A Beautiful Rock (11 page)

The cops
walk me discretely out of an emergency exit while the press is busy taking photos and yelling questions at Lisa. My chest becomes tight and my stomach lurches as I hear the ruckus echoing through the night – I just want to go and help her. I want to keep her safe and out of the limelight, like she wanted. Now she’s put herself, smack in the middle of it all, and she’s done it to protect me. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone put themselves out like this before. It makes me care for her even more.

"Listen, this is probably a really bad time to say this. But, if I don't get the chance, I just wanted to say that I'm a really big fan
, and I'm sorry that I had to be the one to arrest you," one of the cops tells me as he opens the back door of the squad car and gestures for me to get in.

“
Don't sweat it mate,” I say, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “We all have our jobs to do.”

Taking one last look over my shoulder in the direction of the noise, I
hope Lisa is ok as I slide into the back seat to be driven to the police station for processing.

***

I guess the good thing about being a celebrity, is that you get pushed through very quickly at a police station. They don't want you out where anyone can see you because they don't want to be doing crowd control in their own workspace.

I'm taken to a room,
questioned and booked before I know it. The only thing they haven't done yet is give me my phone call.

"You've got five minutes," an officer says
, as he hands me a phone. I’m about to call Lisa to see how she is, but she said she’d get here as soon as she could. So I take the opportunity to do something I should have done years ago. I call my brother…

***

“Lisa! Oh my god. What the hell happened tonight?” Sandra blurts the moment our call connects.

“Oh Sandra. I’ve fucked up big time
, and I’m so sorry. I just need you to trust that I’ll tell you everything soon. But right now, I need your help.”

“Girl, you will be spilling your guts like you’ve been
disembowelled. I want to know
everything
and since I’m your best friend and all, I think it’s only fair that I get the exclusive interview.”

I chuckle a little in response. She’s always thinking of her career. “Of course. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“Great. Now what do you need?”

“Can you please take care of Perry for me. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to go home and he’s
probably freaked out and hungry by now,” I plead with her as I take the corner without using a blinker.

They follow me anyway
and all of a sudden, there’s a loud thumping noise coming from above me. “Of course. I’ll go there now to get him.”

“Th
ank you Sandra. You’re saving my arse right now.”

“Just one question though. Is that a helicopter I can hear?”

***

“Marcus Bailey. You’re out,” yet another cop says from the other side of the bullpen I’ve been put in to wait until someone bails me out.

“What?” the guy brought in for drunk and disord
erly conduct says as I stand up. He’s been telling me his sad and sorry tale of woe for the last hour and a half and currently looks very confused. “I thought you said yer name was ‘Jack Mehoff’.”

I press my lips together in a smile, but don’t address his query.
“Good luck Davo. Hope you can sort things out with your wife when you get home,” I reply, before moving to the barred sliding door.

As I move past the other men, some of them cla
im they knew who I was all along, while others are either too out of it to respond, or just don’t give a shit. I flat out denied who I was the moment I was asked and then just kept my head down.

Th
e officer leads me out into another room where my things are returned to me and I’m taken to where I’m expecting to meet Lisa. Although, I freeze, surprised when I’m greeted by Naomi and Theo.

“How are you, Marcus?” Theo asks, offering me his hand to shake.

I slap my hand against his forearm and pull him into a hug. “Better now. I’ve missed you big brother.”

We separate and
look at each other. He smiles, looking a little sad over everything that’s passed between us. “I never thought I’d say it – but, I missed you too little brother. You and your stupid fucking cocky attitude. It’s been a lonely couple of years, man. Things just haven’t been the same without you around.”

“How are mum and dad?” I ask.

He shrugs. “They’re fine. They’ll be happy to see you. Mum’s been keeping a scrapbook for you and recording everything she can. They miss you.”

I let out a sigh, feeling the weight of my guilt settle on my shoulders. “I’m so sorry for being such a jerk for so long. I should have called you back
.”

Theo slaps me on the shoulder. “We’re family, man. It’s water under the bridge now.”

Nodding, I give Theo another quick hug and slap him on the back good naturedly, before turning to Naomi who’s been standing right near us, watching with watery eyes.

“Hey Nomes,” I say softly, pulling her into a hug too.
“I’m sorry for being a jerk to you too.”

She gives me a slight grin and shrugs.
“You were always a bit of a jerk, Marcus. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

I let an amused burst of air out of my nose as I place my hands on my hips.
Funny how some people are exactly the same no matter how much time passes. It’s nice. I’m glad I called them.

“
Are you ok though? You’ve been through a lot tonight.” Naomi asks, looking me over like she’s looking for cuts and scrapes.

“
Looks like I’m going to have a record, but other than that, I’m just peachy. Thanks for coming to bail me out. Lisa was going to come but I think she might be having a bit of trouble with the press.”

“
You think?” Theo comments, nodding to the television suspended to the wall in the waiting area. On it, there’s a news report showing my car driving along the street with the caption, ‘Leisil Marx attacks one and steals car in her most recent revenge plot involving Marcus Bailey.’

My mouth drops open. “What the hell is going on?” I say to myself, watching as the news helicopter continues to film her driving around
the same block three times. A flash of footage, filming her from the side as she takes a corner shows her looking slightly harassed and…squashed up. Suddenly, I’m reminded of why she refused to go in my car. Her head is touching the roof.

As I watch the news broadcast, my heart swells with affection for this woman
. What she’s doing right now is nothing short of amazing. She’s keeping them busy so they don’t find me. Fuck, I think I’m falling in love with this woman.

***

“Holy shit, L
eis. You’re all over the news. They think you’re going to smash his car into something,” Sandra informs me from the other end of the line. Her voice fills the car through the Bluetooth. It’s almost as if she’s here with me.

I turn another corner.
“I’m not! I’m trying to use all of my spy skills to lose them. But it’s not working. I’ve been driving for over an hour and now there’s a fucking helicopter! What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Well, what would Jason Stratham do in this situation?
” she asks calmly.

“Crap. I don’t know
. He’d pull some trick driving manoeuvre and lose them in a parking garage or something.”

“Exactly,” she replies and I can hear the smile in her voice.

“That’s it! A parking garage! I can see a big shopping centre up ahead. There’s no way they’ll be able to cover all the exits. I’m going to cut through there.”

“Maybe you should leave the car there and catch a cab?”

“Sandra. I’m driving a Porsche 911 that isn’t mine. I am not leaving it in a shopping centre’s parking garage. It will be stripped and sold for parts in no time.”

“True. True. What are you doing to do then?”

“Something a little illegal.”

I hit the end call button on the steering wheel and turn into the enormous shopping centre’s car park
, then begin winding my way through the levels until I reach the exit furthest from the way I entered. As I drive through the gate, I flick off my lights so I’m not as visible in the dark of the night, and using the GPS, I navigate my way back to Marcus’s apartment building, praying that I won’t get pulled over by the police for driving at night with no lights.

When I’m almost there, I flick the lights back on
and thank god his parking garage is gated. The moment it closes behind me, I park the car and breathe a huge sigh of relief and burst into tears. I
never
want to be involved in a paparazzi chase ever again. That was just… horrible.

On shaky legs, I get o
ut of the car. Wiping away my tears as I look around for a way to get out of here, I see the elevator bay and head over to it, using the key on Marcus’s chain to gain access.

As I ride up to his apartment my tears keep on flowing. I feel so
lost right now and somehow, I’m supposed to get to the police station to bail Marcus out. My only thought is that I’ll need to call Sandra again so she can drive me there unseen.

But first, I need to find out which police station is holding him – it’s something that did
n’t even cross my mind earlier. As if hearing my thoughts of him, my phone lights up with a call, showing his smiling face and the word ‘Dude’.

“Marcus?” I say as I press the handset to my ear. “Where are you? Are you ok?”

“I’m calling to ask you the same thing. Lisa… my god. Are you ok? The news is saying that they lost you. I’m worried about you.”

I sob down the line
as the stress of the evening comes crashing down on me.

“Hey, it’s ok. Don’t cry. I’ll come and get you. Forget the car, get out and dump it. I just want you safe
.”

“I…I’m ok. I’m in the
lift to your apartment. Where are you?”

“I’m in my apartment. Theo and Naomi bailed me out.”

“Thank god. I was freaking out that you were sitting in a cell with god only knows what kind of person trying to make you his bitch.”

He lets out a soft chuckle in response. “I’m waiting for you,” he says in a deep rumble that
somehow calms me.

I let out a shaky breath. “Thank god,” I whisper, and I
disconnect the call.

The doors ping and then open, revealing the most magnificent thing my eyes could ever see. “Marcus,” I cry out, practically throwing myself against him as I exit the lift.

He catches me effortlessly, lifting me so I’m wrapped around his middle. Instantly, his mouth is on mine and we’re moving through his apartment until we reach his massive bed.

Laying me down gently, he leans over me
and looks down at me with his beautiful blue eyes shining. “I want you to spend the night with me. But I don’t think we should…you know,” he whispers, looking slightly pained. “I mean, I want to… I just don’t want this night to be our beginning. Does that make sense?”

I reach my hand up and run it down the side of his face, delighting in the sensation of his stubble against my palm. “It makes perfect sense,” I whisper back
. He turns his head and kisses my palm before dropping his weight so he’s lying beside me with his arm around my waist. Turning in his arms, I lay so we’re face to face.

He lifts his hand to smooth back my hair. “I got you to change your mind,” he smiles.

I grin in return. “Yes, you did. I guess I’m not the exception to the rule after all. I couldn’t resist your charms.”

He brings his mouth to mine, making out with me like we’re teenagers.
“You are you know,” he murmurs after a while.

“
I am what?”

“The exception to the rule. I’ve never had this with someone before. I’ve never cared enough to take it slow.
I’ve never been transfixed with only one person. You just… you amaze me. I think you’re amazing.”

“Aren’t you afraid
that I’m going to ruin your career or something? Your fans are already so angry…”

“Babe, after what you did for me tonight,
how could I ever be afraid of anything?”

I roll onto my back and look at the ceiling.
“I didn’t do anything good Marcus. This all happened
because
of me. If I had have been honest about who I was…”

“Then your life would be different and we may not have me
t,” he tells me immediately, gripping my side and guiding me so I roll to face him again.

I look
into his eyes and my heart swells. I’m filled with a sense of…I can’t even think that word right now… but this feels big.

“You’ve got all the answers don’t you?” I murmur
, and he smiles in response before kissing me again.

“The world doesn’t matter, Lisa. Only we do.”