Hard Rock Unrehearsed (16 page)

Astrid was Michael’s assistant and one of the few people who didn’t immediately bow down to him when he issued commands.  Jade liked her and she knew that her brothers and Rick liked her as well.  Astrid was as cool as her name.  A tall blonde, blue-eyed, very pretty woman, who hid her curvy figure and looks under dark boxy suits, tightly scraped back hair and heavy glasses.  Only Jade knew about the amazing figure because she had dragged a protesting Astrid down to the beach once and stood with her mouth hanging open when she saw the real Astrid.  She also knew that Astrid had a thing for her Dad, and typical male, he only saw the professional woman who ran his life with the precision he required and got rid of his women when he tired of them.  It was a thankless job with an ogre of a man that Astrid did with a smile.

A germ of an idea started in Jade’s head and she smiled evilly.

“What are you planning PT?”  Adam stared at her intently as if trying to read her mind.

“Nothing.”  Jade smiled innocently as she wriggled out of Diego’s arm.  “I just need to speak to Tag for two minutes privately.”

Everyone watched as she dragged him into the music room.

“Whatever you’re planning Jay-Jay the answer is no.”  Tag stood against the closed door with his arms folded across his chest.

“It’s nothing major!  I just want you to make Astrid’s bag disappear.  You know you’re the only one who can do it.”

“Why?”

“Tag!  Don’t ask me why!  Just tell me you’ll do it!”

“Not until you tell me why.”  He insisted stubbornly.

Jade stood with her hands on her hips looking down at the floor as she planned.  There was no way she could tell Tag the real reason for wanting Astrid’s clothes to disappear, if he knew he wouldn’t do it.

“I want to buy her some new clothes to thank her for everything she has done for me.  I’ve never said thank you and I want to do something for her that says I appreciate her support over the years.”

Tag looked at her with disbelief.  “You can maybe fool some of the others sweetheart but not me.  Give it to me straight.”

Jade huffed out a breath.  “I hate her clothes!  It’s awful!  I just want her to look nice for a change.  I don’t want her to look odd at the concert and if she’s going to wear those hideous suits she’ll stand out like a sore thumb and she’ll feel embarrassed.”

“Okay I get that, but why do you want all her clothes to disappear?”

“Because I want Mel to dress her.”

“Ah!  The plot thickens.”

“Tag!  You will not believe the body underneath those clothes, the woman has tits and ass and she never ever shows it!  That’s just not right!”

“Jay-Jay maybe she’s not comfortable showing off her body babe.  Have you thought about that?  You and Mel are meddling were you shouldn’t.”

“Please, please, pleeease Tag!  If you do this I’ll owe you, big time.”

“Remember this conversation Princess when I come to collect.  A better plan than making her bag disappear is to make her clothes disappear and replacing it with the stuff you want her to wear.  Call your accomplice and tell her to get the shit here so I can get this done!  If your Dad finds out what we’ve done he’s going to have a bloody fit!”

Jade just laughed as she sauntered back into the room.

With her back against the glass wall Jade forgot about Seattle spread out behind her as she watched Luis walking out of the elevator with a gorgeous brunette hanging on his arm.  Astrid brought up the rear with absolutely no expression on her face.  The brunette was not expressionless, no not at all.  She was gushing like an oil well as she sailed into the penthouse, exclaiming over the beauty of the furnishings, the view, the art and everything in between.  Jade froze solid where she stood and then slowly pushed her back up against the glass as she watched the performance.  The brunette had on a tight red stretchy dress that clung to her ass and scooped low over her boobs, which had all the male eyes locked on her bouncing assets.  Her feet were strapped into sky high strappy black pumps making her long legs look even longer.  Jade watched as her avid gaze took in the men watching her as she flung her long hair back and preened for them.  Her gaze slid over Jade and glinted with derision, huge mistake.  Jade caught Astrid’s eyes and raised her eyebrows.  An imperceptible shrug told Jade all she needed to know.  The brunette was Michael’s latest plaything.

She watched as the brunette made her way over to her father leaving Luis’s arm for his, wrapping herself around him like a clinging vine.  She said nothing as ‘Holly’ was introduced to all the men.  She said nothing as the damned bitch stroked a hand with long red talons up and down Diego’s arm and he grinned down at her, letting his eyes skate over her body.  Silently snarling on the inside she watched his eyes that were heated and filled with appreciation.  Rage boiled as she watched and waited.

“You know Adam and Mike.”  Her father said as he moved the bitch towards her.  “This is my daughter Jade.  Jade this is Holly.”  His eyes were wary as he looked at her where she made no move to lift herself away from the glass.

“Jade.”  He growled at her warningly.

Slowly pushing away from the glass she looked into the so called Holly’s eyes and saw a look of cold disdain and hostility.  Bring it on bitch!

Jade nodded her head and started walking away.

“Jade!  I expect you to be civil to my guests!”  He snapped in the sudden stillness that descended.

Turning slowly she let her eyes slide over all the men, including Diego, before meeting her father’s furious gaze.

“If this is your idea of a family breakfast Dad, you are so wrong.  A long time ago I made the decision not to care that your flavour of the month was always a girl who could essentially be my younger sister as long as you kept them away from me.  If you expect me to acknowledge her you leave me with only one option.”  Ice streaked through her as she faced her father, ignoring the gasping whore beside him.

“This is my apartment and you will treat my guests with civility.”

“Well that’s easily remedied!”  Whirling around she stalked across the dark tiled floors towards the master bedroom.

“Jade baby!”  Diego called out and she whirled around as rage flew through her.

“Don’t you dare Delgado!  Stay right where you are and play patty cake with my father’s whore while you wait your turn and leave me the fuck alone!”

“JADE!”  Her father’s roar filled the penthouse.

She was so done with this.  Looking to the side she saw Trace and RJ watching the shit that was her home life with wide eyes.

“Pack your shit guys, we’re going to the hotel.”  She snarled.  “Or if you want to stay here it’s all cool, be my father’s guests but I won’t be staying.”

“Where ever you go sweet thing that’s where we go.”  Trace growled.

“Good.  Let’s get the fuck out of this hell hole.”  With that she stalked off into the depths of the penthouse to collect her bags.  Behind her she heard the buzz of indignant voices but she ignored it.

There was no way she was acknowledging her father’s latest whore and there was no way that piece of easy meat was standing backstage next to her father watching the concert.  She would not give her that validation in the media!

She wasn’t surprised when Diego, Tag, Luis and her father stormed into the bedroom as she was throwing her stuff into her bag.  She froze as Diego put his hand on her back and then with a violent shake she shrugged it off.

“Baby what the fuck?”  He growled at her.

“Don’t
, baby what the fuck
, me!  I’m not the one who eye-fucked some piece of easy meat in front of my girlfriend!  That would be you!  But no worries Diego, I’m sure once Michael is done with her in a few weeks time she will happily lie down and spread it for you.  They all do for Rick and my brothers so adding you to the equation won’t be putting them or her out much.”

“Jesus Jay-Jay!  Stop before you do more damage than can be fixed.”  Tag said softly as he wrapped an arm around her hugging her shaking body into his side but she shook him off.

Diego stood frowning down at her not saying anything at all while her father looked as if you could have knocked him over with a feather.  Luis stood with his arms crossed over his chest a heavy frown showing his anger.

“You can’t go to a hotel Jade, it’s too dangerous.”  Luis said softly.

“Life is dangerous and I’m done avoiding it.  From now on I’m going to be living my life the way I want to live it.  I’m done hiding.”

“Jade, sweetheart, I don’t want you to leave.  It’s not safe for you out there.”  Her father’s voice was soft and full of remorse.

“Sorry Dad, I will not stay in the same apartment as your flavour of the month while she decides who is going to be gracing her bed next month.”  She left Tag’s side and continued throwing stuff into her open bag.

“Please give me a minute to explain.”  Michael Galloway was using his Daddy voice, soft and cajoling.

“Right, as if you could explain why you act like a damned paedophile!  They are all younger than me Dad!  For heaven’s sake they were being born while you were changing my nappies!  That’s just sick!”

“They know what they want and I give them that.  They want to be seen on my arm, have the use of my money and when we’re done there are no recriminations and we both move on.”

“A woman who is with you for your money has essentially been bought, therefore she’s, to put it bluntly, a prostitute.  High class no doubt, but still a prostitute.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!  None of them are prostitutes!”

“Dad they move on to Rick and my brothers and after them your cronies!  How in the world can you not see what they are?  They are high class call girls!”

Jade shook her head as she stared at her Dad.  It had just suddenly occurred to her why he chose such inappropriate women.

“I think I just got it.”  She whispered.  “These women are safe, none of them have a hope in hell of ever getting to you.  You don’t date more mature women because they will see right through your shit and won’t allow you to walk all over them.  That’s okay Dad, if that’s how you want to live your life there is nothing I can do about it.  But what I can do something about is them getting anywhere near
my
life.  If you want me to stay here you will get rid of her and she will not be welcome at the concert.  I will not have her validating her standing in our family by allowing her anywhere near me.  Your choice Dad.”

She watched as her father shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at his shoes.  She waited.  When he lifted his head she knew the answer before he even said a word.

“It would be rude beyond reason to just throw her out but I’ll do it for you.  I’ll put her up at a hotel and I’ll make sure you don’t see her at the concert.”

But she was shaking her head as he spoke.  “No Dad.  She will not be anywhere near me and that means not backstage and not in the stadium and not at the after party.  The paparazzi would just love a photo of the two of us and I won’t let that happen.  I will not be humiliated by one of your women.  I have enough humiliation to deal with as it is and I won’t take on anymore.”

Michael wanted to throttle his daughter!  God she was relentless.  He knew he had to give in and let her have her way but he wanted something in return.  He wanted her promise to not leave the security of the building and to forget any of her plans to live her life regardless of the danger she would always be in as his daughter.  She wanted to be in the music business and that he could live with as long as he had his hand on her security and her career.  He should have locked her in a damned fortress when she turned sixteen and thrown away the key!

“Fine, I agree.  I’ll send her home but I need your promise that you won’t leave the penthouse.  You aren’t safe out there on your own princess.”

His stubborn girl stared back at him with his own eyes, seeing everything he so easily hid from everyone else.

“Okay, I’ll stay but I’m not coming out of my room until she’s gone.  Mel is coming over with some stuff she wants me to try on so we’ll just stay out of sight.  Oh and tell Astrid I would like her to join us.”

Did he mention that his girl was relentless?  Her mother’s daughter and not just in looks.

“Consider it done.  Can I tell Trace and the boys to relax and have breakfast?”

“Yeah, I’ll be out when she’s gone.”

“Then we’ll wait to have breakfast with you.”  He gave in as he walked out.

Anger boiled through Diego and he wanted to spank her ass!  How the hell could she be this angry with him?  He had done nothing!  Sure Michael’s latest woman was gorgeous and a flirt but he wasn’t interested at all!  Where in the hell had Jade gotten the idea that he was?

“Are you over your snit now baby?”  He tried to joke but all it got him was a heavy boot flung at his chest.  Damn it hurt!

“Snit!  You think it was a snit!  You damned asshole!  Get the hell out of my room!”

Shit his woman was furious!  Taking two big steps he grabbed her and pulled her close to his chest, locking her arms down by her sides.  She snarled at him viciously as he dipped his head to look down at her.