by K. T Fisher
Chapter Nineteen
Roxie
A couple of days after they all left to go on tour with the band, I get a call from an unknown number. It’s not an unlisted number, though, so I decide to answer.
“Hello?” I ask.
“Hi, is this Roxie? This is the local midwife calling,” a chirpy voice from the other end says.
I confirm that it is me and she goes on to let me know that I have my appointment with her the following week. I wonder why it’s so quickly after the doctor, but she tells me because I might be further along than six weeks, I need blood tests taken and to get my scan booked.
Hanging up the phone, I feel excited and a little scared. Lacey won’t be with me this time, but I could ask Crystal. I don’t think I could go alone. I wish I was in a perfect world where Mason would know about the baby, and Joe wouldn’t have happened. I would know for certain that Mason is the father, and maybe Mason would’ve come with me?
But I’m not in a perfect world. I created this situation for myself so I have to live with my choices.
Lacey
I scowl as I watch Joe walk from one of the busses and carries some cables inside tonight’s venue.
“Stop watching him, you’re just making yourself angrier,” Cole says as he sits on the sofa.
“How can he still be here?” I growl. “He’s fucking scum!”
“We all know that, but there’s nothing we can do.” Cole sounds a little defeated.
“I just hate seeing him after everything he has put her through.” Joe turns and sees me looking as I stand on the tour bus steps, and he has the fucking nerve to fucking wave at me!
I would do anything right now to go over there and fucking kill him!
Cole stands and drags me away from the door and sits me down on his lap. He gently strokes my back and whispers into my ear, “I’ve booked us a hotel for tonight.”
My most intimate areas warm and tingle at his words. “Really? I wonder what you’re after,” I tease.
“You,” he growls, biting my neck.
Paige then walks in, her phone to her ear. “Ok, Rox, I’ll tell her about the appointment. Yes, I will stay clear of him, I promise. Ok, bye!”
She spots Cole and I in the corner and her eyes widen. “Oh, sorry! I didn’t know you were here.”
“What appointment?” Cole asks.
Paige freezes, and I know it must be something to do with Roxie’s pregnancy. “Erm, just a rehab check-up with her doctor,” she stutters.
“But that’s near L.A, right?” he asks.
“Erm, they’ve set up for someone to go to your place for her,” Paige lies.
“Well, that’s good of them.” Booker appears at the door, letting Cole know it’s time for the sound check, and they leave, Cole giving me quick kiss.
As soon as Paige and I are alone I ask her what that call was really about. She sits down next to me, looking a little flustered. “Do you think he believed me?”
“I assume so,” I reply.
“Good.” She fans herself. “I’m not a good liar.”
“The appointment?” I remind her.
“Oh, right! Yeah, Roxie called. She knows about Joe, and she’s not happy.” Paige pulls a face which tells me she probably got an earful from Rox.
“Yeah, she’s not the only one,” I grumble.
“So, her midwife rang. She has her first appointment next week because the doctor thinks she might be around nine weeks. She said it can take around two to three weeks after the midwife appointment to get the first scan, and she needs that as close to twelve weeks as possible,” Paige tells me.
“Wow, they sure do like their weeks when you’re pregnant,” I joke.
Paige smiles. “She sounds a little nervous about it all.”
“I’ll ring Crystal and get some info and make sure she goes with Roxie.” She would go with her anyway. We’re all very protective of her right now.
***
Later that night, after talking to Crystal and making sure Roxie is ok, it’s time to go and watch the band. I really missed this while I stayed at Cole’s place. I love watching Cole as he takes the stage. Every time I watch him I crave him, guaranteed, and we always have sex. Nothing like a good, sexy show to get you in the mood and unlike all of his admirers, I’m the only one who gets to have the privilege.
Two huge bodyguards stand next to Paige, Ria and me as we watch. This is a new addiction since what happened to Roxie, and after finding out that Joe is still here, I’d say it’s needed.
Paige is complaining about her new shoes hurting, so one of the guards takes her back to the bus to change them
“I need a wee,” I whisper to Ria.
“So go to the toilet,” she laughs back.
“I can’t if you don’t come with me.” I point to the beefy guy standing guard behind us.
“I’ll be fine here on my own,” she groans. “I don’t want to go, this is too much fun.” She begins to dance.
I look around us, and, truthfully, I do not want her alone around here. It’s dark and there’re roadies and the band tag-alongs everywhere. I face the guard and give him my best smile.
“I need to go to the toilet.” He gives me a stern look and glances to Ria who is busy dancing. “She wants to stay here. Honestly, the toilets are just there,” I point behind him. “I’ll be fine and it’ll only take a couple of minutes.”
“Can’t you wait until your other friend gets back?” he asks.
I dance around a little. “No, I’m desperate.” He looks torn, poor guy. “I won’t say anything.”
With a quick nod from him I give him a smile and run over to the toilets as fast as I can. I let out a loud and appreciative sigh when I down. I have a really weak bladder. I go from fine to desperate in a matter of minutes.
While I’m sorting out my dress, I hear the door open and someone walking around. Probably some groupie whore caking on her make-up. I smile to myself and I walk out the cubicle and towards the mirrors. The groupies don’t stand a chance.
I take a quick look at myself and make sure my eyeliner hasn’t smudged or my hair isn’t looking too flat. It’s odd that I don’t see anyone else around. I’m sure I heard something.
Then, suddenly my hair is yanked back so hard my scalp feels like its bleeding. I scream from pain as my head hits the hard floor, and that’s when I see the pair of shoes beside my head. I close my eyes and raise my hands quickly just in time before one foot comes into contact with the side of my head. There’s a scary thud as my head hits the wall again, and through blurry eyes I see his face. Joe.
Chapter Twenty
Lacey
“Well, look who it is,” Joe sneers as he crouches down beside me. “My girl’s little best friend.”
“She’s not your girl,” I grind out as I hold my head. My hand feels warm, sticky, and I pray that there’s not too much blood.
Joe smirks down at me. “You sound a little jealous, Lacey. I knew I was right. I’ve seen you looking at me.”
I manage to sit up, but I have to do it slowly as the room starts to spin. “Fuck you.”
Joe laughs. “I love you already, just like Roxie. Did she tell you I like my women with attitude?”
“No, she told me to tell you to fuck off!” I kick out at him and he shakes his head.
“You don’t need to lie to me, Lacey.” He leans in close. “I know that you want me. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Cole. This can be our secret.”
Wow! This guy is a fucking nut job! No wonder he made Roxie sink like she did.
“What do you want, Joe?” I demand. I’m tired of his shit already.
“Nothing.” He tries to calm me by stroking my hair. Then he has the nerve to look shocked when he sees the blood on his hand.
I try my best to stand, but it’s no luck. My legs feel like jelly. Unfortunately, Joe helps me and he groans as he squeezes me close.
“Get off!” I push him away.
Joe laughs and steps aw
ay, leaving me leaning against the wall. “Ok, you got me! You’re smart Lacey.” He smiles at me and I feel sick. “All I want is for you let me see Roxie.”
I laugh right back. “Over my dead body!”
Joe’s smile drops. “That can be arranged.”
And I believe him. I realize with dread that I have to tread carefully where Joe is concerned.
“How about a phone number?” he asks.
“I don’t remember it and I don’t have my phone on me,” I lie. It’s true that I don’t have my phone with me but I do know it by heart.
“That’s a pity.” He scowls and begins to walk closer to me.
“Don’t come near me!” I shout at him.
“Don’t be scared, baby. I can take as much care of you as Cole can.” He wraps his arm around my waist and takes a deep inhale at my neck.
I suddenly notice, for the first time, that the deep bass of the music has stopped, and, as I do, the toilets door slams open with such a loud bag it makes me jump. Joe, however, stays exactly where he is, staring into my eyes and giving me the creeps.
“Get your fucking hands off my woman!” roars a voice I am so glad to hear.
“Your woman?” Joe laughs as he lets his hand glide from my thigh to my waist.
I hear a deafening roar, and then Joe is gone, ripped away by Cole and shoved to the ground. Mason shoves him up against the wall and pounds punch after punch into Joe.
“You ok, baby?” Cole holds onto my face and checks me over. “That fucker hurt you?”
I wince as his hands touch sensitive sections on my head where Joe kicked me and where my head banged against the hard floor and wall. Cole quickly removes his hands and his eyes go so wide I’m scared they will pop out when he sees the blood on his hands.
“Tate!” he shouts. “Watch Lacey!”
Tate runs over to me and wraps his arms around me which I am thankful for. “Christ babe, you ok?”
I nod but I quickly stop. My head feels heavy and shaky but I’m not worried about me. No, that’s because I’m watching a very pissed off Cole storm over to Joe. Mason, who stopped hitting Joe when he heard Cole shout Tate to see to me, stands still, also watching what Cole is about to do.
Cole grabs Joe around his throat and shoves him up against the wall. “You fucking hurt my friend, and now you have not only touched my woman, but you’ve fucking hurt her, too!”
As he shouts the last part, Cole knees him between the knees and Joe falls to the floor right away, screaming in agony. Cole grabs Joe’s head and knees his face so hard, everyone in the room flinches. Cole tells Booker to hold him up and Mason helps him. When both Mason and Booker hold Joe up, Cole sends punch after punch all over Joe’s body and face.
When Joe’s face is red all over, I hear another loud bang that makes my head ring with an echo. I groan and feel Tate move me, but, for some reason, I can’t make out his face. All I can see is a blurry mess of colors, and the ringing in my ears gets worse as more shouting starts.
I recognize the voices of the bodyguards, and then I hear Ria and Paige, but I still can’t see anything!
“Lacey?” Tate asks me.
“What’s up with her?” I hear Paige. “Lace?”
“Cole!” I hear Tate shout again, and the loud noise makes me wince. “It’s Lacey.”
Hearing Tate’s worried tone of voice has Cole shouting at the newcomers, and he rushes to me. I feel his hands on my head. “Lacey?”
I try to focus and look for him, but I can’t find him in the sea of colors. “Cole?” I ask, my voice sounding frightened. I am terrified!
“Baby, what’s happening?” Cole asks, sounding more scared than I am.
“I don’t know,” I gasp, and my legs go out on me.
“Shhhh, baby, I’ve got you,” Cole whispers in my ear. “Lacey?”
I can’t answer him. My body won’t respond, and I feel myself growing tired.
“Lace?” Cole asks again, slightly shaking me.
“Don’t shake her!” Tate shouts. “It’s her head!”
“Shit, that’s a lot of blood,” Booker adds and I’m scared by how worried he sounds.
“Lacey!” Cole shouts. “Someone get a fucking ambulance!”
I don’t hear anything after that because everything goes numb, and the colors turn to black.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lacey
When my eyes open, the brightness of the room stings me. My head feels too heavy as I try to stretch out the stiffness in my body. I spot Roxie sitting to my right, but she’s too busy looking down at her phone to see that I’ve opened my eyes. I turn the other way slowly and see a sleeping Cole sitting in what looks like a very uncomfortable chair.
“Hey, honey,” I hear Roxie whisper. I struggle to turn back to her and wince. “Try not to move your head.”
I relax into the pillow and ignore the high-pitched beeps from the machine next to me. Roxie leans over the bed and gently wakes Cole.
As soon as he’s awake he leans closer to me and searches my face with worry. “Hey, baby, how’re you feeling?”
“Rough,” I laugh, but it’s weak.
“Well, that’s not surprising,” Roxie soothes.
“God I’ve been so worried.” Cole softly kisses my cheek, and I close my eyes from the emotion. “You’ve been out of it most of the night.”
“What happened?” I ask Cole. I wince at the brightness of the lighting again, and Roxie quickly turns it off. Much better.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” Cole frowns. “I should have fucking been there.”
“Cole, it’s ok,” I try to calm him.
“No it’s not,” he growls quietly. “I should have been watching you, but I just had to hurt him, Lace. When I saw what he did to you, I couldn’t just leave Mason to deal with him. I had to do it, and I wanted to fucking kill him!”
“Sshh!” Roxie quietens him.
“After what he did to you, we brought you here after you fainted and you’ve been out of it since.”
I’m shocked to hear that I have been knocked out for the whole night, however the soreness from my head confirms what Cole tells me.
“What are the doctors saying?” I ask them.
“Not much,” Roxie answers. “All we know is that you fainted due to your head injuries. God, Lace, I am so sorry!” Tears shine in her eyes. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
My heart drops for her as I watch her cry into her hands. “This wasn’t your fault, Rox. Don’t blame yourself for what he has done. He really is crazy.”
“I know,” she frowns. “What did he say to you?”
I swallow down hard. Do I tell her? “He thinks you’re still his woman, Rox. Then when I told him to leave you alone, he said I reminded him of you, and he got weird.”
“How weird?” Cole growls. “If that bastard touched you..!”
“Cole,” I warn and shake my head. I notice how tired and worried he looks. If the roles were reversed I would be the same, if not worse.
“Where’s Joe now?” I dare to ask.
“We don’t know,” Cole doesn’t sound happy.
“How can you not know?” I ask him, shocked.
“After you fainted, all our focus was on you. He managed to slip away, but we will find him babe,” he promises me.
“Nobody saw him walk out?” I ask incredulously. “The guards? The girls? Anyone?”
“They all say no, babe,” Cole speaks clearly. “We were all focused on you. We were all scared shitless.”
“Sorry,” I whisper.
“Let me make something very clear, baby.” Cole moves closer to me, his breath tickling my skin. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Don’t say sorry again.”
Embarrassed with the intense look he’s giving me, I look over to Roxie. “You didn’t have to come down, Rox.” A frown appears on her face, and I feel like shit. “Not that I’m not happy to see you.”
I’m guessing we’re about
an hour, maybe a little more, from Cole’s San Diego home.
She gives me a stupid look. “Of course I would be here, you stupid woman. Where else would I be? As soon as Mason called, Crystal and I took one of Cole’s cars straight away. I had to be here.”
“Thank you,” I smile. I really am happy she’s here for me.
“Let’s just be happy there’re no marks,” Cole smirks.
I notice that Roxie seems a little on edge and that’s probably got something to do with Joe. I hate him even more for that.
“You ready to see the doctor?” Cole asks me.
“Suppose we better get it over with.” I dramatically sigh.
“I’ll go,” Roxie offers.
When Roxie leaves the room, I ask Cole when he’s leaving, and he gives me a confused look.
“What are you talking about?” he asks.
“Your tour,” I point out.
“Babe, I ain’t stepping on another stage until I know you’re ok.” I don’t bother arguing because, based on Cole’s tone of voice, I know this is not up for discussion.
“You come first, Lace, so don’t worry about a thing,” he assures me, and I welcome him when he climbs onto the hospital bed and cuddles me.
Roxie returns with the doctor. She looks pretty and young, all smiles and calmness. The total opposite to me.
“Nice to see you awake, Lacey,” she greets me and smiles down at me. “How are you feeling?”
“My head’s sore, but that’s about it,” I reply.
“No headache?” she asks, and I say no. “Ok, we will run some tests today and check you out a little further. A nurse will be in shortly to take your orders for the day.”
She turns to leave but I stop her, “Wait! I’m not going home today?”
“No, I’m sorry. If everything is positive and straightforward, then you could be going home tomorrow. Better to be safe.” When she leaves I give her retreating back the middle finger, and both Cole and Roxie laugh.
“She’s right,” Cole says. “So stop misbehaving and get better.”
