The Trouble with Rock Stars: Jackson's Story (Access All Areas 3)

Alex hadn’t started playing yet. I figured I had about five minutes before he hit the stage and everyone in the room would be cramming to the front. If I didn’t find her before then, I might lose my courage. I couldn’t see Drew around either so I assumed the two of them were together somewhere.

“Toilet. Actually, she’s been gone for ages. I hope she’s okay,” said Sally.

“I’ll go check on her.”

I hadn’t actually thought through the logistics of her being in the women’s toilet but that was just a small obstacle.

As I approached the bathrooms, I heard a bit of a commotion. Did chicks get that rough in the bathroom?

Someone squealed. It was only faint, barely loud enough to be heard over the noise outside but it sure as hell sounded like Gina.

I raced in. I didn’t even think, but she sounded like she was in trouble and I needed to find out what.

Some shit had her up against the wall. This club had some fucking dickheads in it sometimes, this was the second time it’d happened, that I knew about. My heart raced. I’d kill him. I’d fuck him right up.

“You keep your fucking hands off her, okay?” I yelled.

I grabbed him with my right hand and he swung around.

“Jackson, no,” Gina yelled. “Your hand!”

The dickhead got out from my hold. He pushed her back against the wall.

“Leave us alone, the bitch likes it.”

I wanted to smash his face into a pulp, leave him a shredded, bloody mess but I paused. Fear distorted Gina’s pale face. I had to protect her but, if I smashed him, she’d never forgive me. I knew that without her saying a word. He had Gina pinned to the wall and she looked like she was going to implode.

“I’m okay,” she said. “But your hand.”

“Your hand, your hand,” the dick repeated. “What’s so special about your hand? Is it the one you use to finger her with? I’ll let you have a go of her when I’m done.”

I went to swing at him. He’d pay for that. If I hit him, Gina would hate me for it. She’d never believe I could change. But, if I didn’t, I couldn’t protect her. The thoughts swam in my head, buzzing as though I’d short-wire.

Our gazes connected, her telling me not to do it while every instinct in me cried out to hit him. Time stopped as I weighed up the options. I’d happily sacrifice anything, playing guitar again even, to get her safe at this moment. She was my immediate concern.

If there was something I could use for a weapon, I’d take him down. I turned away from them for a half-second.

Then he crumpled to the floor. His screams filled the room.

“You bitch, you fucking bitch. What do you think you’re doing?” The words panted out through gasps of pain.

He writhed around, his face distorted, as he clutched at his crotch.

Gina? She’d kicked him in the nuts?

With her makeup smeared and mascara running in lines down her face, the poor girl trembled. I pulled her to me and put my arm around her.

“I did it,” she whispered.

Before I could do anymore, a security guard came in and grabbed the guy. Fuck knows where he was when all this was happening.

“Treating a woman like that, that makes you the biggest arsehole around.” I spat the words out as the bouncer grabbed him up under the arms, lifting him off the floor and dragging him out.

I took Gina down the back stairs to Violet’s office. Well, Sally’s office now. She was so shaken, I didn’t want her going back through the club. I’d never been back there before. The office was a lot less glamorous than I’d imagined but there was a sofa that I guided Gina to.

I found a blanket and wrapped it around her. She shook like leaf.

“Is there anything else you need?”