Tomorrow, he’d have my new papers and I’d be out of here.
I was excited, thrilled really.
I sat down on the couch after hiding the bag in the closet and started texting my Mom and Violet. I needed to buy some time before they started getting suspicious about not hearing from me, even though I’d been communicating with them less and less over the last few months because it was easier than lying and telling them how great my life with Nate was. I told them both I was going on an extended solo vacation and that I loved them with all my heart, tears streaming down my eyes. I had no idea when I’d be able to talk to them again and that was the very hardest thing about all of this.
After that, I went into the closet to start packing. My closet was full of expensive clothes and shoes that Nate had insisted I wear. Tight dresses that showed lots of leg and cleavage were his favorite. I left them all hanging there and only packed the most comfortable clothes I owned — the hoodies and t-shirts and jeans and sneakers that I missed wearing so much.
Gigi watched from her bed and I spent the rest of the day curled up with her and apologizing for ever bringing her on this nightmarish journey to begin with.
Chapter 48
SAMANTHA
I was in the elevator when I heard the news. Nate was at Northwestern. Right next door. Due to complications from his diabetes, which I figured probably meant he’d gone overboard on the booze and who knows what else.
My strategy of hiding from him in the hospital just went right out the window. I was trembling when I got back to the nurses station and happy that nobody else was there.
Those damned flowers were still there, though.
I grabbed them and ran to the bathroom with them, my entire body shaking in fear. I stuffed the flowers in the trashcan and poured the water down the sink, the reality finally sinking into my bones.
He was toying with me.
Nate had found me.
Somehow, Rocco had been wrong. Maybe it was the picture of Gigi. Maybe I shouldn’t have had such faith in Rocco’s ability after all. Hell, maybe Rocco was the one who’d told Nate where I was.
Either way, I was in trouble.
He was coming for me now. He knew who I was. He knew where I worked.
The fear had its way with me and the lunch I’d eaten earlier was fast making its way out of my body. I rushed to the stall, emptying the contents of my stomach and wiping my mouth.
I didn’t hear Mike come in, but I turned around and was surprised to see him.
“You’re in the ladies room,” I said.
“Who cares?” he said, with a dismissive wave.
“Why are you in here?”
“I saw you running down the hallway white as a ghost and I came to see what all the fuss was about.”
“It’s nothing,” I said, my voice quivering.
“Mmm-hmmm, right,” he said, throwing a hand on his hip. “That’s bullshit. Spill it — and why did you throw away these beautiful flowers, girl?”
I eyes the flowers warily — they jutted out of the trash can haphazardly, loose petals covering the floor like like blood-colored bullets.
“I don’t want them,” I said.
“Okay, what did McDreamy do?”
“It wasn’t him,” I said, shaking my head.
“He didn’t send the flowers? Then who did?”
“I don’t want to talk about this, Mike,” I said, tears falling down my cheeks.
“Oh, girl, come here,” he said, pulling me into his arms for a hug, which only made me cry more. “There, there, get it all out.”
I sobbed in his arms for a moment before trying to find the strength to compose myself.
“Listen, Samantha,” he said, peering into my eyes. “I’m your friend. You can talk to me. And I swear, whatever you tell me, I won’t tell anyone, okay? Not a soul.” He looked at me pointedly. “It looks like you could use someone to talk to.”
“Maybe,” I shrugged, knowing I should keep my mouth shut.
“So, what’s going on? Tell Daddy Mike,” he said.
“You sure like giving people nicknames,” I said, squinting up at him.
“It’s my thing,” he shrugged, before walking over to the door and locking it. “Now, nobody is coming in. Begin.”
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Start with those poor flowers you destroyed.”
I sighed, weighing my options. The truth was, I was tired. The truth was, I desperately needed someone to talk to. I had not one person I could confide in. And if Nate was on my trail, it might be a good idea to have an ally.
“The flowers aren’t from Dane.”
“Right, we established that.”
I sighed again. “They’re from my ex-boyfriend. I know because they’re a rare color that grows in his father’s backyard. None of this makes sense, though, because he doesn’t even live here. I don’t know, I’m so confused.”
“Me, too,” he said. “So you think he’s stalking you or something?”
“He’s in town.”
“The ex?”
“Yep.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he has a show here tomorrow. My ex is Nate Nash.”
He paused, cocking his head in confusion. “Nash? The rockstar?”
“Yeah.”
He gasped, his eyes widening, then squinting, then widening again.
“Oh, my fucking god! You’re Dove! It’s you!”
“Shhhh!” I said, looking behind me even though the door was still locked.
“No fucking way!” Mike said, dancing around me now excitedly and scrutinizing my face, and then spinning me around to look at my body. “It really is you! Wow, I never would have known without that long blonde hair and all that damned makeup.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said. “Listen, you have to swear not to tell anyone. Not one soul, Mike, please? It’s not safe.”
“Not safe?” he said, cocking his head. “Did that bastard hurt you? Oh, my god, that’s why you left! I told Charlotte that had to be the reason. Nobody would just run out on that pretty little rich boy without a good reason.”
“He hurt me, yes,” I whispered. “That’s why I had to leave. And if he finds me, Mike, he’ll hurt me again. He promised he would.”
“Damn, I knew he was too good to be true,” he said, smacking his lips together and shaking his head.
“He’s a fucking monster,” I said, lifting my chin. “And I’ve done a good job of starting over. But now, he’s here!”
“Here, where?”
“He’s at Northwestern, Mike! Right next door. I’m terrified.”
“Why?”
“I guess he had a health scare or something, I’m not sure.”
“That bitch is next door? Shit, we should go kick his ass! Invite the fucking press and expose him for what a piece of shit he is. I have friends we can invite, too.”
“He’s famous, nobody will believe me over him.”
“I don’t know if you noticed, baby, but the Me Too movement is in full effect. These pricks aren’t going to get away with shit anymore. Not the way they used to.”
“I don’t want to have anything to do with him. Or the cops. Or the fucking press, my god. Please Mike, I only told you because I need a friend. Nobody knows who I really am. Nobody. I just need to hide until he leaves town.”
Slowly, he nodded in understanding.
“Alright,” he said. “I told you you could trust me, and you can. I won’t say a word.”
“Not to Charlotte and Emma either!”
“You got it, babe,” he said, pulling me in for another hug. “Damn, you must be strong as nails to just up and start another life.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice, love. Always. Own your strength.”
He hugged me harder and I’d never needed it more.
“I don’t know what to do now,” I admitted. “I’m afraid to go back out there. I’m afraid he’ll
see me.”
“I have an idea,” he said. “Leave it to me.”
I leaned into him, his thick arms wrapping around me protectively.
“I got you, baby girl.”
Chapter 49
NATE
Seeing the Doc’s friendly face made me feel a little less lonely. The only people I really spent any time with now that Dove left were Sophia and Rocco and neither of them were very interesting or pleasant company.
I had an idea slowly forming and by the time the Doc had given the nurse all the orders for the tests he wanted me to take, I decided to go for it and ask him.
“Hey Doc, have you ever wanted to go on tour?”
“Can’t say that I have,” he said.
“You get vacation time, right?”
“Yep,” he nodded, as he scribbled in my chart.
“Come on tour with me,” I said. “You can come and keep an eye on me.”
“I don’t think so, Nathan,” he replied.
“Stop calling me that. My mother called me that. You can call me Nate. That’s what Little Bird called me.”
“Who is Little Bird?”
“Dove.”
“Right,” he nodded, his eyes narrowing. “The girl in the photos.”
“Listen, I can’t cancel my shows, right? And I know I screwed up and my body is all out of whack. So, I need you. Come monitor me from the road.”
“No, Nate, that’s not going to work for me. And you can easily get your health back on track with a few adjustments to your lifestyle. No more drinking. No more binge eating shit. Get some exercise to keep everything level. You’ll be fine.”
“I can’t do that on my own,” I insisted.
“I’m not a life coach, I’m a doctor,” he replied.
“I know, Doc, that’s why I’m asking. It’s you I need. Ever since Little Bird left, I’ve been a mess, with no sense of direction or self-control. I’m a big stupid idiot. And I need someone to keep me in line.”
“Nate, you have a bodyguard. A manager. Hell, you could probably hire the best caregivers available.”
“I know, that’s why I want to hire you. Please? I’ll pay. How’s a million dollars for a week?”
His eyes widened and I knew I’d convinced him.
Money does that.
Opens doors that other things don’t open.
The key to the fucking universe and I had all I could ever want.
If only I could buy Dove back, I would. I’d have paid twice that much for her, just so I could see her face when I locked her away again.
Chapter 50
DANE
This motherfucker.
My god, he’d gone so far off the rails there was no saving this man’s soul.
I’ll be honest — I was sugar-coating his condition. His kidneys are basically dissolving and his pancreas isn’t much better. He’s done a lot of damage and while he can come back from that — it’s going to take a hell of a lot of self-discipline and work.
One look at him told me he didn’t have it in him.
He’d need a kidney transplant within a year — and that’s if he’s lucky and did all the work.
I didn’t tell him all of this because I was trying to give him a glimmer of hope and I wasn’t in any mood to deal with him freaking out and raging again. My mind was still racing at the pictures he’d shown me.
His beloved Dove looked a hell of a lot like Samantha.
I couldn’t get the picture of those moles out of my head. And yes, the breasts were almost identical, even though I was trying not to look at them directly in the photo.
And her face…
God, could it be?
Samantha had been so vague about her past. But there were similarities in the few details she’d shared. Could Nate be the one that hurt her?
I decided I needed more details.
And to do that, I needed more time with this asshole.
“Okay, I’ll go with you. But just for a few days, Nate. I have surgeries planned next week.”
“Fuck yes!” he said. “I knew if I offered enough money, you’d cave.”
I cringed and forced a smile. I didn’t need his money, not by far. In fact, I probably made more than he did, but I refrained from telling him that.
Let him think he was better than me.
I’d get more information from him that way anyway.
And if it turned out that this Dove wasn’t my Samantha, then whoever she was, she probably needed protecting too. Maybe I could help her, whoever she was.
And if she was Samantha…well, we’d cross that bridge when we came to it.
Chapter 51
SAMANTHA
Mike wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to take care of me. After stuffing the flowers further down in the garbage so I didn’t have to see them, he made me stay in the locked bathroom while he went and talked to our supervisor. He told her I had a fever and was puking and that he was going to take me home.
I didn’t even have to gather my things. Fifteen minutes later, he came to retrieve me, my purse and keys in hand, and he led me out of the hospital through the cafeteria and out the back door.
Ten minutes later, we pulled up to an old lavender-colored Victorian, with a huge rainbow flag hanging near the front door.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” he said.
“It’s gorgeous,” I said, smiling. “It reminds me of home.”
“Scottsdale?” he said, wrinkling his nose.
“Oh, no,” I shook my head. “Portland.”
“Bitch, you’re from Portland? I was born there!”
“Me, too!”
“I knew you were good people,” he said, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek. “Come on in. I have some friends I want you to meet, and then I’ll go get Gigi for you.”
“You’re amazing,” I said. “You sure you don’t mind if I hide out here for a bit?”
“Not at all!” he said. “And my friends are going to love your cute ass.”
The house was cozy and colorful, with tons of plants filling the windows and bright multi-colored rugs lining the floors.
“Phoenix! Rainbow!” Mike yelled, startling me. “Get your fine asses out here, we have company!”
The sound of footsteps rustled overhead and soon two people were drifting down the staircase off the front room. I turned to look at them and a huge smile spread over my face.
Now, I really felt like I was home.
“This is Rainbow,” Mike said, gesturing to an amazonian woman with coffee-colored skin and a huge silver-blonde wig styled into a bouffant, her silver sequined mini-dress shimmering under the light.
“And this is Phoenix,” Mike said, hugging the other person. Phoenix was a gorgeous androgynous creature with thick painted on eyebrows and bright red lipstick, wearing a tailored three-piece suit that they looked like they were poured into.
“This is my friend Samantha,” Mike said. “Samantha is going to stay here for a few hours, maybe a few days, we’ll see.”
“Hi, Samantha,” Phoenix greeted me with a smile. Rainbow wrapped me up in a bear hug, her arms thick and strong. “Nice to meet you, darling,” she drawled.
Being with Mike, being in this house with these two, made me long for home. It was Pride month and every year in June, Violet and I made a point of hitting every gay bar in town and anxiously looking forward to the annual Pride parade and festival. A surge of longing for my old life washed over me, tears threatening to spill down my face.
I faked a smile and inhaled Rainbow’s sweet perfume.
“Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you want, sweetheart,” Phoenix said.
“Thank you,” I replied, shyly.
“Mike likes to bring home strays every now and then,” Rainbow said. “What are you running from?”
My eyes widened.
“Um, I —.”
“— Hush! No questions!” Mike said, saving me from answering.
“Fine,” Rainbow said,
rolling her eyes. “Want a drink? We have champagne!”
“You drink champagne every day!” Mike said.
“And what’s your point? Everyday above ground is a celebration, darling!”
I laughed and nodded in agreement. “I think I’ll just have water right now, if that’s okay.”
“Suit yourself,” Phoenix said, heading to the kitchen.
“Okay, give me your house keys,” Mike said. “I’ll go get that beautiful beast of yours.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Of course,” he shrugged. “Why not?”
“I can’t thank you enough,” I said.
“No thanks necessary, doll,” he said, taking my keys and heading to the front door. “You bitches take care of her. I’ll be right back.”
The door slammed and I looked at Rainbow, unsure what to do next.
“You like musicals, Sammy?”
“Sure,” I shrugged.
“Excellent,” she nodded, gesturing to the red velvet couch along the wall. “Have a seat. When shit hits the fan around here, we turn on musicals and sing along and forget the world. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect,” I said, flashing her a grateful smile.
“Phoenix, bring me the whole bottle, darling,” she shouted towards the kitchen. Phoenix trotted back in with two bottles of champagne and three glasses.
“Fuck water,” Phoenix shrugged, handing me a glass. “You need a drink.”
“I think you’re right about that,” I said, laughing as they snuggled up on either side of me and Rainbow turned on the television.
“Grease or Rocky Horror?” she asked.
“Grease,” Phoenix and I said in unison.
“You’re my people,” Phoenix said, patting my thigh.
I sighed and took a deep breath, settling in between them, extremely grateful I’d confided in Mike. I needed a real friend and now I had two more.
Thirty minutes later, Mike was back with Gigi.
Little Bird Page 17
