Brian shook his head. "Joley, not everyone is perfect."
She burst out laughing. "Is that what you think I am, Brian?"
"We all do."
"I was there for the same reason as Denny. I just didn't go through with it." She pushed past him and threw the towel in the empty basket. Housekeeping had come and gone long ago.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Brian demanded.
"I was lonely. I went to the party with the idea of bringing someone home. I'm not perfect, but I'm also not committed to anyone. Denny is. He should be a man and tell Lisa he needs other women. That's only fair."
Brian rubbed the bridge of his nose, narrowing his eyes and frowning in disapproval. "I don't believe you."
She didn't pretend to misunderstand. "Well, it's true. The saint is really a sinner. Sheesh, Brian, you've known me for years."
"You don't sleep around."
"How do you know what I do or don't do while you're at the parties having a great time?"
"I don't believe any of this. You're just upset."
"You don't believe I can get lonely, Brian?"
"Hell, Joley, if you're lonely, I'm lonely, too. Maybe we should just make all the rumors true and hit the sack together." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She studied him over the bottle of water. For one, horrible moment, she even considered the idea. They were both alone. They liked each other, were best friends, maybe if they got to together… Prakenskii had turned her down and her pride was wounded. She'd always been able to wrap Brian around her little finger. And he was nice. A very nice guy, but she wasn't the least attracted to him, nor was he attracted to her. She sighed. "I like you too much," she said.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means I'm not going to sleep with you and ruin a perfectly good relationship. I like you, Brian. I don't like the men I want to sleep with."
"Okay, now I'm confused, but that isn't unusual around you, Joley." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Most of the time we're all confused."
"Me, too." She grinned at him. "At least we can agree on that."
He smiled back at her. "We've got to catch a plane first thing in the morning and catch up with our bus. Are you going to sleep tonight?"
"You go ahead. I was in the middle of composing."
"You were in the middle of trying to run yourself into the ground. Did seeing Denny really upset you that much, Joley?"
"That and a lot of other things. I'm tired of this life, Brian. I want a home and a family."
"You love performing."
She shrugged. "Maybe I do. I love music. I lose myself in it. But in the end, no matter how good things are, I don't have anyone to share my life with me. Maybe that's why I get so upset with Denny. He's had wonderful people to share happiness with, women who love him for who he is, not what he does, and he throws it away for a few minutes of pleasure. How many chances should he have before none of it's real anymore? Until every woman who goes near him wants him just because he's in a band and not because she loves him? And then we stop playing and he grows old and he's all alone. I guess he can look back and say he counted a few thousand blow jobs and that will comfort him in his old age."
"You're just down tonight."
She drank more water and nodded, agreeing with him because it was what he wanted. "Yep, that's what it is."
He studied her face. "You really aren't thinking about quitting, are you? We're on top. Every song we release is a number one hit. No one does that. No one. Every concert is sold out. Our albums are double, triple platinum. Come on, Joley, tell me you're just having a bad night and you're not serious."
"Does it matter what I say?" She pushed past him toward the door.
He caught her shoulder and stopped her. "Of course it matters. You always matter. I hate that you're unhappy. I'll talk to Denny."
"He can't change who he is. But I'm not lying to Lisa for him. I'd never want you to lie to me if my boyfriend was screwing around on me, and I won't do it for or to any of you."
"That's fair enough," Brian said. "It was one party, Joley, one that got a little out of hand. Nikitin's parties are notorious for excess, but we don't usually stay long. We make an appearance, have a few drinks and leave."
"He supplies women." She made it a statement.
"He has women on the guest list; most hosts of parties do."
"You know what I'm saying. I know what he is, what his reputation is. He's seducing the band, don't you see that? Supply drugs and alcohol and women. Take a few blackmail pictures and hook the boys on the high and he's got you all under his thumb. That's how he operates."
"Nikitin throws some killer parties, Joley, which is why everyone goes when he invites us, but he's not offering anything we can't get anywhere else. Hell, Jerry can get us any drug we want, any woman we want. That's not why we like hanging out with Nikitin."
"You like him? Nikitin?"
He shrugged. "If he isn't already a billionaire, he's close, and yet he's cool, and I hardly think he needs to supply our band with anything to get us under his thumb. What would be the point? I don't know him very well, but yes, I like him. He's personable and intellectual. You know me. I don't hit the party scene hard, but I do like conversation and he's an interesting man. We've been talking quite a bit. He doesn't do drugs that I've seen, so we hang out, have a drink or two and talk world affairs. He's very knowledgeable in a lot of areas I'm interested in."
"Such as?" She wasn't touching him, but his aura had changed slightly, enough for her to know he was uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Well, the market for one, what are good stocks. What makes a good investment. He really knows his stuff. He has advisors, but he does a lot of his own research and makes solid choices."
She could hear the admiration in Brian's voice and it alarmed her. "What about his men?"
"His men?" Brian echoed, his frown deepening. Now his aura changed sharply, throwing out a mixture of colors—annoyance—disturbed—even anger. "What men?"
Her eyebrow shot up. "The ones with guns everywhere. Did you notice them? Those guns are real, my friend."
"Well the threats to him are real as well. You ought to know about that. You need bodyguards. Which reminds me, where were your bodyguards when you came to the party? Why was Steve just sitting in the car like an idiot? With the Reverend there, anything could have happened. Jerry warned you that the threats against you have been escalating. And you have that nutcase fan fixating on you and trying to tell you he loves you. His letters are very disturbing. Twice he's managed to get nearly onstage."
She sighed. "I might have a bodyguard or two, but I sure don't have men with automatic weapons guarding my gate. What's up with that?"
He shrugged. "It's probably a necessity."
"Why, Brian?" She persisted, wanting to shake him.
"Wouldn't a bodyguard or two be enough, or some rented security? Have you taken a look at those men? And what about Prakenskii?"
Brian's head went up sharply. "I saw you with him. Did he make a move on you? Scare you? Because I can talk to Nikitin about him."
She gave a short laugh. "You really have no clue what's going on there, do you? Nikitin would never fire Prakenskii. He's afraid of him, just like anyone else with a brain. And those guards you think he needs, they're all trained soldiers."
Brian gave a growl of total frustration. "You have no idea what his life was like in Russia. He had a lot of enemies. That's why he has a man like Prakenskii working for him."
"A man like Prakenskii?" she echoed. "What has he said about his bodyguard?"
"Just that he's very dangerous and not to cross him. He advised me to stay out of his way." Brian lowered his voice as if the walls had ears. "I think he's killed a lot of people."
"Is that what Nikitin told you?"
Brian shook his head. "He implied it. And the other bodyguards defer to Prakenskii over everything. I've never actually heard the man talk. He looks at people and they just jump into action without him saying a word. Frankly, he scares me and I wish Nikitin would get rid of him. I know he doesn't altogether trust him."
Joley went on alert, radar suddenly going on with a loud warning shriek. She was instantly protective, everything in her rising up to defend Ilya—which was silly—and stupid—but she couldn't stop herself. "What does that mean? Why would you have a bodyguard you don't trust working for you? He's the man who takes the bullet for you."
Brian narrowed his eyes, suspicion creeping into his expression at her sudden change of attitude. "I don't know, but a couple of times I've seen one of Nikitin's other guards, a man by the name of Pavel Demidov, come in and whisper to Nikitin. They both always look around to see where Prakenskii is. If Prakenskii is watching or is close by, Nikitin waves Demidov off. Within a couple of minutes he makes excuses to me and tells Prakenskii to watch things while he disappears for a while. Nikitin almost always goes to a phone and has a heated conversation in Russian. He definitely doesn't want Prakenskii to hear or see him. There's no question he trusts Demidov and not Prakenskii. What's Prakenskii to you?"
"I'm just curious." Joley widened her eyes in innocence. "What does Nikitin say?" Nikitin felt evil, unlike Prakenskii, who felt—well—sexy. She nearly groaned aloud. She was so far gone she wasn't even hiding it from Brian.
"They talk in Russian, how the hell would I know? And I can only pretend to look for a bathroom so many times before Nikitin or Demidov gets suspicious that I'm trying to eavesdrop."
"So you
were
trying to find out what was going on." Joley pounced on that.
Brian shrugged. "I find those parties boring. I'm not going home with a woman; I'm not into public blow jobs or orgies. I have to watch my drinks, so what the hell is there to do other than observe people? If Nikitin isn't available to talk to, there's not much going on for me."
"I thought you were seeing someone."
"Yeah, well, that didn't last." He made a face at her. "I'm too nice."
Joley laughed and poked him, using the towel to keep from making skin-to-skin contact. "That you are, my friend. Very nice. One of my favorite people in fact, next to my sisters and Jonas. You got dumped? Cuz I'll go hunt her down and kick her ass for you if you want me to."
"Naw, but thanks for the offer," Brian said, laughing with her. "But I bet you could do it. You still taking lessons from your karate man?"
"I have several trainers." It was another way to get through the long days and even longer nights. She liked physical exercise; it was a great way to sublimate.
"You're so crazy, Joley, why do you take that stuff? You have security and a personal bodyguard, who," he looked around him, "never seems to be on the job."
She grinned at him. "The poor man has to sleep sometime."
"His job is to guard your butt, not sleep. And he wasn't sleeping. His lazy ass was sitting behind the wheel of the car."
"I like being alone when I'm working out. He's off the clock and he's actually a good guy, Brian. I wouldn't have him, but Jonas convinced my family I need a personal protector, so Steve pulled the short straw and ended up guarding me as well as driving."
"I'll bet Jonas doesn't know you don't use Steve half the time."
"I do too."
"He wasn't guarding you at Nikitin's party."
"He was too; he drove me there, but I didn't want him following me around at the party and told him I might need a fast getaway so to stay with the car."
Brian rolled his eyes. "Good plan, Joley. Good use of a bodyguard. And what did happen between you and Prakenskii?"
She shrugged. "He pulled me out of a situation with RJ and his little gang of thugs, so I think he felt entitled to lecture me." Her palm burned. She rubbed it up and down her thigh and hoped her face didn't flame with her blatant lies.
"Nikitin is sure strange about that man." Brian shook his head. "He seems to rely heavily on him yet he keeps him out of the loop part of the time. I find it fascinating."
"Why?"
Brian held open the door for her and Joley followed him out. "Human nature fascinates me. I like people. I like to know what makes them tick."
"Sex," Joley blurted.
Brian laughed. "Don't be so nasty about poor Denny. He's going to be slinking around avoiding you as it is. If you give him one of your superior, you're-a-bug-under-my-shoe looks, he'll be squashed."
"It doesn't stop him from being such a hound dog. Seriously, Brian, what about the others? Was everyone there getting wasted and screwing around?"
"Do you really want to know?"
She considered. "I don't want Nikitin to have any surprises for me. Have any of them done anything illegal he could get them on? Or done anything he could blackmail them with?"
Brian whistled. "You really don't trust the man. Seriously, hon, do you think a man like Nikitin cares what any of our band members do?"
"I think I wouldn't want to find out. He isn't all he seems, Brian. I have a lot of information because I have so much family and friends in law enforcement. He's not a nice guy."
"He told me he grew up in the Russian mob. He said a lot of his men were caught up in that life, but he's broken away, gotten legit and tried to give men like him a chance to have a decent life."
"And you believed him? Looking at the men who work for him, the guns they carry, you believed him?"
"If he did manage to break away from the mob, Joley, especially the Russian mob, with their history of retaliation and violence, I can see why he would feel he would need guns and men who knew what they were doing."
"And how many mobsters actually get out of that world, Brian?" She gave a harsh laugh. "Do you also believe in Santa Claus?"
"You really ought to take some time to get to know him before you judge him," Brian said. "I think you'd like him."
"You've forgotten one teeny tiny, but very important fact, my friend." Joley keyed her room and stood in the open doorway, turning back so he could see her expression. "I'm a Drake. We're not normal. I read people through touch, which is why I'm so careful to rarely touch any of you. I don't even have to touch Nikitin to feel the violence and evil in him. Don't be dumb, Brian, stay away from him, and keep our boys away from him, too. He'll chew you up and spit you out and not even think twice about it. And you can take that to the bank." She closed the door on his shocked expression.