Rock Star's Ballad (White Mist Series Book 3) (14 page)

She touched her cheek and tears welled in her eyes. “Shit.”

“You’ll be okay, Demi,” Guy said and pulled out his phone. “Regan Lee, we got a problem. Demi’s ex showed up and roughed her up in the lot behind Main Street. Yeah. Take her to the hospital and then the station. I’m gonna take care of this fuckwad.” Guy closed the phone. “Regan Lee will be here in a minute. You okay?”

“Yes.”

He gave her a stern look. “We take care of our own.”

“But I’m not—”

“You are now.”

Guy hadn’t even left the parking lot when Regan braked beside Demi with a screech of tires. She leapt out of the car and rushed to Demi, eyes dark with rage.
 

“What the fuck?” Regan shouted. “Johnny is gonna freak.”

“I-I’m fine,” Demi said and realized her teeth were chattering.
 

Regan put an arm around her and led her to the SUV. Demi tried to reassure Regan that she was fine, but she felt strangely numb and had trouble getting into the car. Her limbs were limp and uncoordinated and Regan had to assist her. Regan made some creative threats on the way to the hospital where Demi’s scraped arms and legs were cleaned. When they prodded the back of her head, Demi thought she was going to pass out.
 

“Concussion,” the doctor announced. “It’s a pretty nasty bump. You may have headaches. Over the counter drugs are fine. Rest. No work for a couple of days.” He glanced at Regan. “She’s working with you at Ever After, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Give her at least three days, especially if it’s work where she has to concentrate.”

“But I just started,” Demi protested.
 

“Quiet,” Regan snapped.
 

Regan talked to the doctor and insisted on a wheelchair to get her out to the SUV.
 

“Regan, I’m fine!” Demi protested.
 

“You’re not fine. Your ex assaulted you, you’re white as a sheet, you have a concussion and you haven’t said more than ten words since you got in the car.” Regan shot her an angry look. “You forgot to mention that your ex gets rough?”

“He’s never done anything like this before,” Demi said quietly, staring straight ahead. “I
 
never believed he could—” She broke off and sighed. “I can’t believe this.”

Regan pulled up to the police station and Demi went rigid. She didn’t want to go in and report what happened. It would make everything seem so official, so
real
instead of a big misunderstanding. Plus, her hands and legs were covered in bandages, making things look so much worse.

“Demi, it’ll be okay,” Regan said.
 

“This really wasn’t a big deal,” Demi said.

“It fucking was. Get your ass out of the car. Now.”

Even though Demi was a foot taller than Regan and outweighed her by eighty pounds or more, she got out of the car. Regan was small, but she was aggressive and clearly didn’t mind getting physical. Demi never had to defend herself in her life. She’d always been around polite, conservative people and now… Now, one of them had gone berserk and she didn’t know what to do about it.
 

Regan led her into the police station, which was manned by three cops. They nodded to Regan, but all eyes were on Demi. Guy stood in the doorway of an office and jerked his head at them. When they settled in the chairs across from his desk, Guy gave Demi a long look.
 

“I thought you weren’t going to give me trouble,” Guy said.
 

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 glared 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.