by Mari Carr
She didn’t reject the idea. She wanted them to meet Mama Lewis and Jett and her brothers and sister. There was a large part of her that liked the idea of her two families meeting at last.
The only problem was Jett. He knew what else she intended to do while in town. He wasn’t crazy about the idea of her confronting her dad and had insisted on coming with her…as if she’d go by herself. However, even with that concession, he was worried.
She was afraid he’d take one look at her big strong bandmates and decide to recruit them to help.
She’d have to call him later and swear him to secrecy. Then she had to hope that the subject of her father didn’t come up during dinner. It was all a long shot, but Dani didn’t have enough energy right now to worry about it.
“Okay,” she said at last. “You can come with me.”
Bryson gently touched her cheek. “Why don’t you get some sleep, Dani? You look beat.”
She glanced at her watch. It was nearly noon. She’d pulled out of Nashville at three a.m. She had intended to wait until dawn to start the trek, but she’d been too restless, too keyed up to sleep, so she’d just thrown her stuff in the car and hit the road. Once she’d crossed the city limits of New Orleans, she had called Jett, grabbed a quick breakfast then came here.
She looked around. “Where am I sleeping?”
Bryson grasped her hand and they rose from the couch together. He led her to a door on the right as Aiden picked up her suitcase and followed them. “This one. It’s got a king-sized bed in it.” He pointed across the living room to another door. “That room is a double, two queens. Aiden and I will sleep there.”
She smiled appreciatively. “My own room? With a real bed? Wow. A girl could get spoiled by this.”
Aiden chuckled. “I think our days of sharing crappy hotel rooms are over, but I have to admit I’m kind of sad about that.”
She smirked. “That’s because you guys always got the beds while I was relegated to the rollaway.”
Aiden set her suitcase on the luggage rack. “You’re smaller. They don’t make those things big enough for guys over six feet.”
She knew that. Which was the only reason she’d always offered to take the cot. In the beginning they had taken turns, but it had simply been too painful to watch Aiden and Bryson struggling to find comfortable positions on a rollaway, tossing and turning all night, then dealing with their grumpiness the next day.
Bryson pulled down the covers. She dropped onto the mattress heavily, flopping onto her back. “Give me your cell.”
She fished it out of her pocket and handed it to him.
“I’m turning it off so the damn thing isn’t beeping all afternoon.” Bryson’s own cell tended to be off more than on. He owned one for necessity, but he wasn’t a fan of all the pings and dings associated with texts and emails and Facebook.
Bryson shook his head then lifted her feet to tug off her sneakers and her socks. She sighed, her eyes drifting closed.
“Dani,” he whispered.
She lifted her lids, though it took some effort. “Hmmm?”
“Clothes?”
“Too sleepy.”
He rolled his eyes, and then unfastened her jeans. He pulled them off quickly and efficiently. Shyness had stopped being a thing for them a long time ago. They were broke musicians who spent a lot of time on the road, hence the shared rooms. As a result, they’d seen her in her bra and undies countless times and she’d spent more than a few hours with them as they’d walked around in just their boxers.
Bryson threw the covers over her. It was warm and cozy and despite all the problems facing her, she didn’t think sleep was going to be an issue. She was too tired to give a shit about anything right now.
Bryson murmured a quiet good night. Then, to her surprise, he followed it up with a kiss to her forehead. She only had a second to consider how strange that show of affection was when Aiden added his own kiss to her brow.
She sighed contentedly, deciding it didn’t matter.
She liked the kisses.
And the bed.
She awoke to the sound of the penthouse phone ringing. Dani rolled over, reaching toward the nightstand with her eyes closed, desperate to make the noise stop and wondering why Aiden or Bryson didn’t answer it.
Then she recalled Bryson coming in earlier to whisper that they were going to do some sightseeing.
She was still worn out and something told her she hadn’t been asleep more than a few hours. Finally, she managed to put her hand on the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Welcome home, baby.”
Dani’s eyes flew open, her blood turning cold as she heard the voice that had tormented her dreams for years. How did he know she was here? Dani was struck dumb, unable to respond.
“I want to see you,” her father said.
Panic kicked in as Dani hung up quickly, and then took it off the hook so he couldn’t call back. She crawled more deeply under the covers, trying to combat the unexpected chill. She was suddenly freezing, shivering so hard her teeth chattered.
He knew she was in New Orleans. He knew where she was staying. Her heart thudded heavily when she considered he might come to the penthouse to seek her out.
Out in the living room, she heard the sound of the front door opening. Her lips parted to scream, but closed again when she heard Bryson and Aiden talking quietly.
She needed to get them to return to Nashville, out of the line of fire. She’d hoped she would be able to clean up the mess without involving them, but it felt as if there was a ticking time bomb in the room with her.
Dani pretended to be asleep when Aiden popped his head in to check on her, staying under the covers and fighting to calm down. Once she felt as if she had control of her emotions, she reached for her cell and turned it on, her hand trembling when she saw that she’d missed three calls, all from a blocked number.
Did he have her fucking cell number too? How?
She took a deep breath as she found Jett in her contacts and called him, careful to keep her voice down, so Bryson and Aiden didn’t overhear.
“Jett,” she said when he answered.
Her voice must have given her away. “What happened?”
“He called the penthouse and I think he might have my cell number.”
She heard Jett curse. “How does he know you’re here?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. He knows.”
“Shit. I’ll call Blake, but I’m not sure if he’s really done enough to warrant getting a restraining order against him.” Apparently her foster sister, Chloe, had hooked up with a hot cop from the New Orleans police force. Jett had mentioned bringing him along when Dani faced her father, but Dani had been resistant to have such a humiliating meeting in front of a stranger. She no longer felt that way. Hearing her dad’s voice had opened a floodgate, drowning her in a whole sea of terror.
“Okay.”
“You at the apartment?” Jett asked. “I’m coming over.”
“No. Now isn’t a good time.”
“Dani, I don’t like you staying there alone. I’m going to—”
She cut him off. “I’m not alone.”
“I thought you said—”
“Aiden and Bryson followed me. They’re here right now.”
Jett blew out a relieved breath. “Good. I’m glad you told them.”
“I didn’t tell them all of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told them I was here to reunite with my foster family. They don’t know about my dad and I’d really like to keep it that way.”
“What? Why? I thought these guys were your friends, that you trusted them?”
Dani wasn’t sure she could explain. For twelve years, she’d been plain old Dani Lewis. The people in her everyday world saw a waitress, a singer, a songwriter. No one in Nashville had ever looked at her with pity in their eyes; never saw her as a victim or that poor girl.
“I do trust them, but I wan
t to take care of this on my own if I can. The fewer people I put in harm’s way, the better. I already hate that you’re involved and possibly in danger.” She didn’t doubt for a moment now that her father was a definite threat. His voice was the same, cold and hard.
“You’re not doing this on your own, Dani.”
“I know I’m not. I have you. And Blake.”
“I get that it’s not easy for you to let people in, but from what you’ve told me, Aiden and Bryson are stand-up guys. They’d understand. They wouldn’t walk away from you.”
Dani knew that. But it didn’t make it any easier to say the words. They were too painful, too humiliating.
“Let’s just stick with the original plan for now. Until we find my dad and see what I’m up against, it’s impossible to know how to proceed.”
Jett didn’t reply immediately. Dani worried he intended to continue fighting her, but finally he said, “You still coming to Sunday dinner tomorrow? The whole family will be there.”
Under better circumstances, the idea of reuniting with that beloved family would have had her turning cartwheels. Now, however, she was too concerned for their safety. “Maybe we should postpone the reunion.”
“No. Absolutely not. I’ll come get you myself if you force my hand.”
“Okay. I’ll be there. Aiden and Bryson are planning to tag along. Are you sure we shouldn’t clue Mama Lewis in so she knows there will be three extra mouths to feed?”
Jett snorted. “You’re joking, right? That woman will have enough food there to feed twelve unexpected guests. She’ll be over the moon when she sees you, Dani.”
For the first time since hearing her father’s voice on the phone, Dani felt warm again. Mama Lewis had always found a way to make her feel safe. Loved. Special.
Regardless of all the shit with her dad, Dani refused to let him take away one moment of her happiness about seeing her family again.
She’d simply focus on that for now. She had managed to push all the bad stuff into the background for twelve years.
One more day wouldn’t hurt.
She hoped.
Chapter Three
“I told you I’d get you back, bitch. You’re mine. Mine.”
Cold, hard hands touched her.
The room was pitch black, but she could tell by the hot, sour-smelling breath he was there. With her.
Dani struggled to fight off his grip but her hands felt heavy, clumsy.
“No,” she whispered.
“We’re gonna finish what we started, you little slut.”
“No!” Dani kicked out, trying to free herself, but she was trapped, held tight. “No! Stop!”
“Time to bleed for Daddy.”
“God, please. Let me go!”
Sudden bright light blinded her, but Dani was too focused on the ironclad grip he had on her. She had to get away. She had to run.
“Dani!” The strong arms tightened around her as she punched, scratched and flailed wildly.
“No. Goddammit, no! You won’t get me!”
“Jesus, baby. Dani. Wake up. Fucking hell, please wake up!” Aiden’s voice broke through the nightmare.
Dani’s eyes flew open, blinking against the light. She panted painfully, her breath coming hard and heavy, the air not quite reaching her lungs. She stopped trying to escape when she realized it was Bryson who was holding her. His arms were wrapped around her from behind, her back pressed firmly to his chest.
Aiden was kneeling in front of her, a scratch down his right cheek.
“D-did I do that?”
Aiden reached up to touch the red welt. “It’s nothing. What the fuck was that?”
She shook her head, trying to force the memory of her father’s voice, his hands away. “N-nothing.”
Bryson released her as she turned to face him. She saw the slight swelling under his eye.
“Oh my God. Did I hit you?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “You got a lousy right hook. I took harder punches in preschool.”
She barked out a loud laugh that morphed too quickly into a cry. “Shit. I’m s-sorry.” Tears streamed down her face. Dani was helpless to stop them.
“Aw fuck, I was just kidding.” Bryson pulled her into his arms, letting her cry against his chest. “Jesus, Dani. You’re tearing my guts out. Please don’t cry. I can’t take it.”
She’d never cried in front of them. That was all she could think as sob after loud sob roared out of her. After a few minutes, Aiden reached for her, tugging her away from Bryson to offer his own comfort.
While Bryson had held her tightly, squeezing her as if his life depended on it, Aiden’s embrace was softer as he stroked her back and her hair, repeating a steady stream of “shhh, it’s okay” until she managed to calm down and slowly find her breath again.
When she felt steadier, she pulled away from Aiden, sniffling and wiping her face with her hands.
Bryson grabbed a box of tissues from the nightstand. “Here.”
She plucked three free and tried to wipe away all evidence of her crying. How the hell was she going to explain this to them?
“Nightmare,” she whispered before they could question her.
“Yeah,” Bryson said sardonically. “I figured out that much on my own. What was it about?”
She shook her head. “I can’t remember.”
Bryson narrowed his eyes. “Bullshit.”
Aiden grasped her hand and squeezed it gently. “Might help to talk about it.”
She knew with a hundred-percent certainty it wouldn’t, but instead she just shrugged. “It was nothing.”
There was no way in hell she could tell them what she’d dreamed about. Even now, she was still shaken by how real it had seemed. Dani glanced around the room in an effort to convince herself that her father wasn’t really there.
Aiden sighed. She’d hurt him again. She was batting a thousand this week and hating herself for it.
“I’m sorry.” She knew neither man understood her need to apologize, but they smiled anyway. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“We’d only just crawled into bed,” Bryson said.
“What time is it?”
Bryson looked at the alarm clock. “Little after midnight.”
She’d woken from her restless napping at six and they’d all gone down to a little restaurant across the street for a quick bite to eat. After that, they’d returned to the room and watched a movie on TV before she’d said good night around ten. She had a big day tomorrow and she wanted to be well rested for it.
Despite that desire, Dani knew she wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon, which meant she had a long night ahead of her.
Aiden ran his hand through her hair kindly. “I guess we’ll go back to our room if you’re sure you’re okay.”
They both stood from the bed and that was when she realized they were in their boxers, their hair messy from sleep. They’d lied. She had woken them up.
As they headed for the door, panic gripped her, especially when Bryson flicked the lights off.
“Wait!” she called out.
“What is it, Dani?” Aiden asked, stepping back into the room.
“Would you…” She hesitated, hating to show them how afraid she really was.
“Would we what?” Bryson returned to the bed, his brows furrowed with concern. “We’ll do anything for you. You know that.”
She bit her lower lip. “Would you guys sleep in here tonight?”
“Done,” Bryson said. “Scoot over. Into the middle. I’m not sleeping next to Aiden.”
She giggled, a mixture of relief and nervousness. Regardless of their past sleeping arrangements, they’d never shared a bed.
Aiden crossed to the opposite side, climbing in as well. The king-size bed had felt enormous when she was sleeping alone, but now that two big guys flanked her, the space shrank considerably.
Once they were beneath the covers, she belatedly remembered their states of relative undress. Both men were
shirtless and her legs were completely bare as she was sleeping in her usual—a t-shirt and panties. One of these days she really should invest in proper pajamas.
Neither man seemed concerned by the lack of clothing. Or their unusually close quarters. It had been this way with Bryson and Aiden for as long as she could remember.
Aiden pounded the pillow a bit to fluff it up. “Just warning you now, Dani, if you tell Benji we climbed into this bed with you, we’ll both deny it. I’ll even swear on a stack of Bibles. I’d rather deal with God himself than Benji if it comes out that we slept together.”
Dani started to laugh, then realized Aiden had a valid point. Benji would most likely kill them all if he caught wind of this, regardless of how innocent it was. “I’ll never say a word. Because you guys wouldn’t be the only ones in mortal peril.”
Bryson snorted. “Yeah, right. You’re his little girl, the daughter he never had. Everybody in Nashville knows that.”
How Dani wished that were true. What would she give to have grown up with Benji as her father? How different would her childhood have been? “I love Benji. And he wouldn’t kill you if I pleaded for him to spare you.”
Aiden didn’t seem appeased. “I don’t fancy being maimed either. The man might like to brag about how Closing Time wouldn’t exist without him, but I think that would all fade into the background if he thought we took advantage of you. I need my fingers to play the fiddle.”
Benji’s was a local institution, well known for giving some of the biggest names in music their start. It wasn’t unusual for scouts and agents to appear at his weekly Songwriter Night to check out the latest talent.
Benji had long been aware of Dani’s interest in music. He’d caught her standing in front of a sink full of bar glasses, singing her heart out enough times to know she had what he called, “some damn good pipes”.
After a lot of coercion, he’d finally convinced her to sing one of her songs on Songwriter Night. Though it had been scary as hell to climb onto that tiny stage, once she’d taken her place in front of the mic, something clicked. It had been magic.
For almost a year, she was a staple on Benji’s stage and she’d sold a handful of her songs to agents shopping for their clients. She’d enjoyed the extra money, the chance to perform and her continued anonymity.