HAVING LEAH SLEEP in the bed with me last night was pretty much the only thing that kept me calm. I spent so many years being fucked up and angry and once I came out the other side, I did whatever I could to find peace. After she fell asleep last night, for the first time in forever I wanted to go on a rampage and break things.
Even knowing the motherfucker is dead didn’t take away the rage. What kind of man could get off on hurting women? Someone who wasn’t a real fuckin’ man is who. All I could think of for hours after she fell asleep was how helpless and terrified she must have felt when it was happening and it made me fucking sick. Seeing her terror up close and personal when she’d had her flashback damn near killed me, and knowing what I’d seen could only have been one percent of what she went through ripped my goddamn heart out.
In order to calm myself down I focused on the knowledge that she’s safe now, as well as the feeling of her in my arms and the calm in and out of her breath. Eventually, it had worked to soothe me and lull me into sleep. Even I’m surprised I wound up sleeping like the dead, but I know it’s because I have her here. Unfortunately, the instant I woke up, I remembered she’s on tour with me because she’s in some kind of danger and now I can’t calm myself the hell down.
She’s still sound asleep and I don’t have it in me to wake her, but I can’t wait another second. Carefully maneuvering myself out of the bed, I put a pillow where my body had been and position her arm over it in the hopes it will keep her asleep. After throwing on clothes I rush into the living room and grab a piece of hotel stationary.
Babe- Had to go to Flynn’s room for a meeting. Be back soon. Order breakfast if you wake up before I get back.
-G
After tucking the note on the pillow I substituted for me, I haul ass out of the suite. The guards are back at their posts at the end of the hall and I nod at Jerry before I start banging on Flynn’s door. It takes a minute or so but I don’t stop banging until the door flies open. Flynn’s buck ass naked and looks like he’s still half asleep but I don’t give a shit. Forcing my way into the room, I get down to business. “We need to talk. Get dressed.”
He’s got a confused what the fuck is happening look on his face, so I snap my fingers. “Dude, I need your fuckin’ help. Get dressed.”
“What’s going on? What’s wrong,” he asks frantically. “Is Leah okay?”
“Leah is fine,” I assure him, “but I need to talk to you. Obviously it’s important. Go put something on so I don’t have to stare at your fuckin’ dick. No one wants to see that.”
After giving me the finger he turns and leaves the room. I barely have time to take a seat on the sofa before he comes back out wearing a pair of jeans.
“You wanna tell me why you’re fuckin’ up at eight o’clock?”
“I need to know why Leah’s on tour with us—the whole story. How much danger is she in and does anyone have any fuckin’ leads on the crazy cunt they’re looking for?”
Running his hands through his hair he lets out a whoosh of air. “I don’t mind telling you, but why the fuck are you so gung ho for me to tell you this now? Why couldn’t you ask me this later? We’ve been on the road for days—what lit a fire under your ass?”
Remembering what went down last night makes my stomach churn. “Last night Leah and I were kissing when she had some sort of flashback of being raped a few years ago. It was fuckin’ awful and now all I can think about is there might be someone else out there who wants to hurt her. I need to know what we’re dealing with and who we’re up against.”
“Fuck, Gav… I didn’t know man. Is she alright?”
Thinking about her in my bed when I came out of the shower and the way she held onto me through the night tells me she is.
“She’s okay now. There’s work to be done there, but Leah’s tough shit—she just doesn’t realize it yet. In the meantime I need to know what’s going on with the security and how much danger she’s in.”
Giving me a nod of understanding he starts talking. “When my sisters were kidnapped, it was my brother-in-law Spencer’s mother—who also happens to be Leah’s biological mother—who took them. Like I told you already, when we found my sisters that cunt was choking Dominique to death and my dad had no choice but to shoot to kill. Turns out the bitch had an accomplice. Some crazy bitch named Tally. Long story short, Tally turns out to be the sister of Dillon’s dead wife, Marissa, only nobody knew it.”
I recognize the name immediately, and I sit forward in shock. “How did no one know that Marissa had a sister?”
“It’s fucked up, man. Leah and Dillon’s adoptive parents died when they were younger. None of the family wanted them so they were placed in foster care. They met Marissa at the first home they were in and they were never separated from her after. She was in care because her stepfather had molested her. Marissa knew she had a sister—so did Dillon and Leah—but she never called her Tally, she called her Issa. Tally’s given name is Talissa. Anyway, the crazy cunt blames Leah and Dillon for Marissa staying in foster care. She also blamed them for making Marissa ‘lie’ about being molested.
“Obviously, the bitch is a few screws short of the fuckin’ set. She actually worked her way into a relationship with my sister Dominique that lasted for almost a year, but now it seems it was all a setup, part of the plan she had with Spencer’s mother. When they broke up she fuckin’ kidnapped Dominique and Delilah and you know the rest. While the girls were being held Tally told them she wasn’t going to kill them, her real targets are Leah and Dillon.”
That answer didn’t make me feel any better at all because now I’m positive that Leah is in real danger.
“Goddammit Flynn! Why aren’t there more guards? Why don’t I have a gun in the fucking room? We shouldn’t even be on tour,” I bellow. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
Giving me a glare he snaps, “Watch it, asshole. I know you’re freaking out but you need to calm down. First of all, we’ve got guards on top of fucking guards, you only know half of it. There are the guards that you see, there’s our security, and on top of that, there are eight others traveling our route undercover. The Harts have literally spared no expense to get her the best of the best, and I swear to you, she is safe. The chief of security had it all figured out and I agreed—being on the road with us is the best option for her. No one is raising an eyebrow at the security because it’s normal for us which means that she doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb, she’s not in any one place for more than three nights at a time, and no one would think to look for her here.”
“If Tally is looking for anyone with me,” he continues, “it’s Dominique or Delilah and the Harts’ security team planted a trail that points way the fuck away from here. You know I didn’t want to fucking do this tour after what happened with my sisters. The girls all think we agreed to do the tour because Gram put her foot down but the truth is having everyone go off in different directions was the only way to throw the bitch off the trail. Do you really think I want to be on tour when my sisters are in danger and my father just fucking killed someone? This is a fucking nightmare!”
Before I can even get the apology out of my mouth, Tessa comes stomping out of the bedroom, walks right over to the couch, looks down and glares at me.
“He barely sleeps at night because he’s sick about all of this, and pretending he’s okay at all is taking a huge toll. He has to do all of this crap, including going out so stories wind up on the Internet about places the band has been while on tour—so it looks like nothing is different. I understand you didn’t know, but if you’re going to be an asshole and make him feel like shit, you can go to hell. We all want to be home but it isn’t what’s best from a safety standpoint. This situation sucks but it is what it is. Please, don’t make him feel any worse than he already does.”
I am, officially, the world’s most giant douche. “I’m sorry. I just…”
Setting a hand on my shoulder, Flynn squeezes. “I get it, I do. You really like her and you’re scared for her. Honestly, we’re all fucking scared.”
He’s right. The idea that something might happen to Leah isn’t just scary, it’s terrifying. After forcing Flynn and Tessa to listen to my apology, I head right back to our room. I need to be near her, need to make sure that she’s okay.