Hard Rock Unrehearsed (10 page)

“Mama you’re fuckin’ amazing!”  He laughed as he got back on stage.  “This next one is just for you!”

With that they were back into it and the chanting of the crowd spurred them on.  Trace strutted and screamed and sang the shit out of it.  The fans sang right along and took them higher and higher, spurring them on to give them more and more.

At the end of the night they had given them two encores and ran off stage laughing like loons dripping with sweat but not giving a shit.  They were on a high of epic proportions, it had been their best night on the tour yet.

It was good that they had such a good night because back at the hotel they would be faced with Molly Rutherford and her camera.  Blowing off steam before she sat down and outed herself was just what Jay had needed.

They were still feeling the high as they mingled with those with backstage passes and the few VIP’s that Diego had allowed them to invite.  Jay was laughing and joking with a fan when she saw someone that stopped her in her tracks with shock.  The beautiful man stood smiling at her, his bright blue eyes laughing as he opened his arms to her.  With a scream of joy she was running, jumping into his arms hugging him hard and kissing his cheeks as he laughed down at her.  Her father’s youngest brother was one of the members of her small circle of loved ones but because of his schedule she didn’t get to see him as often as she would have liked.  Rick Gaines was the lead singer for a very high profile rock band and was usually heavily disguised when he visited, but not tonight.  Tonight he was there as Rick Gaines dressed in his signature battered and faded blue jeans, tight white t-shirt, black boots and black leather jacket.  His hair was a little longer than the last time she saw him, it touched his shoulders and was still as gorgeously curly as always but the dark close cut beard covering his jaw was new.  He was genuine rock royalty and the shocked whispers around them froze her for a second and then she thought, fuck it, this is my family!  It was going to be out tomorrow anyway.

“Why didn’t you let me know you were here?  When did you get here?  Where are you staying?  How long are you staying?”  The questions tumbled out of her mouth one after the other.

“Slowly princess, slowly.”  Rick grinned down at her and smoothed her hair away from her forehead.  “I got in just before the show started and Luis arranged backstage passes for me.  Damn Princess you guys kicked ass tonight.  I sent brother Mikey a video of you playing saying
‘I told you so’
, he sent back
‘fuck off!’
  Heh! Fuckin’ asshole.”  Then he roared with laughter at getting the better of his staid older brother.

Diego suddenly appearing beside them with murder in his eyes jolted Jay back to where they were and at the eyes centred on them.

“What the hell baby?”  Diego growled as Rick gave him a grin and drew her into his side.

Jay punched him in the side half heartedly.  “Diego let me introduce you to the biggest troublemaker that has ever crossed your path.”

Diego interrupted before she could continue.  “I know who he fuckin’ is, what interests me more is why the hell he’s hanging all over my woman.”

Rick roared with laughter again and Jay smacked his side hard this time.  “If you let me finish the introductions you’ll know.  Rick Gaines meet Diego Delgado.”  Standing on her tip toes she whispered in Diego’s ear.  “He’s my uncle.”

Diego reared back and stared at Rick.  “He doesn’t look old enough to be.”

Rick grinned.  “Dad was a bit of a dog.  My mother was his third wife and she was about a third of his age as well which is why my eldest brother is old enough to be my father.  Mikey blames my bad influence for the way his little princess turned out but the fucker is so uptight he brought it on himself.”  He shrugged as if he was totally innocent of any wrongdoing.

“Rick!  Let’s not do this here we have too many interested ears pointed our way.”  Jay hissed then drew him to where the band stood watching.

“Guys I’d like to introduce you to Rick Gaines.  Rick this is Trace Hanover, RJ de Nobrega, Joe Givens and Jimmy Sanders.”

Jade stood smiling as Rick shook hands with the guys but before they could start chatting Diego, Tag, Tank and Hanson started herding them towards the exit bringing Rick and his bodyguard along with them.  They made their way out shaking hands and signing autographs and finally they were all squashed into the Hummer limo that seemed to appear as if by magic at each venue they played at.

“Okay Jay spill it.  How the hell do you know Rick Gaines well enough to jump all over him.”  Jimmy queried.

Jade turned to Rick and asked without asking by raising an eyebrow, his nod was all the answer she needed.   Jade took a breath to explain.  “Remember I told you guys about my Uncle Patrick who sat me down behind my first drum kit?  Well, this is him, this is my father’s youngest brother Patrick Galloway or the name everyone knows him by, Rick Gaines.”

“Holy shit!”  Trace growled and sat staring at them with narrowed eyes.  “There’s some family resemblance but only if you are looking for it.”

“Jade is lucky, she looks like her darling mother and not like her fucker of an old man, except for the eyes, that she gets from the old fucker.”  Rick ducked as she aimed a fist his way.  “Princess it’s true, he is a fuckin’ old man and you do look like your mum.  She was one hell of a woman, a pity we lost her so early in our lives.”  Turning to the guys he ignored her heavy frown.

“Jade’s mother Maureen took me in when I was three and raised me right along with her own children.  She was more of a mother to me than my own who was more interested in parties and pool boys than raising a kid.  We lost Maureen when Jade was seven and I was fifteen.”  Rick made a gesture with his hands that indicated he was done explaining as he turned to Jade.  “Now that everyone knows how we’re connected how about telling me what the fuck’s going on with the shit on the social media?  It took all my fuckin’ powers of persuasion to stop your old man from calling up an attack team to come and sort this shit out.”

Jade wasn’t given a chance to answer, Diego got there before her.

“We’re close to catching the guy who’s putting the shit out there on social media and we will be taking him down hard.  Jay is doing an interview tonight to explain why she has kept her real identity a secret all these years.  We’ve decided on Molly Rutherford to do the interview because we trust that she won’t go tabloid all over Jade’s ass.”  Diego growled, still not settled about seeing Jade leap into another man’s arms, even though it turned out the man was family.

Rick Gaines nodded as Diego spoke his brows drawn into a deep frown.  “Is this interview going out live or is it being recorded?”

“Not live, no.”  Jade murmured.

“Okay Princess, I get it.  Are we going to tell them you’re Jade Delgado or are we going with the whole Galloway thing as well?”

“I think I should just do the whole damn thing.  Once they start digging they will find out about Dad anyway so I might as well throw him under the bus right along with the rest of us.”  Jade gave an evil grin.  “You know how he detests publicity and our lifestyles so having the tabloid press hounding him and his mistress of the month is going to be so sweet.”

Rick roared with laughter.  “That’s evil Princess but oh such sweet payback.”

Jimmy and Givens gave each other a look and Jade knew something unholy was going to come out of one of their mouths.

“So your Dad has a new mistress every month?  That is what you meant right?”  Jimmy asked innocently.

Jade didn’t say anything just looked at him waiting for him to continue.

“That makes twelve women per year giving him the business, regularly.  Your Dad is a man amongst men.  I want to be him when I grow up.”  Jimmy grinned.

“My Dad is a lonely man hiding behind a lot of too young women who use him for his money.  He’s only fifty five for heaven’s sake.  He should find a woman who would love him for who he is and not for his damned money.”  Jade shook her head.  “I would never want you to be that lonely Jimmy, believe me it truly sucks.”

“Your Dad found the love of his life very young Princess and when he lost her he lost a very important part of himself.  You and your brothers are all that matters to him at the end of the day.  The women are arm candy, nothing more.”  Rick rubbed a hand along her thigh comfortingly.

“That’s bullshit Rick.  If you can love only once then explain to me why I have Diego.  I too found the love of my life young and lost him and then years later I found it again in Diego so don’t tell me he can’t love again, he can, he just doesn’t want to risk it.”

Rick looked torn between agreeing with her and defending his brother.  “Ah Princess my brother is a complicated man.”

“Let’s not talk about this because it just pisses me off that my father runs around with women younger than what I am.”  Jade growled.

Trace immediately started talking about the great time they’d had on stage changing the conversation completely.

“I nearly died of laughter when that big lady shoved all those young girls out of her away and flashed her tits at us.  She was so cool man!”

The laughter changed the atmosphere in the vehicle and Jade relaxed as she laughed with the guys, reliving the moment those tits made their appearance on the big screen for all to see.  She knew that she had overreacted and said more about her family than she should have, her only defence being that she hated her father’s lifestyle as much as he hated hers.

The after party was already in full swing when they walked in and were swamped by the invited reporters and fans.  Jade smiled, joked and laughed along with the guys who never left her side.  None of them drank anything other than the bottles of water that Tag had handed out to them.  They were getting paranoid!  Rick didn’t attend the after party, as he would have been mobbed, but was sneaked up to Luis’s suite where he waited for them to join him.  After what seemed like an interminable hour Luis indicated that it was time to leave and they quickly slipped out of the party.  Diego stopped them before they got to the lift to have a quiet word.

“No one mentions any names in the lift as we don’t know who might be listening.  Tank escorted our guests up twenty minutes ago so everything should be ready for us when we get there.  Papa ordered food to be laid on so this is a band dinner as far as anyone outside of this group is concerned.”

Jade was nervous as they rode up in the lift, everyone was very quiet until Diego broke the silence.

“What kind of food are you feeding us Dad?  I hope there’s some steak, I really feel like some meat.”

Giv and Jimmy sniggered.  “We agree we always feel like some meat man.”  They both wiggled their eyebrows at Diego.  Who along with the other guys cackled like bloody hyenas.

“You guys are idiots.”  Jade said as she shook her head at them.

Their antics took Jade’s mind off what was awaiting her.

In Luis’s suite the furniture had been moved around to create a big enough space for Molly’s crew which consisted of a cameraman, a lighting technician and a sound technician.  They had pulled one of the large couches to one side with a coffee table in front of it and a big easy chair for Molly set up to the side of the couch.  The camera was set up so that it enabled the cameraman a view of the entire couch as well as the chair.  A TV had been set up to enable the band to watch from the couch.

Luis did the introductions and Jade just wanted to get the whole thing over with.  And then they were all on the couch and Molly started her introduction.

CHAPTER TEN

RJ and Trace made sure that they had Jay bracketed between them with Giv and Jimmy on either side.  It would send a visual confirmation that the band supported Jay one hundred percent.  Luis stood to one side, ready to step in if it was needed.

The introduction went smoothly.  Molly talked to the band about how the tour was going.  She asked questions about how they all felt about Jay being behind the drums.  Then she asked about Richie and how his recovery was progressing and when the fans could expect him back.  Throughout pictures of the band flashed on the TV screen in front of them.

Trace knew that Luis had briefed Molly but hadn’t told her exactly why the band needed a secret and exclusive interview with her.  He felt sure that Molly thought they were going to announce Richie’s retirement from the band and Jay’s instatement as his replacement.  She was in for a huge surprise.  As they had discussed he led the band through all the usual questions and then it was time.

“But Molly everything we’ve just talked about is not why we requested this interview with you.  We as a band and that includes Richie, have nothing but the greatest respect for Jay who stepped in and saved our tour.  Unfortunately there are those individuals out there who like nothing better than to blacken the name of anyone who dares to excel at what they do.  That unfortunately is what is happening to Jay at this moment.”

RJ continued as Trace paused.  “Ever since joining Storm Front Jay has had to fight a tough battle with the blatant lies that were being published in the tabloid press.  Instead of getting better it has only gotten worse.  Someone has been posting increasingly more virulent and threatening things in the social media.  I know you know what I’m talking about.  The whispers have been running rampant through the media but so far it has only been the gutter press who have published any of the rubbish.”

Givens jumped right in.

“That’s why we have decided that it has gone far enough and called you.  Jay wants to stop this nonsense before it goes any further and we all agree with her, she has our full support.”

Jimmy laughed.  “She’s also very hot so that works for us as well.”

The band laughed and Jade leant over with a grin to smack his leg.

Molly cleared her throat and they all settled down and faced her.  She was sickened by the reason she suspected Rick Gaines had to attend this interview.  Swallowing her anger she started the interview that she had so carefully prepared for and had been excited about until she saw him walk into the suite.  The man she had secretly been lusting after for years was by his sudden appearance definitely connected to this mess.  But she had a job to do and she would do it come what may.

“So Jay, there are allegations being made that you are sleeping your way to the top of your profession, that your drumming is mediocre, that you have bribed your way into studios to get recording credits, that you are a closet lesbian, and that you aborted a child you expected with one of your many lovers because it interfered with your lifestyle.  There is another allegation that you have been seen, and photographed, with several prominent businessmen who, it is being alleged, are for want of a better name your sugar daddies.  The most prominent of which is Michael Galloway who is known to have a penchant for younger women.   Then there is the fact that Rick Gaines came out here to be by your side while this story breaks.  Was he the one who fathered your baby?”

On the screen there now flashed the supposed evidence from the doctor and hospital and photographs of Jay with various older men.  The photos had obviously been taken at society gatherings she had been at.  The most prominent was one of her Dad with his arms around her smiling down at her as she straightened his tie.  The other photos were of her jumping into Rick’s arms when she saw him backstage, one in particular that showed the love in his face and eyes as he brushed her hair off her face while she smiled up at him.

Jade sat frozen but Diego wasn’t, he was livid, he had just been made aware that they had been set up.

“What the fuck!”  He stormed on camera and Givens and Jimmy quickly shifted to make space for him next to Jade.  Diego sat down, put an arm around Jade and pulled her into his side.  “Where did you get that information from?”  Just out of sight of the camera Luis and Rick paced angrily.  Rick was furiously texting.

“I received an e-mail and a package about two hours before the concert with a list of dates and times, photographs, a doctor’s report, the hospital’s report and four witness reports of misconduct.  I would like your response to the allegations Jay.”

Trace was the one who answered.  “You will get your fuckin’ response!  Jesus what kind of people are you?  Fuckin’ vultures!”

“That was uncalled for Trace.  I’m just relaying the information I had been given and asking for a response.”  Molly tried to stay reasonable but they could all see she was ticked off while there was an avid look in her eyes as she looked at Jay.

Next to Diego Jade sat rigidly, her eyes as cold as ice.  “Oh I will give you a response Ms. Rutherford.  My lawyers are going to have a field day, not to mention what Rick’s lawyers are going to do.”  Looking past the camera she raised an eyebrow at Rick and he nodded giving his permission to do what she had to do.

“Right, you wanted a response to the allegations so here it is, and I hope the crow you are about to eat tastes just great Ms. Rutherford.  My stage name is Jay Gallado but I was born Jade Moira Galloway, only daughter of Michael Francis Galloway and Maureen Galloway.  Michael Galloway is my Dad not my sugar daddy!  Rick Gaines is in fact a family member, a close family member seeing as he is my father’s youngest brother.  So suggesting that he fathered my child is just sick!”  Jade looked at Molly Rutherford with disgust as shock washed over the reporters’ face.

“Let’s get on to your so called proof that I aborted my child.  I met my husband at a benefit concert when I was nineteen.  We married about eighteen months later.  We got pregnant five months before we married but when I was two months along I fell down the stairs at our apartment building and we lost our child.  We were devastated, we married three months later and the next day he was killed in a car accident.  I’m sure you now realise that my husband was Val Delgado, eldest son of my manager Luis Delgado.  So to make it crystal clear for you and your audience my name is in fact Jade Moira Galloway Delgado.  Oh and alleging that I am a closet lesbian is just laughable.  I assure you that if I was I would not be hiding in a closet because it is nothing to be ashamed about.”

Taking a deep breath she looked at Molly Rutherford with ice in her eyes as she sat arrow straight next to Diego.  She grew up the pampered only daughter of one of the richest men in the world and could turn into the upper class princess she had been raised to be at the drop of a hat.  As she faced the reporter that was who looked out of her eyes and the woman knew it, felt it in the icy disdain that was directed at her.

Molly Rutherford knew that she had fucked up.  She had made an enemy of the band, the Delgado family and of Rick Gaines.  She didn’t even want to think about Michael Galloway!  Her only defence was that the shit they had been sent had checked out!  Her team had confirmed there was a termination of pregnancy.  She had been so sure of her case and that she had the story of a lifetime she hadn’t even checked further.  For heaven’s sake she had the doctors and hospital records!  She had statements from four witnesses to Jay Gallado’s lifestyle choices.  She had photographs!

“Ms. Gallado I’m so sorry.  When we had the information checked it confirmed a termination not a trauma.  We didn’t know.”

Diego Delgado shot her down coldly as he touched the small device in his ear.  “Ever heard of hackers Ms. Rutherford?  You just did their job for them by spreading your poison.  My security just made me aware of the fact that you are sending this interview out live instead of recording it as had been prearranged with Storm Front’s management.  You thought you had the biggest scoop of your career and you set everyone involved up.  I hope you enjoyed your interview with Storm Front Ms. Rutherford because if we have our way it’s going to be the last you’ll ever have with anyone.  We are done here.”

Looking to the side he signalled the security that had steadily been flooding the room.  Storm Front rose almost as one and walked off camera and out of the suite leaving Molly Rutherford sitting there looking stupid and lost.  She realised what was happening and turned to the camera to sign off.  Luis allowed it, letting her make her apologies on air as he and Rick Gaines stood to one side watching.  As soon as the camera and sound was turned off Rick Gaines attacked.

“If it’s the last thing my brother does he’s going to make sure that your career is history, I hope you realise that Ms. Rutherford.  Jade has never asked him to use his influence in her career of choice nor has she ever used his name to get ahead.  Michael is a cold bastard except where it concerns family and Jade is his favourite, seeing as she looks so much like his late wife.  Michael isn’t the only one you should be worrying about Ms. Rutherford, her brothers are going to be on you before you can take your next breath and lastly there is me.  Let’s just say that while you were spreading your cheer I have been setting up interviews with some of the top talk show names and I will be spreading my cheer as of tomorrow morning.”  Rick shook his head as he looked at her with disappointment.

“Hell Molly I’ve known you for almost ten years and never ever have I suspected that you were one of the gutter hounds.  That you would turn on an innocent person with such animosity just made me realise that I never really knew you, that you are just like all the rest, willing to do a character assassination on a person for your five minutes of fame.”

“I thought she had purposefully killed her child because of her lifestyle Rick!  You know how extremely sensitive a subject that is to me!  I was taken for a ride as much as Jay Gallado was.  I will go back on air as soon as I can get into the studio to make a formal apology for the tone of my questions and for advancing the agenda of the person who had set all of us up.  I will fix this, you have my solemn promise.”  Molly looked up at him with completely sincere eyes.

Luis cleared his throat to gain her attention.  “As of this minute you are no longer one of Storm Front’s preferred reporters.  All passes are hereby rescinded until further notice.  Please pack up your gear and get out of here, you are no longer welcome.”

Not giving her a chance to say anything Luis stalked out of the suite.

“Oh hell!  This is getting to be my worst nightmare!”  Molly gasped.

Rick nodded as he raked his fingers through his long hair.  “What I’m about to tell you is not for public consumption Molly.  What very few people know is that it has taken Michael and Luis years of prodding and pushing to get Jade to start entering life again.  She has been in mourning for her child and her husband all this time and if it wasn’t for Luis pushing her she would still be hiding in a house somewhere pretending to live.  Richie’s troubles played right into their hands and they grabbed the opportunity with both hands.  I love my niece Molly and if you do your homework properly you will find that Jade Galloway is on the board of several charities and donates hours of her time at various hospitals and outreach centres.  She is not the person that the media have portrayed her to be.  She is not a spoilt little rich girl.  I suggest you go back to the office and do your own research, interview the people she works with, her charities, her friends and family and then, and only then, can you do a program about the real Jade Delgado.  If you do that I’ll stall Michael and the boys as long as I can to give you a chance to redeem yourself, if you don’t I’m afraid you are on your own.”

Molly pushed her elegantly styled hair off her face and nodded.  “I promise you I’ll not rest until I have this mess sorted out Rick.  I’ll messenger all the misinformation we had been sent regarding Jay Gallado over to Luis as soon as I get to my hotel, maybe there is something there that could help nail the bastard who used me to get to her.”

Rick drew her into his arms and hugged her.  “Thanks Moll, you’ve always been a good friend, please don't make me regret trusting you as we both don't want that to happen.”

Molly Rutherford stood in Rick’s arms and knew that was exactly how he saw her, a good friend and nothing more.  And now she was a friend who had broken his trust and she desperately wanted that back.  Lord, could she be more pathetic!

Jade felt sick to the bottom of her stomach.  She felt betrayed and disgusted at the manipulation employed by the reporter who was supposed to be a friend of the band.  Shit, with friends like her who the hell needed enemies!  She was a one stop shop, friend and enemy all in one.  Everyone had congregated in her room and she listened distractedly to the guys raving about how they were going to get even with the bitch.  She didn’t want to tell them they would have to get in line because if there was one thing she knew for a fact it was that her father and brothers would be moving heaven and earth to exact vengeance on her behalf.  Her phone rang across the room and she walked over and picked it up.  Think about the devil and there he was!

“Hello Dad.”  She said softly but it was enough to silence everyone in the room.

“Hello Princess.  Your brothers and I are flying to Seattle tonight.  We’ll meet up with you there.  In the meantime I don’t want you to worry about anything.  I’ve got this under control.”  Her Dad’s voice was soft and reassuring as he spoke to her.