The Daymakers, page 2
I sucked in as much air as I could, the pain making me cough, but then I did it again. The panic had started to subside now that I realized they really wouldn’t give me back to Tom. All that was left was pain.
Tricia examined my ribs with her fingertips, frowning the whole time at the black and blue bruises on my torso, and I hissed as she prodded the tender spots. She listened carefully to the other side, then checked my pupils, her face a purposeful mask.
“I think the rib is just bruised, or maybe cracked at worst. I can’t be more definitive without an x-ray. Your breathing sounds good, and I don’t think you have a concussion, which is a minor miracle. I can tape your ribs to help with the discomfort, and you can ice it regularly to prevent swelling, along with your face.” Using a key from around her neck, she opened up a small lockbox, pulling out a little glass bottle. “I’m going to give you something for the pain.”
I eyed this perfect stranger, who said she was a paramedic but might just be some kind of organ harvester. Honestly, though, as long as the pain went away, they could have my organs.
She pushed something into the vein in my arm, and the world went hazy. As the pain drifted away, so did I.
TWO
CHARLOTTE
Hushed whispers dragged me from the darkness.
“This is a problem for the cops. We have to roll out of here tonight. Just drop her off at the cop station and let’s go.”
There was an angry huff. “You didn’t see how terrified she was. Didn’t want us to take her to a hospital or call an ambulance. She looked terrified, Whitt.”
“I understand that, Tricia, but this isn’t our circus and she’s not one of our monkeys. We’ve got a whole fucking menagerie without adding some battered girl. The police will protect her.”
Fuck no, they won’t. Tom’s best friend, Armond, was LAPD and Tom had used him more than once to get an inside scoop on cases. If I went to the cops, he’d know. I may as well just give him my address and let him murder me.
Because I knew as well as I knew my name, that if Tom got hold of me now, I’d either turn up floating in the ocean or go down as fish food. He’d always joked that a lawyer was only as good as his reputation, and if I went to the cops and pressed charges? It’d sink his career. He’d never let that happen. I knew it in my gut.
I whimpered as I sat up, the bed I was lying on creaking loudly. Everything hurt. I thought I’d known pain, but the way my face throbbed in time with my thundering heart introduced me to a new level of suffering.
Finding my jacket, I breathed a relieved sigh to see my phone and wallet still in my pocket. Not that I had any money. I might have to ditch my phone, in case Tom decided to get a little creative.
Hopefully, if I disappeared for a while, he’d know I wasn’t going to sink his stupid career and just forget about me. But I needed money and to get out of town. If I took money from our account, he could have me charged with theft, meaning the cops would have a reason to pick me up.
I looked in my purse. I had a twenty-dollar bill and a bunch of ones. Not enough.
The door to the RV opened, and the paramedic from earlier appeared. “You’re awake,” she said softly, eyeing me as I held my jacket in a death grip while I looked for my shoes. “Before you go, let me check you out one more time?” She didn’t push. Didn’t argue that I should lie back down.
Nodding, I climbed back onto the bed.
She grabbed her stethoscope and penlight. “Your pupils look even and reactive, so I don’t think you have a concussion.” She placed the stethoscope on my back. “Deep breath?” I took some big, even breaths in and out. It still hurt like a bitch. “Your chest sounds okay too. I’ve taped your side—hopefully giving your ribs some support will ease the pain.” She stepped back. “Do you have somewhere to go?”
I considered lying to her, but what would I gain? Tears filled my eyes as I shook my head. “No.”
“Family? Friends?”
Tom had made sure I had no friends. “No.”
“Did your boyfriend do this?” I nodded. “Are you going back to an unsafe environment?”
I let out a shaky laugh. Had I ever known a safe environment? “I’m never going back there. He’ll kill me.”
Tricia looked relieved. “Good. Good. Shep can take you to the police station nearby so you can press charges.”
I was already shaking my head before she’d finished. “No, I can’t. Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.” I climbed to my feet, hissing in pain as the cuts from the glass on the backs of my thighs stuck to the vinyl bed. I hesitated by the door. “Could someone give me a ride to the train station?”
I’d hop on the train somewhere. Even if they kicked me off at the next station, at least I wouldn’t be here.
Tricia chewed her lip. “Are you going somewhere in particular?”
“Away. Anywhere but here.” I hated how much my voice shook.
I couldn’t look her in the eyes, hating the pity I saw reflected there. “Just wait here. I’ll see if Shep can drive you,” she said softly, her hand brushing my arm.
She stepped outside, and I could hear her whisper-shouting, probably at Whitt with the monkeys, whoever he was. “Just until the next town. She needs to recover a little. I made an oath.”
“Tricia—”
“Just go in there and meet her, Whitt. Look at her fucked-up face, the beaten-down look in her eye, and tell me why we can’t just take her to Vegas. Go on.”
The door opened, and I flinched. An older guy, maybe in his early fifties, stomped into the RV. His hair was salt and pepper, and his jaw had a soft, gray beard. He would have been handsome in his heyday, and hell, he was a silver fox now. My daddy issues didn’t run that deep, though.
The door rebounded shut behind him, and I jumped. The expression on his face softened immediately. “Ah, fuck. I hate it when she’s right. I won’t hear the end of this now.” Sucking in a deep breath, he frowned, his jaw clenched. “You look messed up, kid. You need help?” Despite his frown, his voice was gentle. And something about that gentleness broke me completely. A choked sob burst from my lips, even as I shook my head.
Swallowing the emotion back down, I swiped at my eyes. “N-no. I’m okay. I’ll be okay.”
The guy looked at my tears like they were simultaneously made of acid and spread the bubonic plague. He leaned back out the door. “You were right, Tricia. Get your sexy ass in here, because she’s doing feelings and I don’t know what the fuck to do.” He sounded panicked, and Tricia came in, glaring at him smugly, before her face transformed into a look of understanding. She wrapped me in her arms, though she was a good couple of inches shorter than me. I buried my face in her shoulder, and she patted my back.
“You’re safe here, sweet girl. We’ll take you to Vegas with us, then you can decide what you want to do, okay?”
I nodded, words trapped behind the lump in my throat. She stroked my back gently, and when I pulled away, she let me go.
The guy stood behind her, his face twisted with concern. “She stays in the med van and away from the damn band, okay? And the second we hit Vegas, we set her free,” he warned Tricia, like I was a stray cat and not a person right in front of him.
She looked over her shoulder, love shining on her face. “Okay, Whitt.”
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, before spinning and stomping out of the van, shutting the door gently.
Tricia shook her head. “He’s such a softie. Gotta be tough in this business, but the man is a marshmallow on the inside. A sucker for the underdog.” She was gently nudging me toward a proper bed at the rear of the RV. “There’s a bunk back here, and I want you to rest. I’ll grab you an ice pack in a minute, and I want you to ice your face for as long as you can, and then your ribs for 20 minutes. You need rest, and try breathing as deeply as you can. I’ll grab you something to change into, if you’d like?”
I chewed my lip as I whispered my thanks. I was safe for tonight, and if Whitt was to be believed, for the whole way to Las Vegas. I wondered what kind of music Whitt sang; I didn’t recognize his face, but the arena had been packed so he had to be famous.
I turned off my e-sim so Tom couldn’t track me when he came down off whatever the hell he’d taken in the restroom of that club. Then I powered the whole phone down. I needed to get a charger from Walmart or something. And hit up a thrift store to get some clothes, so I could get a job.
Tricia returned, and with her was Shep. The security guard looked me over with worried eyes, but didn’t speak. Tricia handed me a hoodie, as well as a t-shirt. On the front was a bright pink skull with the words The Daymakers spewing from its mouth.
I didn’t recognize the name of the band, though it tickled the back of my brain. Maybe I’d seen it on social media. I was a K-pop girl, though, or sometimes old country music from the eighties and nineties.
I gave Tricia a half smile, my jaw still too puffy and painful for anything more. “Thank you again.”
She passed over a pair of yoga pants too. “These are mine, and they might be a little big, but they’re better than nothing. You can keep them.”
She was going to make me cry again, and I was all cried out. I just wanted to sleep away this nightmare.
“We’ll all bump out soon and get on the road to Vegas. You’re welcome to sleep through it. Shep will ride in this RV. He’ll be just up there. Brian drives, but you probably won’t see much of him. Shep can call me if you need anything. If you suddenly get a headache, problems breathing, nausea, anything like that, do not hesitate to call me, okay? I’ll be in the car right behind you.”
I nodded, my eyes darting to Shep.
Tricia frowned. “Shep’s harmless. If he makes one wrong move toward you, I’ll castrate him myself. He knows I’m good with a scalpel.” She gave him the stink eye, but he looked amused at her threats. “You have my word; you’re safe now. Get some rest.”
She moved the curtain in front of the sleeping area at the back of the RV, and I heard her talking softly to Shep. When the door closed softly, I pulled off my blood-soaked crop top and slipped on the t-shirt. It was a soft vintage wash and was cute as hell. It also hit me below my ass. I kept my shorts on and climbed beneath the covers of the bunk bed.
A dry spot in my throat made me cough, then the pain in my ribs made me cough more, which then hurt my face. It was a painful cycle.
A knock on the wall had me peeking around the curtain. A bottle of water appeared in front of my face. Shep looked down at me, his face an impenetrable mask. I didn’t know what he thought about me being here, and I didn’t think he was going to give me any clues.
I took the offered bottle of water. “Thank you.” I unscrewed it, though the idea of putting a bottle to my busted lip made me cringe on the inside. A straw appeared between his fingers, and I swallowed down the tears.
Shep’s eyes ran across my battered face, before he looked into my eyes. I saw anger there, but I knew in my gut it wasn’t at me. It was at Tom. “If I’d known, that fucker wouldn’t have walked away from that fence on two legs,” he said through gritted teeth. “Get some sleep. It’s a long drive.”
He turned and walked back to the front of the RV, stretching out on a couch, playing on his phone. I shut the curtain and climbed beneath the covers, and I was asleep before the RV even left the parking lot.
THREE
CHARLOTTE
I woke up with a start, rocketing up in an unfamiliar bed. I’d been dreaming about the alleyway, and Tom’s face kept morphing into a Chucky doll. Like the moment hadn’t already been traumatic enough, my subconscious wanted to kick me while I was down. Panic sent bile surging up my throat.
Light poured through a tiny window beside the bed, no more than a hand-width wide, and I shoved at the sheets trapping my legs. I whimpered in pain as my conscious brain caught up with my flight response.
I was in a med van. I was not in LA anymore. I was in Vegas, maybe?
Someone knocked on the frame of the bed I was lying in. “You okay?” The gruff voice of Shep made my heart pound again, and I swallowed down the panic. He’d saved me. He was safe.
Hell, what the fuck did I know about who was safe or not? Tom had been perfectly fine for the first few months. Caring. Attentive. Love bombing the fuck out of me.
I had been hilariously naive. So desperate to be loved that I’d ignored every sign.
I cleared my throat. “I’m fine. Sorry, I just woke up confused.”
There was silence, and for a moment, I wondered if he’d left.
“I’m heading for breakfast at a diner down the road. If you want to come. My treat.” Then his footsteps moved away. I hesitated, but only for a second. I had twenty-seven dollars. I couldn’t afford to turn down free meals.
Dragging on Tricia’s yoga pants, I pulled the hoodie over my head, then slipped the curtain aside to find the RV was empty. I stepped over to the tiny bathroom, finally getting a good look at my face.
I looked like hell. The whole left side of my face was a swollen mess of angry black bruises. My lip was fat, and my eye was swollen shut. I had no makeup to make it less noticeable.
After peeing, I rinsed out my mouth and splashed my face, hissing at the sting of the water against my cuts. I finger-combed my hair as best I could, then pulled the hood up until it shrouded my face in darkness. I shouldn’t go out in public like this, but how could I not? I needed to get myself sorted out, and it would be easier to do that with food in my belly before they booted me to the curb.
Going back to the bed, I pushed my feet into my sneakers, their glittery black outer material standing in stark contrast to the rest of my outfit. I crept through the RV to the door, steeling my spine as I pushed it open. The lot where we were parked was another secure venue, fenced off from the rest of the area. Dozens of people bustled around, directing in big trucks, buses, and cars with campers attached to the back.
I looked to the left, and Shep was there. In the light, I realized he was a lot younger than he’d appeared last night. He had a thick, short beard, but no lines around his eyes. And he was big. Huge. No wonder Tom had run away.
I was a solid five-six, but Shep towered over me. He couldn’t hold back the wince as he took in my face. “You look like shit in the daylight.”
I frowned at him. “Thanks?”
He shook his head. “I should have killed the fucker.”
Now it was my turn to look at him like he was a crazy person. “You don’t even know him. Or me.”
He pushed off the wall. “I don’t need to know anything about either of you to know that any man who does that to a woman doesn’t deserve to breathe precious oxygen.” His tone was devoid of any warmth. “Let’s go. Tricia and Whitt are waiting.” He handed me a pair of sunglasses from his pocket. “Take these; it’ll hurt less if you don’t have to squint in the desert sun.”
I took them gently. I didn’t get this guy, but the sun was making my head throb and my face ache. Plus, I could use something else to hide behind. I slid them on, and the relief was instantaneous. Well, a little relief anyway. I pulled my hood further over my head, hiding the best I could from the rest of the people wandering around.
I followed along behind Shep, or more specifically, his boots, since I kept my head down. I could see a huge tour bus, bigger than the others, black and sleek. I wondered if that was where Whitt and Tricia stayed?
Finally, we came to an SUV. “Charlotte?” I looked up at Tricia, whose smile was soft and comforting. “How are you feeling today?”
“Fine. Thank you,” I murmured, because manners had been literally beaten into me.
She raised an eyebrow. “Well, that sounds like bullshit. How are you really?”
My lip twitched. “Sore, but okay.”
Tricia stepped closer, taking off my shades to look at my eyes and the bruises around my face. “Any trouble breathing? Headaches or nausea?”
I shook my head, gently so that headache didn’t become a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Only when I was staring at the sun. Shep gave me his sunglasses.”
She nodded, sliding the glasses back up my nose. “That’s good. Come on, I’m looking forward to Nutella crêpes. Honestly, they are to die for.” Ushering me into the back of the SUV, she climbed in after me. Shep hopped in the driver’s seat, with Whitt in the passenger seat.
The streets of Vegas were already busy, even though it couldn’t have been more than nine in the morning. Whitt was looking at his phone, his fingers moving furiously as he typed out an email.
Tricia smiled gently at me. “He works too hard. I don’t think he’s had a day off in his entire life, but do you think he’ll listen to me?” she murmured softly. “Lucky I love him.” Whitt huffed a laugh, which told me he was listening to our conversation.
“You and Whitt are together?” I asked politely. Whitt had to be at least fifteen years older than Tricia.
The look she gave the back of his head left little doubt that she adored him. “Coming up fifteen years now.”
Shit, that was a serious chunk of time. I reappraised Tricia’s age. I’d thought she was late thirties, but looking at her now, I wondered if she wasn’t slightly older. If she was, I wanted to know the demon she’d sold her soul to for youth, because she didn’t look it.
I couldn’t imagine being with anyone that long. I didn’t think I’d had anyone in my life who was so permanent. Not my parents. No siblings. Not a partner, or a friend. No one.
Fuck, I was worse than depressing.
I gave her a tight smile. “That’s really sweet.”
Shep pulled the car into the parking lot of a diner, but even from here, I could see it was packed. Everyone was going to see my face and judge me. I didn’t care, though; I’d spent my whole life dodging judgmental looks. Still, I made sure my glasses were firmly on my face, and hid a little behind Shep’s broad shoulders as we made our way inside.
