Starstruck (20 page)

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Authors: Paige Thomas

BOOK: Starstruck
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He pulled away from her and she blinked. “So what was that
about your grandmother telling you to hump my brains out?”

The sexy smile was back on his lips for the first time since
arriving home.

“Oh
that
. Well, apparently she likes you
a lot
.
I think she would’ve liked to ravage you herself if she were able. In fact, if
it wasn’t for Nan I would never have gone to your room that first night. She
kinda pushed me into it.” She was glad he was taking this new information in
stride and not judging her.

“Well, remind me to thank her.” He kissed her again, deeper.

For the next hour or so, Jesse asked a lot of questions
about her past and she answered them as best she could before returning their
conversation to the problem at hand.

They crept back upstairs and he held her close as they
approached the bed. “First things first. I gotta get rid of that bird. In fact,
I might just toss the whole damn bed.”

“No. We can’t touch anything. The police will want it left
how we found it.” She stared at the poor bloodied animal—a crow.

The type of bird was no coincidence. The crow was a member
of the Raven family—anyone could know that—but not many knew the crow was her
totem animal, her spirit guide. Sam held her totem in the highest regard. Her
nan had believed every soul was born with an animal as their spiritual
counterpart.

This was a very bad omen, indeed.

She stepped to the wall her laptop had been thrown against
and leaned on the plaster with both hands, resting her head on top. The instant
her head touched the back of her hands, a sudden surge of energy jolted her and
she steadied herself as her legs weakened. She hated that feeling, like someone
had pushed on the back of her knees with their own when she was least expecting
it.

The intruder hovered in Sam’s mind—before her third eye. A
soft black material flapped and floated around the head. Faceless, covered from
head to toe in black. Sam had dreamed of them on the plane. Wait. A flash of
hand. Definitely female…and she was pissed. Ex-girlfriend of Jesse’s, perhaps?
She wasn’t sure. Pieces of the puzzle were missing, but the woman scared her.

Sam was intelligent. She was gifted. But the number one rule
in her family was to never make an assumption. Doing so could cause more harm
than good. No. She’d have to wait for the truth to unearth itself. It always
did, sooner or later.

Jesse grabbed her from behind, trying to turn her toward the
door, but she pushed him away. “I’m okay, Jess. Just please don’t touch me for
a minute. I can feel them in the room.”

“Them? Who?”

“I think it’s only one person. A woman, but she’s as angry
as ten. Jesse, promise me, even if I scream or faint please don’t touch me,
okay?” She returned her hands to the wall.

“Okay, I promise. But you’re seriously starting to scare me,
Sam. What are you doing?”

“It’s hard to explain, but I can feel the energy in the
room. She stood right here at the wall when she’d finished. She leaned against
it, panting, exhausted. Everything’s red. I can feel it. I can
see
it.
This woman is
beyond
angry, Jess. She’s furious and hates me with an
intensity I’ve never felt in my entire life. This was all for me. Nothing of
yours was touched, not like my things anyway. Your things were treasured. I
think she caressed them, like a new kitten. She’s obsessed with you, Jesse. The
bird was alive when she brought it up here. It was used as a symbolic sacrifice
of sorts. She wanted
me
to see it. She doesn’t want me here. She doesn’t
want me with you.”

Sam focused on the black figure, straining to see more. The
intruder had found sharp garden shears in the greenhouse out back and used them
to snip through all her belongings. When the woman pulled the squawking bird
from a hessian sack and slammed the helpless creature onto the bed, Sam
collapsed to the floor.

The muzzled bird fought valiantly, its feet fastened
together with a plastic zip tie. It pecked at the air and flapped its black
wings.

The arms of the woman swiftly came down and plunged the
knife into its chest.

Sam gasped and clutched a hand over her heart. Pain sliced
like a red-hot blade through her breast, her breathing ragged. The poor bird’s
wings fell limp on the bed. Sam’s arms tingled and went numb. Blood oozed from
the fatal wound to its heart. A veil of scarlet crept over her vision. The
woman grabbed the bird in both hands and a loud
crack
reverberated down
Sam’s spine when the black-robed intruder snapped the bird’s neck. Her
shoulders wrenched, she bit back a scream. She scrabbled for a hold on the wall
and gasped for air.

One thing was clear. The woman wished Sam was being
sacrificed.

She couldn’t stand the pain any longer. She pulled back from
the bird. The woman disappeared out the door and, following her exit, the pain
in Sam’s chest finally eased.

On shaky legs, she stood and staggered across the room to
the windows facing the rear of the property. “They left out the back door and
went over the back wall. The house behind yours is for sale.”

She stared into the blackness of the yard. “She used a rope
ladder, even painted it to match the color of the sandstone. She’s done bad
things like this before and she’s always gotten away with it. She thinks she’s
so clever.”

* * * * *

Sam finally turned and faced him. He remained frozen where
he stood, gaping at her, not daring to blink. He had seen a few psychics during
his travels but he’d never witnessed anything like this. The way Sam had
reacted by simply touching the wall scared him, and yet he had no doubt what
she told him was the truth. He felt it.

“Can I touch you yet?” he asked timidly.

She answered by hugging him and leading him out of the room.
“I think it’s time to call the police,” she whispered.

The two detectives and their crew didn’t leave his house
until after eight the following morning. They’d swept the entire property and
found the ladder on the back wall—hidden by some overhanging branches from the
weeping willow on the other side—right where Sam said it would be. The neighbors
behind had indeed put their home on the market and the premises were vacant.

They’d dusted his house inside and out. With the small
amount of people that’d been inside his place since Rosie last cleaned, it
wouldn’t take long to weed out the prints that belonged from those that didn’t.

They took Sam’s fingerprints so they could rule hers out and
already had Rick’s on file—he’d been busted with pot on their first tour—and
Jesse had Rosie’s in his personnel files.

The mess from the bedroom was removed, the bed included. He
didn’t want it in the house anymore.

While the detectives had searched his house and property,
he’d called Vince and given him a heads-up. The band’s PR manager would need to
know before the media got wind of the break-in. He’d asked Vince to organize a
security team ASAP. He didn’t want to leave his home vulnerable for another
minute.

The police had gotten everything they needed and said they’d
be in touch. As they were exiting the front gates, a white van approached the
driveway and pulled in. After a brief chat with the driver, the detectives let
it pass and proceed to the house.

The security team was quick to work and installed a
state-of-the-art security system. If activated, Jesse would be alerted via his
private cell and an armed guard would be sent to his door. Now all he needed
were some dogs. He’d speak to Vince about that the next time he saw him. Vince
bred dogs as a hobby and would know which breed would best suit Jesse’s
purposes.

He sighed. His beautiful home with high cathedral windows
and natural light beaming into every room wasn’t the most secure. If someone
really wanted in, they’d just have to smash one of the huge windows…no matter
how advanced his locks and alarms were.

Chapter Thirteen

 

“I’m not letting you outta my sight from now on,” Jesse
declared.

She snuggled against him on the sofa, bone tired.

He nudged her. “I need at least two hours of sleep before we
go shopping. I wanna get a new bed and you need new clothes and things.”

His phone rang—Rick checking to make sure all was well after
getting a call from Vince. Sam’s cell beeped shortly after, alerting her to
check her messages. She’d forgotten during all the commotion. Not a moment
later, her phone rang as well.

“Sammie? Sam, you there?” Caitlin yelled through the phone.

Tears immediately welled in Sam’s eyes. “Oh my God, Caitie,
it’s so good to hear your voice. You won’t believe the week I’ve had.”

Jesse snapped his phone shut, concern creasing his brow.

“Sam, I know you said you’d call me, but I’ve had this god-awful
feeling for, like, two days now, and when I got a visit from Nan a few hours
ago I just had to speak to you. Is everything okay? Please tell me you’re all
right.”

“Caitie, calm down. I’m fine. Something terrible
did
happen, but it’s over now. What did Nan say?”

“That I should get my arse on a plane and join you. That you
needed me.” She laughed, but not very convincingly.

“No, don’t do that. There’s no need, really. I’m fine.”

Sam filled Caitlin in on everything that had happened since
they last spoke. Caitlin still wasn’t satisfied her cousin was safe, but she
perked right up when Sam spoke of Jesse and the work she’d be doing for his new
album.

“Are you
kidding
me? You’re staying at his
house
!”
she screamed from the other side of the world.

Jesse snatched her phone from her ear. “Hey there. I’ve
kidnapped your cousin and I’m never letting her go. She is now a permanent
resident of the US of A.” He chuckled, winking at Sam.

She examined him closely while he chatted. He was having a
good chinwag, laughing and teasing Caitie like she was an old friend. “Rock
star? It runs in the family, I see. You sound just like Sam, you know that?”

He smiled as he passed the phone back.

The girls spoke for a few minutes more, Sam promising she’d
call on the weekend before she flew home.

“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about Charli. I saw her the
other day when we last spoke and…I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. I told
her you’d hooked up with Jesse. Now before you say anything, I’m
really
sorry and I hope you’re not angry with me, but it was worth it just to see the
horror on her face. I wish you could have seen it. Priceless.”

“Why am I not surprised? But I doubt she believed you. I
wouldn’t.” Sam snorted.

“No, you’re right. She didn’t. Well, not until I emailed her
the link to the UK tabloid site I found.”


Caitie
!”

Caitlin laughed uncontrollably, but Sam was suddenly
nauseated. “Oh no, I almost feel sorry for her. Caitlin, you know
very
well how she is about Jerico. That was a bit mean.”

“Don’t you
dare
feel sorry for that bitch. She
doesn’t deserve an ounce of your pity, girl. She doesn’t deserve
anything
from you. She threw away nearly twenty years of friendship for what? A lousy
roll in the hay with Tom, that’s what. And don’t you forget
that
for one
damned second.” Caitlin lowered her voice an octave, no longer so heated.
“Anyway, the reason I brought it up, apparently she’s gone missing. She hasn’t
been home and hasn’t shown up for work in days. Her mother called me and she’s
really worried. She said she’s been trying to call you too.”

“She’s probably just gone off somewhere to have a sook. You
know how dramatic she is. She bawls her eyes out at the drop of a hat. I’ll
check my voicemail when I get off the phone. I did get a message from Charli
when I was in London though. Actually, it was just before I spoke with you. She
asked me to ring her, nothing else. I didn’t call her back and I haven’t heard
from her since.”

“Well, don’t bother ringing her mum back then. I’ll give her
a call now. Ring me when you know when you’re coming home.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon, Cuz.”

“Ah…just one more thing. Please tell me those sexy garters
and stockings I gave you have seen the light of day. Did he like them?”

“Does your mind ever leave the gutter, Caitlin?”

“I’m waiting.”

“Yes and yes. Goodbye.” She hung up before Caitlin had the
chance to speak again.

Jesse hugged her with a smile. “Is it just your family or do
all Aussies speak like that?”

“Like what, exactly?”

He nibbled her neck. “I don’t know. It’s a kind of quick wit,
I guess. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but I like it. It’s familiar.”

She closed her eyes as his kisses sent tingles up and down
her spine. Her neck was one of the most erogenous zones on her body and
apparently he knew that too.

Her phone messages could wait a while longer.

* * * * *

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to
the first guest room on the main floor. The alarm activated, all the doors and
windows locked tight, they could sleep in peace for a few hours.

He set the alarm on his watch for 3:00 p.m. They’d need
enough time to shop before it got too late in the afternoon. The weight of Sam
losing everything was heavy on his shoulders and he was going to make sure she
left with much more than she came with.

He got excited just thinking about spoiling her. She’d made
him promise he wouldn’t, but this was an exception. This was necessary.

When he woke, Sam was still sleeping soundly beside him, her
breathing gentle and even. He didn’t want to wake her—she looked so peaceful
curled up with her head on the pillow—but he had to. She’d be angry if he went
and picked out her wardrobe without her, even though he was sure he could do a
good job. And besides, he didn’t like sleeping in the spare room. He needed a
new bed…today.

She finally woke, helped along by his persistence—lightly
kissing her face and neck until she stirred beneath his lips. Dragging her
slumped body into the shower, he soaped and lathered her, washing her hair
while she stood half-asleep, her hands braced against the wall.

Lastly, he rubbed conditioner through her locks and rinsed
her off. By the time he’d dried her, she was almost wide awake, thankful for
his nurturing efforts. She stifled her yawns as he passed her one of his shirts
to wear with the only pair of jeans she had left.

After turning out of the long driveway in his blue Stingray,
they headed into the city to meet up with Rick. Jesse had chosen that car in
particular for today’s expedition, hoping it would help put a smile back on
Sam’s face.

When he’d spoken to Rick on the phone about the break-in
Rick sounded tense, highly strung. In the old days, his best friend would have
gone straight for the evil lines of white powder to deal with any type of
stress, but nowadays, thankfully, he turned to much healthier methods.

Jesse had mentioned his plans to take Sam into the city that
afternoon and Rick had jumped right in, insisting on meeting them. He never
knocked back a chance to go shopping, but Jesse also knew Rick just wanted to
rest his worries and see for himself that all was okay. He might have been a
joker, but he was also fiercely protective of those he considered family—and
Jesse was at the top of the list.

Besides, Rick was a guru when it came to cruisin’ the New
York retail scene. Now that he was a multi-millionaire, he found great joy in
shopping for absolutely anything. He loved spending money, his only real vice
since giving the drugs up for good.

Jesse pulled up behind Rick’s vintage Shelby Cobra two-door
roadster on busy Madison Avenue and they all entered Barneys to start their
spree. Jesse insisted on replacing Sam’s lost garments and other possessions
and told her to get anything else she wanted. There was no budget.

She didn’t seem to want to take advantage of his generosity.
She went straight for jeans—and not the designer brands either—finding two
pairs she liked in her size. With a handful of t-shirts and two long-sleeved
collared shirts that caught her eye on the way to the dressing rooms, she
followed behind the store assistant to the back of the store.

While Sam was preoccupied, he called the assistant over and
told her to take whatever Sam chose and add one of every color, with sweaters
and jackets to match.

Sam questioned him at the register and was about to argue
with the poor assistant over the amount of clothes so he simply kissed her to
shut her up. She didn’t complain in the end.

By the time they left, Rick and Jesse were carrying eight
large shopping bags each.

At Rick’s insistence, they hit Jimmy Choo’s next, followed
by Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s. He was caught up in the shopping buzz,
choosing items for her left, right and center. He even encouraged her to model
some evening gowns that, according to him, were the season’s latest.

He and Jesse fought over which ones they liked best and to
settle the argument Rick bought them all, much to Jesse’s displeasure.

Next, Jesse picked out a new bed, similar to his last only
taller. He stared at his new purchase while the sales assistant rang it up. His
cock jumped against the zipper of his jeans as he recalled the delicious time
they’d had in the London hotel. Signing the credit card slip, he was already
planning on reliving that experience with Sam in his own home, in his own bed.

This time he would aim to give her an even ten.

The last stop was the computer store. He purchased the best
laptop on display and the software Sam would need.

By the time they’d finished, Rick had to follow them back to
Jesse’s place in his car—all the bags wouldn’t fit in the small confines of the
Corvette.

* * * * *

Upstairs, Sam sorted through her new stuff. She was actually
a little excited. She’d never dreamed of shopping in the type of stores they’d
visited today. It had taken some coaxing from Jesse, but by the second store
she didn’t think it would hurt so much to breathe in just a bit of the richer
life.

She showered and put on a new pair of jeans, t-shirt and
sweater. There were two big bags left over after she’d unpacked and she didn’t
recognize the names on the front. Dropping to the floor on her knees, she
opened one to discover it was full of large sketch pads, pencils and pens. The
other had her favorite perfumes, some bath oils, shampoos, moisturizers and a
large professional makeup kit packed with every product she would ever need for
the next ten years…and a card.

Dear Sammie,

Thought you might need some girlie stuff. Hope I got the
right kind. I couldn’t decide on the makeup so I just got one of everything.
Jess told me which perfumes you wear so if I got that wrong feel free to blame
him.

Welcome to the family.

Luv,

Rick xxx

She let out a short squeal, shot out of the bedroom and ran
down the stairs.

As she approached the kitchen, she overheard the men
talking. “So any idea who could’ve done it?”

“Only one person comes to mind, but I really don’t think
she’d be capable of something like this. She’s a bit nutty, yeah, but she’s
never been violent before.” Jesse poured them each a drink.

“Well whoever it was, they sure seem to have it in for Sam.
Did you mention Becky to the cops?”

“Didn’t have to. They beat me to it. And I told them
everything I know. No doubt she’ll call again real soon.”

Her insides dropped. Becky was still calling him?

Stop it! You have no claim on him.

What she had with Jesse was just a fling, a fleeting
romance, nothing more. She was leaving soon and had no right to be jealous of
any other women in his life, even if the news did make her feel a little
inadequate.
Enough!

She pushed the thought aside and plastered a smile on her
face as she skipped through the doorway.

“Thank you
so
much, Ricky!” She hugged her new friend
fiercely.

He chuckled into her shoulder. “So I did good then, huh?”

“Better than that. You did great
.
You really
shouldn’t have, but thank you so much.” She smacked a big kiss right on his
lips.

“Well, shit.” He smiled brightly. “If that’s the kind of
thanks I get, you can expect a package at your door
every
morning, sweet
cheeks.”

“With dimples like those, I might just let ya.” She pinched
his cheeks affectionately. “Gotta love a man who buys me art supplies.”

“So
that’s
all it takes? Damn, woman, why isn’t that
public knowledge?”


Hey
! I’m in the room, ya know.” Jesse grabbed her
around the waist, pulling her away from Rick.

“Don’t worry, darlin’.” Rick shot her a sexy wink. “He’s
gotta sleep sometime.”

“In your dreams, drummer boy. In your dreams.” Jesse
tightened his hold on her.

Jesse’s new bed arrived and was carried upstairs to his
room. Sam passed on dinner and went straight to bed after putting down fresh
sheets. The strumming of two guitars floated up to the second floor and lulled
her to sleep.

The following morning she woke early, Jesse softly snoring
beside her. She dressed, gathered her new art supplies and crept from the room.
She closed herself in the living room so she wouldn’t disturb Rick in the guest
room and got to work.

It didn’t take long to set up the new laptop and she was
soon surfing the net with gusto. She Googled Jerico, disheartened but also
impressed when it produced more than fourteen million, six hundred thousand
hits. She narrowed the search and downloaded their last two albums. She perused
dozens of live performance videos and saved copies of their ten album covers.
Her sketch pad within reach, her hand moved, almost drawing by itself. She had
several images completed by the time the boys woke.

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