Stricken Unveiled (Stricken Rock #2) (11 page)

An arm lands on my shoulder I flinch.
“Doonn’t touch me.” I sob trying to get the hand off of me. They
pull away. I don’t care who it is. I want to be left alone.
Forever.

“Why did you fucking tell her?” Johnathan
demands grunting loudly.

“She was there when I found out.” Stacy
answers solemnly.

The crying continues, my face hurts from
bawling so hard. Snot is running down my face. Yuck! I keep my eyes
closed but I swipe the snot away quickly and smear it on my dress.
I don’t care. I rock back and forth. Bile is burning my throat. I
swallow hard to get it back down.

I can hear a bunch of movement around me. No
talking, just breathing and shifting.

Two hands land on my legs. I try to move them
away but they won’t let go.

“Emily. Calm down baby.”

Oh fuck! I know that voice. I know that
touch. It’s Johnathan. He’s touching me. Make him go away! Make him
go away now! Oh the pain! I think I might have a heart attack. I’m
freaking out.

“Here, let me give her a sedative.” I hear
somebody say.

“Will it calm her?” Johnathan asks whoever
the female is.

“Yes. It’s quick.” The woman says.

RED ALERT, RED ALERT! No needles! No shots!
THE BABIES! NO! Stacy please says something. You’ll hurt my
babies!

“Okay.” Johnathan agrees calmly.

I can feel the air shifting. Stop being a
pussy Emily! Your babies are at stake! Get up! Get the fuck up
now!

I fling my hands off my face and stand quick,
backing myself against the wall. A little blonde nurse has a needle
and she’s closing in on me. Get her away from me! I start to walk
away moving slowly against the wall. My eyes stay on her and that
scary needle. If she comes any closer I’m going to beat her
ass.

“Ma’am I am going to give you this to calm
down.”

I shake my head rapidly, eyes wide. I can’t
breathe.

“Ma’am you’re hyperventilating. This will
calm you.”

Oh my god! Why isn’t James or anybody helping
me? They’re retards. Don’t they know this could hurt the babies! Of
course they don’t, they’re dumb asses! I’m going to kill them after
this! I back away. She moves forward. Everyone is staring at
me.

“Baby take the shot.” Johnathan coaxes.

“Sir, I can have someone hold her down.” She
turns and says to him.

The fuck she can!

I glare at Stacy and James and I can’t catch
my breath, they aren’t doing a damn thing. Why are they doing this
to me?

“Stacy!” I croak out of my throat. Finally! A
word.

“Take it Emily, it will help. You need to
calm down.” He says gently.

What the hell is wrong with these men! Are
they fucking morons?!

She comes closer.

I take in a deep breath and wipe my eyes that
are still flowing with warm salty tears.

“Listen lady” I swallow hard my voice shaky.
“You can’t give me that.” I glance at the shot breathing faster.
Not enough oxygen. I need more. My body is shaking, sweat pouring
down the back of my neck. My hands moist. Damnit.

“Ma’am you’re a danger to yourself, you are
having an anxiety attack” She speaks carefully and warmly.

“If you give me that shot it will hurt my
babies!” I screech staring daggers at her and cover my belly
protectively. I’m like a fucking mother lion I will eat this bitch
alive if she touches me. I swear to god!

She stops immediately. Johnathan’s eyes widen
and so does the rest of the group. This is so not how I wanted this
to come out.

I fall to the ground. Stacy and James are
over next to me in a second and Johnathan falls to the ground right
where he stands.

“Oh shit Emily I’m so sorry.” Stacy says
worried. “I didn’t think.” He smacks his head. “Please forgive
me.”

“I can’t believe you!” I yell at him and
smack him on the arm “Or you!” I smack James too.

“You motherfuckers almost allowed my babies
to get hurt!” I sob and hit them both again.

The nurse makes her way over to me slowly. I
tense up and push against the wall. I have to get away from her.
“Don’t you fucking touch me.” I heave acid between breaths, eyes
wide, my hands clinched at my sides. I will hit her if I have
to.

“Ma’am I’m very sorry I did not know you were
pregnant.” She says grief saturating her words.

“It’s okay it’s our fault.” Stacy says
glancing at James. “You can go.”

I peek around Stacy’s body and see Johnathan
on the floor his hands on his face.

I take in a few deep breaths and wipe my
eyes.

“You two go clean up the mess you made.” I
snap and point to where Johnathan is balled up on the floor.

I can’t move. I suddenly feel very sleepy. I
need a nap. No what I
really
need is coffee…Oh, that
delicious caffeinated drink that I haven’t had in seven weeks. I
could really use one of those right about now. Or a whole bottle of
tequila. Which I can’t have either. So I guess I’m fucked.

“I’ll take care of him.” Stacy says and
stands from his kneeling position. His knees creek as he walks over
towards Johnathan. James sits down beside me his back against the
wall.

“I’m sorry I didn’t even think about the
babies.” He says softly and pats my leg. I put him on ignore. I’m
still angry with him and Stacy. This isn’t how Johnathan was
supposed to find out.

“Johnathan.” Stacy says. He doesn’t move.
“Johnathan, look at me.”

Johnathan removes his hands from his face.
His eyes are red, and he’s crying. He wipes his tears and looks up
at Stacy.

“It is yours?” he whispers, his voice
hoarse.

“Is what mine?”

“Emily’s baby.” He chokes and tears trickle
down his face from his puffy eyes. I knew this day was going to be
bad but I didn’t realize how bad. My heart shatters and aches for
him. I know this has to be so hard. It’s hard for me. But for him,
I can’t imagine how hard it is.

Stacy turns and stares at me, like he doesn’t
know what to say.

“Tell me Stacy, I can take it.” He sobs.

I get on my knees and I crawl on the floor
over to Johnathan he is watching me the whole way. I sit down
beside him and put my hand on his thigh. Oh, he is still so
gorgeous, even with red eyes.

“Short Stack?” he whimpers.

“Yes, I’m here.” I whisper rubbing his
thigh.

“I got clean baby. I got clean to be with
you.” He mutters and then sorrowfully coughs and swallows hard as
tears slowly trickle down his cheeks.

I give him a soft smile. “I know you did.” I
pat his leg. “It’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.”

He chokes back another cry. “No it won’t. I
did this for you. To show you I love you baby. I love you so much.
I couldn’t stop thinking about you the whole time. You’re all that
matters to me. Now you’re having Stacy’s baby. And you’re not going
to want me anymore. Are you? I want you so much.” He pleads.

I can’t believe this man think’s they are
Stacy’s and would still want to be with me. He is amazing. No
wonder I love him.

“Johnathan you are going to be a daddy to
Cassandras baby. Isn’t that enough to deal with today? Let’s get
past that right now, first.” I say gently. I just want him to take
one thing at a time. He’s not thinking rationally.

“No, I waited six weeks to be with you.
You’re going to let me love you if I have to tie you to a chair.”
He says with a dark smile and his pain in the ass personality is
coming back. Thank heavens!

“Well I’m pregnant, so you can’t tie me to a
chair. I’d pee myself in an hour.” I tease and he smiles crookedly
at me.

“I don’t care if you’re pregnant or whose
baby that is as long as I get to be with you. It can be Don Juan’s
or Deacons or Stacy’s I don’t care as long as you promise to be
mine.”

My heart soars. This man does love me!
Butterflies are going pitter pat in my tummy.

“Well I guess it’s a good thing
they’re
yours.” I say with a big smile.

He snatches me up and drags me into his lap
his body crushing me into a sideways hug. I turn into him and press
my face against his upper chest right under his neck.

“Are you serious the baby is mine?” he pants,
his voice laced with excitement.

“You don’t listen when I talk do you?” I
tease inhaling his scent. He smells of laundry soap, spicy cologne
and it’s just him. The cigarette scent is gone though. I don’t
think I’ll miss it.

“Huh?”

“I didn’t say baby.”

“Okay?” he sounds confused.

“I said babies. As in plural.”

“Oh my god!” he screams happily and holds me
tighter.

“Let go.” I choke out. I can barely
breathe.

He lets up. “Oh, sorry. So were having more
than one baby?”

“Two. I’m not having a litter.” I kiss his
chest. Oh how I’ve missed him.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad!” he
screeches.

“Is that okay? I know it wasn’t planned. I
didn’t know how to tell you. Or if I wanted to. And you’re going to
be a dad to two different women’s babies. Three kids. That’s a
lot.”

“HER BABY. IS NOT MINE.” He says sternly with
hatred in his voice.

“I think it is.” I whisper into his warm
chest.

He grabs me gently by the arms and pulls me
away from him. I look into his beautiful green eyes that resemble
mine. They sparkle and have this beautiful blue haze right around
the pupil. Mine have orange.

“Baby, I used a condom with her and I didn’t
come. There is zero way that baby is mine.” He states, staring
lovingly into my soul.

“How do you know? Pre-come has some sperm and
you pre-come a lot if I remember correctly.” I shoot him a sly
smile and James coughs.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I know we’re having this
out in front of two bodyguards and Stacy. I don’t give a shit. It
has to be said.

“Yes, I did for you. But I don’t do it all
the time. And I was drugged when I screwed her.”

“Yeah don’t remind me. But how do you know
that you didn’t break the condom? Or forgot to use one? Or didn’t
come? You were drunk and high.” I brush my hair out of my face and
tuck it behind my ears. I know I have to look hideous, with a
blotchy red face, swollen eyes, and makeup running. Not beautiful
at all.

“Listen baby. I could have been on ten other
things and I would still remember if I used a condom or if I came.
She wants my money and she’s not going to get it. I’ve heard of
this happening a thousand times before with rock stars. I’m not the
first and I’m not going to be the last. I’m sorry I slept with her.
Not because of this money thing but because it washed you off of
me. I told you that the day I confessed. I’ve fucked a lot of
women. We’ve been over that. But I’ve only ever not wrapped
once
, and that was with you.” He says, his tone is gentle
and loving.

“Four times.” I correct.

He laughs. “Okay four times in one
night.”

James whistles impressed. I giggle.

“Yeah I can hang. You know it.” Johnathan
teases James and they both chuckle.

“You boys I swear are always competing.” I
kid and gaze around the room at all the men. The tension cloud has
been lifted and we are all in fairly good spirits.

“Yes, I can go all night. But only one of us
fucks both sexes. So he’s one up on the game. I suppose I’ll take
second place.” Johnathan laughs and stares at Stacy.

“That’s not true. I’m not the only.” Stacy
cuts in and barks a laugh staring at me.

Johnathan peers down at me raising a brow. A
naughty little smirk peeks through the corner of his beautiful
mouth.

“Fine… Okay… I do too… Sort of.” I shrug.

Johnathan laughs. “It’s Claire isn’t it?”

I nod eerily.

Johnathan only knows about Claire now because
I’ve talked to him over the past six weeks about her setting up San
Diego and the ideas for the men to do ads for companies. He likes
the thought of representing products. But during that time I had to
admit she was the woman at the club. He’s yet to meet her. So I
have no idea how that might actually play out. Fingers crossed it’s
not a pissing contest.

“Baby, if you like Claire and you want to
have fun with her go ahead. As long as you are MINE and you keep no
secrets from me. No men though. I don’t share. But if you like the
idea of licking her pussy then you go right ahead.” He wiggles his
brows and smiles like the dirty little boy he is.

I roll my eyes. “I have you know I haven’t
licked anything like that.” I playfully push his chest. He wraps
his arms around me. My head tucked into his rock hard chest. He
nuzzles my hair and kisses it.

“I love you so much baby. As long as you’ll
be mine. Please be mine.”

“Okay Johnathan I’ll be yours, but no more
drugs and no more women.”

He nods into my hair and kisses it again.
“Only a woman for you. So if I want to start doing dudes would that
bother you?” he teases evenly.

“As long as the man is Stacy I don’t care.” I
break into a full on body rumbling laugh. He doesn’t know I know
about Stacy and his past at rehab.

“Okay, deal. If I ever decide to fuck men
Stacy will be the first man I’ll call.”

I laugh even louder into his chest and he
starts in too and soon the rest of the room is laughing and I am so
happy. I have the man I love in my arms, my two best friends
standing behind me, two healthy babies growing in my tummy. The
only person that’s missing is Claire. I’ll have to call her tonight
and give her the good news. Well I hope she finds it to be good
news.

Yesterday was a busy day and emotional as
hell. After leaving the rehab I sat in the back of the suburban
with Johnathan cuddled into his chest. I wanted to spend the rest
of the day with him. But unfortunately it wasn’t possible. Between
him having to deal with the Cassandra stuff personally, his own job
at the record company that is backed up six weeks, plus half a
dozen other things. I rode with him and Davis to Magic records
studio where we dropped them off and came home to Stacy’s. I got a
quick peck on the lips and he was off. His motor running a hundred
miles an hour trying to play catch up for the rest of the day until
today when we leave to go up to San Fran for the first of four
concerts at the end of the tour.