Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
LIVIANNA/LILY
Then
When They Let The Darkness In
It wasn’t the way he touched me. It was how the world looked away like I was already gone.
“Please don’t do this.” I suck in a breath and hold it.
“Oh, come on. You bring me up here, tease me with that smile, and now you expect me to be a saint?” Tony tugs one side of my bra down over my breast and sucks on it.
“No, stop!” I buck.
The room shrinks to his weight and the sound of my own breath. This isn’t happening. I don’t let it register in my head.
He grinds into me with his erection digging in between my thighs. I push on his chest harder, but he takes my wrists in one hand and pins them above my head.
“Stay put, little girl.” His empty gaze floats over my face. “This will be a lot easier on you if you do.”
Adrenaline races through my blood. “They’ll kill you if you do this. You’ll go to jail.”
He gives me a wicked smile. “Nobody will believe you didn’t ask for this. You’ve been giving me cocaine, drinks, and asked me into your suite. Think, little girl. Think.”
The hand that isn’t holding me down goes between my legs.
He moves my thong over and pushes two fingers into me. “Perfect. Even if you’re not a virgin, you’re still tight like one.”
My body goes numb, but then something powerful takes over. I thrash and kick. There’s no way I’m going to let this take place. One of us will die before I let it. I hit something on the end table.
I hear a faint voice. “How can I help you, Mr. Hemings?”
“Help me!” I scream. “He’s trying to rape me!”
Tony freezes and I yell again. “Help, please! Send security now!”
He releases me but slaps my face hard as he gets off me. “You teasing bitch.”
He storms out of the room seconds later. The door slams shut. My cold body trembles and I push up to find the phone. I paw around until I do.
I bring it to my ear. “Please help me. This is Livianna Hemings. Find him.”
“Security is on its way,” the man on the line says in a strong, controlled voice. God, I need that.
“Is the perpetrator still in your room?” His deep concern is evident.
“No.” My breathing accelerates. My skin itches and a tear trickles down my face. “Can you stay on the line and talk to me?”
“I won’t let you go until security arrives.” His tone is thick with command. “Stay on the phone and breathe. You’re safe now. Nobody can hurt you. Do you understand?”
I release myself into his charge. This man on the other end of the line knows how to make a woman in need feel safe.
“Ms. Hemings, is there a blanket you can wrap yourself in?”
“I don’t know.” With my body frozen, I shudder. “Where would I find one?”
“Over the chair.”
I glance around and see a fluffy orange throw. “I found one.”
“Good. Wrap yourself in it but don’t touch anything else.”
There’s a pounding on the door. Adrenaline spikes through me, but I remain still.
“Ms. Hemings, security is at your door. It’s safe to open it.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I rise to my feet in a daze and answer the door.
The next five minutes are a blur. I sit wrapped on the couch, scratching at my skin as the security guards search our suite. Two of them scan the room like I’m evidence.
A woman sits beside me with a soft voice. “You’re safe. Can I get you water?”
“No thanks.” I gaze at the floor.
The security guards come back into the living room. One older guy stands while the other sits in the chair next to the couch. They stare at me as if I’m the one to blame.
The older guy leads. “Where are your parents?”
“Hosting a party.” I tremble and dig my nails into my skin.
“Where is that?” the lead guy asks.
“In Beverly Hills.” I glance around the room, getting a sense I’m in trouble. “I’m here with chaperones. We got separated because of the crowd, so I thought it would be best if I came back here. I’m not supposed to be here alone. I’m supposed to be with…”
Shit.
I can’t say I’m here with Mayhem. It could ruin their chances of ever being booked again.
One of the security guards gestures to the remaining coke on the table. “Is that yours?”
“No. The guy who was transporting me tonight. It’s his.” I try to gauge if they believe my lie. “He laid it out when we got back and did a bunch of it. I think that’s the only reason he did what…”
The lead security guard peers hard into my eyes. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No!” I shrink into the corner of the couch. “Nothing took place. He did lines on my table and forced my wrists down. That’s it.”
They keep asking if I want medical attention, but can’t convince me. I’m not giving the night more of me than it’s already taken.
They’re bagging the rest of the drugs and finishing up when the front door of the suite opens. Laughter spills in.
I don’t move, so I don’t know what occurs behind me. Everyone in my view looks that way. The door shuts and the room falls quiet.
Bren’s rough voice cuts into the silence. “What the fuck happened here?”
The lead security guard starts in. “There was a report of—”
I stand and turn around. “A disturbance. I had someone here and he did a bunch of drugs. He took things to the extreme.”
Bren has some blonde chick with him, who’s staring in horror at all the guards. Callum’s uncle is at the door.
But Callum… He’s nowhere in sight.
John steps forward. “I’m John Mayze. I’m their chaperone. What’s this about?”
Bren’s jaw tightens. He faces the girl he’s with and says something to her I can’t hear. She nods and leaves.
The lead security guard approaches John. “Ms. Hemings was left here alone tonight with someone who tried to take advantage of her.”
Bren explodes. “What the fuck does that mean? Who is this motherfucker?”
“Wait.” John holds him back. “What’s going on? Cash told me Livianna was at the show but couldn’t get in.”
“Please.” I focus on what I need the most and speak. “Can everyone please leave? I’ve explained my side of the events. Unless you need to call the cops to report the drugs, I have nothing else to add.”
John’s chest rises and falls as he takes quick breaths and assesses the situation. The security guards and the woman sitting next to me don’t say a word.
I make eye contact with every one of them. “You all did more than you were required to. Unless I’m in trouble, will you please let me handle this with my family?”
The lead guy gazes at me for a moment. Something like sympathy floats over his face.
“We’ll make an incident report and leave it there.” He glances down at his team. “Let’s give them space to figure this out on their own. There’s nothing left for us to do here.”
They all mumble things to each other as they leave. They assure John he’s not in any trouble and I sit back down. Bren makes a drink that’s mostly filled with vodka and sits across from me.
His knee bounces up and down as he stares at me with a red face. John joins us but doesn’t sit.
He shifts his weight from foot to foot, with his arms crossed. “What happened, Livianna?”
I point at Bren. “You need to stay quiet and just listen. I’ll tell you everything later.”
He scowls but nods and downs half of his drink.
I face John and rage fills me. “Why don’t you tell me, John? I was there, but you wouldn’t do anything to help get me in, and you left me with him.”
“You didn’t get there on time.” He shakes his head. “It wasn’t up to me.”
“It never is.” The sarcasm in my voice can’t be denied. “You’re not welcome to speak to me anymore. Go back to your room. Bren and I need to talk, and you’re not privy to know what I have to say.”
“I am because this involves me.” John tries to tower over me.
I rise to my feet. “This has nothing to do with you unless you want to tell Bren why I wasn’t in the crowd tonight.”
John glares at me but doesn’t move or say a word.
“I don’t think I need to give you the details. I’m sure you already know.” My chest heaves as I suck in a shaky breath. “Tell me you had no hand in this, John. Please tell me you didn’t plan this.”
“I didn’t, Livianna.” His hard expression shatters. “I didn’t know Tony would do anything to you. You were only supposed to get there late and—”
“I’ve heard enough.” I roll my lip together and take a brief pause. “Go. I won’t hold you responsible, but you never get to have a say in where I am or where I go again. Understood?”
His head lowers and he huffs in regret. “It wasn’t supposed to go down like this.”
“I know.” My stomach turns to iron. “You’ve set me up before to get a story. This time it turned out worse than you planned. Don’t expect me to forgive you. Mayhem isn’t worth that much to me.”
John’s head snaps up. “There are much bigger things on the line. You’re going to ruin everything. Is that what you want? Fuck, don’t make yourself a problem. You’re fifteen. Why do you think you’re that special?”
All my deep-seated fears and truths rear their ugly heads.
I smile in knowing. “You misunderstand, John. I know I don’t mean anything.”
“Then stay out of the way, Livianna, and let things fall in place. Nobody else will get hurt.”
“Too late, John. Way too late.” A tear falls from my eye and I wipe it away. “Don’t speak to me again. Do what you need to do with my brother’s band but never think you and I are okay.”
He glances at Bren, who’s drunk all his drink and is glaring at John like he’s going to tear him apart. John huffs and leaves, slamming the door on his way out.
There’s a moment of stillness. Bren’s gaze burns into my soul. I take his glass and make us another heavy pour.
I return to the couch and hand him his cocktail. He’s still staring at me like he’s watching a horror movie. I take a huge swallow of my vodka soda and let the entire night fade away.
“You sounded great tonight.” I sit in the chair across from Bren. “The crowd loved you.”
“Screw all that, Livianna. What the fuck happened?”
I glance at the couch and thoughts of minutes before flash across my mind. Tony’s hot breath ghosts my skin and I shake off the memory.
My heart turns to stone. “Where’s Callum?”