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Holy shit, this was freaking serious.
“Okay. I’ll try my best.” I exhaled a long slow breath.
“Can’t ask more than that.” A warm smile spread across Jake’s face. “I’ll get a new contract drawn up for you asap.” He paused. “In the meantime, can you come along with me to take Pierce back to his room and deal with that stash?” My eyes must have assumed a deer-caught-in-the-head lights expression. “It will be fine,” he added.
“Give me a couple of minutes to freshen up and pack,” I said. “I’ll meet you in Pierce’s suite shortly.”
Jake left and I quickly changed out of my pajamas into a pair of jeans and a tee. In the bathroom, I re-braided my waist-length hair then put on mascara and lip gloss. My face stared back at me in the mirror. Jesus, what had I gotten myself into? Have I lost my mind? No going back now, though. I was in it for the duration.
I hadn’t bothered unpacking, living out of my suitcase was easier when touring. I gathered up my toiletries and put them in my luggage, then straightened my shoulders, exited the room, and rolled my case down the corridor. The door to Pierce’s suite was open and the sound of cussing greeted me as I stepped across the threshold.
He stood with his back to me. “Bloody hell,” he swore, pouring the contents of a bottle of scotch into the bathroom basin. “This is such a fucking waste.”
“Better waste than wasted,” I quipped. “Need a hand?”
“I can manage,” he gritted out.
Jake passed him a bottle of vodka and he took it with a grunt.
I went back into Pierce’s room and checked his luggage and the wardrobe. Empty. “Looks like we’ve cleaned you out, buddy,” I said, smiling. Something told me to adopt the light-hearted approach. I knew the bad boy well enough to know his male pride wouldn’t take kindly to being nannied.
“Remind me not to invite you guys over for a drink ever again,” he laughed and I laughed with him.
Jake glanced at his Rolex. “We leave for the airport in half an hour. I’ll see you both down in the lobby.”
After he’d sauntered out of the door, I helped Pierce pack his suitcase. We chatted about the success of the tour, avoiding all mention of what was to come. Pierce had been a serious drinker since before I’d known him. Going cold turkey would give him withdrawal symptoms when we got home. It would be tough. And I’d omitted to tell Jake about my father. I wasn’t going to renounce visiting with him, which meant the bad boy would have to join me.
Sticking to the rock god like glue would not be easy. Keeping him off the booze would not be easy. Even if I managed to get him to give up drinking didn’t mean he’d give up screwing around. How would I feel when he brought fangirls home? I sighed to myself. I’d cross that bridge when I came to it, I decided, snapping Pierce’s suitcase shut.
“Come on,” I tugged on the sleeve of his leather jacket. “Let’s head downstairs.”
“Yes, Miss,” he smirked.
That freaking smirk did it for me every time.Chapter 4HayleyCarolyn, the middle-aged nurse CM had employed to move in with us and provide medical supervision to ensure Pierce’s safety, came out onto the decking where I was sitting enjoying the panoramic view. She eased her ample frame into the chair next to mine.
“He’s a lot better,” she announced without preamble. “Gone down to the basement gym with his bodyguard.”
This was a first. Pierce had been too weak to work out before today.
Carolyn beamed a wide smile. “You’ll be able to manage without me now, I think.”
I thought back to the flight home from Buenos Aires when Pierce had rolled around in agony from severe abdominal pain. As soon as we’d landed Jake had called CM’s doctor, who’d checked him over and recommended getting medical backup. Even though Pierce took meds to ease his symptoms, he’d been through hell and back the past ten days, suffering from nausea, dehydration and the shakes. But now most of the side effects from withdrawal had all but disappeared, thank God. His body still shook from time to time, but every day less, and we made sure he kept hydrated and ate a healthy diet.
“You’ll cope fine.” Carolyn spoke the words slow and reassuringly.
I linked my fingers together. “I don’t know what we’d have done without you.”
Her smile wavered. “I wish he’d agree to participate in group therapy…although I do get why he’s refused.”
“Yeah. He’d have attracted way too much attention.” I shuddered. My life on the road with the band had shown me how much attention they received and how much they valued their privacy.
Carolyn tilted her head toward me. “Remind me when he’ll start touring again.”
