The Complete Groupie Trilogy (50 page)

And God help her, it was all she could render.

His fingers dug into her soft skin as he clutched her tighter, almost as if he’d die if he let go. He moaned against her mouth before he demanded, “Say my name…”

She resisted for the slightest moment. When he repeated the command she complied in a whisper, which was enough for him to drag her down to the floor as he fell to his knees. “Tell me it was a mistake,” he begged as his hands tore away her blouse from her shoulders. “Tell me you want me.”

His desperation was palpable, reminding Andy where they were and how they got there. She looked him straight in the eye and did what she always did. She told him the truth. “I want you,” she repeated. “I’ve always wanted you.” She pulled away. “But it wasn’t a mistake. And one day you’ll see that.”

His face screwed in an angry, frustrated snarl. He thrust her away from him and rolled to the floor, laying on his back with his hands covering his eyes. He lay like that, his chest heaving as he caught his breath, for long moments. She sat back on her heels and waited. “What the hell are you doing to me, Andy?” he finally moaned.

Her heart went out to him. Gently she reached over to touch his arm. “What are you doing to yourself?”

He turned to look into her eyes, with such a face of a wounded little boy she immediately wanted to open her arms and cuddle away all his pain.

But he was closing off… she could see it happen as he shrugged off her hand and rose to his feet. He surveyed the damage of the broken glass scattered across the floor. “Sorry about the mess,” he said woodenly. “Call my accountant. They’ll cover the damages.”

Andy got the feeling that was a very familiar refrain from him these days. She jumped to her feet as he crossed toward the door. “You can’t drive, Vanni,” she told him. “You’re drunk.”

He spun back to look at her. “What are you going to do?” he asked her softly as his eyes threatened to swallow her whole. “Let me stay here for the night?”

The thought sent fire throughout her body. She had imagined nothing but falling back into his arms. But this was Graham’s house. She could never do that to him, not after all he had been through. “I can call you a cab,” she offered.

He chuckled humorlessly. “A cab? But the night is still young.” He pulled out his phone and swiped through his contact list. He seemed to forget her presence as he connected with his contact. “Yeah. Pick me up, man. Let’s get lit.” There was a pause as he glanced over to her tussled hair that swept across her face. “At the boss’s house,” he answered before he ran a finger acr
oss her cheek. “Renegotiating.”

Her jaw clenched as he gave the person on the other end of the call the address before he disconnected.  “Vanni,” she tried to reach him once more but he was already pushing her away.

He glanced over her flushed face and full, tantalizing curves. “Don’t worry, Andy. I won’t be bothering you again.”

On his way toward the door he grabbed a decanter of liquor before stumbling outside.

Chapter Five

August 15, 2010. Los Angeles.

Vanni

Leo shook his head as he glanced Vanni’s direction in the darkened car. “Didn’t I tell you, man? You gotta get her out of your head. You can’t do that if you’re following her around like a lovesick puppy. You’re giving all your power away. It just ain’t cool.”

“Just shut up and get me to a bar,” Vanni replied as he sucked whiskey from the expensive crystal decanter. Both were no doubt imported right from Ireland. Graham certainly had fine taste, he thought to himself.

In everything.

His stomach lurched as he thought about Andy and how she looked and felt in his arms. She was worse than any drug, he decided. Ever since he had kissed her the alcohol buzz he had going for all these weeks evaporated.

He was in a sober state and didn’t much care for it.

“Don’t worry, man,” Leo said. “I got a surprise for you.”

Vanni thought about the faux Andy in England. That was a good surprise, one he desperately needed now that t
he real thing had rejected him.

Again.

Only the surprise wasn’t quite so intimate this time. It was a party in full force at one of the celebrity hotspots in West Hollywood. An A-List actor owned his own club, which was basically just a dive bar where the pretty people could all get loaded and laid. A band was playing on the small stage, and that was where Leo was directing him. Taking center stage was a shorter, curly-haired man in tight jeans and no shirt, who effectively shredded the guitar he was playing. He was mesmerizing to watch, so much so Vanni forgot all about the fact he was absolutely and completely sober.

“That’s Julian Neal,” Leo shouted to him over the pulsating heavy metal. “This is the guy I was telling you about.”

“But we need a bassist.”

“You need it all, man,” Leo corrected. “Those other guys are holding you back, Vanni. This guy,” he motioned toward Julian, “could take you farther than you’ve ever gone. He can play six different instruments, including bass. Get him in your band now so that when the other two split you’re covered.”

Vanni did like the sound of the guitar. Immediately he came up with lyric and melody and felt inspired stone cold sober for the first time in months. Leo knew he had him hooked.

“Let’s wait till he’s done with the set,” Leo said as he dragged Vanni to the bar. He ordered a celebratory shot for the both of them. “To success,” he toaste
d, which sounded good to Vanni.

“I like success,” a female voice came from behind Leo. He turned with a smile. “Vanni,” he said, as he pulled the petite brunette into view. She wore a short leather skirt and a tied top in black silk, gaining some height with her six inch heels. Though she dressed like she belonged in the club, there was something sweet and wholesome about her beautiful face and her crystal blue eyes. Her long pigtails also gave her a sense of innocence. For some strange reason Vanni immediately felt the need to
protect this sexy little pixie.

“This is Holly Neal,” Leo introduced. “Julian’s sister.” He turned to Holly. “This is Giovanni Carnevale from Dreaming in Blue.”

“Of course,” she said as she extended her hand. It almost disappeared inside his massive palm. “I don’t know if we have to toast your success or if you’re already there,” she offered with a wide smile and perfect, spectacularly white teeth.

Vanni shook his head. “Not yet,” he clarified. Despite the money and the acclaim, the hits and the fans, he knew he still hadn’t reached the heights he wanted. Otherwise he wouldn’t feel so damn hollow inside. Once he got rid of that nagging problem that had plagued him his whole life, then he would know he arrived. He motioned back toward Julian. “But I like what I’m hearing. Maybe your brother can be part of that success.”

Leo winked at Vanni before he took his leave, heading over to hit on some barflies hanging at the edge of the dance floor. Vanni turned back to Holly, who had climbed up on the bar stool. “Well call me biased but I think my brother is already a superstar. Any band would be lucky to get him.”

“Are you a package deal?” Vanni wanted to know as he glanced over her. “Do you sing or play?”

She just laughed as she motioned for a drink, which turned out to be sparkling water. Off Vanni’s look she told him, “I don’t drink. Alcoholic dad. Totally cliché. But don’t let me stop you,” she said as she pointed to his array of empty glasses on the bar. “To answer your question, no. I’m not a center stage kind of girl. I do all the heavy lifting backstage. P.R., street teams. That kind of thing.”

He thought about Andy and his face fell somewhat. When would he be able to think about her and it not hurt? Even sitting next to this beautiful angelic girl, he was mooning over a lost cause. He ordered another drink.

“Are you okay?” she asked and he glanced own at her upturned face. Her eyes shined almost unnaturally underneath her dark makeup.

“I am now,” he answered. But it felt like a line even to him. “So you don’t drink but you hang out in bars around all us drunks. Please tell me you know some Karate moves to keep sexual deviants like me from attacking you.”

She laughed again. “I get by,” she said. “It’s a necessary evil, right? The bar scene is where you earn your stripes as a musician. I’m sure you did your fair share in many.”

He nodded. “I kind of miss it, you know? It was a whole different vibe. A brotherhood.” His stomach lurched as he thought about Iain, and he quickly drowned the feeling in another swig of booze. “Even with the audience there was a stronger, more intimate connection.”

She mirrored his nod. “Success is a double edged sword,” she said. “The bigger you get, the harder it is to really get close to anyone.”

He instantly loved the fact that she ‘got’ it. “Exactly.” He thought about the hole Iain had ripped in the band. From the looks on Yael’s and Felix’s faces, he knew they weren’t far behind. He couldn’t say he blamed them, bu
t fame was all he had left now.

After the set was over Julian wound through the crowd to find his sister, who introduced him to Vanni. “Love your work, man,”
he said as he pumped his hand.

Vanni just smiled. “Likewise. You shred like a beast.”

“Self-taught,” Holly interjected with pride.

“Even more impressive,” Vanni replied. “How would you like to come and audition for my band?”

Julian’s eyes lit up. “Are you serious?”

“We got an open spot. It’s for bass but Leo tells me you can play.”

He nodded. “I can do anything. I just need the chance.”

“You got it,” Vanni confirmed. He turned his attention back to Holly. “Would you like to dance?”

She nodded and followed him out onto the dance floor. It was dangerous to be out there with her when he knew nothing could happen. But he felt his spirit lift just by looking in her face.

He kept her by his side for the rest of the night while he filled his alcohol tank right back up to full. During a slow dance he pulled her up against his body and started to reach down for a kiss before he could even stop himself. She allowed it only for a moment and then pulled away.

“Come home with me,” he said as he got lost in those ridiculously blue eyes.

She shook her head. “Can’t mix business with pleasure,” she warned. “I’ve been burned before.”

“Me too,” he admitted. “But one night isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

“I’m not a one-night kind of girl,” she said with a sm
ile.

She felt so dainty in his hands it made him feel masculine and powerful. Yet she was the one in total control. “You’re killing me here,” he whispered as he re
sted his forehead against hers.

“I’ll be your friend, Vanni,” she said. “But that’s it.”

He sighed like a petulant child. He wasn’t used to being told no and it showed. She followed him back to the bar where he attempted to order another round, but she grabbed his arm. “Let me take you home. You’ve had enough.”

“There’s no such thing,” he grinned as h
e grabbed her around the waist.

But again she quickly shut him down. When he caught the wounded look in her face he knew he must have reminded her of her dad. So even though he wanted another drink, he decided to follow his new friend’s advice and go home.

She dropped him off at his beach house and kissed him on his forehead before he left her car. First with Andy and now with Holly, he was even more frustrated than before.

Once she was gone he could freely reach back into his liquor cabinet for another drink, but the booze just wasn’t cutting it. The more he drank the antsier he seemed to get. He dug out a business card that Leo had given him upon their return to the States and stared at it for almost a half hour more as he made his down the bottle.

Finally he pulled out his phone.

“Yeah,” he said to the woman who answered after one ring. “I think you can help me. I need a brunette,” he said. “Blue eyes,” he went on before finally settling on, “and petite.”

He was too wasted to realize how ridiculous he sounded ordering a woman like he was ordering a pizza. Even more ridiculous, the woman on the other end didn’t seem at all taken aback by the request.

Like Leo said, it was purely a business transaction.

Within an hour there was a knock at the door. That night his companion looked nothing like Andy. She was lost to him now anyway so it was time to follow his manager’s sage advice and exorcise her from his head once and for all. He grabbed the short brunette’s hand and told her that he was going to call her Holly. Then he led her upstairs to the loft.

Chapter Six

August 21, 2010. Los Angeles.

Andy

Andy wrung her hands together nervously as she watched Maggie roll the wheelchair up the new ramp on the front porch. Graham had a blanket over his legs and expensive slippers on his feet, but the suit he wore looked about two sizes too big.

It was almost as if he had shrunk since she saw him last. His posture slumped forward and there was now more noticeable gray at his temples. Five o’clock shadow darkened his sunken cheeks, which made him look years older than he actually was.