right into a brick wall. He snatched her up off her feet and literally threw her over his shoulder, then carried her toward the door to the room. She struggled and shrieked, but he didn’t let her go. He carried her down the hallway. He got to the manager’s desk and told the man—having to yell above Billy’s expletives—that he’d come back later to get her stuff and take care of the bill.
“Ha!” Billy shrieked. “Even you don’t make enough to pay this bill, Skyler James Kristiani! Put me the fuck down, or I swear to God I’ll call the cops!”
“I am the cops, you idiot!” Skyler yelled back, heading undaunted for the front door. He got out to his car and walked around to the passenger side, where he opened the door with one hand and shoved her inside. He moved back after buckling her seatbelt tightly, his light green eyes narrowed at her. “If you touch anything, throw anything, kick anything, or damage anything in this car, I swear to you, Billy, I’ll cuff your ass and throw you in the trunk.” His tone made her believe him. She said nothing, but she didn’t try to damage his car either. Billy knew the Mustang was his pride and joy, and she wouldn’t have had the heart to damage it anyway.
Skyler got in on the driver’s side, looking over at her and then at his dashboard, as if making sure she hadn’t touched anything. He started the car and put it into gear. He drove for a full twenty minutes without saying anything. It was Billy who finally broke the silence.
“She was in here, wasn’t she?” she said distastefully.
“Don’t start, Billy.”
“So I guess I was right. You don’t waste much time, do you? Yesterday when I left, she hated your guts. Obviously that didn’t last.”
“I guess not,” Skyler said simply, unwilling to be baited into an argument with her. He could tell she was still pretty high, and he didn’t want to have her get mad and do something stupid that would kill them both. He sighed. “She was at the house yesterday because her car broke down. I worked on it most of the day, but I couldn’t get it fixed.”
“What’s that got to do with you fucking her, Skyler?”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with it. I was drinking beer, and pissed off at you. She came on to me, and I took her up on it. That’s it.”
“She came on to you. Why now—why does she want you again all of a sudden?” She shook her head disbelievingly. “I can’t seem to catch a break with you, can I? First I can’t have you because you’re married to her, now I can’t have you because she’s decided she wants you again.”
“You had me, Billy. You still could if you weren’t busy stuffing that shit up your nose, but that’s obviously more important to you.”
Billy was silent for a while. Her mind was clearly working; Skyler could almost hear it clicking away. “So was she good, Skyler?” she asked finally. “Was she as good as me?”
Skyler shook his head. “I am not getting into this conversation with you, Billy.”
“Can she turn you on like I can?” Billy taunted, her voice taking on a seductive edge. “I’ll bet she can’t, and I’ll bet you were thinking about me the whole time—weren’t you, Skyler?”
He shook his head, staring straight ahead. “Tell yourself whatever you need to, Billy, but don’t try and make me play along.”
His words cut her deeply. They also shut her up for a long time. She was seething.
“Goddamn it!” he said, hitting the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. He reached over and picked up his cell phone. He dialed the office. “Hey, TJ, it’s Skyler. Look, I had a family emergency type thing come up, so I’m not gonna make it in. Yeah, I know—so he’ll be pissed. Yeah, call me if anything happens or you need something. I’ll be home in… a half hour.” He hung up the phone a few moments later, glancing over at her. She was leaning against the passenger door, facing him but as far away from him as she could get.
“So what am I supposed to do here, Billy?” he said softly.
“Nothing.” Billy sounded defeated. “Dropping me back at the hotel and leaving me alone would be a good start, though.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Why, what do you care? I’m just some piece you fucked and are obviously done with now that your wife is back.”
“Yeah, that’s why I dropped her off in Davis and came straight to your hotel,” Skyler said evenly.
“I told you not to bother.”
“And I wanted to bother. Christ, Billy, you really think I’m an asshole, don’t you? You do mean something to me, but the drugs can’t happen if I’m with you. I’m a narcotics agent, for Christ’s sake. This kind of shit could ruin my career.”
“How’re they gonna know we’re seeing each other?” Billy said petulantly.
“Well, there was the press at the concert, and then there was the little gem in the news this morning, and now I’m sure that pencil-necked manager has called every member of the press he can find a number for to report that a police officer carried Ms. Montague off on his shoulder. How do you think they’ll find out?”
Billy was silent for a few minutes. “Shit, Skyler, I didn’t think about all that.” She was looking at him differently now. Suddenly he wasn’t the jerk who had cheated on her with his ex-wife the night before; he was the man who had just charged in and saved her from herself. She noticed the bloody welts her fingernails had left from his temple right down to his eye. “Oh God, Skyler,” she said, reaching out to touch the mark with shaking hands.
Skyler flinched away. “It’s fine,” he said curtly.
Billy started to shake her head, tears coming to her eyes. “No, it’s not. I could have really hurt you. I’m sorry, Skyler. I’m sorry.”
Skyler looked over at her, wondering if she’d skipped right to withdrawal symptoms—although her behavior could be considered erratic too, which was part of the high and a possible sign of overdose.
“Billy,” he said evenly. “How much coke have you had today?”
“I don’t know,” Billy said hesitantly. “Nothing. Why?” She was leery of telling him; she was afraid he’d get mad.
“Billy, don’t bullshit. Tell me how much you’ve had.”
Billy shook her head, confused. “None, Skyler. Really.”
Skyler looked over at her pointedly. “If you’re lying to me, it could be deadly.”
“I’m not, Skyler, really. Jerith came to the room this morning and gave me hell. I called you about an hour later. I was just doing it when you walked in—I haven’t had any since last night, really.”
Skyler didn’t say anything. He continued to drive. When they got to his house, he opened her door for her. Billy got out and followed him to the front door like an obedient child. Inside, Skyler went into the kitchen, tossing his keys on the side then turning to face her as he leaned against the counter.
“So,” he said, his eyes on hers. “Jerith gave you hell. What did he say?”
Billy sat down, sighing. “He gave me a month to get clean.” She shook her head. “I don’t think I can do it, Skyler.”
Skyler was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He walked over to her and pulled her up into his arms. He held her close, stroking her hair. “I’ll help you, babe. You’ll do it.”
“But a month? Is that enough? I mean, Jerith said totally clean, and I know him—he means it.”
“I’ll talk to Jerith about realistic expectations, Billy, but you have to be serious about this,” Skyler said softly.
“I don’t have a choice. I have to be, or I’ll lose everything.” Billy’s voice was muffled because her face was buried in his shirt.
Skyler held her for a long time. After a while they went into the living room. They sat on the couch; the TV was on, but they weren’t really paying attention. Billy’s head found its way into Skyler’s lap. He sat stroking her hair, watching her. Eventually, she fell asleep, and Skyler picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and went back into the other room. He made some calls, spending a lot of time on the phone with the office. Billy didn’t wake up the entire day. He knew she was going through withdrawal already; her habit must have been pretty major for that to start so soon. He decided she must have been telling the truth about not having had any since the night before.
Later in the afternoon, Chelsea arrived back home from a day with her friends. She was on Spring Break, and one of her good friends had a car. A couple of them came in with her. Skyler was sitting on the couch, one foot up on the coffee table, speaking on the phone. Chelsea shushed her friends; she noticed when she did that they were both eyeing her father.
“Chelsea,” Skyler said, putting his hand over the phone. “Stay back here.”
Chelsea looked perplexed. “Why? Is it Mom?”
Skyler grinned, realizing how bad this was going to come out. “It’s Billy. She’s asleep back there.”
“What!” Chelsea said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I thought you and Mom were… but you…”
“It’s a really long story, Chels. Just don’t go down the hall, okay?”
Chelsea nodded, and motioned for her friends to follow her. They went out onto the deck.
Sandy—her blond-haired friend with the car—gave her a measured look. “Would that be Billy as in Billy and the Kid?”
“Yeah.” Chelsea didn’t look very enthusiastic; she was confused about the change in her father’s feelings. She took heart in the thought that it might have something to do with their conversation that morning. She climbed up onto the railing, sitting with her back to her friends.
“So, your dad is really with her?” asked Freddy, her other friend, her voice indicating her envy. “She is so lucky!”
Chelsea was shocked. “You’re saying Billy’s lucky? She’s a star, she’s rich, she’s famous—”
“She’s sleeping with your father,” Sandy said, grinning.
“What’s so lucky about that?”
“Duh!” Freddy climbed up on the railing next to her. Then she saw Chelsea’s blank look. “Chelsea, your dad’s gorgeous!”
“He’s old…” Chelsea said, looking at her friends as if they were nuts.
“Who the hell cares!” Sandy clambered up on the retaining wall on the other side of Chelsea. “He’s got an incredible bod, and along with age comes experience. I bet he’d know a lot more than Tommy does,” she said, rolling her eyes. Her boyfriend wasn’t up to speed in the sex area.
“So both of you have the hots for my father?” Chelsea said, looking at them. Both girls nodded. “That’s disgusting!”
“I’ll tell you what,” Freddy said. “You give me one really good shot at your dad, and I’ll let you know.”
“Ugh! I don’t know if I should tell you this, but Billy told me their relationship is purely physical…” She trailed off as both of her friends sighed dramatically. “Oh Christ, you two! Don’t be so dumb. Hell, he was with my mother last night.”
“He what?” Sandy looked shocked. “You mean, with, as in… with?”
“Yes, they had sex, okay? I don’t get it. She was pissed off as hell at him yesterday during the day… and then last night, I walked in on them… It was weird. And now today, Billy’s here again. I don’t get it.” She shook her head.
“I’m telling you, Chelsea,” Freddy said, putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “He’s gorgeous. Maybe your mom couldn’t resist.”
“I don’t know…” Chelsea said skeptically.
“Hey!” Sandy said. “Do you think we could meet Billy?”
“Not today, Sandy. I think my dad’s not gonna want anyone around right now.” She had a feeling Billy was with her father again because of her drug problem, and she respected the musician enough to want to protect her from too many people finding out about it.
Skyler came to the back door. “Chels,” he said evenly.
“Yeah, Dad?” She hopped off the railing. Skyler nodded toward the house. Chelsea walked inside, and Skyler moved to lean against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed.
“How long are your friends planning on staying?” he asked lightly.
“I don’t know. They won’t stay long, I promise,” she said, looking at him, trying to see what her friends saw. He was really good-looking, she could see that much, but gorgeous? “What’s going on, Dad?”
Skyler looked at his daughter for a long moment. “Billy called me. She needs my help.”
“With the drug problem?” Chelsea said sympathetically.
“Yeah.” Skyler nodded, then he shrugged. “I guess you were right. She needs me.”
Chelsea nodded. “I’m glad she called you.”
“Me too. Look, I need you to do me a favor. I gotta finish your mom’s car and get it to her in Davis somehow…”
“Well, my friend Sandy has her car here, and she’s gotta take Freddy down to Sacramento anyway. Maybe she could follow you and bring you back.”
“Where does Sandy live?”
“She lives in Davis normally, but she’s up here visiting her aunt for Spring Break. Her mom wouldn’t let her go to San Diego, like a lot of kids are doing…”
“So she’s punishing her mother by spending Spring Break out of the house,” Skyler finished for her, looking pointedly at his daughter. “Is that what you’re doing too?”
“No.” Chelsea shook her head. “I like being around you.”
Skyler was nodding, looking anything but convinced. “Of course you do. Do you think your friend will mind?” he asked, aware that teenage girls were always on the go.
“No,” Chelsea said with a strange smile on her face. “I don’t think she’ll mind at all.”
Skyler nodded. “Well, I have to go out and get the part, but I’ll be back fast, and putting it in shouldn’t take too long. Tell… Sandy? Tell her I’ll be ready by about five thirty, and make sure she calls her parents to make sure it’s okay. The last thing I need is an irate parent thinking I’m molesting their kid or something.”
“Sandy could only hope,” Chelsea muttered, but turned and walked outside before Skyler could ask her what she meant.
Thr
ee and a half hours later, Skyler was finished with Theresa’s car. He took a quick shower in his guest bathroom, not wanting to disturb Billy, who was still asleep. Once he was dressed, he went into the bedroom to check on her. She was lying on her side, facing him. As if she sensed his presence, she stirred and opened her eyes.
“Hey,” Skyler said. He sat down next to her on the bed, brushing black curls back from her face.
“Where’re you going?” she asked, sounding like a child.
“I gotta go out for a little while, but I’ll be back soon, okay?”
She sat up. “You’re going to see Theresa, aren’t you?”
Skyler didn’t answer for a moment, then nodded. “I have to take her car back to her.”
Billy started shaking her head, her blue eyes narrowed at him. “No, you’ll go over there and you’ll end up sleeping with her.”
“No, I won’t, Billy,” Skyler said, trying to keep his voice even.
“I know you, Skyler. She’ll cry about something and you’ll console her the best way you know how.” Billy’s voice was becoming irrational, and Skyler knew she was on her way to a real tangent.
“Billy, stop it!” he said, sharply enough to get through to her. He took her by the shoulders, trying to get her to listen to him. But she wasn’t listening; she was shaking her head, blocking him out.
“You’ll sleep with her, I know it,” she kept chanting. “You always want her and not me. You always want her…” There were tears in her eyes now.
“Damn it,” Skyler said, leaning down to kiss her deeply. Her arms went around his neck immediately as she kissed him back. After a few long minutes, he pulled away gently. “Now, does that make you feel any better?”
Billy looked at him for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
“I’ll be back in two and a half hours, okay?” he said softly. Billy nodded, already looking half asleep again. Skyler laid her back down and kissed her softly. She turned over, putting her face in his pillow and hugging it.
An hour and ten minutes later he arrived at Theresa’s. He’d called her from his cell phone when he was twenty minutes out, so she was waiting for him outside. Sandy’s red Honda Civic pulled up right behind him. Sandy and Freddy got out of the car, but they stayed next to it.
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