Twisted Rhythm: A Dark Rockstar Romance (Twisted Rhythm Series Book 1) Read online

  Long after the first bottle of JD emptied and the second one halved he passed out, curled in a fetal position, hands tangled in his hair, covering his face. He was roused from oblivion around noon by the persistently ringing phone. Not that he answered it. Not that he answered anyone’s calls, texts or emails at all, until he just picked up for Zack.

  “Fuck ya there?”

  “Yeah bud...still earthbound,” Jake groaned.

  “What the fuck’s wrong with you? Somethin’ happen?”

  With a start, Jake remembered Amanda catapulting off his hood. Jesus, he never even glanced in the rear view mirror, never even thought about it till now if she was all right.

  “Do me a favor...”

  “You comin’ over Jake?”

  “Just do somethin’ for me. Call Amanda’s and see if she’s OK.”

  “Huh? Why wouldn't she be OK? I’m not even supposed to talk to the bitch, you said. All of a sudden you’re so worried ‘bout her? Why should I call her? You fuckin’ call her.”

  “No,” he said evenly.

  It was so goddamn annoying talking to a drunk. The party was getting louder.

  “Why not?”

  “Just fucking do it, all right?!” now he was screaming.

  “Hoooooooooly shit. Take it easy. I’ll call your cunt but are ya headin’ over?”

  “Whatever...” he punched the phone off and tossed it on the seat beside him.

  He sighed. Should’ve told him not to mention I said to call, he thought. Shit, Zack was gonna fuck this up. Yanking the car into first, he pulled out onto the road and reached for the cell, hitting speed dial.

  “Yeah Jake...I’m talkin’ to Amanda...”

  “She OK?”

  “Cryin’...”

  “Well hang up.”

  “Why? You just told me to call.”

  “Don’t mention I said to call.”

  “Haven’t said fuck all yet. Katelyn just got her.”

  “Let her go.”

  “I thought you wanted to know if she’s OK?!”

  “Let her go!”

  “Fuck, ya know what? I’m lettin’ both you idiots go!” the line went dead.

  When Jake arrived at Zack’s mansion twenty minutes later the party was in full swing. Nearly creaming five or six people leaping out of the way as he screeched around the huge Medieval fountain, he jerked to a stop near the open front door. All eyes upon him as he got out of the car, he strolled casually inside, catching the look from the blonde Barbie scrambling to fluff her hair, but ignoring her. He was used to his pick of pussy and hadn’t checked out the full menu yet.

  Inside, the revelers had switched from Megadeth to Scorpions, Rock You Like A Hurricane, an oldie but goodie, and Jake headed for the bar. Encircled long before he got there, someone handed him a beer.

  “Whoa Jake, so cool you’re here. Just got this for a buddy but you can have it,” the guy was wasted.

  “Hey...” nodding acknowledgment Jake smoothly scooped the brew and sauntered on.

  Five steps later he hit a brick wall of girls, all smiling and giggling, doing their utmost to win the favor of their god.

  “Do you remember me?” the brunette squealed, her glass of white wine uplifted, sloshing onto her hand.

  Unaffected, Jake stared down at her. Sexy eyes, great tits. He vaguely recalled doing her in Alabama. He didn’t say.

  “Birmingham, Alabama, the Hilton last year,” she smiled hopefully.

  “Did I have a good time?” he brushed by her.

  Where the fuck was Zack? He wasn’t in the mood for this and he was more than pissed that the bastard had hung up on him. He wondered though, if he’d really hung up on Amanda. She couldn’t be dead at least, if she’d come to the phone. Wonder if I’m goin’ to jail, he mused bitterly, and made his way up the high, winding staircase to Zack’s bedroom. He was probably in there with his usual clingons, getting high.

  Zack was just coming to the open doorway as Jake entered.

  “Fuck buddy, didn’t think you were gonna make it!” he fell against Jake, laughing and giving him a hug. “What’s your pleasure this evening? Wanna rock? Ya lookin’ for the lady?”

  No time for crystal, he shuddered. It’d given him nearly as many problems as Amanda.

  “Partyin’ like a rockstar,” he said, choosing crack. “Get rid of some ’a these fuckers, would ya...”

  Zack cleared the room. Jake grabbed the arm of an innocent looking, fresh faced brunette as she tried to slither by him.

  “You can stay,” he held her hand.

  Zack droned on, talking useless shit and loading the pipe for him, leaving Jake wondering if he ever got sick of this.

  “Billy here?”

  “Somewhere...”

  He looked over at the babe still clutching his hand. She smiled nervously. He’d found long ago, even before stardom, that most bitches didn’t have a shitload of a lot to say.

  “Lookin’ for somethin’ to do?” he asked evenly.

  Stunned, she giggled nervously. Fuck, tongue tied in the presence of greatness, he thought.

  “Don’t just stand here,” he said. “Suck my dick.”

  “Fuck!” Zack burst out laughing, his wavy long blonde hair flying as he shook his head.

  Jake ignored him, his eyes fixed heatedly on the girl. She shuffled restlessly, blushing, glanced at Zack and then back up at Jake.

  “What? You wanna suck his too?” Jake really had a way with words.

  “No!”

  “Fuck, thanks!”...“Didn’t think so.” Zack and Jake said at the same time.

  Zack stretched his hand out, holding the pipe out for Jake but he was staring at the girl.

  “Wait a minute,” he said, pulling his dick from his pants.

  “Fuck, Jake...”

  He glared at the girl. She glanced at the floor, then back up again, hesitating. She squirmed.

  “Grab the fuckin’ pipe and I’m outa here.”

  He took the pipe and lighter but said, “No wait,” and then “Go ahead,” to the girl.

  She stared like a deer in headlights for a second but his glare brought her to her senses, or out of her mind, whichever way she’d choose to look back upon it years later. Not a story she’d be telling her grandchildren but she obediently slunk to her knees on the floor.

  Jake let out a low moan as she got going and then calmly looked at Zack who was smiling and shaking his head.

  “So what Amanda have to say?”

  Speechless for a second, he’d been watching the babe give it her all, he replied, “Nothing, I hung up....uh, too much visual here Jake. I gotta go,” and snickering, he escaped the room.

  Left to concentrate on his blowjob, Jake leaned back against the wall, long bangs hanging into his eyes as he watched her doing such a great job on him. The crack made it that much more enjoyable.

  “Do I taste good baby?” he crooned.

  “Yeah,” she moaned, breathless as she worked him.

  “Your pussy wet?” he whispered.

  She rolled her pink panties down her thighs, stopped sucking and looked up at him in anticipation.

  “Want me to put it in?” he asked, leaning down closer to her.

  “Oh yeah,” she leaned back on her knees, spreading her legs further apart, closing her eyes.

  “Didn’t say I was going to...” he laughed, and then, motioning her to continue, he said, “Play with yourself as you do that. I wanna watch.”

  It didn’t take her long to cum, just the thought of his eyes on her getting her three quarters of the way, but Jake was taking forever to explode. And she was pretty good too. Real creative. So patient. Must be the rock, Jake rationalized to himself. Couldn’t be that cunt Amanda creeping into his mind. Then finally, in reward for her hard work, Jake felt the familiar stirrings of orgasm, release for everything crowding his mind.

  “Oh yeah baby, I’m fuckin’ gonna cum,” he arched his back against the wall, running both hands crazily through his hair, �
��Suck it hard!”

  But as he was deliciously exploding she lifted her mouth and began jerking him, sending his cum splattering in the air.

  He slapped her, screaming, “What the fuck?! Think this is a taste test? Stupid, ungrateful bitch, gift like this, you swallow the meal!”

  Shocked and frightened, she cowered where she’d fallen, her eyes imploring forgiveness, murmuring only, “I’m sorry Jake. I’m sorry. I’ll give you whatever you want,” not knowing what it meant to comply.

  Jesus, one insane bitch after another.

  “You don’t know the first thing about what I want!” he screamed, looming over her.

  Then, pulling her to her feet by her long straight hair, he dragged her, stumbling, to Zack’s bed and shoved her down. He dove on her, rolling her roughly onto her back, straddled her and lifted her arms above her head where he held them, gripping her wrists together with his left hand while he punched her hard in the face, over and over again, with his right.

  “Here’s what I want!” he raged, “Stupid ungrateful cunt, here’s what I want!” hitting her until she passed out.

  “Fuck...” he groaned, what is it with women? Spitting on her bloodied face for good measure, he straightened up, swung his leg around and got off the bed. Blood stained the pillows, Zack’s red gold-embroidered comforter, and the surrounding walls. And his shirt, he discovered, looking down. Jesus, I liked this top, he muttered and caught himself before smoothing his hair from his eyes with bloodied hands. Christ. Tossing the shirt, he went into the adjoining bathroom to clean up before rejoining the festivities.

  Pounding down the stairs, he noticed that Scorpions had been replaced by Guns N’ Roses, his favorite band. Looking for Zack, he sang along sensuously with Axl to Ain’t It Fun.

  Ain’t it fun when you tell her she’s just a cunt

  Ain’t it fun when she splits and leaves you on the run

  Rounding the corner to the kitchen, he spotted Zack at the fridge just grabbing another beer.

  “Got a little mess to clean up upstairs.”

  “Oh God Jake,” he looked pained, “you shoot all over my bed?”

  “No,” Jake said evenly, “a whole helluva lot messier than that. That chick was a fucking cunt.”

  Zack turned visibly white.

  “Ah, fuck Jake. You’re gonna wind up back in jail. And I don’t need this shit either.”

  “Then have somethin’ better than useless dang at your parties.”

  There was no use starting an argument, Zack knew. It usually resulted in Jake erupting in some sort of temper tantrum, hitting one or a multitude of people and threatening quite seriously to leave the band, taking the name with him. Although hating almost every aspect of it, Zack knew Jake really was Steel Demon and without him there was nothing. Their frontman was a volatile, disturbed, haunted megalomaniac and they were forced, quite literally, to sing and dance to his tune.

  “I’m outa here,” Jake announced and turned to go, slapping Billy on the shoulder just as he walked up.

  “You goin’?” Billy threw his hands in the air.

  “Let ’im go,” Zack whispered under his breath as Jake started walking away.

  Spinning around suddenly, eyes flashing fire, he leered, “Stay the fuck away from Amanda, Zack. She only wants me.”

  “Well no shit Sherlock,” Zack muttered under his breath, safely, when Jake was almost out of view.

  Jake never lost sight of the realization that Amanda would never be satisfied with any other man. Before him, she’d dated the best of them. World’s number one rockers, the most popular movie and television stars, even a legendary illusionist and one wacked out but awe-inspiring pop superstar. All infamous, all bad boys, all lacking in comparison to him. His hold over her was unexplainable, unshakeable and boundless. Her love for him unconditional.

  “Just don’t know what’s good for you, d’ya?” he asked her softly, smirking, three and a half years later as she knelt naked on his lap in the Portland, Oregon hotel.

  He was gonna kill whoever had given her his room number.

  “Maybe I don’t want what’s good for me,” Amanda smiled, “maybe I just want you, no matter what.”

  Releasing his tight grip on her hips, he reached up, gently brushing her soft, long blonde hair from her eyes. Nothing she did or said surprised him anymore, well, except for her book. That little gem was the one thing that hit him where it hurt. That sensationalized piece of trash rocked his soul. And no one had done that to him for a very long, long time.

  It wasn’t so much anything in it, his violence and sexual perversions were a matter of legend, his perceived insecurities were the talk of Steel Demon fan forums worldwide. It was the fact that she’d exposed their private world together, his innermost thoughts and desires and that she, of all people, had betrayed his trust.

  Cool green eyes jaded, boring into hers, he asked, “No matter what, huh? What’s the matter? Need material for your next book?”

  His words stung, wounded, piercing the preternatural calm that had settled, even though he still refused to have sex with her, even though she wouldn’t give up trying.

  “There’ll never, ever be a second book Jake,” she leaned closer so they were forehead to forehead once more. “Oh God, I never meant to hurt you. I never wanted to cause you any pain.”

  He leaned back abruptly, his long, silky hair falling from his chest and shoulders, caressing the cotton sheets. She remained straddling him, although his hard on was gone.

  Eyes darkened, face clouded, he said, “Oh yeah? You sayin’ similar sweet and wonderful things to Wade?” his voice was cutting and injured and low.

  She sighed and slowly shook her head.

  “Jake, I love you,” she leaned forward into him, caressing his cheek until he abruptly brushed her hand away.

  “You’re never gonna believe me...” she said.

  “And you’re never gonna stop lying!” he shoved her off him roughly and rose.

  For just a second Amanda considered telling Jake everything that had happened when she’d returned to that cesspool otherwise known as Conroy, Texas. Her contemptuous, embittered reunion with her sister and mother. Her bizarre and disquieting afternoon with high school girlfriends. And even her meaningless, degrading, pointless one night play date with Wade. Not that her belated confession would make much of a difference. Jake beat her for it either way. Damn the fans and paparazzi with their photos and videos! After shots of her dancing and partying with Wade at Mustang Cherry’s, Conroy’s local roadhouse, hit the celeb and rag mags and YouTube it was all over. Nothing she did or said could convince Jake that she hadn’t consummated the evening with Wade with various forms of debauchery.

  “Jake, for Christsake stop this. I only went to Texas ‘cause I was so upset about you. Conroy’s a nightmare.”

  “But you had a fuckin’ great time with Wade.” he sneered, leaning forward where he stood, long hair sliding deliciously across his shoulders, down his rippled chest and bangs flowing tauntingly into his turbulent eyes.

  My God, what have I done, Amanda thought, her mind a jumble of insane images and emotions. Her mother, pink curlers in hair at the kitchen table. You’ve grown up to be a whore Alison, she’d said. Melinda and Casey, conservatively groomed in their office attire, smirking at each other behind open menus at the Fireside Grill, as she’d ordered Caesar salad for lunch. And Wade, decadently erotic as ever in black leathers and chains, waist length black and blonde hair tangled in her fingers as she rode him. Always knew you’d never get over me, he’d smiled and said.

  “Jake, forget about Wade, nothing happ...” she started to explain but the look in Jake’s eyes stopped her.

  He was standing a few feet from her, leaning against the bathroom doorway, still naked, hands on his deliciously curved hips as he stared at her. Eyes so knowing, so perceptive, so betrayed. His pain was real, despite causing her desperate flight to Texas, despite almost beating her to death in retaliation, despite now having a
bout five years to dull his jealousy and rage.

  “How can you blame me for losing it and going to Conroy, the one place I hate more than anything on this planet? I was outa my mind Jake,” she continued breathless. “You’re a fucking asshole. You couldn’t cheat on me with just one girl?!”

  She remembered with a shudder, pain still fresh and slashing her chest like a scalpel, how she’d walked into Jake’s bedroom to find him at play with not one but three babes, two of them Playboy models. The blondes were on his dick, one sucking the head, the other with her mouth lower, around his shaft. The third cunt, the brunette, was sitting on his face. The days of meth and roses. It was only after she’d screamed his name like a banshee that anyone noticed she’d entered the room. Unperturbed, Jake smiled innocently, swung his arm towards her and invited, “Hey girls, meet the little lady. Come and join us Amanda.”

  Horrified and shaken, she’d bolted from the room.

  Recalling the same memory, Jake raised his arm, slowly ran his fingers through his long soft hair and smiled, “You knew what you were getting into with me,” he reminded her.

  So goddamn sexy in his smug arrogance. Amanda reeled with rage.

  “Yeah well, fine Jake. Guess I did. Can’t say you ever lied about what you’re all about.”

  He was smiling, but incensed, she was determined to wipe that comfortable grin off his face. He hadn’t called. Not during her excruciating drive home where, crying hysterically, she’d soared through red lights and stop signs and nearly plunged her Viper off Mulholland Highway. Not during the next two days as she lay in bed brooding and sobbing. Not during her ride to the airport, when the plane landed, not during most of her three day stint in Conroy, not, ironically, until she was at the Maple Leaf Motel, wrestling in bed with Wade.

  He’d looked at her questioningly when she’d placed the cell phone beside them on the bed, Jake’s numerous calls and texts continually lighting up the screen. She’d read his last text straddling Wade...Call me u fuckin cunt If ur w/ Wade I’ll slice u...She’d calmly put the phone down, smiled, and eased herself gratefully onto Wade’s hard cock, leaned over, kissed him long and hungrily and gave him the ride of his life.