Authors: Clare Cole
“
No way,” I interjected. I didn’t want to appear insensitive - besides, I barely knew Jake - but I also had to keep Rick’s best interests at heart, both personally and from a PR standpoint. “Posting something like that is way too premature. Rick, do you have any clue where he may have gone?”
He placed his hands on his hips and looked up at the marble ceilings of Jake’s $12 million mansion. “Christ,” he muttered. “Did my money pay for that
décor? It’s fucking awful.”
“
Rick!” I barked. “Concentrate!”
“
Oh yeah...did you check the Hustler Casino? He used to go there sometimes when he was in a bad mood to play the card tables.”
Jake nodded. “They haven’t seen him for a week. I checked the Blackjack Lounge upstairs as well. No sign.”
Rick paused for a moment. “Have you...checked with his dealer?” Jake swallowed hard and shot a glance at me. “It’s okay,” Rick said. “She knows.”
“
No,” Jake sighed. “He hasn’t been to buy drugs.”
“
That’s odd,” Rick said, stroking at the stubble on his chin. “He was wasted last night. He’s going to be running low on...supplies.”
Jake threw his arms in the air. “Come on, Rick! What are you saying? That he’s overdosed somewhere? Shit...”
“
No,” Rick replied, shaking his head. “Well, it’s possible. We have to be realistic here. He’s a junkie, remember.”
“
He’s working through it.”
“
Then he needs to work harder.”
“
Rick...” I interjected. “Not now.”
“
Okay, so if we assume he’s okay and he hasn’t been to see his dealer then he’s going to be needing a hit soon. Either he’ll turn up there or...”
The room fell silent.
“
...or I know exactly where he is.”
Jake and I spoke in unison. “Where?”
“
Venice Beach. He could be at Santino’s or Killer Shrimp but he’s more likely to be walking around on the sand in circles like some crazy bum feeling sorry for himself. You stay here in case he gets in touch. Oh, and call his dealer and ask him to let you know if he shows up. I’ll go to Venice now.”
“
Could...could Amy stay with me? I’m in a hell of a state.”
I looked at Rick, desperately wanting to say ‘no’. “Sure,” I said. “No problem. Get going, Rick.” He kissed me on the cheek. “Be quick, okay?” I whispered.
“
No problem,” he smiled, out of Jake’s earshot. “Honestly, I’m offended at these ceilings. Dude has no taste.”
“
Go!”
As Rick’s car sped away, I turned to see Jake heading towards me from the kitchen with a bottle of champagne and two glasses in his hands.
“
Well, Amy...I think we’re alone now. Best make the most of it, right?”
Julia's words rattled around my mind.
Don't trust him
, I thought.
You can't trust this bastard one bit.
I nervously sipped at my glass of champagne, wondering what Jake's intentions were.
"Thanks for this, Amy," he smiled. "Calms the nerves, you know?"
Did he mean mine or his? "So, do you think Rick might be right about where Sean is? That he'll find him okay?"
Jake slowly walked towards me, smiling slightly. "Oh, don't you worry about Sean. He'll turn up just fine. No, Amy…my junkie brother isn't my concern. What I'm really interested in is you."
I felt a flush of panic set in, my body tingling and my breath quickening. "And what exactly are you interested in me for?" I asked, desperately trying to remain calm and appear confident.
"Nothing sinister," he laughed, holding a hand up. "Don't worry, I'm not about to steal you away – or try to – from Rick. Not that I wouldn't expect you to consider it, of course. I am devilishly handsome and filthy rich, after all."
"So is Rick."
"Absolutely," he conceded with a grin. He came close to me, just inches from my face and placed a hand on my waist. "Although I'd be an idiot not to try, now, wouldn't I? You are absolutely beautiful, after all…and so fucking sexy."
I turned away as he moved in to kiss me. "Not interested," I snapped, shooting him a sideways glance. "If I'm here for you to seduce me, you'd better drop it now."
Jake stepped back. "My apologies. Just the stress getting to me, you know?"
I took a large sip of champagne to calm my nerves. "I think it's time I left." I picked up my smartphone to call Rick.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting Rick to come back and pick me up. Don't worry, I'll save your embarrassment and not mention what you just did. I'll put it down to the stress
of your missing brother, the alcohol or just you being an asshole – or maybe a combination of all three."
With a sudden swipe, Jake smacked the phone out of my hand and sent it flying across the room. Now I was getting nervous.
"Oh no, don't go yet! The fun is only just beginning! You see, Amy, as much as I'd love to bury my face in those gorgeous breasts of yours and slip inside that undeniably tight little pussy you must have, my intentions are far more than just carnal."
My breathing was getting heavy, and Jake stared at my cleavage rising and falling while licking his lips. "What do you want?" I asked, angrily. I felt my knees begin to go weak, my entire body shredded with nerves.
"Well, it's quite simple really," Jake said, slowly pacing around me. I shuddered as he placed his hands on my shoulders from behind and kissed at my neck. "You're going to convince that little shit of a boyfriend of yours to reform the band. In fact, you're going to make sure he writes the best fucking album he's ever produced and goes on the longest, most profitable tour in the history of music. I want the likes of Springsteen and the Stones to make loose change compared to what Beautiful Losers are going to cash in for their swansong. Take a look around, Amy. This life doesn't come cheap, you know…and neither me nor my brother are prepared to give it up that easily."
My head began to spin. Were my nerves really starting to
affect me to the extent that I could no longer stand? Or was there something else? I looked down at my glass of champagne…
"The
Tramadol should be kicking in any moment now. Sorry, Amy, I know it was a crummy thing to do. But I knew you wouldn't be convinced easily. In fact, I knew I would have no choice but to be a little underhand. Apologies for that."
My entire body became weak and I tried to stay upright with every last modicum of strength I had, knowing I was fighting a losing battle. Gravity would win. In seconds, I knew I was headed for the deck, but not without a verbal fight at least. "You bastard…I was warned about you. About all of you. Rick's a far better man than any of you deserve the time of day with…"
As my body finally gave way, Jake caught me in his arms. I struggled to keep my eyes open, his vile face flashing in and out of my faltering vision. "Oh, bravo! How fucking noble! So good to hear that you're so loyal yet so blind. Rick's never been faithful to anyone, you know. Every relationship he's ever had he's screwed up through either his partying or just being an out and out shitbag. You may think, my dear, that you're special now. But just wait until another piece of ass comes along that catches his eye. He'll forget you like he's forgotten all the others."
"Fuck you…"
"That's fighting talk! I like that. Anyway, as nice as this is and all, we need to get to the heart of the matter before you pass out. Quite simply, if you don't convince Rick to make us millions with his shitty little band, I'm afraid I'll have to end your relationship prematurely."
I felt my consciousness ebbing away, yet his words sharpened my senses for a moment. "What? How…"
"I'll have to show him the photographs."
My eyes rolled back in my head as one last question managed to leave my lips. "What...
photographs…?"
As my head flopped forward onto his shoulder, he whispered in my ear. "Why, the ones of me making love to you, silly."
Everything from that point was a blur, moments lost in flashes of light and muffled sounds. I struggled to open my eyes, each attempt feeling like ten ton weights were weighing my eyelids down. My head had stopped spinning, substituted for a feeling of nothingness; as if my brain had been replaced by balls of cotton wool stuffed inside my aching skull.
I thought of Rick, and how tenderly he would kiss me, how the touch of his fingertips would send tiny electric shocks through my skin as he delicately moved them up my thighs, along the edge of my breasts. I wished he was here, his words calming me. "Don't worry, Amy," he would have said. "I'll save you. I'll take you away from all of this."
Just hold on a little longer
, I thought.
He'll be here soon…
Some things felt familiar and real; the feel of a well used mattress beneath me as I was thrown down onto it. The air hitting my skin as my clothes were removed. His hands on my thighs, parting them. His lips, loveless and unwanted, against mine.
And the flashes. Flashes that would momentarily wake me, for only a second it seemed, accompanied by the click of a camera shutter. He was photographing us; taking pictures of me at my most vulnerable. I was in my underwear, barely conscious. I thought for a brief second he would actually take complete advantage and have sex with me, but he didn't. There was no need. The pictures would be enough for him to get what he wanted.
I felt Jake's hands begin to
work at my bra strap, fumbling to undo it. I weakly pushed him away, my struggles having little effect; a heavy, dull feeling as if I was pushing a boulder up a hill. His other hand moved down to my panties, attempting to pull them down.
And then, as soon as my ordeal had begun, it was over.
Suddenly, he was gone. His body felt as if it had been lifted up in midair, shooting off me like someone flies out of an open aeroplane window in the movies. Was this the Tramadol? No, this was real. I felt a semblance of consciousness return and, although desperately sluggish, I managed to roll my body onto its side and pushed myself up onto the edge of the bed with limbs that felt as if they were made of concrete. Sounds started to become clearer again, still muffled yet recognisable...comprehensible.
"You son of a bitch! What the fuck is going on?"
As my blurred vision began to focus, I saw Jake pinned against a wall in his underwear. Rick had him by the throat, practically lifting him off his feet.
"She wouldn't keep
her hands off me…I was stupid, I know! I'm sorry, Rick! Really, I am. But she wouldn't keep her damn hands off me! She practically threw herself at me…"
"Bullshit!" Rick smirked.
I staggered over to them, each step feeling like a hundred. I scooped my smartphone off the ground and held it up to Jake's face. Two words on the screen drained the colour from his skin.
RICK – Connected
"I speed-dialled Rick before you slapped my phone away," I slurred. I felt the faintest of smiles turn up the corners of my mouth. "He heard everything…"
With that, I hit the floor and descended into darkness.
"How do you feel, beautiful?"
"Like I've been run over," I groaned. "Or
that I've been asleep for a fortnight. Or both."
Rick laughed, his finger stroking gently at my cheek before pushing my hair back from my eyes. "Welcome back to the land of the living. The doctor said the
Tramadol should be out of your system now. You'll be fine."
I wearily pushed myself up. "Doctor? I don't remember any doctor."
"Well, you have been asleep for the best part of fifteen hours. If you'd drunk another glass of that champagne, you might be in hospital having your stomach pumped. Luckily, you only took a fairly low dose."
I rubbed my eyes. "I knew something was wrong. That's why I called you. Before I knew it, I was practically passing out…
he took photos..."
Rick placed a finger to my lips. "I know exactly what happened, don't worry.
The photos are destroyed. I crushed the memory card under my foot."
"And Sean? What happened to him?"
"He was at Venice Beach, just like I thought. But he wasn't missing. He was strung out on a rock, coming down from a massive high."
"Jake lied?"
Rick nodded. "Yeah. Sean was in on it as well. Luckily, he'd taken so many drugs that he just told me everything. Spilled the beans. His brother has ten million dollars wrapped up in a mortgage on that tacky dump of his. If he spent a bit less on prostitutes and gambling, maybe he'd be able to afford it."
"He has gambling debts?"
"He does, but that's not the half of it. Sean is in an even bigger hole. Apparently he owes a couple of hundred thousand to his drug dealer and now he's threatening to take out both his kneecaps. Once he's done that, he'll start on the elbows. And when he can't crawl on his hands or knees…well, I wouldn't like to know."