Still, Leonard must know what she was like or he wouldn’t have asked Tony to keep her in the dark about their plan to deposit the money in his account. So as long as Melody never got to know the real facts about their situation, they shouldn’t be in too much danger. But Eddie would be watching them both closely, nonetheless.
10
Tony was still sleeping when Melody woke up the next morning. Easing the quilt back, she got up and pulled her dressing gown on, then tiptoed into the bathroom to take a shower. She felt quite lighthearted for a change. She’d accepted that she couldn’t escape – yet – but she was looking forward to having a bit of time to herself while Tony was away. Two whole nights of not having to wait in dread anticipation of him returning from wherever he and Eddie kept disappearing to, a brief respite from the nightmare prospect of him coming back into the room and climbing on top of her. Bliss!
She’d taken to pretending to be asleep when he came in. Sometimes she actually was, but that didn’t stop him. Asleep, awake, unconscious – he didn’t care. She could be dead, and he’d probably still go for it if he was horny enough.
Coming back to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her hair a short time later, Melody quietly opened the dresser drawers and lifted her clothes out onto the floor.
‘What you doing?’ Tony asked, waking up just then and eyeing her with suspicion as she rooted through the pile. ‘I thought I said you wasn’t coming with us.’
‘Don’t panic, I’m only looking for this,’ Melody said, finding the Lycra exercise suit she wanted and pulling it out. ‘Think it’ll still fit?’ she asked, holding it up against herself.
‘Not with the weight you’ve been putting on,’ he grunted, reaching for a cigarette.
‘Which is exactly why I’m going down to the gym,’ she retorted, wishing he’d drop dead. Snatching up the other clothes, she stuffed them back into the drawer. ‘Got to do something to amuse myself while I’m under house arrest.’
‘Don’t get smart,’ Tony warned her, pushing the quilt back.
Pulling a face at his hairy back when he strolled naked into the bathroom, Melody stuck two fingers up when he kicked the door shut. He said she’d put on weight, but he should take a look in the mirror sometime, because those bulges were more like industrial cargo carriers than love handles. No wonder her bones were aching, having to bear that pounding her into the mattress night after night.
Three long years she’d been tolerating it, telling herself that it was worth it for the money, the presents, and the surgery he’d paid for to help her achieve her acting aims. But it was getting harder and harder to stomach now that she’d tasted Fabian’s forbidden fruits. Not that she loved Fabian, or anything ridiculous like that, but he was a hell of a good-looking man, with such a different approach to fucking than Tony’s rodeo saddle-up-and-ride-’em-hard style. Tony seemed to think that orgasms were a man’s right, and women should be grateful if they chanced upon one along the way. But Fabian was the exact opposite, priding himself on his abilities to bring pleasure.
And boy, had he!
Melody had fucked a lot of men in her time, but none had ever come close to hitting the spot as often as Fabian did. They’d only had snatched moments together since their fling had started, but he had never failed to satisfy her, and she would miss that now that he’d called it off.
Not quite as much as she would miss the coke, though. But that was just tough, because she was in no position to start heavying him about it. Not now that Tony was on her case – and definitely not now she knew that Eddie had been following her. If Tony suspected her of something, it really wouldn’t be wise to stir him up about another man. Better to say and do nothing, and let whatever was going on in his head die down – and use the time between to think up ways to escape.
Coming out of the bathroom in his dressing gown just then, Tony picked up the phone and called room service to order breakfast for three. Then he called Eddie’s room and told him to come down.
‘Your mobile’s ringing,’ Melody told him, reaching for it. Looking at the screen she frowned. ‘How come you never have no names come up like normal people?’
Snatching it off her, Tony said, ‘And how come you never mind your own business, like normal people?’
Walking into the lounge, he pulled the door firmly shut behind him and answered the call.
‘Yo?’
‘I was about to give up on you,’ Ronson said.
‘Yeah. Well, I’m here now,’ Tony grunted. ‘What’s up?’
‘I’m just watching the news. One of the brothers is out.’
‘Out?’ Tony repeated, lighting another cigarette and sucking on it hard.
‘Of the picture,’ Ronson elaborated darkly. ‘Seems they got to him in the armoured truck on the way to some military base where they were going to hold him till the trial. Guard’s a straight-A medal plate for thirty-odd years, then he goes and switches sides. Takes out Johnson and the other guards, then gets himself snipered getting out of the truck, so he don’t even get to pick up his dough. Go figure, huh?’
‘But they still got the others?’Tony asked. ‘They could still make it to court?’
‘What’s the chance of that?’ Ronson snorted. ‘Word is, they’ve changed the plan and decided to chopper the others to some other high-tech nuclear bunker now. But for Zorba’s guys that just narrows down where to start looking, don’t it? Anyway, I’m keeping the news on 24-7, so I’ll keep you updated.’
‘Thanks,’ Tony muttered.
‘No problem,’ Ronson said. Then, ‘So, how’s it going in sunny Rio? Carnival started yet?’
‘Nah, not yet, but I’ll send you a ticket as soon as, so you can come over and join in.’
‘They still got the bare-ass parades?’
‘Sure have,’ Tony lied. ‘I can see the main street from the hotel, so I’m getting a bird’s-eye of the undress rehearsals when the floats go past.’
‘Lucky bastard,’ Ronson chuckled. ‘I’ve all but forgot what a pussy looks like since that bitch dropped the fucking syph bomb on me.’
‘Didn’t think a little thing like that would stop you fucking your way round the world?’
‘It wouldn’t have. But I only went and passed it on to a freaking cop, didn’t I? Bitch threatened to bust my ass for attempted fucking murder if I “knowingly” gave it to anyone else before I got myself clean. Only reason she didn’t report me straight out is ’cos she’d have had to admit she spends her free time trawling the bars picking up lowlifes.’
‘Like you, huh?’ Tony chuckled.
‘Hey, I’m no lowlife, I’m just smart enough to choose the bars where easy pickings like her hang out,’ Ronson countered. ‘I mean, come on, man, what’s the point in going upmarket when them bitches expect you to take ’em out to a fucking fancy restaurant before they’ll open their legs. I ain’t paying for no bitch to get fat.’
‘Better than paying for syph shots,’ Tony pointed out.
‘True,’ Ronson said, sighing. Then, ‘Anyway, subject of whores, any sign of Melody yet?’
‘No, there ain’t,’ Tony snarled. ‘But don’t worry. I ever get to Australia, I’m gonna track the bitch down and take her out.’
‘You do that,’ Ronson said nastily. ‘And make sure you give it to the pilot she took off with, an’ all.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Tony grunted. ‘I ever see him again, he’s a dead man.’
‘Too right,’ Ronson agreed. ‘And you want to get yourself checked out for the clap while you’re at it. You never know what the cunt was up to before she shafted you like that. Don’t be leaving it too late like me.’
‘I hear you,’ Tony said, glancing at his watch now. He needed to cut the call. If Zorba had already got to a top-notch guard, he could certainly find out where Tony’s phone signal was coming from. ‘Anyway, look, man, I gotta hit it. Let me know as and when anything happens, yeah?’
‘Will do. Keep it cool, Tee.’
‘You, too.
’
Disconnecting, Tony smoked the rest of his cigarette and mulled over this new information.
Zorba’s people were obviously pulling out all the stops to get his case dusted. Tony had to get his shit sorted, because they would come after him with everything they had soon as Zorba was free. He was all right for now, because Ronson was the only person he had any contact with back home – and he thought they were in Brazil, so that was all he’d ever be able to tell anyone, even if they tortured him. And he thought Melody had left him and taken off with a pilot to Australia, so nobody would put him together with her now.
Still, now that Leonard was hooked the bank draft wouldn’t be a problem; and he and Eddie had the car, so it wouldn’t take long to change the rest of the money over. It would just be a matter of utilising it after that without Tony’s name being attached to it. And he knew exactly how to do that.
Stubbing the cigarette butt out, Tony got up and went to get dressed.
Kissing Tony goodbye when he and Eddie left a short time after breakfast, Melody made her way down to the hotel’s state-of-the-art gym with a spring in her step. Despite his snipes about her weight, she knew how hot she looked in her Lycra get-up, and was quite looking forward to the envious glances of the women who congregated there in the mornings to gossip as they wobbled their bingo wings and created earthquakes with their thighs on the treadmills and exercise bikes.
Strolling in with her shoulders back and her chest out now, she smiled to herself when the pudding club’s chatter turned to an immediate low hum as they turned their surreptitious attentions to her. Putting her bag down beside a free treadmill, she tied her hair up, aware that the bitches were eyeing her every move. Doing some sexy warm-up stretches then, as if she hadn’t noticed them, she got onto the treadmill and programmed herself a two-mile jog. She’d just set off when the door opened and Chase Mann walked in.
The low hum turned to an excited buzz as the women recognised him. Walking past them as if they weren’t even there, Chase came to a stop at the weights machine next to Melody. Noticing her, he gave her one of his famously sexy smiles and put his bag down. Then, taking off his jogging pants and leaving just a pair of shorts to showcase his great thighs, he put a foot up on a chair to tie his trainer laces. Frowning questioningly, he glanced back up at Melody.
‘Hi,’ she said coolly, breathing easy as she got into her stride. She still hadn’t forgiven him for ignoring her at the club.
‘Hi,’ he said, still frowning. ‘Sorry, but don’t I know you?’
‘I don’t know,’ she replied, not bothering to look at him. ‘Do you?’
Unused to women being anything less than on the point of fainting if he spoke to them these days, Chase was intrigued. Either she was using the old I’m-not-interested trick to try and hook him and drag him in, or she genuinely didn’t recognise him – and how likely was that? Every bird in the UK, Europe, the States and Japan recognised him by now.
Putting him out of his misery – because he was obviously having a hard time coming to terms with not being instantly adored – Melody said, ‘We met at Zenith.’
‘Zenith?’ Chase frowned again.
‘Nightclub, New Year’s Eve,’ Melody helped him out. ‘I was with my boyfriend, you had three tarts hanging off your wallet.’
‘Ah,’ Chase murmured sheepishly. ‘The blonde bombshells.’
‘More like bombsites,’ Melody muttered scathingly.
‘Probably right,’ Chase agreed, with another sheepish smile. ‘I think I was a bit the worse for wear that night.’
‘And the next,’ Melody reminded him. ‘And the next, come to that.’
‘Yeah, well, I was getting myself geared up for the German tour,’ he said, quite enjoying the novelty of not being fawned over for a change.
‘Is that where you’ve been?’ she said, starting to glow now with the running. ‘Thought I hadn’t seen you around for a while.’
‘Oh, so you noticed, did you?’ Chase asked, grinning now.
‘Yeah, but only ’cos me and my boyfriend used to put bets on how many women we’d see getting out of the penthouse lift in the mornings. I think your record was five.’
‘Not all mine,’ Chase told her quickly. ‘That was a party.’
‘Weren’t they all?’
‘So, this fella of yours,’ Chase said, sitting down on the weights bench now and reaching for the bars. ‘Have I met him?’
‘Everyone in Manchester has probably met him by now,’ Melody replied, with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice. ‘His name’s Tony Allen.’
‘Ah.’ Chase remembered. ‘American. Big minder.’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Right, yeah.’ Glancing around now, mock-scared, he said, ‘Hey, he’s not watching us now, is he? Only I don’t want him thinking I’m chatting you up or anything.’
‘If he was here, you’d be talking to him, not to me,’ Melody said, coming to the end of her jog and punching an extra mile onto the clock at speed-walking pace. ‘You were certainly more interested in him last time we met.’
‘Can’t remember, I’m afraid,’ Chase admitted. ‘But if I was rude, I’m sorry. I was a bit wasted. That’s why I’m here now, actually. Under orders to get my shit together.’
‘Orders from who?’
‘Record company.’ Chase rolled his eyes. ‘They’re on my case. Reckon I single-handedly fucked up the tour.’
‘And did you?’ Melody asked, watching his muscles tighten with his exertions.
‘Nah, I just got bored,’ he said. ‘Sick of doing the same old songs over and over, hearing the same old shit guitar riffs, and them drums pounding in my head. So I left the band to it a couple of times and got off for a spliff. But they reckoned I should have waited till the set was finished and not walked off stage halfway through a song.’
‘Yeah, but that’s your job,’ she pointed out logically. ‘If you stop putting your heart into it, your fans will find someone else to spend their money on, won’t they?’
‘Oasis have been getting away with it for years,’ he countered. ‘And I sell as many records as them, easy.’
‘If you say so,’ Melody said, switching the machine off and reaching for her towel.
‘Don’t you believe me?’ Chase asked, letting the weights go and standing up, reluctant to end the conversation. ‘I’ve got platinum discs all the place. My last album went triple, here and in the States.’
‘Oh, I know you’re big,’ Melody said, her eyes sliding surreptitiously to his shorts as she patted the sweat from her neck. ‘But you know what they say: the higher you are, the further you fall. Why risk everything you’ve worked for for a spliff? If I was you, I’d be working my backside off to stay up there.’
‘I suppose,’ he murmured glumly. ‘It’s just really hard to keep at it when you’ve got no choice.’
‘Take it from me, it’s a damn sight better than not being able to do it at all.’
‘That the voice of experience?’
‘Mmm,’ Melody murmured, not really wanting to talk about it, because it was still too raw and she just might end up screaming.
‘So, you’re a singer, too, are you?’ Chase persisted.
‘Actress,’ she told him, putting her towel back into the bag. ‘Hollywood stuff. You probably won’t have seen them if you’ve been working.’
‘I watch shed-loads of DVDs on the tour bus,’ Chase said, realising that she was about to leave and wanting to delay her. ‘Tell me what you’ve been in – I might have seen it.’
‘Okay,’ Melody said, smiling now, because she always got a buzz talking about her films. ‘I did Help Wanted with Sandra Bullock last year, and Gentle Rain with George Clooney a few months ago.’
‘Seen the first one,’ Chase told her. Then, smiling sheepishly, ‘Don’t remember seeing you in it, though. Which part did you play?’
‘Sandra’s room-mate.’
‘No way!’ Drawing his head back, Chase looked at her hard.
‘She was really plain.’
‘Er, that’s why they call it acting,’ Melody said, delighted that he’d obviously been telling the truth and had seen it.
‘Christ, you were good,’ he said admiringly. ‘I mean, I thought you were, anyway, the way you and Sandra bounced off each other. And when you had to team up and go undercover as hookers to get in with the bad guys, you were so kind of . . .’ Pausing, he shrugged. ‘Realistic, I suppose. But now I’m seeing you in the flesh, I’m realising how good you really were. To make anyone believe you’re that plain and frumpy when you’re actually . . . well, pretty hot, I guess.’
‘Yeah, well, I thought I was pretty good,’ Melody said, sighing now because it was bringing up memories that she didn’t want to be thinking about right now.
‘So, what’s next?’
Shaking her head, Melody said, ‘Nothing. I’m taking a break at the moment.’ Shrugging then, she added, ‘Knowing my luck, nobody will want me by the time I get back, anyway.’
‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ Chase said sincerely. ‘I mean, I know I didn’t recognise you, and probably still wouldn’t if you hadn’t told me who you were in the film. But you’ve got talent. Why wouldn’t they want to use you again?’
Oh, let’s see, Melody thought bitterly. Maybe because they’ve got a clone going by the name of Deanna Shelby to keep them occupied. And she hasn’t got a control-freak man forcing her out of the limelight.
Anyway, nobody ever did recognise her, so she might as well stop kidding herself. The Sandra Bullock film had come up before her biggest bout of surgery, so it hadn’t been as hard as Chase imagined for her to act the part of a plain girl. And she’d been in a black wig for the whole of the Clooney film, so even though she’d had the tits and lips by then, still nobody would know it was her unless she darkened her hair. In taking on character roles, she’d missed her chance to be known as herself. The Julia Roberts film would have given her that, and she’d have been right up there with the best after it hit the screens. But that was gone now, so she might as well give up dreaming about it.
The Club Page 21
