Superstar (12 page)

Of course he was right. Her throat felt as
though she’d been drinking acid. She looked up at the bag of IV
fluid that was slowly dripping into her vein. Despite the
antibiotics it no doubt contained, breathing took a tremendous
effort that barely supported talking. Singing was out of the
question.

“But that’ll leave you guys without an
opening act.”

“Rocky’s taking care of that. Probably with
local talent.”

“So, I’m off the gig?”

“I told you, get some rest. If we’re still
in North America when you’re well you’re still with us.”

“Is that you talking or is it the band?” she
asked cautiously.

“You mean Bryan?”

“Of course. It’s not like he’s the president
of my fan club. I just handed him an excuse to get rid of me on a
silver platter.”

“He was there, remember. He knows you’re
sick. Rest.”

“He knows I’m sick, but he also knows I’m an
addict. Don’t tell me he didn’t assume the worst.”

“I don’t know or give a damn what Bryan
thinks. You get some rest. When you’re ready to come back you can,”
he said.

Sioux couldn’t resist the need to close her
eyes again. Might as well take his advice; there was nothing else
she could do at the moment.

The nurses came in every hour or so to check
her vitals or to adjust her IV, and each time she awakened Thad was
there. Fortunately the chair was a recliner, and he’d gotten a
blanket from somewhere. Still, it couldn’t be comfortable for him.
He always woke up when the nurses came in, holding her hand to
comfort her. She was grateful for his presence. Being in the
hospital all alone would’ve been unbearable for her otherwise. At
least the constant interruptions prevented deep sleep so there were
no crazy dreams to contend with and the reassuring touch of his big
broad hand helped her make it through the long night.

“And who might you be, young man and what
are you doing in my daughter’s room?”

Thad awakened and looked up at a man he
immediately recognized as Sioux’s father. He wasn’t uncomfortable.
Parents generally liked him, but something in the way Roland Dupree
was looking at him made him come immediately to his feet. He
glanced over at the bed where Sioux was still dozing, and he
realized it was barely eight in the morning.

“I’m Thad, Thad Hollister,” he whispered
because Sioux’s father had whispered.

“Oh, you’re with that band my daughter has
attached herself to,” Roland said.

“Yes, and we’re friends.”

“Really?” Thad looked over at the owner of
that famous whisper of a voice, Linda Dupree, Sioux’s mother.

“To be friends you haven’t done a good job
of taking care of my daughter,” Roland said.

“I told her that running around with a rock
band was not a good plan, and look what happened. She’s in the
hospital,” Linda said. “If you’ve gotten my daughter using again…”
The threat lingered in the frigid air of the room.

Thad knew his face was flaming red as he
became defensive, but before he could respond, and really, what the
hell was he supposed to say to that? Sioux began to cough with such
a melodramatic flair she would have done credit to the cast of
Les Miserables
.

“Mama, Roland, can you guys stop picking on
Thad, and maybe pay me some attention instead.” She broke off to
hack some more.

Thad looked at Linda and knew from her
hooded expression that she saw through her daughter’s manipulation,
but Roland immediately rushed over to Sioux’s bedside. Thank God.
So much for his awesome track record with parents. Thad stretched
out the knots a night in a chair had left in his back and shoulders
then crept out of the room on a coffee quest to end all coffee
quests.

“I just don’t understand how this could have
happened,” Roland said. “I trusted Rocky to take care of you.
Obviously I overestimated her abilities.”

“Rocky did take good care of me. But anybody
can catch the flu, especially when they’re on the road. I’ll be
fine.”

“Well you’re not going back on the road with
these people. I just don’t understand why you’d want to do
something so crazy,” her mother said.

Sioux wanted to roll her eyes, but figured
it would hurt too much. And since she was off the tour anyway,
there really was no point in arguing with her mother about it.
“That’s okay, Mama. I got in some great shows. I think this will
help me launch my solo career.”

Roland pursed his lips and tilted his head
to the side. “And that’s another thing. I’m not sure you’re
ready…”

“Daddy, it’s been two years. If I’m not
ready now, I never will be. You don’t think I have the chops to
hack it?” she asked, purposefully adding just the slightest tremor
to her voice. The manipulation was so blatant Sioux was almost
embarrassed, but she’d learned long ago to fight fire with fire.
Her very survival depended on it.

“Of course not. Your talent is a given. But
you’ve been through a lot,” he said.

“Being an addict you mean,” Sioux said. Her
parents used the word only when forced and having spent her life in
denial she refused to let them gloss over the facts anymore.

Almost on cue her mother interjected. “I
really wish you would stop using that word.”

“Why Mama? It’s what I am.”

“It’s what you were. That’s over with
now.”

“You know that’s not true. It will never be
over.”

Predictably her father seized the
opportunity. “And that’s why you don’t need to be going on this
tour. It’s not like you need the money.”

“It’s not about money. I’m twenty-five years
old, Daddy. What else am I going to do with my life? I’m a singer.
That’s what I do.” She began coughing again and this time it wasn’t
a ploy. Her chest burned like fire and each cough only made it
worse.

Her mother helped her sit up and gave her
the glass of water to sip from when the paroxysm had passed.
Apparently they had decided to table the discussion because they
began talking about travel arrangements while Sioux rested against
the pillows wondering where Thad had escaped to. She didn’t blame
him for wanting to get the hell out of Dodge. Her parents had that
effect on people--including her, but she hoped she’d see him before
she left town.

While in the surprisingly restaurant-like
hospital cafeteria picking up coffee and a breakfast sandwich, Thad
put in a call to Twist. If Sioux would be leaving today, he
probably needed to get back to the hotel. He had no idea what the
travel arrangements were for their return to L.A., but he was
pretty sure Rocky had told him they’d be leaving today. Luckily
Twist was already en-route to the hospital, so Thad headed back to
Sioux’s room to say goodbye. He knew her parents would still be in
the room, but they were both on their phones, too absorbed in
making arrangements to take her home to grill him any further.
Sioux greeted him like a long-lost friend; so enthusiastic he
couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

“Sorry about that,” she said taking both his
hands in hers.

“Hey, they’re your parents. That’s pretty
much how they all act. I think it’s the law or something.”

“Yeah, but they were acting like this was
your fault,” she said with a very attractive pout. Thad immediately
tore his gaze away from her mouth. Even half dead from pneumonia,
the woman still managed to send his libido into orbit.

He shrugged again. “Are you going home
today?”

“Yeah, apparently so,” she said, gesturing
toward her parents who had each taken a corner on opposite sides of
the room as they worked their phones. “Is Storm Crow coming down
too?”

“We’re heading out late this afternoon.
We’ll hang out in L.A for a couple of weeks before heading down to
Perth. B.T. said something about a special club show, but I don’t
have the details. I’ll call you, okay?”

She smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

He returned her smile and slipped out of the
room. Twist met him in the lobby and they walked out the doors of
the hospital where they were greeted by a phalanx of paparazzi.
Thad cursed, he’d forgotten all about them, but Twitter had gone
insane with the news of what had happened at the concert last
night. Of course the vultures were here. He and Twist took off at a
near run, but the photographers managed to keep up.

“Hey Thad. Did your girl OD? How do you feel
about fucking a junkie?” asked one who was so close on his heels
Thad could feel his hot breath.

“Too bad about Sioux. They say those coke
whores give good head though. Care to comment?” asked another. Thad
wondered how the man managed to keep up as his belly protruded more
than a few inches over his belt.

“Hey Twist, is that what old Sioux is doing?
Giving it to all of you?” said a third.

That was enough. “Shut up. Just shut the
hell up,” Thad growled at them. Twist gave him a sharp look then
grabbed his arm started pulling him toward the car.

“Come on Thad. You knew she was a junkie,
right? I’ve heard she’s a hot piece of ass.” That was Hot Breath
again. Before he even processed the thought, Thad lunged at the
photographer. Despite Twist’s best effort Thad managed to land a
blow to the paparazzo’s nose. The blood spray was impressive though
Thad didn’t find it gratifying in the least and he continued to
swing at the man. Determined to take him apart inch by disgusting
inch.

“Bro!” Twist screamed in his ear. “Chill the
fuck out. He’s not worth it. Stop, damn it man! Stop!”

The photographer was holding his nose as it
spewed blood. The other photographers were shooting as rapidly as
their shutters would let them.

“I’m calling the cops. Your ass will be in
jail tonight,” the man Thad had punched shouted, though the effect
was muffled by his efforts to stem the flow of blood out of his
nose.

“Fuck you! Fuck you!” Thad screamed. Twist
finally got both his arms behind him and forcibly dragged him to
the car. It was no easy effort and he had to kick a few paparazzo
to move them out of his way before he could accomplish it. Thad was
almost incandescent with rage. The fury compelled him to continue
to struggle against his friend, even though it was fruitless. Twist
had an almost freakishly strong upper body from years of playing
drums. Still with the almost superhuman strength his rage gave him,
Thad almost got away a couple of times. Finally fed up, Twist
practically threw Thad into the car.

“For fuck’s sake man, get a grip,” Twist
bellowed at him as Thad grappled to get out of the car. To get at
the photographer who had said such foul things about Sioux.
Fortunately the driver gunned the engine at just that moment and
the paparazzi had to move out of the way or be run over. Several of
them were already on their phones probably trying to sell their
pictures. Thad smiled in satisfaction when he saw the one who was
still holding his nose trying without much success to staunch the
flow of blood.

Thad’s rage gradually subsided as they made
their way back to the hotel.

“What the hell got into you man?” Twist
asked giving him an exasperated look.

Thad couldn’t believe his ears and his anger
roared back to life. “Didn’t you hear what they said?”

“Of course, but you’ve only made it worse.
You know that’s what they want, pictures of a celebrity going off.
They’ll make a fortune off those photos of you hitting that
guy.”

Thad knew all this, of course, but at the
moment he simply didn’t give a damn. “What if they said shit like
that about Naysa?” They were nearly at the hotel and Thad wasn’t
getting any calmer. And for Twist of all people to be trying check
his behavior. It didn’t get any crazier than that.

“I’d rip their heads off, but Naysa is my
wife. You claim you and Sioux aren’t…Never mind,” Twist said.
Apparently for once he had enough sense to realize Thad had had
enough. “You’re going to have to pay for that one. I think you
broke his nose.”

“Wish it had been his neck. They’re the
reason she went on stage last night when she had no business being
out of bed. She was afraid of what they’d say. What they’d do. So
she went on and now she’s got pneumonia. They did this to her and
I’ll be damned if I’ll be sorry for making them pay for it.”

“You know it comes with the territory. We’re
not used to it, but you remember all the craziness about Bryan and
Callie. Sioux is one of the most famous women in the world. You
know she knows the score.”

“That’s the point, she does know. But isn’t
there a point where the price is too high? She’s trying so
goddamned hard. Doesn’t she deserve a break?” When the other man
didn’t respond, Thad rested his head against the back seat of the
car and closed his eyes. Exhaustion settled into the very marrow of
his bones. Staying up practically all night then dealing with those
photographers left him tired and disgusted with life in general.
Within moments he was sound asleep.

Chapter Seven

“I can’t believe your mama let you leave her
house,” Kwai said following Sioux into the den of Sioux’s home.

“She didn’t
let
me do anything. I
just left. Now come over here and help me finish taking down my
hair. Mama started last night, but I couldn’t take her hovering for
another second. Bev worked me in for tomorrow.”

“I was about to ask you what had gone wrong
with your head,” Kwai said, examining the blunt ends where Sioux
had cut off the extensions. “You know Bev will remove extensions
for you?”

“Sure, I do. But have you seen what she
charges?” Sioux asked as she sat down on the large over stuffed
sofa. She’d placed a large beach towel over the plush white surface
to keep it from getting covered with hair as she removed her long
overdue braid extensions.

Kwai smirked and shook her head. This was an
old argument. “Do I need to point out that you’re rich as
hell?”