Rock Me Slower (Licks of Leather #3) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,45
the conversation in a different direction.
“You already know there’s no love lost between me and those cocksuckers.”
“I do. But I’m glad you checked yourself into drug rehab. What is it…six times now?”
Ozzy rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“Oh, I keep meaning to ask, how is your love child doing these days?”
Ozzy growled and I couldn’t keep from laughing.
“That bitch was beyond psycho. No sane woman would have tried extorting money from a guy who’d never even met her.” He shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh. “And how fucking sad is it that Quinn’s lawyer, Reed Landes, has a copy of my DNA in case this shit happens again.”
“Wow. I had no idea it had gotten that bad.”
A mischievous grin tugged the corners of his mouth. “I’m crushed you didn’t follow the story via the tabloids.”
“Smart-ass. For your information, I did. The articles neglected to—”
“Tell the truth? Of course not. Those fuckers have no conscience. They’ll print anything to make a buck.”
“I know.” I nodded sadly, wishing Nigel, Ozzy, and I weren’t in their crosshairs. I didn’t want to imagine what lies they were touting right now.
“I know you and Nigel pulled the wool over their eyes so he could screw Electra. What I don’t know is how you two managed to deceive the press for so long.”
“I was singing backup vocals for him after…after we broke up. We’d spent a long day in the studio and decided to hit a little bar down the street, where we proceeded to get totally wasted.
“You still a lightweight?”
“Featherweight now.” I chuckled. “I hardly ever drink, if at all.”
“How do you handle the pressure of this crazy life we live?”
“Yoga.”
“Ahh.” He nodded. “Keep going, tell me the rest.”
“Nigel called a cab, but I’d pretty much passed out before it arrived. So, he took me to his house and tucked me into one of his guest rooms. The next morning, the paparazzi snapped photos of me taking what they dubbed the walk of shame and into a cab. A few weeks later, I stopped by his house to drop off a song I’d written. Some chick answered the door. I went in and found him and Electra fucking on the kitchen counter. I found out later the woman was a friend of Electra, and her alibi.”
“So, you blackmailed Nigel into launching your career and secured a contract with Gerry, then turned around and blackmailed him to get out of it. Damn, you got a huge set of balls, girl,” Ozzy drawled cynically.
My eyes grew wide.
My mouth fell open.
And my heart shattered like fine china.
Before I could attempt to pick up the pieces, a red rage rolled through me.
Biting back the wail of anger, anguish, and agony tearing through me, I willed my tears away and sent him a scathing glare.
“Once again, your lack of faith in me is…outstanding,” I snarled. “Is that really what you think happened? That I manipulated my way to the top?”
“Since you never signed with that douchebag wannabe agent, Carl Zattman, and soared straight to the stars, what else am I supposed to think?”
Hearing that monster’s name roll off his tongue sent panic surging. My stomach heaved. I rolled the window down as fast as I could and stuck my head out the portal.
“Mia. What the fuck? Are you all right?”
The cold wind bit into my face as I gagged and coughed.
Ozzy slammed on the brakes and pulled the truck to the side of the road. Tears spilled down my cheeks. Claustrophobia pressed in all around me, igniting the horror I kept locked in my brain.
When Ozzy gripped my shoulders, a cry tore from my throat. Tossing the door open, I fumbled with my seat belt as I tried to wiggle free of his hands. Undaunted, Ozzy held firm and twisted me toward him. The confusion and fear etching his face gave way to unadulterated fury.
“What did he do to you?” he snarled between clenched teeth. “What did that cock-sucking motherfucker do to you?”
A pathetic sob escaped my throat. And though I was wide-awake, the nightmare rolled through my brain, in blood-curdling living color.
Chapter Ten
Ozzy
Eyes wild with a level of panic I’d never seen before, Mia crumpled against my chest as powerful sobs ripped from her trembling body. Every ounce of the strong, sassy spitfire evaporated before my eyes. All the while I held Mia close, gently stroked her back, and murmured reassuring platitudes in her ear, a litany of horrific scenarios Carl Zattman could have done to her pounded