Rubbed Raw (12 page)

Giovanni was getting his workout clothes on. I slowly got out of bed and tried to walk gingerly to the bathroom without him seeing I was a bit bowlegged and cringing. However, I felt Giovanni’s eyes on me.

“Come here.”

I did as he asked. He gently bent me over the bed and touched the bruises on my backside and thighs.

“Ow!” I cried out.

“I made them worse after you went to sleep,” Giovanni sadly said. “I didn’t mean to mark you up so bad.” He touched my skin lovingly. “I’m so sorry.” Then he helped me up again. “We’re not going running. That’s too much for you. I’ll take you to the gym with me, OK?”

“Yeah,” I was a bit relieved.

After we got home from our studio time, I jumped in the shower. I was able to hide my pain most of the day by staying still, but the ride home on the Harley was just awful.

I cried as I cleaned myself and tried to figure out a way to dull the pain. I had taken every painkiller I had in my purse, none worked. It hurt to bend, to walk and to sit. I wished I could feign being sick so I could just go to bed, but we needed the money from every gig to get equipment for the tour.

When I finished, I carefully walked to my room. “I’m getting in the shower now,” Giovanni called to me.

By the time he was ready, I was dressed to go. “Oh wow, you look gorgeous,” He stated as he walked into my room. Then he hugged me and grabbed my ass.

“Ouch!” Quickly, I shoved him away. The bruises had ached so badly, I had to wear a thong panty so nothing touched them.

“They still hurt?” He pulled up my skirt, bending me over, “Holy shit! What the fuck?” In seconds, he lifted me up and lay me on the bed. “Don’t move,” he commanded me. Soon he was back, and I felt something cold against me. “I’m so sorry, my love. Why didn’t you tell me they got worse?”

“We were late, yet again,” I reminded him. “Ow. Don’t press so hard.”

He exhaled loudly. “How the hell do I keep doing this to you?”

“I don’t know,” I whined. “It’s too cold. What is that?”

He moved it over, and I felt a little relief. “It’s an ice pack for the cooler. I figured ice cubes would melt.”

After a while, I was numb. “I’m OK now. Take it off, please.”

“Does it hurt?”

“I don’t feel nothing.”

About two hours later, we arrived at O'Reilly’s in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. It was extraordinarily crowded. I stood nearby waiting as they set up in the back and kept quiet.

“Are you hurting?”

I looked up at Giovanni. “Yes.”

“Damn, how bad is it?”

“How bad is what?” Chad suddenly appeared in front of us. He looked at me closely. “What’d he do now?”

Giovanni took a step towards Chad, “Why the fuck is it your business? Stay outta this.” Then he pushed him.

Chad was obviously trying to control himself. He stared at me. “Did he fucking hurt you again?”

Mark suddenly came and grabbed Giovanni who was about to swing at Chad. He pulled him back. “Not here, man; when we get home.”

Then Chad went behind me and lifted my skirt. “You fucking son of a bitch. You did it to her again.” Then he hit Giovanni on the side of his face. “She’s not your punching bag.”

Giovanni had to step backwards. Then he quickly pulled away from Mark and shoved Chad. “Fuck you! I’d never hit her!”

Mark pulled me back just as Chad swung again. “You bruise her up again, I’ll fucking kill you!” That time Giovanni fell to the floor. When adrenaline started pumping, Chad became very powerful.

Phil appeared behind Chad and tugged him away, “Dude, they’re gonna call the fuckin’ cops. I heard the bartender.”

“Did you see her ass?” Chad screamed. “Did you see what he did to my baby?”

“She’s not yours, damn it!” Giovanni jumped up and hit Chad so hard in the face, he knocked into Phil and both fell over.

Then suddenly the bouncer got between them. I looked up. It was Noah, my ex-boyfriend. That was the last thing we needed.

“Hi, bitch.” He glared at me for a few seconds before turning to Giovanni. “Did she cheat on you too?”

I exhaled loudly.

Giovanni seemed a bit confused. “That’s why you guys broke up? Wait a minute. Why the fuck do I care? You never treated her right.”

“Yes, I did. She was fucking Chad the whole time, you know.” Noah folded his arms and stood with his back to Chad who had gotten up.

Giovanni stared at him. “There’s no way in hell that’s the whole story. She was never happy with you. I saw it with my own eyes.”

Chad smiled. “Do you know why she was fucking me?” He looked at everyone who was listening, which had become a big crowd.

“Shut the fuck up!” Noah shouted.

Giovanni was looking from Chad to Noah. “Why should he? Is there something I should know? Did you hurt her more than I think you did?”

“He couldn’t make her cum,” Chad told the crowd. “I fucked her while he was on the phone all the time. I had no problem pleasing her, ever!”

Noah turned around and shoved Chad into a table behind him. “You fucking piece of shit!”

“Fuck you!” Chad got up and shoved him back. “Crystal’s been mine a long time. I ain’t never giving her up!”

Giovanni grabbed Chad. “She’s mine now!” Then he hit him again.

“Oh, great!” Mark said. “Come on Phil.”

Then they were all throwing punches. Chad took the most hits, yet he was still shouting insults and bitching at Giovanni for my bruised ass.

“Please stop!” I cried out as tears fell down my cheeks.

I felt a hand on my back. “They’re not gonna listen.” Chris pulled me back a bit. “Shit, the cops are here.”

Soon, I watched from my knees, as they were separated then handcuffed. My tears came so fast my vision wasn’t clear, but I could see blood on all of them, mostly on their faces.

“Please, don’t take them away,” I begged the officer closest to me.

Chad looked at me. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“Shut up!” Giovanni shouted at him as he tried to pull away from the officer holding him.

Chad and Giovanni were yanked back, groaning in pain.

“Cut it out!” an officer standing in front of them commanded. It felt unreal.

As Giovanni was pushed toward the exit, he yelled. “Chris, take care of her. I love you, Crystal. I’m so sorry.”

Chris helped me up off the floor and hugged me. “It’s gonna be OK.”

Then a young woman came to me with tissues and a wet rag. I looked at the rag. “What’s that for?”

“You have blood on you,” she explained.

I was crying so much, I couldn’t find it. Chris took the cloth and blotted my cheek, my neck and the sleeve of my blouse. I was so wrapped up in the fear they would kill each other, I hadn’t even it felt it hit me. I looked up at him and suddenly started sobbing.

Then Chris took out his phone as he held my head against his shoulder. I listened to the one-sided conversation. “Tommy, look—I got a huge problem.” .. “No, man, it’s serious.” .. “Shut up and listen. Chad, Giovanni, Mark and Phil all got arrested.” .. “I’m not kidding.” .. “Yeah, it was over her.” “Look, man; I don’t care. I got two vans out in Brooklyn, all our shit to pack up and Crystal hysterical in my arms.”

“You guys gotta clear your stuff outta here,” someone told Chris.

He moved a bit. “I’m getting help now. I’m so sorry for this.” He sighed. “Tommy, can you get me some help? And I gotta figure out a lawyer. This fucking blows.”

It took over two hours, but Tommy came with Jon, Vince and Sam. Jon immediately went in search of the manager. He had on jeans and a plain blue T-shirt with a baseball cap pulled down low, most likely to hide who he was. Tommy on the other hand, was dressed up: nice slacks; button-down shirt and black shoes, but with sunglasses and a black fedora. He looked nothing like himself, yet sexier than ever.

Tommy took me into his arms as the others packed up our stuff. “Babe, we’re gonna take care of it, OK?”

I wasn’t sure they could, but I quietly replied, “OK.”

He held onto me as I fought a new wave of tears. I wondered if Giovanni and Chad would ever get along again. If they couldn’t, the album and the band were done for. Along with that, would go our dreams. I clung to him for a long time.

Then suddenly there was a hand on my back. “Crystal, I settled it with the owner,” Jon said. “They’re not pressing charges, and I paid off the damages.” When I turned to him, he added, “I’ll make them get along. This happens all the time with Dean and well, all of us. Dean’s a real sleaze sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” Tommy balked. “He fucked…”

Jon interrupted him, “Don’t bring that up again. I haven’t hit him for it yet.”

“But she’s your sister.”

“Shut the fuck up about it, Tommy. We got bigger problems now. My friend down at the precinct told me they’re already on their way downtown. He has no idea why. We shoulda had more time. It’s Friday night. If they don’t get arraigned in the next couple of hours, we gotta come back Monday.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Monday?” I squeaked.

“Babe, relax.” Tommy hugged me. “He didn’t mean it’ll happen, just that it could.”

After a few minutes, Sam was at Jon’s side. “One of you guys got the keys to the vans? Chris ain’t got ‘em.”

I looked at him and wiped my tears away. “Chad and Giovanni have them.”

“OK,” Sam smirked, “Time to do my thing, then.” Jon and Tommy smiled as he walked away.

“Um, what’s his thing?” I asked, confused.

Tommy stifled a laugh. “I don’t think you wanna know.”

“Yeah,” Jon added. “Sam’s from the South Bronx and learned a few things that come in handy sometimes on the road.” Then he left us, walking towards the exit.

When I saw Sam come back and grab an amplifier, I understood.

“They’ll never know,” Tommy whispered.

I lifted my head off his shoulder. “Know what?”

“I know you’re worried how Sam got in,” he explained. “He does it clean, no evidence. You wouldn’t believe how many times someone locked the keys inside a rental car. He knows what he’s doing, OK?” He stroked my hair. “Come sit in my car. I’ll put on some quiet music and maybe you can relax.”

He held me around the shoulders as we walked out of the bar. Vince, Sam and Chris were still loading drums into Giovanni’s van. Jon was standing near them talking on his phone. Tommy turned me away from them and we strode around the corner.

We stopped in front of a metallic black SUV on cool looking 20-inch rims. I pictured him owning a sports car, so I was surprised to say the least. Then I looked at it. It was a BMW X5. I had never seen one in person, only at the car show that year.

I loved cars and got excited as he opened the passenger door. When I sat down, I looked all over. The black leather seats were so comfortable, and it seemed that he got every option available. When he slid in behind the wheel, he started it up and the blasting stereo startled me.

Tommy quickly lowered the volume. “Sorry, when I drive I try to drown out the rest of the world.”

I reclined the seat a bit more, sat back and closed my eyes. “This is a nice car, but I kinda expected you to have something a bit more… uh… like you.”

“What? Like a Corvette?” He laughed. “I got five cars. This got the biggest backseat, so I thought it was a good idea to bring it.” His hand ran up my thigh and stopped just under my skirt. “Can I help you relax a bit more?”

I exhaled loudly. “I can’t.”

He slowly slid his hand up and soon grabbed my inner thigh.

“Ow!” I cried out as he touched a bruise.

He pulled his hand away. “He hurt you again?” Then he groaned. “That’s what the fight’s about? You told Chad he roughed you up again?”

“No.” Tears started to fall. “He pulled up my skirt.”

Tommy touched my cheek and wiped away a tear. “Why’s Giovanni so rough with you?”

“We like it,” I replied softly, sniffling. “Chad just doesn’t understand.”

“No, he’s jealous and protective of you.” He sighed. “This fight ain’t over then. Chad ain’t gonna give up, and I bet Giovanni hates that.”

My tears fell faster, and I looked out the side window. “Everything’s falling apart.”

“It’ll work out somehow,” he told me. Then he turned my face to his and softly kissed my lips. “Let me help, please.”

He kissed me a few more times, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to forget the fight and maybe being alone until Monday. When I felt his hand slip under my blouse, I pulled back. He didn’t stop though, just ran his hand over my bra and squeezed my breast.

“A good fuck’ll make you feel better, babe, really,” Tommy promised.

Jon’s knock on the window made me jump. I hit the down button. “I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone with her. Get your hand off her tit.”

“Why do you always spoil my fun?” Tommy sat back in the driver’s seat again. “Have you seen her tits? They’re perfect.”

Jon exhaled loudly. “Tom, we got things to do.” He opened my door and put his hand out to me. “You’re riding with me. I don’t trust him alone with you so long. He’ll convince you his dick’ll solve everything, and then Giovanni’ll be after
him
too.”

“What about the vans?” I asked.

Jon helped me out of the SUV. “Vince and Sam already left.” Then Chris appeared behind him. Soon Jon was almost pulling me away from them, down the block. “He didn’t upset you by touching you, did he?”

“No,” I admitted. “I’m fine.”

Then he took his keys out, and I heard the beep of his car. Again, I was surprised. He brought a Cadillac STS sedan. It was really nice and dark red, but I had expected more.

I soon realized Jon was watching me stare at the car. “You were expecting a Lamborghini?”

“Um… well… I don’t know, but definitely not a family car.” I looked up at him. “Do you got five cars too?”

He smiled. “I got a bike and four cars. One’s a Corvette. Does that make you feel better?”

“It’s just you guys got money, so I assumed you had fancy cars.”

“A Caddy ain’t fancy enough for you?”

“It is.” I sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s been a shitty day.”

“It’s OK.” Then he hugged me, gently. “I’ll fix this somehow. Don’t you worry.”

The courthouse was loud and busy. Chris kept an arm around my waist and pulled me closer when people were passing us. Soon we got to the end of the hall. Jon took off his hat and started looking at the lists of names posted.