by A. P. Jensen
Demi’s bandaged hands fluttered. “I didn’t think Barry would—”
Regan pat her on the back. “He’s kidding, Demi.”
“Oh. What do you need from me?”
“I need you to tell me everything,” Guy said.
Demi dropped her eyes from his and didn’t speak for a long minute. Regan stroked her back and they waited in silence. Clearly, she wasn’t leaving without telling them what brought her here and why. She took a deep breath and began to talk. Describing what happened today and revealing what Barry did to take The Ashton Hotel from her sounded ten times worse out loud. Hours before Johnny’s concert, she discovered what Barry did and shut down completely.
“Son of a bitch,” Regan said.
“He wants to talk to you,” Guy said.
“No,” Demi said in a dead voice. “I don’t want to see him.”
“Restraining order?” Guy asked.
She hesitated and then replayed the day’s events. “Yes.”
“You got it.”
Demi sat like a statue as Guy took pictures of her wounds. Then, there were papers to fill out and sign. Tiny cuts on her fingers hurt like a bitch when she tried to write. Guy forced her to eat the last half of his sandwich so she could take some pain killers. Regan and Guy talked outside of his office and she could feel the eyes of the other officers on her as she finished. She set the pen down and stared at her trembling, bleeding hand.
“Demi.”
Johnny stood in the doorway. His chest pumped as if he just ran a marathon. Before she could figure out how she felt about his presence, he walked over, knelt and grasped her face between his hands.
“Holy shit, baby, why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered.
He rested his forehead against her, just like Barry. She tried to pull away, but Johnny wrapped his hand around the back of her neck to keep her close. Johnny murmured soothingly to her, words she didn’t understand, but she didn’t need to when his voice was soothing and caring.
“You’re going to be okay, baby. I’m here,” Johnny said.
Demi placed her hand on his chest to push away and felt his heart pumping beneath her palm. She opened her eyes and saw that his were closed tight. The hand on the back of her neck trembled ever so slightly. His heat slapped against her and she leaned forward, seeking. She was so cold, even though it was warm outside. Johnny wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head beneath his chin. This is what she needed. She needed someone to hold her. Their history faded away and her breath hitched as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“You’re safe now,” Johnny murmured.
Another tear fell from her eyes and she sucked in a ragged breath. She fisted her hand in his shirt. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to push him away or tug him close, but her mouth said, “Don’t leave me.”
“You couldn’t pay me enough to let you go.” His head moved and he asked, “She’s done?”
“Yeah,” Guy said.
“I’m gonna take you home,” Johnny whispered in her ear.
He gently disengaged her hand from his shirt and in one careful move, lifted her into his arms. She buried her face against his chest as he carried her out of the station.
Chapter Six
Demi opened her eyes and stared at the drapes covering the window before she noticed Johnny sitting in a chair beside the bed. Her body was sore and her head throbbed like crazy, but she didn’t make a sound. Her mind sifted through yesterday’s events with Barry. His actions were unbelievable. Barry said he’d taken away the only thing she had left of her family because he loved her… She pressed charges against Barry and he’d been arrested, which had to be a first for him. It was done.
Demi remembered the banked anger on Guy’s face as he held a gun trained on Barry, Regan rubbing her back as she gave her statement and Johnny’s face right before he rested his forehead against hers. She’d known Regan and Guy less than two days, but they didn’t hesitate to protect or comfort her. She couldn’t deny that when she saw Johnny standing in the doorway of Guy’s office, one emotion cut through the numbness. Relief. The look in Johnny’s eyes was stark and it made her feel safe even though her mind told her she shouldn’t depend on him.
Johnny had his hands folded over his middle, head tilted to the side and feet on the bed. He looked really uncomfortable and it touched her that he’d sleep there to keep her company. Demi carefully got out of bed and did her business in the connecting bathroom. She didn’t bother to change out of her pajamas. If Regan’s reaction to her concussion was any indication, she wouldn’t work for the rest of the week, which was a bummer.
Demi examined her face in the mirror and fingered the faint bruises over her mouth and arms. The scrapes on her arms and legs were irritating, but the knot on the back of her head pounded like a bitch and she desperately needed pain killers. She tiptoed past Johnny and started downstairs. She stopped halfway down when her head began to spin. A few days of rest wasn’t an exaggeration after all. She stood there, clutching the railing with both hands, waiting for the nausea to pass when the front door opened and Gwen rushed towards her.
“Oh my God!” Gwen wrapped an arm around Demi’s waist and helped her down the last steps. “Wade stopped by my house before he went to work and told me what happened!”
It took her a moment to remember who Wade was. Right, he was Gwen’s brother and the mountain man that Regan hugged yesterday. “Wade? How does he know?”
“Regan told him.”
Of course she did, Demi thought. That’s what happened in small towns. Trey came through the front door with two tin pans. Demi’s mouth watered when she smelled bacon.
“I know Johnny can’t cook for shit. Gwen’s mom made breakfast sandwiches and cornbread.” Trey set the pans on a dining table that hadn’t been there yesterday and gave Demi a gentle side hug. “Okay?”
“I’m better now that I smell bacon.”
Trey pushed her into a seat and began to brew fresh coffee. Gwen handed her a foil wrapped sandwich, which had eggs, bacon and cheese. It tasted great. Gwen set pain killers and a glass of milk in front of Demi who raised a brow, but drank it without complaint.
“Word is your ex is whack,” Trey said casually as he cut himself a piece of cornbread.
“Didn’t know how whack until yesterday,” Demi mumbled through her food.
“You’re okay?” Gwen asked doubtfully, looking her over.
“I’m sore, but I’ll be fine,” Demi said.
“How did Johnny take it?” Gwen asked.
Demi considered. He carried her from the SUV into the house, made a bath for her and picked out her pajamas. All of this was done without a word. When she lay down to go to sleep last night, he tucked the covers around her as if she were a child and it felt good, especially after the confrontation with Barry. “Johnny’s a great nurse.”
Gwen relaxed. “I was afraid you wouldn’t feel safe here and want to leave.”
Demi paused with her mouth full. That thought never crossed her mind. She wasn’t sure when it happened, but she claimed White Mist for herself. The scene with Barry wasn’t going to force her to leave a place where she found friends.
“I’m staying,” Demi declared.
Gwen’s smile was blinding and she leaned forward to whisper, “I’m so glad. I was trying to picture what kind of woman Johnny needed and I came up with someone that had to love music and be restless and crazy like him. I’m so glad I was wrong!”
“Gwen, Johnny and I aren’t—” Demi stopped when she saw Johnny standing at the foot of the stairs. He didn’t look happy to see Gwen or Trey.
“We brought food and we’re just checking on Demi,” Gwen said, obviously reading Johnny’s mood easily. “We’ll be on our way.”
“You don’t have to—” Demi began.
“Take care, yeah?” Trey kissed her on the cheek. “Take it easy.”
Trey took a piece of cornbread for the road and Gwen waved as they walked out.
Demi g
lared at Johnny. “They brought food and they were concerned,” she said.
Johnny prowled forward and didn’t stop until he towered over her. He leaned down and she held her breath when his face hovered an inch over hers. Moody eyes examined hers and then his hand brushed over the bruise on her face.
“Your eyes are sea green,” he murmured and some of the tension left him. “You’re all right?”
“Yes.”
Johnny sat beside her and grabbed one of the breakfast sandwiches. He watched her closely as if anticipating a freakout at any moment.
“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she began.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
“It’s just—”
“That wasn’t your fault. You understand me?”
“But I should have realized—”
“Did you know he was crazy?”
She let out a choked, “No.”
“Did you know he would follow you? Assault you?”
“No.”
“Then you have nothing to be sorry for. Guy did his job, Regan took care of you because she’s your friend and I slept in your room last night because I needed to be near you.” He closed his eyes. “Fuck. If I saw him, I would have killed him.”
“Johnny—”
“No.”
She stopped because his voice was resolute and final.
“There’s no reason to hurt a woman. Never.”
“Barry’s never hurt me before. He was out of control yesterday. It’s not like—”
“You know how I grew up, Demi,” Johnny said quietly. “You know.”
Johnny’s rock star father was known for brawling and didn’t restrain himself around his son. Once, Johnny told her his dad beat him to toughen him up. This only encouraged Johnny to act flamboyantly gay, which enraged his father. His mother wasn’t much better. She was vain, selfish and verbally abusive, jealous of her son’s youth and looks.
Demi didn’t like seeing the nightmares in Johnny’s eyes. She ran a gentle hand down his cheek and wasn’t prepared for him to lean into her touch. She swallowed hard. Oh, Johnny. “I’m sorry.”
“You should have called me.” She opened her mouth and he shook his head. “I know I’ve been back in your life for three days and I don’t care. I need you to call me, Demi.”
She knew what he was asking for and it was more than a phone call. It was his trust, his protection, his comfort. He still wasn’t looking her straight in the eye and as she watched him, realized he was tense, waiting for her rejection. She remembered how he held her at the police station, how he slept in the chair beside the bed. She trusted Johnny with her life, but not her heart. He would never let anyone hurt her.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Johnny visibly relaxed and pressed a kiss on her palm. “Thank you.”
Johnny released her hand and brought her a cup of coffee. She sipped from it and avoided his eyes. They just crossed a line and there was no going back.
“Your dad should have seen through that prick,” Johnny said after several minutes of silence.
“He thought I could do better,” Demi said with a sad smile.
“Talk to me, Demi,” Johnny said with quiet demand.
Demi looked into his eyes and swallowed hard. It hit her all at once that no matter what happened from this point on, Johnny would be there. He wouldn’t let her cast him aside or ignore him. He was focused exclusively on her and no matter how long that lasted, after yesterday, she owed him the truth. Her insides quivered as stress, sorrow and residual fear stirred inside of her. Demi rose and wandered over to the massive couch and sat in the corner, legs folded Indian style. Johnny followed and handed over her coffee as he settled with his eyes trained on her face. She took the coffee so her hands could grip something.
“I worked for Ashton Hotels, no surprise there. I started dating Barry a year before the plane accident.” She mentally braced herself and continued, “We were going on a family vacation and I stayed behind to have an extra day with Barry. I was supposed to fly out the next day. I was in a restaurant when I got the call.” She could still remember what she was eating—a hot roast beef sandwich. She couldn’t comprehend what the person on the other end of the line was saying. Accidents happened, but there had to be a mistake. It couldn’t be her dad’s private plane that went down… “The plane had an engine malfunction. There were no survivors.”
Johnny reached out, but she shook her head and pressed back into the couch cushions. She wouldn’t be able to talk if he touched her. His hand retracted. She was used to the gut wrenching pain, but today it seemed sharper than normal. Ever since the plane crash, she felt as if she were walking around with a bleeding heart. Why couldn’t anyone see she was dying right in front of them? How did anyone deal with loss? It was tearing her up from the inside out.
“Barry took advantage of the media storm to announce our engagement,” she said tonelessly and wondered why she never saw him for the scum he was. “He never asked me, he just announced it in the midst of all this tragedy to ‘lift my spirits’ and ‘have something to look forward to.’”
Johnny’s incredulity was a balm to her outrage.
“I was too focused on the hotel and keeping myself together to care about the engagement. Barry was always there for me and after I lost my family his presence was comforting.” She couldn’t connect the man who tackled her to the ground with the man she lived with for a year. Her hands flexed around the coffee mug and she stared into the dark liquid. “Teddy and my dad were running the hotel and once the accident happened, I had to step into their shoes. I learned that the hotel was in debt, a fact that no one ever mentioned to me.”
Johnny leaned forward, face a blank slate, waiting for her to finish the story.
“I focused on getting everything back on track, but all of a sudden the banks were demanding the money and I didn’t have it. Barry offered to pay them off, but I didn’t want his help.” She resisted the urge to hurl the mug across the room. “The banks wouldn’t negotiate with me. At the same time, I was told that someone was trying to buy the hotel. Everything was crumbling around me. I worked longer hours and hustled to pay off the debt and negotiate with the buyer who wouldn’t reveal himself.” Little ripples appeared in the coffee as her hand trembled. “The Ashton Hotel was all I had left of my family and I lost it.”
“Baby—” Johnny tried to reach out, but the look on her face stopped him.
“On top of the fact that I lost my family legacy, I was let go. The day of your concert was my last day. I went to work, said goodbye to the employees and sat at a cafe, wondering what my next move would be. I had no job, no family, nothing. One of my dad’s friends was passing by and sat with me.”
“And?” Johnny prodded when she stopped.
Demi raised her eyes to his and the cold rage shinning from them made Johnny freeze.
“He told me Barry called in my dad’s debts and that he was the new owner of The Ashton Hotel.”
“He what?” Johnny asked without comprehension.
Her insides twisted. The same horrible taste of betrayal and disbelief she felt that day engulfed her. “I was trying to decide what to do and these people were selling your ticket. I planned to buy a car and just go on the road after I saw you. You know the rest.”
“Why’d he do it?” Johnny asked, watching her like a ticking bomb.
“Barry said I chose work over him,” she said in a flat voice. “I wouldn’t set a date for the wedding and I was too obsessed with the hotel so he took it away from me.”
“Fuck.”
“He said he loved me.” She should have punched or bit him. “He actually thought he could force me to go back to New York and that I’d ignore what he did. He was so rational. Why didn’t I realize something was wrong with our relationship?”
“You were trying to cope and he took advantage of your vulnerability.”
She got to her feet and paced with the ‘unicorns are the shit’ cup. “I
felt indebted to Barry for being there for me when I had no one. He was patient and kind. He asked me to move in and I couldn’t go back to my parent’s empty penthouse, so I did it.” She made a sound like an angry cat. “I should have kneed him in the balls yesterday. I should have clawed his face. Why didn’t I?”
“You were in shock.”
“That’s a bad excuse,” she said darkly.
“Demi.”
“How dare he say he loves me? If he loved me, he wouldn’t have taken the only thing I care about!” she shouted.
“Demi.” Johnny appeared in front of her, set the cup aside and braced his hands on her shoulders. “Did you ever talk to your father about taking over the hotel?”
She stared at him. “What?”
“Did you ever talk to him about taking it over?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just answer me.”
“No, we never talked about me taking over.”
His hands squeezed lightly. “You never wanted to run the hotel.”
“What?”
“You never wanted to be at the head. You were content to be behind the scenes and your dad knew it.” When she opened her mouth, he shook her. “You cared about The Ashton Hotel because your family means more to you than anything else and that hotel is part of your family. Demi, baby, that hotel is not your family.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Why are you saying this?”
“Were you happy?”
“Of course not! I lost my family!” She tried to get away from him, but he wasn’t finished.
“You made yourself miserable trying to keep the hotel going. If that asshole hadn’t interfered, you might have been successful, but you would never be happy filling your dad’s shoes.”
His words made her stare. “How do you know that?”
“You went into the hotel business because you wanted to make your dad happy, but you have your mother’s heart. I know you, Demi, better than I know myself. Let it go.”
“I can’t,” she breathed.
“Let it go.”
“No!”
She tried to shove away, but he caught her up in his arms. She fought like a wildcat, completely out of control as the wall between paralyzing grief and her will to survive crumbled.
