Wicked Bad Boys (94 page)

J
ohnny
and I spent three perfect days together. He did not let one minute go to waste. I dropped the issue of his stonefaceviper79 error in judgment. He did not raise the question of what would happen to us after the last two tour stops were over in four days. He put his foot down with Kevin and cancelled all recordings, practices and meetings. The only company we had in the house were the housekeeper, Larry and two security guards, and they left us to ourselves. Even the stalker seemed to have gone quiet.

All we did for three days was eat, sleep, go for daily runs, play in the basement, and make love. It was like a dream.

Four days left.

That was how much the time I had left in LA, but as we both promised not to worry about after the tour, I parked the anxiety.

Today, we woke up early and packed for the concert in San Diego later this evening. The arena was a location where Johnny had performed several times, and the road crew had been there for a day setting up. The rest of us would fly out early this afternoon, with five hours to spare before the concert was scheduled to start.

Everything went smoothly, right up to the end of Johnny’s first half of the performance to a crowd of over ten thousand people. Security was tight, Johnny performed beautifully, and I kept up with the backup singers. During the intermission, I popped into Johnny’s dressing room to make sure he was fine. He was thrilled with how well the first half had gone, and as we both only had twenty minutes to do a wardrobe change, I left him with Fred and Jenny to go to the ladies’ dressing room.

On my way there, someone in an event staff uniform caught my eye as she approached me in the backstage corridor. She had a familiar face, and her hand was extended out for a handshake. I stopped and raised my hand to take hers, but stopped short. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I was almost positive this was the woman who had attacked Kevin. Shit. I didn’t have my phone to check. The recognition in my eyes set her off. She grasped my wrist with one hand and turned into me, reaching the other arm around the back of my leg.

I’ve been fighting for years. I didn’t even have to think. My free arm went around her neck and clamped down hard enough to make her pass out. She loosened her grip on my wrist, raising both hands in the air to give up. One hand was opened. In the other, I made out three fingers extended up. Her thumb and index fingers were pressed together, and between them was a razor blade from an old-fashioned manual shaver.

I snuck a glance toward the side where she touched my leg.

Blood.

A lot of blood.

Coming from my leg.

I froze, and the woman took her opportunity to wrench herself from my grasp. She bolted off and disappeared through a side door. I screamed out and two of the location security staff ran to me from the other direction. There was a pool of blood around my left leg. She must have hit a major blood vessel. By the time one of the guards ran off to get help, the room was spinning. The last thing I remembered hearing was the security guard calling my name—Rachel, not even my real name. The last thought I had was a silent prayer that I would not bleed out before seeing Johnny one last time.

K
evin waited
until after the end of my performance to tell me Amanda had been attacked. I knew something was wrong when she didn’t return to the stage for the second half. I did not figure on a stab wound and a hospital visit as the cause. Fred had his men take Kevin and me directly to the limo to get to the hospital.

“What happened?” I asked Kevin and Fred. It felt like déjà vu, except Kevin and Amanda had switched places. “And do not tell me you don’t know. I want answers.”

Fred spoke up. “The same woman who held Kevin at knifepoint stabbed Amanda…”

“But how—”

Fred held up a hand and cut me off. “Let me finish. I’ll give you all the information we have. This will answer most of your questions.”

I nodded to let him continue.

“On her condition so far, it’s serious. She has lost a lot of blood, and was unconscious when paramedics arrived. We’ll know more when we get to the hospital. About the incident itself, the unsub caused one laceration on Amanda’s leg with a sharp object. We are certain this woman is the stalker, from security video footage of the corridor. We also traced her movements back to when she arrived here at the arena.

“We now have a positive identification. The woman stole the card access badge of another employee for the event location. This time, she slipped up. She drove to the arena in a rental from San Diego International airport. Jenny did a search of the plates, contacted the rental company, and the driver’s license picture on file is a match to today’s footage and the one from the night Kevin was attacked… We’re going to find the woman who did this, Johnny. Larry stayed back at the arena to work with local police while they interview some of the staff and any witnesses. It’s only a matter of time now.”

“Who is with Amanda now?”

“Two of the private security guards. I would have sent one of my agents, but we’re spread so thin already.” He turned to Kevin. “You and I can talk about how to handle the media piece after.”

“What media piece?”

He looked over at me briefly. “You have enough on your plate to worry about, Johnny.”

“No. I want to hear it. Did it get out to the media already?”

“Unfortunately, yes. During the show. Someone with a backstage press pass took footage of Amanda laid out on the ground, unconscious. It was leaked, and hit several online celebrity blogs within minutes of the event. Also…” He paused, possibly to prepare me. I couldn’t think of anything worse than what he had already shared.

“What?”

“She was made. As Roxy Punisher. Amanda’s cover has been blown.”

“I had already planned for this when the stalker tried to out her on the blog,” Kevin shared.

“That doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“Johnny, it’s best you focus on Amanda right now,” Kevin said. “I’ll take care of it.”

Fred was finished his update, and Kevin did not say much more. I looked out the window. We could not get to the hospital fast enough.

M
y eyelids felt
heavy when I tried to open them. I was light-headed when I finally woke up, and confused about where I was and how I had gotten here. I was placed on my right side, so could only see in one direction. I slowly realized I was in hospital bed, surrounded by drawn curtains. I was in a hospital gown, with only my bra and panties underneath, and there was an IV in my arm, connected to a clear bag of saline solution. Sounds came from behind the curtains—people walking around, a couple of moans, and some hushed conversations.

A nurse drew a section of the curtains aside to come in, and closed it back when she was inside. While it was open, I saw the two security guards through a clear glass window opposite me. Their backs were turned, but one of them looked to be the guard who found me in the corridor.

That’s when I remembered.

The stalker got to me.

There was so much blood.

I tried to sit up, panicking that she may have gotten to Johnny too, as I did not get to warn anyone.

The nurse put down her medical records tablet beside me, held my shoulder with one arm, and told me it was best if I stayed in the bed.

“I have to warn Johnny!”

“Calm down, honey. Everything is okay.” She pointed toward the glass windows. “See those men out there? They asked me to let you know everyone else is fine. How are you feeling?” She looked at my vitals on the machine beside the bed as she waited for me to reply.

I relaxed back into the bed. “A little weak…dizzy. I didn’t bleed out?”

She smiled and patted my forearm. “No, ma’am. You sure didn’t.”

“I don’t think I ever saw that much blood…”

She picked up the tablet again and scrolled through what I assumed was my patient file. “I’ll let the doctor give you the details of your condition and prognosis, all right? Just relax. He’ll be right in.”

“Thanks,” I told her. “Can I ask you what time it is?”

“A few minutes after eleven p.m. You’ve been here for about two hours.”

I didn’t expect Johnny to finish up at the concert yet, but still asked, “Is anyone else waiting for me? Out there?”

The doctor pushed back the curtain before she could reply. He looked at the machine beside me as well, and the nurse said something like ‘homeostasis attained’, and a few other medical terms I didn’t understand.

“Miss…Preston, is it?”

I cringed. The private security guards were told I was Rachel Preston. If they were the ones who accompanied me here, they wouldn’t know. My wallet and purse were back at the arena.

“No. It’s Baker. Amanda Baker. Rachel Preston is…it’s like a stage name.”

“Thanks for letting us know, Miss Baker.” He nodded toward the nurse, and she left my bedside. “We’ll have that fixed for admissions and other records. How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” I replied. “Light-headed.”

“That was quite the little gash you got on your leg. Do you remember how you got it?”

“A woman slashed me. Someone the FBI was investigating. Is there anyone named Agent Carlson outside waiting for me? He can give you more information.”

“That won’t be necessary. Local police will want to speak to you about it. Let’s talk about your injury. You suffered a laceration to the back of the leg, which resulted in moderate blood volume loss. It means you were stabbed and lost some blood. The injury was not deep, so tissue damage was minor. It did nick an artery, however. You’re a lucky lady, Miss Baker. Another two inches toward your inner thigh with a deeper wound, and you could have bled out in under three minutes.” I nodded calmly, but inside, I was doing a few Hail Mary’s. He looked at the tablet again. “We were able to stop the bleeding with sutures, and we can release you sometime tomorrow, but you’re not out of the woods completely, young lady. You’ll need to stay off your feet for a few days to let it heal. The dizziness will pass by morning. You’ll also need to follow up with your doctor or back here at the hospital so we can monitor you for any residual blood loss or internal trauma. Do you have a local doctor?”

“No. I’m only in town for one night. I’ll have to get one when I fly back to—”

“Oh no, no, Miss Baker. You’re not going to be fit to fly for at least three days. That wound of yours would open right up in mid-air…it would not be safe or pretty.”

Shit. I remembered that. After my last MMA fight, I wasn’t cleared to fly for a week.

My heart sank. “So what’s the soonest?”

“Four to five days.”

That wasn’t soon enough. “I have a job in three days in LA, doctor.”

“Well, you should let your boss know you can’t work for the next little while.”

Shit.

“Can I drive?”

“
You
can’t. Someone else can drive you, but you’ll have to figure out how to get there positioned on your side. You don’t want to risk reopening it if you’re seated, do you?”

“No. I don’t, doctor.” I immediately thought of the road crew’s tour bus. “Okay. I can figure that part out. Is there anything else?”

“Yes. No standing, no exerting yourself, no moving around for the first two or three days. Just rest the way you’re positioned right now. You’ll heal faster, and most likely won’t need another hospital stay. After that, you can start moving around with crutches for a week, but you need to take it slow and easy.”

“Will there be any…any permanent damage?” My stomach turned just thinking about it.

“No, not at all. You’re young. You’ll heal right up, especially if you do what I told you. Be sure to let it heal completely so you don’t re-injure yourself, get it infected, or worse, cause internal bleeding. Understood?”

“I do.”

“Good. There are some people waiting outside to see you, and San Diego PD will need to ask you a few questions about that stab wound. I just started my shift, so I’ll check on you in the morning, when we hope to release you. Have a good rest, Miss Baker.”

I swore under my breath after he and left.

No work for five days, and Johnny’s last event was the most important.

Geez.

Johnny, Kevin and Fred walked in just after the doctor left. Johnny held a large bunch of roses in one hand…and wow…a basket that read ‘
Hospital Survival Kit
’, filled with boxes of chocolates and candy, and an adorable teddy bear on top.

“Hi,” I said weakly.

‘These are for you.”

“Thanks, Johnny. That was so thoughtful. You can set them down on the counter behind the machine.”

“How are you feeling?” Johnny said, placing them on the ledge and coming to my side. He pressed a kiss on my forehead and took my hand, gripping on tightly.

“Happy to be alive. Everything is okay, right? At the arena?” I looked over at Fred. “It was her. The woman in Kevin’s car. I got a close look at her.”

Fred nodded and stepped forward. “We know who she is now. We’ll find her soon.”

“Oh good. She caught me by surprise. She was wearing event staff’s uniform. Something else was different from the images we have of the assault on Kevin. She definitely has blue eyes.”

“Don’t worry about that now. Just focus on getting better. I’m glad to see you conscious, to be honest.”

“Yes. The doctor said I’ll be released tomorrow.” I looked up at Johnny. “He said I can’t move from this position for four days. I can’t fly, drive a vehicle, or stand during that time. So I was thinking, does the road crew tour bus have room for me?”

Kevin spoke up from behind them. “We’ll make room if we have to, but I don’t think that’s the best option. I can arrange a private medical transport. It’ll be easier on your injury. I’ll get my assistant on it now.”

“I need you to get her a private room for tonight too, Kevin. Something with a sofa. I’m staying here with her until she’s released.”

I could have cried right there and then from his kindness.

“No problem. I’m on it.”

“Thank you, Kevin,” I said. “That would be great. I appreciate it.”

He turned to leave, but looked over to me. “I’m happy to hear you’re going to be fine, Amanda.”

He nodded, patted Johnny on the shoulder, and went outside with his phone already to his ear.

“I’ll make sure Larry and a few more guards stay behind with you for whenever you come back, Amanda,” Fred said, turning to leave.

Johnny looked around at him. “I’m staying back with her, so you may want to leave more men here. I’ll let Kevin know he needs to organize a few SUV rentals for whoever waits with us for the drive back tomorrow.”

Us.

My heart melted a little that he’d give up the convenience of flying home for me. LA was less than a three-hour drive from San Diego, but it was the thought that mattered.

Fred nodded. “I’ll talk to local police on your behalf, Amanda. We’ve already connected with the SDPD site commander at the arena, so you can give your victim’s statement tomorrow.”

“That’s great.”

“Larry and Jenny will return to LA on the plane with Kevin. I’ll drive with the team that’s accompanying you back, whether it’s on the tour bus or an SUV following the medical transport.”

“Thanks Fred.”

He said a polite, but warm-sounding farewell and left.

Johnny bent forward and kissed me again. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was going crazy on the way over here.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I would have come sooner, but Kevin didn’t tell me what happened until the concert ended. Hold on a second. I’ll pull up a chair.” He stepped around the bed, out of my line of sight, and reappeared with a fabric-covered guest chair. He pulled it as close as he could to my bedside, and sat.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not at the moment. It stings a little.”

“I can’t believe this happened to you…with all the security we hired.” He sat up in the chair and looked away. His nostrils flared, his eyes narrowed, and he looked like he would start pacing any minute. “I swear I could strangle that crazy bitch for what she did to you.”

I mentioned he needed to keep his voice down as we weren’t alone.

“Right,” he whispered. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Hey, did anyone grab my things from the performers’ dressing room?”

“Yes. It’s all been handled.”

“That’s great. I’ll need more time with my tablet if I have to be stuck like this for a few days.”

Kevin returned to let us know I would be moved to a private room within the hour.

“Excellent. Thanks, Kevin,” Johnny told him, turning back to me.

“By the way, keep these curtains drawn and don’t leave this room,” Kevin said.

Johnny turned to him. “What? Why, what’s going on?”

“There are people from the media swarming all over this place. Most of them are following hospital protocol and waiting outside, but there’s always the desperate paps scum willing to do anything. Hospital security already removed three of them from this floor.”

“Fine. I’ll stay put.”

“And they’re not just after you right now, Johnny. Everyone wants to interview Roxy Punisher. They can’t get enough of this story. They’re playing this from every angle—Amanda’s injury, the scandal of your cover being blown, the fake relationship between you and Johnny, with everything about your MMA career thrown in. Amanda, my PR rep is on standby if you need any help putting out fires, or weeding through it for the good inquiries. Do you still have someone who deals with this for you?”

“Yes. My manager. I can get you his number from my phone.”

“What’s his name?”

“Gary Stuart.”

“I know Gary. This entertainment business is a small world, dear. I’ll look him up.”

“Thank you, Kevin.”

“No problem. Well boys and girls, I’m going to get over to the hotel for some sleep. I’ll come back in the morning. Get some rest.”

I was moved to a private room shortly after, with a pullout sofa where Johnny would sleep. After the nurse made sure I was settled in and left, Johnny came back to stand at my bedside.

“Do you need anything?” he asked, running his hand through my hair.

“I’m good and tired. I’m sure I’ll sleep well.”

“You and me both.”

“Sorry you have to sleep in that thing,” I told him, motioning to the sofa-bed.

“It’s just one night.” He leaned down to me, caressing my cheek. “Besides, I’m could never leave you here alone.”

That was it.

That was what broke me.

I dropped my head back to the pillow and cried. ‘Cried’ might have been an understatement. I went from silent tears to hyperventilating sobs to weeping. Ugly cries followed.