Silently, she turned back to Otis and smiled shyly at him. And when he wrapped his arm around her, she didn't protest. She settled into his side.
“Are there any party favors in this ride?” Noah asked, his voice dripping with frustration. He had never been into the heavy shit, but the way he felt right now, he'd take whatever Benji offered him.
Cory sighed heavily, watching the scene play out in dismay. “Yep.” He reached to his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a joint. Lighting it up, he handed it over, saying, “It's a cocktail,” indicating that the high grade marijuana was laced with a little cocaine.
“Perfect,” Noah answered, taking the joint from his hand and bringing it to his lips. He took a few hits before passing it back to Cory, and when they finally arrived at their destination and slipped in through the back entrance, Noah wasted no time finding a drink.
They were a conspicuous bunch with their entourage of bodyguards, a few crew members, and other “guests” as they sat at a large corner table of the club. But Otis soon dragged Mercy off to the dance floor, and Benji and Buzzy disappeared together – to find a quiet corner to get loaded in, Noah suspected. Roughly an hour later, only he and Cory and a bevy of babes remained at the table, and as he drank, Noah watched Mercy and Otis dance. She seemed to be having a good time, and the longer they stayed on the dance floor, the shittier he felt.
“You look sad.”
Noah turned to his right to see a pretty Asian chick scooting next to him. She had come over with them in the limo and Noah studied her now as she threaded her arm through his and leaned into him. She was beautiful, but not his type.
“Aren't you having fun?” she asked.
He looked back to the dance floor at Mercy and Otis. Then he turned to her and answered, “No.”
“Maybe I can help,” she smiled. Slowly, she moved, pulling herself up onto his lap as she straddled him, blocking his view of the dance floor. He looked up at her, feeling nothing but annoyed as she took his face in her hands and started to kiss him. As she kissed a slow trail from his ear down his neck, he looked around her to the dance floor once more, and saw Mercy and Otis grinding suggestively to the music. Lacing his fingers through his new friend's hair, he gave it an angry little tug, causing her to gasp loudly as she looked at him. He kissed her hungrily, pouring his frustrations into it, and she kissed him back eagerly.
Ten minutes later, Mercy laughed as she made her way back to the table. She liked dancing with Otis, it was fun and exhilarating. He was a good dancer. But her bright smile faded immediately when she spotted Noah making out with one of the girls from the limo. Her heart plummeted into her stomach at the sight, and she stood motionless for a moment, just staring at them. As the girl sat on his lap, his hands were all over her, caressing her breast through her sheer top and lacy bra, and Mercy felt envious.
She sat down, suddenly angry as she watched them. “Maybe you should get a room,” she heard herself blurting.
The sound of her voice startled him for a second, and Noah broke away from his hot embrace and stared at her. “I'm sorry, are we disturbing you?” he asked, equally angry.
Mercy felt her face flush. “No. Not at all.”
“Good. Then mind your own business,” he replied, suddenly wondering where Otis had gone. “Go dance with my brother!”
“Does my dancing with your brother disturb you?” she asked.
“No. Why should it?”
“I don't know. You tell me,” she challenged, looking at him pointedly. “You seemed to be bothered when I kissed him before!”
Noah could feel himself getting angrier by the second, and he moved, leaning forward and prompting his new friend to slide off of his lap beside him. “I don't give a damn who you kiss,” he told her, suddenly feeling enraged. And he knew his words were a lie, but he couldn't stop himself. She had pissed him off. “Go kiss him again. Hell, go screw him for all I care!”
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he wanted instantly to take them back as he glared at her.
Mercy felt like he'd slapped her. What the hell had just happened? She knew why she was upset, seeing him kissing some other girl. But why was he so angry? If he really didn't remember their time together, and he really wasn't interested in her … why was he so damned angry at her? And why the hell did she even care?
“Maybe I will,” she answered, her eyes never leaving his. And as they stared at one another, Mercy thought she saw a flash of something in his eyes. Fear? Regret maybe? She wasn't sure. But she didn't get to dwell on it because suddenly there was a rush of activity around them.
Mercy watched as Buzzy and Otis appeared out of nowhere with a few bodyguards trailing behind them. Otis rushed to Noah's side and leaned over to whisper something into his ear. Noah looked at his brother with a worried frown, and she heard him ask, “Where is he?” She couldn't hear Otis' reply, but when she glanced to her left, she saw that Buz and Cory were also deep in conversation, and they were both wearing the same worried frowns as Noah and Otis.
“Shit!” She heard Noah mumble angrily as he stood up quickly, and Cory followed suit.
“What's going on?” she asked, standing up herself and looking from one Ivory to the other.
“I'm afraid the party's over, sweet thing,” Otis answered her. “We gotta get the hell out of here and get Benji back to the hotel.”
“Shouldn't we take him to a hospital instead?” Noah asked.
“I agree with Noah,” Cory spoke up.
“No. He did not OD, okay?” Otis said, looking them both in the eye. “He's just really fucked up, and we need to get him out of here.”
“You said he passed out in a bathroom stall. How do you know he didn't OD, Dr. Ivory?” Noah sarcastically asked.
“Look, he had a pulse and he was breathing, okay! I had Chuck and some of the others carry his ass out through the back before any gawkers could pull out their cellphone cameras,” Otis replied. “If he needs a doctor, we'll get him one. But right now, we need to go!”
They headed out then, exiting through the back of the club, just as they had entered it. Benji was already sprawled across the seat of the limo when they piled in, and he made a few grunting noises as he was jostled and moved. The noise gave Noah a small comfort. Maybe he really was okay. But the atmosphere in the limo was tense, and the more he looked at his nearly comatose friend, the angrier Noah got.
“What the fuck happened anyway?” he asked, almost shouting as he looked directly at Buz. “You two disappeared together, so tell me. What did he do?”
“I went to the bathroom with him because I knew he had some coke on him, alright,” Buzzy admitted. “But when I was doing a few lines, he pulled out his rig and started shooting up, man. He offered and I declined. I didn't ask what was in it, where he got it … nothing. But I can tell you that he was already loaded before we left the arena. I don't know how much he's done, or what he's done.”
“Fuck,” Cory said quietly. “Maybe a hospital's not a bad idea.
“I don't … need no fuckin' hossspital,” Benji slowly slurred. “Jus sleeve me the … fuck alone.”
The rest of the ride back was subdued, and Noah and Mercy were both relieved when they entered the hotel and made their way to Benji's room. Mercy watched silently as the guys took care of Benji, taking away the drugs he had on him and getting him into bed. And she wondered what Mike would do if he knew about this incident. He would probably go ballistic and forbid her to ever go out with them again.
As she watched them, she couldn't help but notice how caring and attentive they all seemed. As if seeing to Benji was the most important thing in the world to them. In various interviews they'd done over the last few years, they always talked about what a close-knit group they were and how their attitude had always been “them against the world.” But now Mercy was seeing it for herself. They really were a family of sorts, and watching them look after one of their own tugged at her heart.
“I thin
k he'll be fine.” Mercy heard the unfamiliar female voice beside her, and she turned to look at the pretty Asian woman Noah had been kissing. In all the confusion, Mercy had completely forgotten she was there. And then she frowned. What was she still doing here?
“What did you say?”
“You look so worried,” the woman said, offering Mercy a sympathetic smile. “I was just saying that I think he'll be okay.”
Mercy said nothing and turned her attention back to the others. She heard Noah instructing Benji's bodyguard to stay in his room and keep an eye on him, as Cory and Otis quickly went through Benji's things looking for more drugs. Their goal wasn't to police him or to force an intervention on him. Only to keep him alive for the night. They would return whatever they found once he sobered up.
With Benji finally squared away, they readied themselves to leave as Buzzy hung back, and they all turned to look at him.
“You all go on. I'm gonna crash on the couch here,” he said to them. “Sorta feel responsible.”
Noah looked at him and sighed. “Buz … this was not your fault, man. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. You are not Benji's keeper.”
“I know. I'm gonna stay anyway though.”
“Alright, man,” Noah said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
They left Benji's suite then, and once in the hallway Cory ran both his hands through his spiky blonde hair. “Man, I know we party a lot. But Benji scares me sometimes,” he said looking at the others.
“Yeah, I know. Me too,” Otis replied. Then he turned to Mercy with a sigh and asked, “You ready for bed, sweet thing?”
She blushed slightly, glancing quickly at Noah and his new friend. But before she could respond, Noah took the girl by the hand, and Mercy watched in dismay as they headed off toward his suite. Cory shook his head and walked off to his own room.
“Mercy? You okay?” Otis asked.
“Yeah,” she lied. “Just tired. It's been a long day.”
“That it has. I'm ready to crash myself. You're welcome to come with me, you know?” he smiled.
She smiled at him. “Thanks for the sweet invitation, but I'm sure Mike will be sitting up waiting for me.” He chuckled as she kissed him on the cheek. “Goodnight, Otis.” She turned and headed down the hallway then, toward the suite she shared with her dad. And as she passed Noah's door, she mentally kicked herself for wondering what was going on behind it.
Inside his suite, Noah sat in a chair with a drink in his hand as … whoever she was tried her best to pull him out of the funk he was in. She had turned on the radio and was dancing in front of him, slowly removing her sheer blouse. She knelt before him, inching her hands up his legs. When she reached the waistband of his jeans, her fingers got to work on the clasp.
“Stop.” He looked at her with marked disinterest and she raised an eyebrow at him.
“Look, honey, I didn't come here to watch you brood about your sick friend,” she told him. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. “Or is it the girl you're brooding over?” She let her fingertips play over his thighs once more and smiled. “You can pretend I'm her, if you want. I don't mind.”
Noah brought his glass to his lips and drained it. Then he set the glass on the table. “I think it's time for you to go,” he said, standing up. He gathered her top from the floor and handed it to her as he ushered her out the door. She tried to protest, but a subtle nod to one of the security guards quickly got her an escort off the floor and out of the building. Ten minutes later, he was lying in his bed staring up at the ceiling, and trying like hell not to think about what Mercy and Otis were doing at that very moment.
Chapter Six
Mercy dressed quickly, excited about the day's events. After just over a week of travel with Jagged Ivory, she thought she was getting the hang of the whole touring thing. The jet lag didn't seem to bother her as much as it had those first few days, and she was really starting to like being on the road. She couldn't say the same for Mike though. He seemed to be getting grouchier, and Mercy wondered if it was because he didn't enjoy the traveling or because he was tired of the babysitting aspect of his job. And she wondered exactly why he had come. As the head honcho of Holland Management, he didn't have to be here. He very easily could have appointed someone else to be the guy's official tour manager to make sure things ran smoothly. He didn't have to handle it himself. Mercy wondered if he were only here because she was here. This trip had been a graduation gift to her, after all.
Mercy frowned as she wondered about that. She pulled a lightweight cardigan over her white tank top and grabbed her things before hurrying out the door to meet up with the others. Jagged Ivory's next concert wasn't until the following evening so today, with their downtime, they were going sightseeing. They had made plans to visit the Charlottenburg Palace. It was the largest palace in all of Berlin and the only surviving royal residence in the city dating back thousands of years. Mercy was excited to get some pictures of it.
They had agreed to meet up in Mike's room and Mercy smiled to herself as she knocked on the door. As much as she knew he hated it, Mike had kept his word and allowed her to have her own suite in the various cities they visited. And Mercy could tell that he was really trying to give her some freedom. Whenever she went out with the guys after a concert, Mike made no attempt to stop her anymore. But his did always remind her to be careful and smart. And he was always quick to remind her to look at the guys objectively and not as a star-struck music fan, always pointing out their personal flaws and demons to her – like Otis' easily bruised, inflated ego, Benji's chemical dependence, and Noah's drinking. Mercy knew he meant well, but she also knew he was laying it on a little thick for her benefit, so she took it all with a grain of salt.
And she had quickly come to learn that she liked just hanging out with the guys. They were spontaneous and fun-loving, and fun to be with, and they all welcomed her into their little family circle. They no longer intimidated her like they had when she first met them, and they all treated her like she was one of them. Well, all except for Noah, that is. He was still quite stand-offish with her, always keeping her at arm's length, never really talking to her at all. He wasn't mean to her. He just … didn't engage her. And when they did interact, he seemed to teeter back and forth between indifference and anger where she was concerned. It was so puzzling and Mercy just couldn't understand it. At times, he appeared to be almost jealous when she would catch him watching her and Otis. And that was another thing … she would catch him watching her often. Usually with the strangest expression on his face, and Mercy would always wonder what he was thinking. Sometimes he would look away as soon as their eyes met. But other times, he would hold her gaze for several intense seconds, and Mercy would have to be the one to look away.
She hated to admit it … but she loved the fact that he watched her. It made her crazy trying to figure out why he did it, but she loved it just the same. Was he interested in her or did he hate her? Did he find her attractive? Was he jealous of the friendship she'd developed with Otis? Was he watching her because he was trying to understand how he could have lowered his standards enough to sleep with her four years ago? These are the questions that threatened to drive her insane. And when they did, she would push them from her mind and focus on Otis.
She discovered that she liked him. Not in a romantic or sexual fashion, although he was every bit as sexy as Noah, just in a different way. But their personalities couldn't be more different. Noah was quiet and brooding all the time, where Otis was boisterous and outgoing. Noah was the work-oriented, responsible one while Otis really just wanted to have fun, and Mercy loved that about him. Whenever they would go out to clubs after a concert or go sightseeing on their off days, she would stick with him knowing that he would make the outing an enjoyable one. She just wished he would dial it back a little when it came to pursuing her.
She tried to make it very clear to him that they were just friends, but Otis seemed to have a habit of only hearing what he wanted to
hear. As a result, he could come on pretty strong at times, making no secret of the fact that he wanted to sleep with her. But she noticed that his interest in bedding her didn't stop him from also pursuing others. She had seen him after concerts with other girls and she knew he was screwing most of them. But she liked that. It meant that he wasn't really into her; he just wanted to have sex with her. It was like a nervous tic that he couldn't help, and Mercy found it endearing in a way – sort of like a dog that humped every leg he saw. Although she knew that if she really did like him romantically, she would have killed him by now.
When they were all present, they got underway, loading into a bus Mike had rented for the day with several bodyguards in tow. And when they reached their destination, they toured the inside of the Charlottenburg Palace as a group, guided by a staff member. But once outside on the elegant grounds, they broke up into three smaller groupings, each with its own contingent of security, and Otis took Mercy by the hand as they wandered around. And she couldn't help but notice the slight roll of the eyes that Noah shot their way as he walked off in another direction with Cory.
“Can I ask you something?” she said, looking at Otis.
“Mmm hmm.”
“Is it difficult working with Noah?”
Otis frowned at her question. “What do you mean?”
“I don't know,” she shrugged. “You just seem so different.”
He appeared to think about her words for a moment. “Hmm. Well, yeah, I guess we are sort of like night and day. And it's funny really. Somewhere along this journey we seem to have switched roles.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well … when we were kids, I was sort of the serious one, and he was the one always goofing off.”
“Really?” Mercy could hear the surprise in her voice, but she just couldn't believe it. “I find that very hard to believe.”
The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set) Page 10
