Annoying Pest...

by K. S. Adkins

  And just like that it was over. But we fucking weren’t. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live without Pest. I was done running. No one was better for her than I was. I may be a fuck up, but I was a fuck up that would love her until the day I died. Tempest Wilder was the love of my life, too.

  

  Tonight being my last show wasn’t bittersweet.

  It was the beginning of something new.

  A life with Chevy, if he wanted it.

  No fans, no critics, no demands.

  Just us.

  I prayed he wanted it.

  Throughout the show, I caught him looking at me, as if he was memorizing me for the last time. A future together was his choice. As much as I wanted forever, if he didn’t; I was prepared to let him go. I couldn’t keep a man who didn’t want to be kept.

  But in my heart he would always belong to me, and I needed him to know that would never change, regardless of which choice he made. When the set ended, he put his guitar back and walked right off stage. He hadn’t waited for me to fall into his arms. He hadn’t waited at all.

  After we hit the locker room, I lost sight of him completely. Tiffany and I were busy signing autographs, taking photos, and doing this took time. I looked for him never finding him, but I was confident he was watching me.

  He always did.

  Odds were, he was tying up loose ends on my behalf. Live shows had more loose ends than should be humanly possible. Because I didn’t employ a crew it left the heavy lifting and cleanup to us.

  In that moment, I missed Guy. I missed the three of us being a family. This is the longest I’d ever been without him, and even though I had Chevy to keep my mind off Guy, I still thought of him often. For the first time ever, Guy hadn’t been here.

  Maybe because he was working on finding out who was behind the letters or maybe it was because of Chevy. He hadn’t said, but I knew that I needed to fix the rift. I also needed to thank him for all the sacrifices he made to keep me safe, too.

  Bringing myself back to the present, I finally made it over to thank Jules and the staff personally. I hugged, kissed, and praised every band member, singer, and tech hand too.

  Here I was signing autographs, surrounded by strangers, anxiety free with neither one standing at my side in case I flipped. I really fucking did it!

  It was nearing midnight with no sign of Chevy when I started to get anxious. No one, not Jules, Max, or any of their staff had seen him since the show ended.

  He wouldn’t, I told myself. I even took a moment to breathe, giving him the benefit of the doubt. But when fifteen minutes turned into a half hour—I did in fact start to lose my shit.

  Not again. Not fucking again!

  Unfortunately, losing it had to wait. Before I could track his ass down to kick it, I had to say goodbye to Tiffany and her mom. Then I had to wait until they were safely in their car driving away to start scratching my arms. Storming back inside, I went to the bar, intending on mainlining shots when I was literally plowed over.

  “Excuse me,” a woman said quickly. Before I could respond with a proper, what the actual fuck? she said, “Here,” stuffing a note in my hand and running away. I saw my name in print and knew.

  Another letter. This one delivered personally. Wasting no time, I ripped it open and froze. As I read the threat there was no stopping the room from shrinking around me. Right on time dots filled my vision, my fucking skin felt too tight. On top of that, my stomach bottomed out, my hands were sweating, and I couldn’t breathe.

  Do not do this right now, Tempest.

  Pass out later, cry later, lose your God damn mind, later.

  Not now. Not when Chevy needed me.

  Running for my bag, I snatched it up and hauled ass back outside. I don’t speak to anyone and wasn’t stopped.

  Screaming for a cab, I hopped in yelling the address. It wasn’t far, about five miles or so, but it felt like forever.

  Dialing Guy, he finally answered on the fifth ring. Explaining what happened, but not telling him where I was going per the note’s orders. When he said, “You’ve got to stop saving him, Tempest.”

  I started to cry. If anyone would understand, it should have been him. “He saves me his way; I’ll save him mine,” I choked out as fear stole my voice.

  “You can’t do this alone, you’ll panic. Do not give this whackjob what he wants! Tell me where the fuck you’re going so I can call the police!”

  “Can’t,” was my answer.

  “Whatever happened is not your problem, it’s his. Jesus Christ, don’t let him take you down with him!”

  “Listen to me for once,” I growled, finding my voice. “Chevy goes down, I go down. I won’t lose him a second time.”

  “You can’t handle—”

  “Watch me,” was all I said before I disconnected.

  Pulling up in front of a random house, I throw some cash at the driver before kicking my door open. Hauling ass up the steps, I don’t even knock, I storm right in and before I could take in my surroundings, I was bound, a cloth was secured over my head and I was pulled backward.

  Pure terror engulfed me, but somehow I pushed it aside. Fighting as hard as I could got me nowhere, but I didn’t stop. Refusing to give up, needing to get to Chevy, I ignored the man’s order to, “Calm.”

  “Fuck calm!” I screamed and thrashed. “And fuck you, too, psycho!”

  How long I fought I wasn’t sure. Minutes, hours? The man shifting me to avoid getting kicked had caused the cloth to tighten around my throat.

  Suddenly I couldn’t get enough air. Being unable to breathe wrought a different kind of panic. A panic I’d never felt before. I needed my hands to pull the cloth away, but they were tied sending me into a frenzy. I didn’t want to die. Certainly not like this.

  Thoughts of Chevy had tears burning in my already pinched throat. Knowing what my death would do to him and to Guy was my fucking undoing. Using the last ounce of strength I had I pushed aside the panic to focus on survival. I wasn’t going out with a fucking piece of fabric over my head. I knew that much.

  No way was I going to be a cheesy headline that read, up and coming artist chokes herself to death; news at eleven. Dropping to my knees forced the man to bend with me. Kicking out and trying to roll like an alligator was only making my problems worse. Fuck me, now I really was killing myself!

  “Calm,” he orders again and with my last puff of air I whispered, “I can’t breathe.”

  “Fuck!” he yelled, spinning me to my back. When the cloth was removed I sucked in a lung full of air and began to cough. Air, precious air. Gasping, needing more of it, the man rolled me to my side murmuring words of comfort.

  I found it extremely odd that this psycho would coo at me and rub my back after nearly suffocating me. So once my breathing was regulated, I chanced looking at up him.

  The look of guilt and concern on his face stopped me from decking him. Slowly and gently pulling me to my feet, he tucked my hair behind my ears, whispering, “Forgive me.”

  None of this made sense. In fact, this whole fucking scene was wrong. The note, the address, using Chevy to get to me. Despite the cloth getting twisted and cutting off my air supply, this man hadn’t actually hurt me. He’d been gentle. He even tried to calm me. Almost as if he knew…

  Studying him again, I would bet my life savings this man was close to kicking his own ass for what he'd done. When I saw his hands tremble, two things became very clear.

  First, I wasn’t scared, and second, “I know you.”

  “A lot of people know me,” he tried to grin. “I’m a memorable guy.”

  “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Just sit tight,” he advised, leading me to a recliner to sit.

  Oh, fuck that.

  I’d seen him before. In fact, I’d just seen him a few hours ago. This motherfucker guarded my door. He was Jules’ second in command. Wanting to test the theory, I broke his hold. When he didn’t come at me I knew I’d been right. This man wa
sn’t going to hurt me.

  This giant was a protector. Going toe-to-toe and looking up, way up, I stick my finger in his massive chest and say, “You’re Jules’ guy, Bishop. Her head of security. I even signed your fucking shirt tonight. If I call her, is she going to tell me to sit tight too?”

  “Ah no,” he laughs deeply. “She’d probably shoot me for this. Which is why I asked for the autograph…before.”

  “Before what?”

  “Relax,” he said, noticing that I was shaking. I was trying to fight it and failing. “It’s almost over.”

  “What’s almost—” Oh God, here it comes.

  Just once I wanted control over the shit that is my life. I needed to be focused and present, not hyperventilating!

  “Now just calm down, okay? Breathe.” I understood he was trying to help. However, Chevy was being held here for reasons unknown, and Bishop was keeping him from me. He was talked into it. How I know this, I couldn’t say, but no one calmed me but Chevy.

  Balling up my fist, I swung up catching him under his chin. Quickly spinning me, putting my back to his front he tried again. “Calm, momma.”

  “Okay,” I breathed out, making sure I went pliant in his arms. Slowly releasing me, I turned to face him, offering a sheepish smile as an apology.

  “You good?”

  “Yes, but you aren’t.”

  “Huh?”

  Dropping to my knees, I jabbed straight forward, catching him square in the junk.

  “Low,” he coughed out before hitting the floor. Curling into a ball, he swore up a storm, but when I heard Chevy roar, “Don’t you fucking touch her, she’s mine!” I forgot about Bishop. I flew up the stairs and through the door that separated us.

  Before I could get to him, I was tagged around the waist again and immediately went nuts. Elbows, feet, hands, it didn’t matter. And I continued to fight until I was pinned.

  Unable to move or see who held me, I screamed my frustration. I screamed for Chevy. A part of me died seeing him tied to a chair with a cloth covering his head. He was fighting to get free like a man possessed. Like a man wanting to save his woman.

  “Don’t touch her!” he roared again. “I’ll kill you if you touch her!”

  “I’ll kill you for touching him!” I screamed in return.

  When the grip eased up, giving me room to move, I swung around, ready to kill the man, but stopped short when I saw Guy with tears in his eyes.

  “Calm down, Tempest,” he said gently, and I was literally speechless.

  “Guy?” Chevy grated out, ending his own fight.

  “Remove the cover from Chevy carefully,” Guy ordered Bishop, who came in still holding his nuts. From a dark corner, Rogan Black stepped out and immediately stared at his feet as if to say he was sorry without using actual words.

  Stunned, I watch Bishop pull the cloth off and was met with the madness in Chevy’s eyes. Chevy saw me, blinks, and then noticed Guy holding me, and flipped out. Absolutely confused, I looked back at Guy and asked him, “What the fuck is this?”

  “I’ll explain later,” he said, also refusing to meet my eyes.

  “You’ll explain now.”

  “Don’t melt down, Tempest—” he tried, but I wasn’t melting down, I was getting worked up. So much so, that when he opened his mouth to speak again, I attacked.

  

  Two hours earlier…

  “You think you deserve her?” The voice taunted me. “I don’t think you do, Chevy. Not like I will.”

  With a fucking cloth over my head all I can do is sit here and take it. One minute I was off in a corner rehearsing the best way to explain where my head had been… the next I was tagged, bagged, and found myself bound to a goddamn chair.

  Motherfucker planned to lure her here, using me as bait. I never should have left her side. Not for a fucking second. Twice I’ve put her in harm’s way. Twice! Now this sick fuck kept going on about touching her, holding her down, making her beg… Murder. It was a matter of opportunity before I committed it. Then I heard her screams… Murder. Everyone responsible would pay.

  Tempest spent all of her time with two men.

  Both who knew how to fight, but one excelled at it. I taught her every dirty trick in the book and when Guy continued to put her off, she punched him straight in the throat.

  Staggering back to catch his breath, she jumped on his back, wrapped her legs around his waist, and put him in a head lock.

  “Watch your—” Bishop attempted, but it was too late. Pest flung her tiny body around like a spider monkey, reached down behind her, and had his nuts in her hand.

  “Temp—” he grunts in shock. “Don’t panic, just wait.”

  “She’s not panicking, asshole. She’s pissed,” I pointed out.

  “You’re not panicking right now?”

  “Does it feel like I’m panicking?” she asked giving him a squeeze and my own balls shriveled. “Answers, Guy, I want them or I will make sure you piss crooked for eternity.”

  “He was going to leave,” he said, looking up at me with accusation and pain.

  Not releasing Guy, she took his nuts with her when she came to stand in front of me.

  “You were?” she asked, looking hurt but not terribly surprised. The fact that I was responsible once again for putting that look on her face prevented me from speaking. “Tell me he’s lying, Chevy.”

  “I had Bishop snag him after the show,” Guy coughed out, trying to break free and failing. “I had Rogan work him over once he got here. He needed a lesson, Tempest. Running away is a pussy move. I wanted to see how you’d handle it. If you’d handle it. I couldn’t let him leave you again.”

  “It’s his choice,” she whispered sadly.

  “He’s an idiot,” he grunted. “He thinks you deserve better.”

  “Because she does,” I roared in agony. Am I the only one who fucking gets it?

  “When you decided what was best for Tempest, did you ever trust her to know?” Guy countered. “Did you ever ask yourself if what’s best for her is you?”

  “You told me I was no good for her!”

  “When have you ever fucking listened to me?” he yelled back. “I had enough of you both living half-lives because you’re too fucking stubborn to admit you fucked up.”

  Staring at Tempest, he gentled his voice and whispered, “And you were too heartbroken to do it. Couldn’t bear to lose you, Tempest. Not if I could fix it. So I did it. I set it up, I lied about you having a stalker. I told Chevy you were in serious danger and asked him to come home. I had faith you two would take care of the rest.”

  “Clever,” she said while nodding, yet, still had his junk in her palm.

  “Get your hand off his dick, Pest,” I demanded and when she realized her position, she let go and ran her hand over her jeans.

  “Can someone fucking untie me now?” I asked the room.

  “In a minute,” she said, standing before me which meant I had to look up. I was so fucking ashamed of myself that I couldn’t manage it. Couldn’t lift my head.

  “You were going to leave me?”

  “Fuck, Pest, I just wanted you to be happy.” The words came out soft, but at least they were true. “But – ”

  “I’m happiest with you,” she said and it was clear she was disappointed in me.

  “She also didn’t panic,” Guy added helpfully. “Not at Lush, not with Bishop, and not when I had her.”

  “No,” I told him still staring at my own lap. “She didn’t because she’s brave.”

  “It’s called immersion therapy,” he explained. “I set up a scenario that would put you both in a position to overcome your greatest fears. His was losing you; and you fear losing yourself to anxiety. It won’t cure you, Tempest, but I have it on good authority if you can handle this, you can handle anything.”

  “This could have gone really wrong!” I yelled, finally finding my voice.

  “But it didn’t,” he said dryly. “Because I trusted you both to fig
ure it out and you did.”

  “Guy, Bishop, I’d apologize for your balls but you both deserved it. Rogan…just continue being quiet. Who owns this house?”

  “It’s mine,” Bishop said, staying put, which was smart.

  “Okay,” she said with bite. “I’m going to need some time with Chevy, we have some issues to work out.”

  “Pest…”

  “Alone,” she said firmly. “At least an hour.”

  “Uh… sure,” Bishop said, leaving first with Rogan grinning behind him.

  “And, Guy?” she called, stopping him from bolting.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what exactly?”

  “Believing in me,” she said with love and then looking down at me whispered, “Believing in us.”

  “We’re a family,” he shrugged, but I saw the red in his eyes. “We take care of each other.”

  “Leave, Guy.”

  Laughing, he shut the door on his way out.

  

  “Chevy James all tied up with nowhere to go,” I said, climbing onto his lap and sinking my hands into his hair. “Chevy, who was going to leave me, again. Chevy who claims to love me, even told his captors I was his, still planned to bail. Am I so easy to leave behind?”

  “No,” he said while closing his eyes.

  “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

  “Fuck no, you’re not easy to leave. I didn’t want to be responsible for ruining your life, Pest. I was trying to do right by you.”

  “Are you about done?”

  “I’m trouble,” he growled at me hoping I’d back down. How about no.

  “The best kind,” I added helpfully.

  “One day you’ll wake up, look over, and realize who you’re tied to. I can’t live with the regret that’ll be staring back at me. I can’t do that to you.”

  “Tough shit,” I said, pulling his hair hard. “You’re mine, Chevy. Have been mine since I was ten years old. They will make movies about us, remember? Soulmates. I want forever. It’s what you promised me. But I refuse to spend it wondering if you’re going to leave when it gets hard. Swear to me you’ll stay, and I’ll give you forever. But you have to swear it.”