Hunting Lust (Orion the Hunter Part Three) (25 page)

The call had been from Carter to inform him that there had been a suspected security breach in his office.  The lock to the door had been picked and someone had turned on his PC then tried to access his files.  This was picked up by one of the techies but, when Carter investigated, the office was empty.  Security was now being stepped up another notch to include routine patrols within the building.  There would also be an armed guard stationed outside Lucas’ office.

The fear must have shown on my face because Lucas put his arm around my shoulders and told me not to worry.  I felt like telling him that it was easier said than done but I just smiled.

The festival proved to be a great distraction.  The boys were brilliant – the crowd cheered like mad.  Ethan had the ladies eating out of his hand as he strutted his stuff along the front of the stage.  Not to be outdone, Travis decided to crowd surf during an instrumental – and kept playing as he was passed over people’s heads.  Ethan had to appeal to the crowd to pass him back towards the stage!  Once he was back on his feet and the track ended, Travis called the whole crowd bastards for sexually assaulting him during his crowd surf.  They roared with laughter and the crowd just grew and grew.  Again, the free tee-shirts proved incredibly popular and the name Denial was soon in evidence around us, emblazoned on ladies’ chests in the main.  The boys were all extremely popular when they left the stage but I was pleased to see Scott taking Chad away from the waiting groupies to go and watch some other bands.

Some of my favourite bands were playing so I dragged Lucas from stage to stage all day long.  We danced, kissed and jumped up and down until we could barely stand.  Then we went back to the hotel where we continued to do those things – with some slight variations!

The next morning, I wanted to be a tourist for a little while and explore the local area.  I’d not spend much time in Florida at all.  However, Lucas insisted that we stayed in the hotel, even though our flight home wasn’t until mid-afternoon.  I couldn’t believe it when I found out why.

Mid-morning, Lucas insisted that we went for brunch.  I wasn’t bothered but he insisted.  When we got downstairs, he led me to a casual seating area and told me to sit in one of the leather tub chairs while he sorted our coffees.  When he returned a few minutes later, he had three gentlemen with him.  He indicated for them to pull up chairs around our coffee table and then a waiter brought our drinks.

I was totally lost until Lucas made the introductions. 
My jaw hit the floor when he introduced my dad’s old band mates.  Lucas had found the surviving members of Stag and arranged for them to meet with me.  I felt really awkward and shy to begin with but Joe, the lead singer, soon put me at ease with his charmingly laid back manner.  There was also Tommy, the lead guitarist, and Bill, the bassist. 

I sneaked a look at Lucas who looked terrified, and I realized that he had taken a huge gamble in arranging this for me.  I smiled at him and he instantly relaxed. In the first half an hour or so, I was regaled with tales from the band’s heyday.  Apparently, my dad had had a wicked sense of humour and a penchant for practical jokes.  I laughed until the tears ran down my face.  I loved interacting with these guys, the last tangible link to my dad.  I loved how charming and friendly they were and I knew that my dad would have loved these guys, and from the way they talked about him, it was obvious that they loved him too.

Then talk turned to the night of the accident.  The band was on tour and, on that fateful night, they were only around 80 miles from home.  My mom had left me with her friend for the night and had gone to visit my dad.  It was only supposed to be a fleeting visit, because the band were off again first thing in the morning.  When my mom got there, Joe remembered how disappointed my dad was that she hadn’t taken me with her.  My mom countered that she’d driven at night to see him and that he would be leaving at first light so I’d be asleep anyway.  What Joe said next really rocked my world.  He said that my dad insisted on driving my mom back home so that he could see me.  Then he was going to pay a fortune in cab fare to get back to the band before they moved out again.

That was a totally different version of events than the one that I’d been led to believe as a child.  My aunt had always blamed my mom for the death of my dad.  Saying that she made him take her home when he was tired, despite the late hour and the fact that the weather was atrocious.  Blame was frequently levied at me too.  My aunt said that he wouldn’t have got behind the wheel of a car just to drive my mom home.  He died because he wanted to hold me.  That much, it seemed was true.  I felt a knife stab into my heart.  Lucas noticed my reaction and put his arm around me.

Immediately, Joe, Tommy and Bill were right there too, telling me how much my dad loved me and how proud he’d been when I was born.  That he lit up every time my name was mentioned and when he sang my song.  I couldn’t stop my tears or the wracking sobs that followed.  Lucas held me until they began to subside.

Bill asked how I’d managed with my aunt, growing up without my parents.  He confessed that on the two occasions that he’d met her, he’s instantly disliked her.  I smiled through my tears, thinking what a good judge of character he must be.  Then I heard Lucas telling them what a tough time I’d had.  Of course, he didn’t know just how tough but they guys were all shocked by what he told them.

Tommy reached out for my hand, clasped it and said that he was so sorry.  That if he’d known, he would have taken me away from her to live with him and his family.  That triggered a whole new batch of tears.  When I was all cried out, I told them the things that she used to say about my mom – all of which they refuted, and that she blamed me for my father’s death and that just looking at me, could send her into a rage – especially if she’d been drinking, which was often.

Lucas mentioned my song and told them how I couldn’t bear to hear it.  They were shocked.  They said that my dad sat and wrote that song the very night I was born and that he insisted they perform it at every gig.  Joe said it should bring me comfort, keeping my close to my dad, and that my dad would surely be hurt if he knew that his special song upset me.  I drew in a ragged breath and decided to tell them the truth.  How my aunt would play that song whilst she beat me or whipped me, telling me all the time that my dad’s death was on my hands. That she would tell me that I wasn’t his, that I was a bastard child because my mother slept around when he was on tour.  That she would starve me, serving me just stale bread and water for days as I was locked in my room when her depression hit. That all this had happened from as far back as I could remember.  I told them that, as I got older, she would tell me that I was just like my mother.  That I would tear some poor guy away from his family, then break his heart by sleeping around and having another man’s baby.  Then I told them that, at other times she would call me an ugly bastard and say that no man would want me for anything other than sex.  And all the time, Bella Baby would be playing in the background.

Four shocked faces stared back at me as I finished telling them this.  Tommy was openly wiping his eyes and Joe looked murderous.  Then Bill said, “I told you that we should have fought it.  I knew she wasn’t fit to look after a child.” He raked his fingers through his hair.  “Issy, all three of us are your godfathers.  Your dad wanted us to look after you if anything happened to him and your mom.  Unfortunately, he didn’t leave a will so your fate was decided by the state.  I’m so very sorry.  We should have fought harder for you.  Or at least, ignored her threats and checked up on you.”

I was finding this information difficult to digest.  “Threats?” I asked.

“Yeah,” said Joe.  “Every time one of us wrote or tried to call to keep in contact with you, the mad cow threatened us with legal action saying that we were harassing her or you.  That we only wanted a share of Bryan’s royalties.”

“I assumed it was the grief talking, at first,” said Tommy.  “We assumed that she would come around but then she moved and we couldn’t find you.”

I told them how she’d managed to get her hands on all of my trust fund to buy the house and fund her shopping and drinking habits, until there was none left.  They were shocked and saddened to hear that.  But then Joe said, “Hang on.  I remember your dad saying that he was leaving everything to you but that, just in case you went off the rails and blew the lot, he would tie up his song writing royalties until you were some age or another – I think it was twenty one or twenty five.”

“Oh no,” I said.  “She blew the lot.”  Then I explained how I got a full scholarship to high school and that I found out she’d died and left everything to a local cats’ home.  I delivered the punch line and we all laughed.  I loved how I felt like I’d known these three guys forever.  I’d told them more about myself than I’d told anyone except Angel, ever.

We shared lunch and continued to reminisce.  I loved hearing more about my dad and my mom.  Hearing a true account of how they loved each other was music to my ears.  How I was the spitting image of my dad as a baby.  I think it finally began to lay some ghosts to rest.  I was my dad’s daughter.  My mom wasn’t a heartless slut.  Although, I think I knew those things on some level, my aunt had filled my innocent head with constant abuse that I think I thought that I just wanted to believe the best of them.

Before Lucas announced it was time for us to collect our things for our flight home, we all exchanged contact numbers and promised to stay in touch.  These guys felt like family.  They were the strongest link to my parents that I had.  I intended to treasure them and never lose touch again.

On the flight back home, Lucas should have been berating Travis and Ethan for trashing the hotel bar the night before and getting themselves kicked out of the hotel.  They soon found some loose women and spent the night in comfort – only just making it to the airport in time for the flight.  Lucas had dealt with the fallout from the hotel, handing over enough cash to cover the damages.  But even so, he was in a good mood.  He was very good at reading me and knowing what I needed.  I had so many thoughts racing around my head after meeting my dad’s buddies, I needed quiet time to deal with all the new information, and the feelings that it evoked.  So he just held my hand and gave me the space that I needed. 

Just as the plane was descending towards the runway, he lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.  “Well, here we are, officially at the end of our four week trial.  Any regrets?”

I looked into those deep, dark eyes and I saw fear.  “None, whatsoever.  I’m exactly where I want to be.”

He smiled and his eyes lightened.  He also visibly relaxed.  “I would do anything for you, Issy.  Anything at all.  Whatever you need to make you happy, I will provide it.  Whatever, I need to do to adore you as you deserve, I won’t hesitate to do.  You do know that, don’t you?”

I returned his smile.  After his lovely, thoughtful surprise of tracking down the members of Stag and getting them to agree to meet with me, how could I say no?  And, what’s more, for the first time in my life, I felt like me.  Really me.  No secrets, no fear, no identify crisis.  Just me.  And being adored for being me felt fantastic.  I leaned over and kissed him on the lips tenderly.  “I do.  Thank you.”

The next week was hectic.  I managed to finish off Mr. Wandering Hands’ contract, although Lucas insisted on accompanying me for the onsite visits.  The rest of my time was taken up with Mini Dakota.  By the end of the week, I was down to the finishing touches.  The place looked amazing, even if I did say so myself.  I had banned Lucas from visiting all week, wanting to surprise him with the end result.

Friday afternoon came and it was time to show Lucas the apartment.  I showed him around with a racing heart and clammy palms.  I’d spent a hell of a lot of his money – what if he didn’t like it?  He kept his impassive mask on throughout the whole tour.  We finished up, back in the living room which I thought was breathtakingly beautiful.  I’d retained as many original features as I could and complimented them with sympathetic new additions.  The room was bright, airy and it oozed warmth and opulence.  The flooring was solid oak to compliment the original beams in the vaulted ceiling and I’d kept the color scheme neutral with lots of ivory and pale gold. 

I vowed to myself that one day, I would have a living room like this.  With no client to take specific instructions, this contract had taken on more of my personal tastes than any other.  Every room was how I would like it, but diluted a little to keep the color schemes fairly neutral to attract potential home hunters. 

I looked up at his face as he scanned around the room again.  His silence was making me nervous.  I suddenly felt all self-conscious, thinking what if he hates it?  I looked down at the floor, feeling nervous. Then I felt his gaze on me.  Don’t ask me how I knew, but I could always tell when he was looking at me.  I guess it was some kind of sixth sense but my body responded to him, even if he was only looking at me.