CHAPTER 6
ZIGGY
We didn’t sleep. Not one wink.
And by the time the sun began streaming through her windows, I’d memorized every inch of her flesh.
I’d learned exactly how loud she moans when I rake my teeth across her nipples.
I’d discovered just how much pressure to use when I capture her clit between my lips to make her writhe uncontrollably.
I’d figured out that when I thrust my fingers deep inside of her while I sucked at that pretty little pearl, that it was just enough to push her over the edge and make her lose all her inhibitions, screaming and shaking and shuddering with ecstasy, until she begged me to stop.
Hours and hours later, we were reduced to a slick pile of sweaty limbs and blissed out smiles. She lay with her head on my shoulder, peaceful and relaxed.
“I needed this so badly,” she whispered.
“I’m happy I could give it to you,” I said.
“I have to be downstairs soon,” she said. “If not, Becky will knock my door down.”
“She seems very committed to you,” I remarked.
“Committed?” she scoffed. “Committed to her paychecks, maybe. She doesn’t truly care about me. I’m her job. If she doesn’t do it correctly, the record label will replace her in a second.”
“So, about this Nicholai, guy…”
“Yeah, I owe you details, right?”
“Right.”
She sighed and gave in, snuggling into my chest and delving into a story that broke my heart.
“It’s a long story, but I’ll try to make it short. I left home a month before my high school graduation. My Mom was losing it. More so than usual. She was mentally-ill, extremely violent. I had to leave to stay alive, basically.”
“That’s horrible,” I said.
“Yeah. The worst part was that I had to leave behind the boy that I loved, Eddie. But he promised he’d join me, just as soon as graduation was over. We were hoping I could hold on and we could leave town together but I couldn’t wait.”
She grew quiet, but I didn’t press her, patiently stroking her hair, giving her as much time as she needed.
“I made it to Los Angeles on the Greyhound. I didn’t have much. After I arrived, I was terrified to venture out into the city, so I camped out at the bus station hoping my courage would kick in. Instead, I met Nicholai.”
“How long ago was this?”
“Ten years ago,” she nodded. “At first, Nicholai was great. He befriended me, gave me a place to crash, fed me, listened to me go on and on about my Mom and how all I needed to do was make it through the month, and then Eddie would be there and then everything would fall into place. The plan was that we’d get jobs and get a place together, if I’d not already secured a place by the time he arrived. Nicholai was a good friend. He never made a move on me. He just listened, and helped me out when I needed it. He encouraged me. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened to me that first month, or where I’d have ended up. I certainly wouldn’t be who I am now.”
She paused again, her breath becoming shallow.
“Eddie never showed up. I’d talked to him on the phone every day. Our plan was in place. He’d already bought his ticket. It was just a matter of time. But then, on his way home from work one late night, just a few days before he was supposed to leave, he was mugged. It didn’t make any sense, nobody ever got mugged in our tiny town. But they stole his wallet, and he must have fought back, because he was hit hard in the head and he died.”
“Fuck, that’s horrible!” I said, holding her tight. She was shaking now, her voice quivering.
“I found out when I called him and his mom answered. She told me what happened and I just fell to the floor sobbing. It was so unfair, I thought. Nicholai had gone out of town for the weekend, so I was all alone and it was the worst weekend of my life.”
“Damn, babe…”
“Nicholai came home and he took care of me. Eventually, we became involved and then he convinced me that he should be my manager and that he was going to make me a star. He did. Every thing he set out to do worked. Last year, he asked me to marry him. I’ve never really gotten over Eddie’s death, but the pain has faded a little over the years. I was so busy with my career, it was impossible to have another relationship, even though I’d tried with a few other guys, and Nicholai was always there, so it just seemed natural that we would be together. I ignored the warning signs, the controlling behavior, the incessant nagging that I was never good enough. I convinced myself that I loved him enough. I agreed to marry him.”
“And then you left him standing at the alter.”
“Right. I know this is a long story, but it’s almost over.”
“I’ve got all day,” I said.
“I don’t,” she said. “Becky’s gonna be pounding on that door any moment.”
“Finish,” I said. “Why’d you decide to leave him?”
“We were building a house together. A sprawling beauty in the Colorado Rockies. A place we could disappear together. We’d lived in Hollywood for so long, I wanted a change, I wanted out of all the hustle and bustle, even if we spent most of our time in the tour bus. I wanted a place to escape to, you know?”
“Sure, makes sense to me.”
“Right. So, the night before the wedding I was still packing up our place in Hollywood, because the movers were going to be moving us while we were honeymooning. I was packing up Nicholai’s clothes and I — I —.” She burst out crying, her sobs wrecking my heart.
“Shh,” I said, kissing her head. “It’s okay.”
“— I found Eddie’s wallet.”
“What? Oh…,” I drawled, the truth slowly dawning on me. “No way.”
“Yeah,” I said. “For years, I’d been sleeping with the man who killed Eddie. I’d agreed to marry a murderer.”
“That’s so incredibly fucked up. What did you do?”
She shrugged. “I left town. Alone. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, not a soul. I went to New York, just to get as far away as I could. And then, I called the cops. I told them everything. I showed them the wallet. But they insisted it didn’t prove anything. Eddie’s case had been closed years ago, they’d pinned his murder on a transient passing through town and given him twenty-five years to life for it. They weren’t interested in reopening the case. By then, I was famous. Nicholai was famous, too. They didn’t really want to touch Eddie’s case, but because I insisted and threatened to call the media, they advised me they would question him.”
“Fucking cops,” I muttered, anger boiling in me at this point.
“Of course, by that time, I’d stood Nicholai up at the alter and he knew something was up. He disappeared into thin air and the cops have never been able to locate him, so they haven’t even questioned him at all. I doubt they ever will. They certainly aren’t making this a priority.”
“Damn, Lucky, that is one fucked up story,” I said.
“I know. And so not sexy. Which is why I didn’t want to go into it last night.”
“I understand,” I said, holding her close.
“But what about you?” she asked.
“What about me?”
“What’s your story?”
I burst out laughing, shaking my head.
“Woman, you just told me the saddest shit ever. I am not about to go into my history right now. Besides, you don’t have time for that. But I have one last question.”
“What’s that?”
“Why’d you fire your security team if this psycho is still out there bringing you roses?”
“Because they sucked. He kept getting past them. To be fair, it wasn’t their fault. Like I said, he’s a master at disguise and deception, he could fool anyone.”
I nodded, taking it all in.
“So, you have another team lined up?”
“Nope,” she said. “I’ve been given a list of potential companies, but they’re all the same. Nobody really cares. All they want is a paycheck.”
I nodded, again, knowing she was probably right.
“I have an idea,” I said, my heart racing at the thought. I wanted to do whatever I could to make Lucky’s life easier. If she needed protection, she’d certainly come to the right place.
“Let me guess. You want to be my bodyguard?”
“Something like that. Me, and sixteen of my very large, very strong, very skilled friends.”