Drake Sisters 06 - Turbulent Sea

thought it was a great idea. Jerry told me a few years back that if I was tucked safe in my room or on the bus, you were willing to make certain the boys wouldn't try to drive drunk - that you'd get them safely back. I thought it was wonderful. If Jerry hurt your feelings by hiring Prakenskii, you should have told me. Besides, it's a temporary thing.'
    'And he doesn't appear to be here to do his job.' There was satisfaction in Steve's voice.
    Joley sighed. She was getting used to people -especially men - not liking Ilya. He was too dominant, and made men uneasy. 'He was supposed to be here. Maybe Nikitin held him up. He's here in LA.' Joley started again for the bus.
    'Yeah, I know. I drove Brian to see him this afternoon.' Steve remained where he was.
    Joley stopped and looked back at him. 'Brian? Before the show?'
    'Yes, he asked me to take him to the hotel and I did. Shouldn't I have?'
    'Oh no, it was okay. I just seem to be out of the loop lately. You know I'm not all that fond of Nikitin's parties. The last one everyone went to was a big mess.' She took a step back toward Steve. 'In all the times you drove the band to his parties, did you notice underage girls there?'
    He sighed. T tried not to see anything, Joley. I like my job. I just do the driving.'
    She nodded and turned back to the bus with a little wave. 'What time are we pulling out tonight?' 'Jerry said he wanted us on the road by five this morning. You can probably catch some sleep before we get moving. That's what I'm going to try to do.' 'Sounds good.' Joley waved again and hurried across the lot to her bus.
    She stopped abruptly as she neared her home away from home. A photograph was stuck to the door. It was a picture of her standing in the parking lot talking to Tish. Tish and she each had a bullet painted into the center of her throat.
    She pulled the picture off and stared down at the words pasted from a magazine onto the glossy print.
    Back off the girl or you 're both dead.
    The girl? The missing girl? She glanced around, her fingers on the door handle. Where was Ilya? Her stomach was dropping out of her body and her heart pounded like it might leap out of her chest. She was getting an awful lot of notes lately. She yanked the door open.
    'Joley! Wait. I need to talk to you about those flowers. Hang on a second.'
    She turned at the sound of Jerry's voice. His familiar face was a relief. She let out her breath and started toward him, wanting someone else to see the threat, not only to her, but to Tish. The flowers were nothing in comparison. She'd taken several steps when thunder crashed in her ears, and it felt as if a freight train slammed into her.

    Chapter Fourteen
    The explosion rocked the ground and sent the bus walls bursting outward in all directions, including up into the sky.
    The concussion blasted Joley off her feet, picking her up as if she were a paper doll and hurling her forward through the air. She landed hard, her ears ringing, lungs fighting for air, pain streaking through her body while burning debris rained down around her.
    Stunned and uncomprehending, Joley raised her arms to try to cover her head as shards of glass pierced her skin.
    Splintered wood, paper and materials fell all around her. Her vision blurred, eyes burning. She barely realized what happened as she fought for breath. She'd hit the ground so hard it had knocked the wind out of her. Panic rose sharp and fast. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't get air, and fiery embers and sharp glass rained down on her.
    Joley! Breathe, damn it, take a breath. Protect yourself.
    She felt hands on her, lifting her rib cage, but they weren't Ilya's hands, and she fought, doubling her fist, striking out blindly, kicking to fight her way free. Someone was trying to kill her - that much registered, and she fought wildly.
    I can't see. There was panic in her voice, in her mind, filling her when she should have been worried about breathing. Where are you? Because he had to come. If he was there, the world would be right again. He would keep her safe. He had to come. She kicked out blindly, swinging her fist, crying when she didn't connect.
    'Joley! Stop it.'
    Hard hands tried to hold her down. Her ears were ringing so loud the voice was distorted. She didn't recognize the touch. It wasn't him. It wasn't Ilya.
    I'm coming, lyubimaya moya. Take a breath. Breathe for me.
    The hands pinned her to the ground, and something rubbed across her face and eyes. She forced air through her