Teacher: The Final Act (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy #3) Read online

  The doctor adjusted my meds, so I was feeling great and putting on weight. One morning, the last week of September, Danny noticed me fighting with my wardrobe before work and decided to intervene. He was lying back against the headboard, naked, and groaning about how he loved to watch me dress almost as much as he liked me to undress. This particular morning, however, none of my zippers would zip and my buttons wouldn’t even reach.

  “I know I’m supposed to be gaining weight, but I feel like a fucking cow right now.” I fought back tears of frustration. Danny approached and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

  “Honey, it’s what’s healthy for you. I know you hate it, but you look so fucking good, I can’t say I’m sorry.”

  I knew he was right, but I dreaded getting dressed in the mornings. That Thursday, I was playing with Legs in the backyard, dressed in Danny’s boxer briefs and a t-shirt, about all that was comfortable, when I had an unexpected visitor.

  “Surprise!” It was Patricia, on another mission from Danny. ”I’m under orders,” she said with a wicked grin. She hurried me into my room to get dressed and informed me we would be dropping Legs at the pet sitter on the way. She took me shopping to her favorite boutiques as well as some discount stores (at my insistence) and she showered me with clothes to try on. Most of them were a little edgier than I was used to, but all were absolutely gorgeous. It was no wonder my clothes weren’t fitting. I’d gone up two sizes!

  Lingerie shopping was the most fun. ”Patricia! I have boobs!”

  She laughed hysterically at me trying on bras and delighting that I actually had cleavage.

  “Congratulations, my dear! I think we should go celebrate!”

  After we’d spent several hours shopping, we had lunch, and then she took me to a spa.

  “Also part of my orders,” she said when I started to protest. ”And Jane is going home after school with Sasha. They have the day off tomorrow, so she’s spending the night.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me. ”Danny wanted you ‘perfectly outfitted, relaxed, and ready for me when I get home.’ Direct quote, I promise!”

  My phone rang at that minute. It was Gloria.

  “Oh Future Mrs. Black,” she said in a singsong voice. “The exit exam results are in. You can officially say you are living with a high school graduate.”

  I squealed so loud Patricia swerved the Corvette.

  “Thank you so much for calling Gloria! I can’t wait to tell him!” I hung up and hooped and hollered some more.

  “What in the world?”

  “He passed! He passed! Oh! I gotta call him. I gotta—”

  “Wait until he gets home. What a nice surprise you’ll have for him.” I looked at Patricia and grinned like a crazy person.

  “The best surprise. All right. You convinced me. “ She laughed at me and gave me a fist bump.

  I had known that he would pass the exams, but hearing the news just warmed my heart. All of our hard work had paid off. I’d accomplished something really important by being his teacher. Handing him his diploma would be incredibly fulfilling for us both.

  The spa was phenomenal. I had my first facial, a manicure and pedicure, and even a massage, although it wasn’t as good as what I got from Connie. I needed to remember to tell her the next time I saw her. Patricia dropped me off at the house and I let myself in, loaded down with bags. So many thoughts were running through my head. How was I going to tell him? How would he react? I had to let his mother know…

  As I was struggling to get in the door, I felt someone push me from behind.

  “Where is he,” I heard a male voice growl. I pulled away as he shut the door. ”Where the fuck is Danny?”

  I vaguely recognized the intruder as Stacey. He had lost a lot of weight, his hair was all stringy and gross, and he smelled terrible. I dropped my bags and backed up to the wall where the alarm pad was located.

  “He’s not here, Stacey. They’re in the studio. Do you want me to call him for you?” I asked, pulling out my phone with shaking hands.

  He knocked it out of my hand and stepped closer to me. ”He got me fucking fired,” he shouted. ”Because of him, no fucking musicians will work with me. I can’t get work. I even lost my fucking apartment and had to hock my guitar, that sonofabitch.”

  I was able to reach behind me and hit the silent alarm, thankful Danny had a good security system and that I had finally learned how to use it.

  But then Stacey turned his hatred on me. He grabbed my arm hard and jerked me away from the wall. He yanked me into the living room and threw me down on the sofa.

  “Stacey, maybe if you just sit down, we can talk about this.”

  He started pacing and I saw he had a knife clipped to his pocket. Please, God, don’t let him take that out! I wasn’t sure how long it would take the police to get here, but it wouldn’t take long for him to really hurt me if he used a blade.

  He stepped over to me and grabbed me by the hair. ”If only I’d never laid eyes on you at that party. If only I hadn’t touched you.” He ran a hand down his face and his cracked lips split into a disgusting grin. ”Or, maybe I should have just made it more worth my while.”

  I started to panic. This wasn’t a man afraid of the consequences of his actions. He yanked me back, pinning me to the couch, and pulled at the front of my dress, popping the buttons off. I screamed and clawed at him, but even at his smaller size, he was way too strong for me. I vowed that if I made it through this, I was going to learn how to defend myself. I’d take Janey with me to training, too. I was so grateful she wasn’t here. I prayed that if this turned ugly, that Danny wouldn’t be the one to find me.

  I tried to kick at him and he backhanded me with his other hand, splitting my lip. He held me down by my throat until I started to suffocate. With my vision going spotty, I could barely think, but I knew I needed to get away from him. I let myself relax, going completely slack, and he took that as a surrender. He let go of my neck, unfastened his pants, and climbed on top of me.

  “That’s right, Teacher. I’ll show you who’s the better man.” He got right in my face with his rank breath and let go of my hair so he could rip the bottom off of my dress. He got a grasp on my panties and tore the side off.

  I smiled at him invitingly and then hauled back and head-butted him as hard as I could. I heard the sickening crack of his nose as my forehead connected with his. I felt his blood splash on my face.

  He clutched at his nose and screamed, “YOU FUCKING BITCH!” He sat back enough for me to get out from under him, but then he caught what was left of the bottom of my dress, ripping it the rest of the way. My sandal strap broke and I fell down, catching myself before I face planted on the marble floor. Stacey was right behind me on the floor, reaching for my ankle.

  “Come here! I’ll make sure you bleed even more, bitch.”

  I heard the flick of his knife as he opened it and I screamed.

  The door flew open in front of me. “FREEZE!”

  Two officers came running in, guns drawn. Stacey cursed and dropped the knife. I scrambled over to the wall, breathing hard. The first officer stepped forward to subdue him, but Stacey turned over and reached in his pocket. The second officer fired three rounds into his chest. It was over.

  The other officer came to check on me, and at that moment, I recognized the shooter as the cop who’d stopped me.

  “Jesus! You’re the teacher,” he yelled. ”Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”

  I shook my head, but I was too dazed to speak. The other officer called for the paramedics.

  “Can you stand up, Miss—”

  “Martin. Jesse Martin. I think so.”

  He tried to help me into the kitchen so I wouldn’t have to look at Stacey anymore, but instead I dashed into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before I threw up violently. He stood in the doorway, offering me a towel when I was finished, and then helped me to stand. I wrapped the large bath sheet around me since my dress and panties were practically gone. ”Is there
anyone else home, ma’am?”

  I shook my head. ”No. Danny is at the studio. Jane is staying at a friend’s house, and Nora is probably at class.” I looked at the clock and saw that it was seven o’clock. Legs was at the pet sitter. No one would have been home for at least another three hours. Thank God I was able to hit the alarm!

  “Danny? You mean Danny Black?”

  I nodded, my head screaming at me with the movement. My neck was sore and it hurt to talk. ”Yes. He’s my boyfriend.”

  The cop nodded and stepped away, speaking into his radio. He and his partner conferred in the entryway for a few minutes, and then I heard more voices. Two paramedics came in and started to look me over. They cleaned the wounds on my face and said they thought I needed stitches on both my lip and my forehead where I’d split my skin hitting Stacey.

  “We’re going to need to take you to the hospital,” the female said.

  I nodded, wanting Stacey’s blood and whatever else off of me. I wished I could just shower and scrub it all off.

  “Just let me grab my purse.”

  The other paramedic said, “Ma’am, I think it’s in the hallway with the other bags and we’ll need to use another exit. The crime scene techs need to have that area sealed off.”

  “We can go through the garage,” I said quietly.

  The officer leaned in the doorway and said, “Is there someone we should call for you?”

  Just then I heard tires squealing outside and a door slam.

  “JESSE! JESSE! Fucking HELL! JESSE!” I heard the officer try to calm him down and he screamed, “Where’s my fucking girlfriend? Jesse!”

  I hurried over to the garage, opening the outer door. ”Danny, in here.”

  He flew around the corner and stopped running when he saw me. He looked like he’d just been sucker punched. He stalked over to me, grabbing my arms. “Oh, honey. Oh my God, Jesse?” He crushed me to him. I was so grateful to see him. We were both shaking. He pulled back to look at my face.

  “Honey, what happened? Who did this?”

  I took a shuddering breath. “It was Stacey, baby. The police shot him.”

  He blanched and picked me up, carrying me back into the kitchen. He had me sit down at the counter and the paramedics got back to work, dressing my cuts, while he stood there looking helpless.

  The officer came back in and said, “Miss Martin, we need to ask you some questions.”

  I nodded, but Danny held up a hand and said, “I know you need to talk to her, but she needs medical attention.” He looked down and saw part of my ripped dress under the towel. His eyes got dark and his face turned beet red. When he spoke his jaw was clenched. ”Jesse, did he—”

  “No! No, I got away from him, and then the cops came in. How did you get here so fast?” I asked, bewildered.

  He started to pull the towel away to see the extent of the damage. I grabbed it, not wanting any of them to see how bad things almost were.

  “No, Danny. Please. I’m ok. But how—”

  “The alarm company called my cell when the panic alarm was hit. They could hear everything going on, but they wouldn’t give me any other information. I didn’t know who was home. I called Patricia when I couldn’t reach you and she said she’d just dropped you off. Fuck, honey, you’re so hurt! I’m so fucking sorry I wasn’t here.” He hugged me gently, his hands trembling as he touched my back.

  I held him in my arms, trying to reassure him I was ok. But then everything started to get to me.

  “Danny, baby, I think I need to...”

  When I woke up next, I was in the hospital. Danny was in the doorway talking to a police officer. He must have heard me stirring, because he was instantly at my side.

  “Jesse, honey, how do you feel?”

  I laughed, but even that hurt my head. ”Like shit! What am I doing here?” I asked, confused. I didn’t remember leaving his kitchen.

  “You fainted, honey. They brought you here. You had to have stitches on your forehead, but your lip they thought would be okay without.”

  I touched my lip tentatively with my tongue. It was swollen, but okay. Danny looked a wreck. His eyes were bloodshot, and there was blood all over his grey t-shirt.

  “You’re going to have security from now on. You and Jane. I don’t care if I have to post a fucking guard in front of the damn house.”

  I patted him on the arm. “Going to take self-defense, okay? It’s okay.”

  He shook his head. ”The police want you to give a statement when you feel up to it. I tried to tell them to fuck off, but they said that wasn’t possible, and warned me they’d take me in if I interfered. Fuckers.”

  I giggled, reaching up to brush his hair back. ”I can talk to them.”

  He kissed my cheek and leaned back with a grimace. ”I can’t kiss you anywhere! I’m so fucking sorry this happened. It’s all my fault.”

  I shook my head, grabbing his face. “No, Danny. This was all about Stacey being desperate. He said he’d gotten fired, lost his apartment, hocked his guitar. He was looking for someone to blame. I’m just glad he didn’t find you! He had a knife, Danny, and I don’t think he would have been much for talking with you. At least I stalled him a little.”

  Danny just looked more pissed. ”Fuck,” he growled, stomped away from the bed, and kicked a chair into the wall. The officer looked into the room to be sure everything was okay, giving Danny a stern look. Danny took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair.

  “Can we come in?” Patricia, Julian, Bronson and Alex were at the door. The officer stopped them.

  “Just a short visit, and then the detective needs to take her statement.”

  They nodded and then rushed into the room.

  Patricia got to me first. “I brought you a change of clothes, Jesse. I’m so sorry! I should have walked you inside. What happened?”

  I squeezed her hand. ”I’m glad you weren’t with me,” I whispered.

  “Did he hurt you, Jesse?” She whispered back.

  I shook my head. ”Just what you see. I was able to hit the panic alarm. The police were there in minutes. I’m fine.”

  She let out a breath and gave me a weak smile. ”Thank God! I’m so sorry, sweetie.” Patricia backed up so Alex and Julian could check on me.

  “I’m all right, guys. I probably just went into shock, and that’s the reason I fainted. I’m fine. He’s not, though.” I gestured towards my poor boyfriend.

  Danny’s face was pale. He looked as hollow as he did the day I met him. I didn’t want him to be so upset. Bronson was talking to him, but he was staring at me.

  “Okay, folks. Miss Martin needs to give her statement, so you’ll need to step out. Mr. Black, that means you, too.”

  Danny frowned and ground his teeth. ”I’m staying. I’m not leaving her fucking side again,” he said through a clenched jaw.

  Patricia spoke softly to him and his face fell.

  “Sir, you’ll need to wait outside. We’ll leave the door open,” the officer said, trying to let Danny know he understood.

  Danny glared at him, then walked over and kissed my forehead. ”I’ll be right outside, honey. I’m going to find out how soon I can take you home.”

  I nodded. ”Thanks, baby. I’m okay.”

  He nodded, squeezed my hand, and walked out with Bronson, who nodded to me as if he’d take care of Danny. I mouthed “Thank you,” to him.

  The officer brought in a striking female detective named Sandra Rowell. She was short, stocky, and dressed in a dark blue suit. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a severe bun, almost like I would wear for work. She had a scar on one eyebrow and looked like she could beat the shit out of anyone who crossed her. She just had that vibe about her. But with me, she was warm and encouraging. I needed that right now.

  “Miss Martin, I’m sorry to have to do this now, but I need to know what happened so we can move forward with the investigation.”

  “It’s okay, really. I’m feeling okay, just a little sore
.”

  Talking was actually irritating the hell out of my lip, but I wanted to get this over with. I explained that Stacey must have been waiting in the bushes by the front door. It was all I could think of as to how I’d missed seeing him. I told her what happened inside once he put his hands on me. She grinned at me when I explained to her how I got him off me.

  “Good for you,” she whispered.

  I smiled weakly and then told her how the officers came in and that one of them shot him three times. She nodded, her recorder picking up everything I said.

  “Is he dead?” I asked, afraid of the answer.

  She nodded. ”He died instantly. Suicide by cop, unfortunately. At least he won’t be bothering you all anymore.”

  I let out a shaky breath, and then thanked her.

  She asked if there was anything else I remembered.

  “He certainly had it in for Danny. It all started a while back. He was over at the house one day in June. He was drunk, and he threw me in the pool. Danny was furious. He had him removed from the house. Then, not too long ago, Danny ran into him at a bar and he started talking to Danny about me and, well…”

  She waved off my comment.

  “I can only imagine.” She chuckled and turned her recorder off. ”I can guess exactly what happened after talking to Mr. Black earlier.”

  I shook my head, but then a thought occurred. “Detective Rowell? I promised myself that if I made it through today, you know, um, if I was okay, that I would get some self-defense training. Do you have any recommendations?”

  She laughed. ”I already gave Mr. Black my card. I actually give private lessons on my days off. I’d be happy to come over and work with you and his daughter. He seemed insistent that she get some training as well.”

  “Thank you so much. I would love that. My dad taught me a few things when I was younger, but I didn’t really feel prepared for something like this.”