Chapter
One
Let’s be
honest. I didn’t think for a second that going out with a rock star
was going to be easy. Hell...exciting, yes. Dangerous? Maybe. But
not like this.
Not even remotely like this.
“The coast’s
clear, Amy. There’s definitely nobody else in the house but
us.”
Rick had
searched up and down the place as I desperately tried to make
contact with his record company back home. At times even I had to
admit this place was just too remote. A tiny rural village beside a
stream may sound like a dream come true - and it is, trust me - but
not if you need an Internet or cellphone connection. There was next
to nothing here.
I had managed
to lock on to a weak-as-hell mobile signal from a nearby village by
heading to the top floor of the house and opening the shutters
wide. If Rick’s crazy ex was out there watching with a sniper rifle
she would have had the perfect opportunity to pop a bullet in me,
but I had to take that risk. Lousy phone signals don’t travel well
through centuries-old stone walls. I tethered my iPad to my phone
and watched as it held on to the fragile connection. No 3G, no LTE,
no blazing speeds or anything like that - this was good old GPRS,
straight out of the Nineties. It wasn’t up to much, but I just
needed to send an email and, for that, it was enough - just.
I had waited
for the painfully slow progress bar to do its thing with my heart
beating hard in my chest. Around ten minutes later my phone buzzed
and beeped. It was an email from Karen, his A&R rep.
Amy,
Don’t panic!
I’m sending a driver to you guys now. He should be there within the
hour. He’ll take you to the nearest airport tonight and you can fly
out in the morning. I’ll make sure you pass through the airport
safely and securely. Hang tight and be careful, okay?
Karen
“We’re in good
shape,” I sighed. “Help is on the way.” Rick rubbed my shoulders,
kneading away the tension and tightness from them. “Mmm. That’s
nice.”
“I found my
phone. I must have taken it upstairs and forgot about it. She’s
definitely not in the house. We’ve got a bit of time if you want
to...”
I jolted my
eyes open. “What? If I want to what? ”
“You know,” he
whispered, kissing my neck. “Go for a quickie.”
I pulled away
from his hands and turned around. “Are you kidding me? Please tell
me you’re fucking joking.”
“What? We’re
packed anyway.”
“Let me get
this straight. You’ve not only told me that Luke isn’t Julia’s son,
but that his real mother is a crazy ex-girlfriend of yours with a
habit for stalking.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“And that same
ex-girlfriend is now hell-bent on sticking a knife or a bullet in
me or whatever in the vain hope of getting you back, correct?”
He shrugged his
shoulders. “She might just be trying to scare us...”
“Well she’s
fucking succeeded! There is a picture of my face on the wall with a
freaking chef’s knife in it and you think I’m in the mood for sex,
Ricky boy?”
“Just a blow
job will do.”
“God!” I
growled. “You can be such an idiot.”
“Fine,” Rick
sighed. “Maybe now isn’t the time. No need to get all bent up about
it.”
“I’ll bend you
up in a minute.”
“Well, if
you’re not going to satisfy your man I’m going to go to the
bathroom before the cavalry arrives.”
I suddenly felt
vulnerable again. “You’re going to leave me alone down here?”
Rick grabbed a
magazine. “I have to get rid of waste, Amy. I may be some time.
There’s a good article in here on David Bowie’s new album.”
He kissed my
forehead. “Chill out. All the doors are locked tight.”
“She got in
before.”
“Yes, and we
must have accidentally left a window ajar or something. But
nobody’s getting in here now, okay? Got to go, I’m touching
cloth.”
I rolled my
eyes. “You’re a disgusting pig.”
“But you love
me. Don’t get murdered while I’m gone, okay?”
Chapter Two
"Wow. Look
Karla J. Nellenbach
Caitlin Sweet
DJ Michaels
Gertrude Chandler Warner
Bonnie Dee
Lara Zuberi
Lygia Day Peñaflor
Autumn Doughton
PJ Schnyder
Adam Gittlin