HERO (The Complete Series)

by Bella Love-Wins

  She moaned and whimpered through her climax, and after a few long seconds of heavy breathing, the phone went quiet.

  “Everything okay over there?” he asked.

  “Better than okay,” she whispered. “I can sleep now.”

  “Good,” he said with a chuckle.

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll manage,” he told her. “I’m glad you feel better.”

  “I do.”

  “Get some sleep. We’ll talk soon.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. Good night, Alexandra.”

  “Good night, Bash.”

  Chapter 4

  ALEXANDRA listened from just outside the green room. The Sammy P. Higgins Live show was in full swing. She would be called up anytime now, and tonight she was ready.

  From her spot, she heard Sammy announce, “Our next guest tonight is one of the top female music artists in the world. In the past three years alone she has sold over thirteen million songs on iTunes, toured in countless countries, and has been cheated on, then proposed to by some of the biggest jerks in the entertainment industry.”

  Sammy P. Higgins was high on humor tonight. The audience went into overdrive from that intro, with real audience laughter billowing over the pre-recorded sounds they would normally air to bolster the entertainment factor for TV viewers.

  His sidekick on the second stage shouted out, “Not nice, Sammy P. You realize she’s your guest, right?”

  “I didn’t make up a word, for heaven’s sake. It’s on the damn cue cards.” He turned to look stage right and said, “It’s all fun and games until the celebrity guest pokes my eye out. What were you writers thinking, anyway?” More laughter spewed from the audience. “Let’s get her up here! Ladies and gentlemen, please help me welcome Lexxi Rock!”

  Alexandra walked out on stage—with her black, curly hair bouncing around her face, and the purple wig in her hand. The crowd went perfectly silent. Even Sammy did a double take. She handed Sammy the wig, and as he took it, he looked down at it with stunned awe.

  “Well. That’s a first.” He looked at the surprised audience again, and they broke into tumultuous laughter again. Sammy turned side stage once more, realizing he needed to go with the flow. “Where’s hair and makeup when you need it?” When no one came on stage, Sammy stood up and put the wig on his own head. Even Alexandra was laughing now.

  Deadpan, with the wig on his head, he asked, “So…how are you doing, Lexxi?”

  Alexandra stifled her laugh and shook her black curls around her face. “Much better now. How about you, Sammy?”

  “You sure you want an answer, Lexxi?”

  “Sure. Hit me.”

  He leaned in close to her and snapped his neck so the hair of the purple wig hit Alexandra in the face. “I’m much better now too.”

  There was an uproar in the crowd now, which Sammy fueled further by ripping the wig off his head and walking to the edge of the stage. “Who wants to be Lexxi next?” He turned his back to the crowd like he was the bride at a wedding and the wig was the bridal bouquet. With a powerful over-the-head shot, it flew into the crowd and a crazed male fan practically clotheslined a tiny woman for the purple tresses.

  Sammy nodded to his sidekick and he queued the live band, who seamlessly delivered twenty seconds of the Benny Hill theme song. He ran along the aisles among the crowd as audience members threw it from person to person so Sammy would not get it back. It was as though Alexandra’s stunt had been planned from the beginning. He ended up having to go to commercial so the wig could be taken away by one of the big, burly set security guys.

  At the end of the commercial break, when they were back on air, Sammy asked her, “We need to know, Lexxi. Have you been donning this wig since your career started? Because it would take a heck of a lot of crazy glue to pull off those head swings you do at your live concerts.”

  Smiling, she answered, “Did I mention I own crazy glue stock?”

  More laughter went off in the audience, but Sammy brought it back under control long enough for Alexandra to say, “No, Sammy. All kidding aside, I cut my hair about six weeks ago.” She turned to the crowd and asked, “How do you all like it?”

  They answered with whistles and loud applause.

  Sammy waved his hands again. “That’s quite the transformation. How do you like it?”

  “I’m loving it.”

  “So tell us Lexxi. Your fans want to know…are you engaged to Wilkes Barracks?”

  “The simple answer is no.”

  “And the not so simple answer?”

  “Still no, Sammy. By the way, how come you’re so obsessed with my love life?”

  “Well…the simple answer is I don’t have one of my own.”

  Alexandra laughed with the crowd. “And the not so simple answer?”

  “Well, um…it’s still no…wait a minute. I ask the questions around here.”

  “Seems to me you have a little too much fun doing that, Sammy. So much so, I’d like to try that out.”

  “Try out what?”

  “Asking you the questions…putting you on the spot.”

  “Hmmm.” Looking slightly nervous, Sammy added, “I think it’s time for another commercial break, ladies and gentlemen.”

  “Did I hit a nerve, Sammy?”

  “More like cut off the blood circulation with that wig.”

  “That’s because your head is twice the size of mine.”

  With the audience in an uproar again, Sammy looked over at his sidekick, who nodded for the musicians so play the piece they normally used when cutting to commercial. “Lexxi Rock will be performing in a little bit, ladies and gents. Don’t go anywhere.”

  Once the show cut to the commercial break, Sammy gave Lexxi a warm hug. “You’re such a natural at this! We have to have you back here soon.”

  “Thanks,” she answered, getting up to her feet. “I’ll be in wardrobe. See you later, Sammy.”

  As she walked off stage, Lexxi had the broadest grin. She wouldn’t hear the end of it from Rita or Rick once they found out she defied their instructions and went on Sammy’s show without the wig. She didn’t care either. She was one step closer to releasing the real Alexandra Storme to her fans.

  * * *

  The next day, Alexandra’s father phoned.

  “Hi Daddy.”

  “Alexandra. Do you know how many calls I’ve gotten, asking me how I felt about you vacationing while I was sick? How do these people get private numbers so easily? This is such harassment.”

  “Hmmm. That’s all they called about?”

  “What, that’s not enough?”

  “It’s plenty, Daddy. I’m sorry they found you, but now do you see why I went to such drastic lengths to stay in disguise?”

  She heard laughter from Rosa in the background. Dad must have put her on speakerphone. “Hi Rosa. How’s Dad been behaving?”

  “Not too bad, Alexandra. How about you? Are you all set to get back to business?”

  Alexandra rolled her eyes. “I wish I were, but to be honest I’d rather hang out without them for a while longer. You should see the itinerary Rick has lined up. I’m gonna be busy, busy, busy for probably the next few months. No matter what, I plan on making regular trips home.”

  “Trust me, I know how it can be when you get personally invested in your work,” Rosa joked, referring to Dad. He didn’t reply, but laughed briefly in the background.

  “Yes I agree,” Alexandra said. “It’s great when it’s something you can put your heart into. The music has and will always be good for me. It’s everything else I have to do to support it that’s more of a hassle now. Plus I have this contract with the label…” she tapered off uncomfortably.

  Knowing Dad, he would take Alexandra’s complaining as a sign he needed to step in and fix things for her. She didn’t want him worrying, so she dropped it. It was too late, though. Dad picked up on her uneasiness and asked Rosa to give him a minute alone. He turned off the spea
kerphone and said, “Anytime you need a good lawyer to cut through that contract, it can be arranged. Make sure you let Rick know he’s supposed to be shielding you from this bullshit.”

  “Everything’s under control, Daddy. All I have to do is finish this album and things will lighten up for me. Anyway, I’m glad you’re sounding so well. I miss you.”

  “Awww honey. I miss you too. Seriously Alexandra, I want you to remember something. What you do shouldn’t be your life. Your life should include much more than your profession. When the balance tilts too much in one direction or the other, you’ll suffer for it. The minute you devote too much of your time to work, or to family and friends, or even to the one you love, you’ll start to feel like you’re missing something, because you will be. You need love. You need stability. You need happiness, but you’ve gotta have a little stress and strain to help you appreciate all the good. Right now it sounds like the label is causing way too much stress.”

  “Thanks for the advice, Dad. I’ll remember that when I call in to make sure you’re not piling on too much work in your plate,” she teased.

  Dad laughed heartily. “No, but I’m serious, honey. When you get to be my age, you realize there are many things you would have devoted your life to because you thought they were so important, when at the end of the day they really weren’t that pivotal. What you’ll regret most is not what you did wrong, honey. It’s the things you didn’t do, and the areas in your life where you knew you could have tried harder. I regret not being there for you more… and I regret instilling this horrid work ethic in you.”

  “You’re too sweet to me, Dad. Don’t ever think that. You’ve always been there for me when it mattered.”

  Dad paused and let out a breath. “Okay, honey. So when are you coming home again?”

  “Soon, Daddy. I just don’t know exactly when.”

  “And whatever happened to that country guy you were seeing? Walters.”

  “His name is Wilkes, Dad.”

  “Yes, him.”

  “It’s over.”

  “Good. Now you can give a real man a chance.”

  “What?”

  “Sebastian. You’ll give him a chance now, won’t you?”

  “I promise I’ll think about it.” It was easier to say that for now, and nothing more. As much as she enjoyed what was happening with Bash, she felt it needed more time before she could say much more to her father.

  “Good.”

  Chapter 5

  SEBASTIAN limped with one crutch toward his aunt and uncle’s minivan parked in his driveway.

  “Do you have your other crutch?” Aunt Sadie asked when he climbed into the car.

  “The clinic people said I should be walking with just one now. I don’t need it.” Grunting, he heaved the crutch into the backseat and slammed the passenger door closed, buckling into his seatbelt. “Let’s get this physical therapy over with,” he grumbled. He huffed testily as he settled in next to his aunt, then remembered she was taking time out of her day to help him. He turned and smiled at her. “Sorry about this mood I’m in. I’m glad you offered to spend time with me under the guise of taking me to physio.”

  “Aww, honey,” she chuckled. “Your uncle Lucas and I haven’t seen you for months. You shouldn’t be going through this alone. It’s the least we can do.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Sadie. It’s not a fun trip is all.”

  She turned the car key to start the engine. “I hear you, Sebastian. I wish you didn’t have to go through any of this. You sure do look like you hate it. Honestly right now, I can’t tell if it’s making you better or worse, the way you are now, before the appointment even starts.”

  Sebastian looked back through his passenger side rear view mirror as Aunt Sadie reversed out of his driveway. “It’s tough to get used to, but you’re right. I need to take it in stride and stop whining and complaining about it. They said…well, you know I might not be able to go back to work after this. I’m trying to change that prognosis. I just have to push myself harder.”

  His aunt glanced over at him once she began driving down his main street, holding the sympathetic lift of her brows. “Don’t go too crazy with it, son. Lucas said when he picked you up the last time you were overdoing it with some intense workout video. What’s it called, ‘Stupidity’? I don’t want you to break your neck trying to get better. You don’t want to push too far too fast, honey, or you might make things worse.”

  The car zipped along the street, following through a light afternoon traffic. Sebastian smiled and gazed out the window. No way was he telling her the video was called Insanity, or that he was doing some parts of the workout to keep his upper body and core in shape, but maybe also to keep from focusing too much on Alexandra.

  “What are you going to do if you can’t return to firefighting?” She gripped the steering wheel and swerved to keep from hitting a vehicle that cut in front of her without indicating the lane change. “Damn fools! Why don’t you learn how to drive!” she yelled out her now open window.

  Sebastian laughed out loud. His aunt was the sweetest ball of fire on the roads of Tucson. “Aunt Sadie, you can’t be starting any fights now. I’ve got a bum knee,” he joked. She snickered and quickly calmed down. Resting his head on the headrest, Sebastian contemplated how to answer her question. “About work? I have no clue. I can’t come up with how I’m going to manage and move on if they say I can’t go back.”

  “You really don’t have any plans? Well, I’m sure your uncle can talk to someone at his company and find you a position. He’s always wanted you to have a nice suit and tie job. You look so good in a suit.”

  “Heck, no. That’d be torture. I appreciate the gesture, but I can’t see myself showing up for work in a suit and tie every day, or working out of an office.”

  “Don’t go dismissing options so soon, Sebastian.”

  “Well, yeah, but...” he sputtered. She was right. He needed to keep his options open. He had bills to pay, and the truth was, when it came down to it, he was a survivor and would adapt. “I guess you’re right. Let’s just put that idea of Uncle Lucas and me working in an office together at the bottom of the option pile for now. I love him and all, but for me to be in an office all day would be downright punishment to everyone else in the building.”

  “You’ll come up with something to do, son. I’m sure of it. Just remember what the orthopedist told you. Anything more strenuous than office work might make that leg worse. I know how you must feel. It’s hard to believe you’re going through this at such a young age, love, but we’re here for you.”

  “Thanks. That means a lot.”

  “So what about the arthritis? Is he sure that part of the diagnosis is accurate? You seem awful young to get that.”

  “It’s traumatic arthritis,” he answered, gazing away.

  All those times he had banged his knee here and there on the job, or lifted something the wrong way, or pushed through the pain and kept going—things that had not seemed like a big deal at the time—they had all culminated in this serious add-on to his diagnosis. According to the specialist, it couldn’t be reversed, just tempered a bit if Sebastian learned to take care of himself. The bottom line was that any job requiring the frequent use of stairs, or to be on his feet for long hours at a stretch would be out of the question—if this physical therapy didn’t work.

  Aunt Sadie drove up to the entrance of the clinic. “All the same, I wish you didn’t have to worry about it. Well, here we are. Oh, don’t forget your crutch. Remember, try not to overdo it.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “I’ll be back in an hour or so,” Sadie called through the window.

  “See you soon.” He hopped out of the car. Turning to look at the front doors of the therapy center, he took a breath and hobbled toward the automatic doors on one crutch.

  “I can’t wait for this to be over,” Sebastian muttered to himself. He was counting down the days like a kid anxious for Christmas. The sooner the doctor could cle
ar him for work, the faster he could return to his job as a firefighter. That’s all he wanted to do, and he was going to make it happen.

  I’m Sebastian Sullivan.

  I’m a firefighter.

  I don’t know how to be anything else.

  This therapy has to work.

  He signed in at the front desk and briefly had a seat in the small waiting area. A glimpse through a partition displayed the bustling therapy floor. Those sitting around him ran the gamut, from white haired elders to high school athletes. Set up much like a professional athlete’s gymnasium, exercise equipment whirred and clicked all around the space. He looked on as attendants worked with their patients.

  Sebastian’s name was called, and he turned back to the desk to see…

  What?

  Crap.

  What the hell is she doing here?

  Dammit, I think I dated this woman last year. Or slept with her.

  Christ, what’s her name again?

  And where’s my regular therapist?

  I’m so fucked today.

  The woman walked up to him. “Good afternoon, Mr. Sullivan. My name is Kennedy Haden and I’ll be working with you today. Right this way.”

  “Thanks, Kennedy,” he answered, curious as to whether she remembered him. God, he hoped not. He followed behind her at a distance. “Who else is on the floor today? I thought I was seeing Mike. He’s my usual guy.”

  “We’re pretty backed up at the moment,” she said, whipping her hair around to add, “How have you been, Bash?”

  This is fucked up.

  Kennedy Haden is my physical therapist.

  I don’t think I gave her the time of day after our one- or two-night stand.

  If she even got to two dates.

  “Um, good. You?”

  “Doing great now,” she answered, raising her left hand to show him she was married now. Or maybe that was an engagement ring. Either way, that was a good thing.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Congratulations. Glad to hear, Kennedy.”