Rush (17 page)

He moaned and turned his head away as though her pain was his. He couldn’t stand the thought of her hurting… because of him. Vanessa’s last words came back to him.
You’re a shark, cold and flat, taking bites out of people until there’s nothing left
.

Pulling out of her grip, he backed away, unable to meet her eyes. He didn’t want to be like that. He’d worked so
hard
not to be that.

“Lucas—” She reached for him.

He put a hand up. “Please, don’t.” Self-loathing, his old friend, burned a hole in his gut. He could hardly get the words out. “If I ever… you have to promise me…”

“Anything.”

He would have to work harder, he told himself. And if he failed… he couldn’t fail. He
wouldn’t
fail. His voice strengthened with his resolve. “You have to tell me.”

Mi struggled to understand. “Okay.”

He went to her then, looking down at her with eyes full of earnest anguish that pierced her chest. Had she done this to him?

“You tell me if I hurt you,” he said. “I need to know. Promise me you’ll tell me.”

“I will.”

“Don’t wait. Not ever again.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

He nodded and stepped away. She watched him go, wanting to kick herself for her stupidity. What had she done?

*****

Lucas kept his distance from her as though he didn’t trust himself. The whole time Mi was getting ready to go to the studio, she went over in her head everything that had happened between them, especially what had happened in the kitchen. She didn’t understand why he was upset. She had known he was worried about how much bigger and taller he was than her, but she thought he’d gotten over it. She didn’t understand what the big deal was. His reaction... the look in his eyes… agonized.

She sneaked a peek at his profile. He was focused on the road, a wrist resting across the top of the steering wheel, his other hand absently rubbing his thigh. He tended to do that when he was thinking. She’d seen the scars there and although he’d brushed them off as no big deal, she had a feeling they went much deeper than the shiny, gnarled skin.

They turned onto the street for the studio. The sound hit them, like a blast in the face, chants of morality and family values. Picket signs swayed in time to the beat, the faces distorted into masks of hatred and intolerance. The crowd had doubled yet again in size and lined both sides of the street. Barricades had been placed to keep people off the street. The few protestors who broke through them were quickly shoved back by Cal’s security guards.

Lucas tensed, transforming into what Mi called his defender mode. He sat up straighter, his gaze constantly scanning the mirrors of the truck and the area around them. Tightening his grip on the wheel, he pulled his gun and laid it across his lap. “Get down,” he ordered.

She was already folding herself into the small space under the dashboard before the words had left his mouth. Squeezing into a tight ball, she closed her eyes, her hands automatically covering her ears. “I pledge allegiance to the flag…” She didn’t know how many times she recited it until she finally felt Lucas’s hand on her arm.

“Come on out of there,” he said, concern raking lines in his forehead.

He didn’t joke it off as he’d done the last time. Instead he drew her into his arms, hiding his face in the side of her neck as though he was the one who needed comforting. She hugged him hard. His heart beat wild and erratic against hers.

A knocking on Mi’s window broke them apart. They turned to find Cal smirking at them. His honey stood just behind him, tapping on a laptop tablet she held like a clipboard. Lucas got out of the truck and came around to Mi’s side. He opened the door and helped her down.

Cal kept quiet, assessing their every move with cool blue eyes that missed nothing. “Good morning,” he finally said. “Have a pleasant weekend?”

“Your crowd control is barely holding,” Lucas replied over his shoulder as he escorted Mi into the building with a hand on her back.

Cal followed, as did his honey, the click-clack of her high heels echoing off the walls of the hall.

“I know,” Cal said, his tone flat and rigid. “We need to talk.”

Mi ducked into the make-up room so Lucas and Cal could speak privately. Tracey was already there, looking annoyed. “Where have you been?” She gave Mi a look that said she knew exactly where Mi had been and what—or rather—who she’d been doing.

Mi bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to snipe back. Her tolerance for Tracey’s attitude toward Lucas was wearing thin. “What exactly is it about Lucas you don’t like?”

Tracey wandered over to the makeup counter and busied herself rearranging the items on top. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mi put a hand on Tracey’s, stilling her movements. “Yes. You do.” She gave Tracey’s hand a gentle squeeze, drawing her friend’s attention. “Why don’t you like him?”

“I never said I didn’t like him.”

“Then what’s the deal?”

“He’s… scary.”

“Lucas? Are you serious?”

Tracey nodded. “He scares the crap out of me. I don’t like that he comes here every day with you. And since I’m being honest, I don’t really believe he’s your boyfriend.”

Mi wasn’t too sure what she and Lucas were, what label to put on it, but boyfriend and girlfriend fit as good as any for now. Whether or not they would stay together after this forced involvement she wasn’t sure. When they were alone she could pretend they had a future, at least until her brother showed up or her mother called.

“He’s in my life. He’s important to me. Please try to understand and respect that,” Mi said with a quiet bid for her friend’s approval.

“So you really are together?”

“Yes. We are.”
For now
.

“Oh. Well, okay then. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Mi pressed Tracey’s hand one last time, then sat down to get ready for the show.

Tracey started work on her hair. They made small talk about the show, Tracey’s new apartment, and other things, but the specter of Tracey’s disapproval hung over their conversation. Mi wondered if her friend would get over her trepidation once she got to know Lucas or if it even mattered since he might not be around once the threats against her were resolved.

Mi put thoughts of the future and Lucas aside to focus on preparing for the show. There had been some changes to the lineup of products she’d be featuring for the show that would air tonight. Something about marketing and the all of the publicity the protesters were garnering for the show. They’d added a few more high end products to boost the show’s sales numbers. Usually they promoted these products around holidays. There were a few new ones Mi wasn’t familiar with, so she took a few moments to fiddle with them, learning how the switches worked. She jotted notes about a couple of them on her cards.

Just before they were set to begin taping, Davy rushed over and switched out a standard vibrator that usually sold well for one Mi had never seen before. “I guess this one just came out. It’s called iLuv. It’s Internet enabled. Here’s the card.” He handed her the new vibrator’s information card.

“Thanks, Davy.”

“Sure.” He started to step off the stage, then turned back with a shy smile. “Hey, I just wanted to tell you how pretty you look today, Miss Mi.”

She blinked up at him, surprised.

“I don’t mean nothing by it. I know you’re with that big guy and all. I just wanted to tell you that you look real nice. Happy. It’s good to see you happy.”

“Thank you, Davy.”

“Okay, well… have a good show.” He put up a hand in wave.

She stared after him a moment, then with a small smile and shake of her head returned to the cards in her hands.

“Two minutes!” Crosby barked.

Mi examined the new vibrator, reading the features off the card. She tried to get it to work, but it wouldn’t. She looked around for Davy. She found him sitting at a table, hunched over a laptop in a far corner of the studio.

“Hey, Davy! This isn’t working,” she told him.

“I know.” He gave her a bashful grin. “I’m going to work it from this laptop.” He hit a command and the vibrator’s clitoral stimulator buzzed to life.

“Oh, my gosh!” Mi gushed. “That is so cool. Make it do something else.”

He tapped a couple more keys and the shaft thrust up and down.

“We have got to synchronize this to the sales pitch,” she said. He came over and they worked out a few prompt words that would match with computer commands from Davy.

“Let’s go people. Places!” Crosby announced.

Tracey ran up onto the stage to give Mi one last pat with the powder puff. Then the countdown started and taping began.

Mi gave her usual introductory speech and then launched into the products she’d be showcasing today.

“We’ll start our show this evening with an amazing bundle at an incredible price.” She held up three items for the camera, transferring them from one hand to the other as she read off their names. “You’ll get all three products: Indulgence’s Stand Up and Salute multi-speed vibrator, the Double Your Pleasure bullets, and an eight ounce bottle of Love Water lubricant. All three of these products together are normally one thirty-three ninety-five, but tonight you can get all three for only ninety-nine ninety-five, a substantial savings.”

She brought a red, white and blue striped vibrator into camera view.

“Indulgence’s Stand Up and Salute, multi-speed vibrator is molded directly from adult film star Slade Rockum’s erect member and made from a supple, flesh-like jelly that warms to the body. This rigid yet flexible vibe will bend to your will and is completely waterproof, making it perfect for when you want to play in the bath or shower.”

She showed a plastic case with two silver bullets about the size of a AA battery attached to a wired controller.

“Also in tonight’s bundle is Indulgence’s Double Your Pleasure, two bullets for dual play on one controller. These bullets are discreet enough to take anywhere yet powerful enough to deliver incredible vibrating sensations. Use alone or with a partner for double your pleasure, double your fun, double penetration.”

She held up a clear bottle with pink and red hearts on it.

“To ease play we’ve rounded out tonight’s bundle with Indulgence’s Love Water, a non-sticky, non-staining, multi-use, water based lubricant.” She showed all three at once. “You get all three of these wonderful products for only ninety-nine ninety-five, tonight only.”

She set aside the product bundle and picked up a purple vibrator embedded with glitter that made it sparkle under the studio lights.

“We have a real treat for you tonight, for the first time on
Pleasure at Home
we have a wonderful new product: the iLuv Internet enabled vibrator. Control your partner’s pleasure remotely from anywhere around the world. Thrust—” The shaft moved up and down thanks to Davy. “Stimulate—” The double tipped clitoral stimulator vibrated just as they’d planned before the show. “Pulse—” The beads in the shaft rotated clockwise then counterclockwise.

“This extraordinary vibrator takes gratification into the next millennium and

be—”

BANG. The heat hit first. A blinding, scotching wind that knocked everything backwards. She hit hard. Body, then head smacked. A sharp pain gripped her side. No noise. Hot debris rained down. She tried to sit up, but something held her legs down. Smoke choked. Where was the noise? The sky opened up. Water fell in fat drops. But she was inside. A hand on her face.

She blinked through the smoke and water. Lucas’s black smudged face swam into focus. Blood ran from his forehead over one eye. His lips moved, then he went away. Her legs were freed. He came back, running hands over her. Talking, but no sound. She tried to speak. Her voice came out as a croak. Her head ached. She closed her eyes and was lifted. Dizzy. So dizzy. Her stomach roiled. She took deep, smoke-stinging breaths and coughed. Choked.

She drifted into the wave of blackness that came for her.

Hands patted her face. She batted them away, but they shook her. Lucas. She hurt. She tried to tell him. Her mouth moved. He shook his head, pointing to his ears. She tried to nod. The pain hit again. She moaned and turned away. He caught her face, bringing it back to him. But not before she saw. The fire. People. Some walking. Some hurt like her, some still. She twisted against his hands, wanting to know. He fought her, then released her with a frown. He said something.

She turned back to the building. Lucas motioned someone over. A paramedic bent down next to her. She pushed at him and pointed to a motionless form with long blond hair soaked and matted red. The paramedic shook his head, said something. A fireman approached the lifeless blond figure and draped a yellow tarp over it.

A sob clogged her throat. She reached a hand out, tried to move.

No.
No
.

Not Davy.

Please, not him
.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lucas watched Mi sleep. She looked so fragile and pale against the stark, white hospital sheets. He’d fanned her hair over the pillow, smoothing it away from her face. A bruise was just beginning to bloom on her cheek. He ran a fingertip lightly over it. Her bottom lip was cut. He touched his finger to it as well, willing it to heal, hoping she didn’t hurt. He looked down to where her hand rested in his, so small.

He’d been through some shit—some real bad shit—and finding Mi through the chaos and smoke in the studio had been right up there. His chest tightened with the memory of the blast, of not being able to find her. And then when he finally did, she’d been half covered in debris from the set. He’d had a bad moment as he’d dropped down beside her. It was like Gooch all over again. And then she’d opened her eyes and his heart had taken a hard knock against his ribs.

Since then he wouldn’t leave her and had made them sew up the gash on his forehead at her bedside. She would be all right. He thanked God or whoever for that miracle. One of the light bars had fallen across her legs. Luckily the couch had taken the brunt of the hit, saving her from any broken bones. She’d hit her head, but escaped with only a slight concussion. There were other injuries, all minor. She’d be bruised and sore, but otherwise okay.