Chapter 14
The plane touched down in the bright California sun.
The breeze outside was mild, and the temperature perfectly warm, just like always in sunny California.
Austin made his way through a private entrance of the small executive airport.
He kept his head held low, a ball cap pushed down over his eyes, and his Ray-Ban Aviators on, trying to hide himself as much as possible.
A private car waited for him at an exclusive side entrance, and Austin made it almost to the door before the stares started.
Little side nudges caught his eye, and he knew he must hurry.
He wasn’t fast enough. The pointing started, a few fans approached him, and the paparazzi who hung outside spotted the commotion.
Austin didn’t slow his stride as he scribbled his signature on a couple of open notebooks.
He ducked into the back seat of the waiting car within sixty seconds of stepping outside.
It didn’t matter how his driver drove, they were surrounded almost immediately, with the photographers snapping his picture, trying for any shot they could get.
Austin had his phone programmed to alert him when his name was mentioned online, and before he got out of the parking lot, TMZ already posted their shots of him sitting in the car.
The mellow mood of the last few weeks evaporated completely.
In its place, a deep disdain smoldered and slowly grated on his nerves.
With all certainty, Austin hadn’t wanted back into this chaos.
If Kitt had any real clue what this world was all about, he’d never again question Austin’s decision to leave.
The drive to his house in the hills of Hollywood took longer than it should have.
The police finally got involved and escorted him to his driveway, and even then, it was a slow drive.
People jumped out in front of the car, risking their lives just to get a shot of him.
He even spotted Rich and Mercedes already there, cameras snapping away.
They were the two paparazzi who had constantly plagued him over the last ten years.
They never gave him a break, and now flung questions at him through the car’s side window, like he would ever answer any of them.
Dozens of paparazzi blocked his way, even as the gate opened.
A police officer stood on guard, keeping everyone at bay as they drove down the driveway.
Austin stayed tense and stone-faced the entire ride.
He didn’t look at any of them. Instead, he kept his head slightly lowered making it harder to get a good shot.
He resisted the urge to pull up Kitt’s picture on his phone for fear someone with a great lens might catch it.
But, dear God, Austin’s dependent side needed to get a look at Kitt.
Kitt represented peace, love, and simplicity.
Everything that was right in his world. In just a few days, Kitt helped to settle his soul and center him.
Amazing, how a chance encounter allowed him to meet someone who so completely turned his world around in such a short time.
The realization made Austin wish Kitt was with him now.
“We were quiet, no one knew, I swear. Just me, you, and the driver,” Seth said, meeting him at the car door.
“I know. I watched it fucking happen at the airport.”
They were in the back of the house with high fencing and security, but who knew who might get through. Austin kept his head low, hurrying into the open garage.
“Damn, this is going to complicate things.” Seth kept up with Austin stride for stride.
“Exactly my thought during the entire fucking drive here. Goddamn, I hate those motherfuckers. And those two asswipe fuckers were right there in the middle of it all. They had their cameras pressed against the window. I hate Rich and Mercedes! Goddammit, those fuckers need a life.” Austin raged as he stepped inside the garage and forced himself to calm down.
After a minute, he shook his head, forcing the images out of his mind and concentrated on why he was here.
“How is she?” They slowed their pace, talking quietly like it was some big secret, that the people who worked here couldn’t possibly notice the female spiraling out of control right in front of them.
“Not good at all. She’s got herself locked in the back room.
She’s strung out. She’s missing tapings, and they told me today, if she doesn’t get help, they’re publicly canning her from the film.
” Seth didn’t mince words, he was a straight shooter.
It was one of the things Austin liked most about him.
“Damn it! How did it get this bad, this quick? Whatever. Did you call Arizona, get something ready for her?” Austin asked about the rehab center they’d discussed over the phone.
“Yes, they’re waiting for us.” Seth nodded while gnawing at his lip.
Austin got the distinct impression he wanted to say more but didn’t.
Austin eyed him closely, willing Seth to say whatever he held back.
When nothing came, Austin let it go. He’d find out soon enough.
He continued as if he hadn’t noticed the hesitation.
“Okay, let me go talk to her,” Austin said, and walked through the house into the kitchen.
The driver sat at the table, waiting for his directions.
Austin’s housekeeper looked up. She didn’t speak much English, but worry was clear on her face.
Austin gave her a polite pat on the shoulder as he walked by.
He prayed this would be an in-and-out kind of deal.
The odds of it happening seemed against him with the worry on everyone’s face.
Cara’s history in this area wasn’t good.
Usually, when she got this far out of control, she was a raving bitch of a nightmare to deal with.
As he got closer to the bedroom, he heard loud music blaring from inside.
The temperature in this part of the house was freezing.
The air-conditioning was turned way down.
Austin didn’t knock and the door wasn’t locked.
He walked straight in to see Cara sitting with her robe open, her body nude underneath.
Two young men were with her in the room.
One sat perched on the floor between her spread thighs, rubbing one hand up the inside of her leg.
His other hand massaged her clit where his head was headed.
The second man sat behind her. She sat on his lap with her legs spread open, straddling his parted thighs.
Clearly, his dick was inside her as he rolled his hips back and forth at a slightly awkward angle.
In one hand, he held the crack pipe she smoked from while the other he rolled her nipple between his fingers.
Cara was so stoned, her eyes weren’t much more than slits as they looked over at him.
She sucked in a breath, held it and let it go, not acknowledging his presence.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” The man in front of her hadn’t heard Austin come in the room, but the one behind her had no problem seeing him.
He panicked, trying to get her off him. But, she dropped the pipe and rolled her head back, falling straight back on the man, making it harder for him to get out from under her.
Cara’s body lay completely bared to them all.
She rocked her hips against the penis slipping in and out of her and wrapped her long legs around the man in front of her, ignoring the one behind her trying to get away.
“Fuck me… He won’t fuck me anymore…” She moaned, reaching her hands up around the neck of the guy behind her, trying to hold him in place, trapping him there.
“Cara.” Austin’s only word came out filled with the despair he felt so deep in his soul.
The sight was pathetic, crushing his heart.
He couldn’t believe they were here again.
The guy between her legs whipped his head around, seeing Austin for the first time.
She tightened her Pilates-strengthened thighs around him, not letting him move.
The guy underneath her finally broke free, rolling as quickly as he could away from her.
Austin didn’t pay him any attention as he moved across the room to turn the music off.
“Noooo, don’t stop. Austin, come join us…
where’s Seth? Austin, make him come in here and fuck me!
He won’t fuck me anymore. Austin…” Tears sprang to her eyes, and she dropped her legs, letting the second panicked man free.
He too darted up, making a wide dodge around Austin, and moved fast to get out of the room.
Austin didn’t care about either of them.
His only concern was Cara, and he went straight to her.
“Baby, you have to stop this.” He covered her with her robe before picking her up and moving her to bed.
“No! Austin, no! Don’t make me stop it. I love it!
It makes me feel alive.” Cara jerked herself up from the bed, moving erratically.
She swung her body around as she spoke until her robe fell to the floor.
She grabbed her silicone-filled breasts, crushing them together.
“Take a hit like the old days and come fuck me, Austin.”
Her step forward had her tripping, and she fell to the floor, splayed before him. “Make Seth come in here and make love to me. I miss him, Austin. He’ll do it again if you make him.”
“I’m not doing that, Cara,” Austin said. He reached down to pick up her robe, before bringing her back to her feet. She swayed, and he caught her easily before she fell again. “We’ve got help ready for—”
“I love him. I wanted to marry him, and have babies with him, and live a normal life, like normal people, and he won’t because of you,” Cara said, her eyes sliding closed. She opened them again after a few seconds. “I love him and he won’t…”
“I’m going to get you help, Cara,” Austin said, scooping her up again. She was no help, almost deadweight on his arms.