Corrupt Idol Read online

  Corrupt Idol

  Dinah Harper

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, or locales is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 Dinah Harper

  All rights reserved.

  Except for use in a review, no part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Author's Note

  One

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Violet whispered.

  “We didn’t want to worry you.”

  “Worry me?” She jabbed her finger at the hospital room door. “My step-mom has cancer and you didn’t think I should know?”

  Dad ran a hand down his face. “We did what we thought was best.”

  “I don’t know how I’m supposed to take this. She… she only has a few weeks left?”

  He nodded as he sank onto a chair and stared down at his laced hands. “Lynne’s tired, Vi.”

  She hadn’t seen her father in two years and in that time, he had aged significantly. The grooves in his face were more pronounced, he had put on weight, and his once gray hair was now snow white. Taking care of Lynne had clearly taken its toll.

  She took the seat beside him and tried to take it all in. She landed in Texas two hours ago, unaware that Lynne had been diagnosed with cancer and was losing the battle, which is why they called her home. She stared at the far wall and shook her head. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Lynne wants us to spend as much time together as possible before she goes.”

  “Of course,” she said and blinked rapidly as her eyes burned with tears.

  “That goes for Jesse too.”

  Her head whipped in his direction. “Jesse?”

  Dad held up a hand. “Don’t start, Vi.”

  “I haven’t said anything!”

  “You don’t have to. The few times he’s come home, you made excuses why you couldn’t visit. Not this time. I don’t care what happened between you two. You’re going to sort it out and we’re gonna be one big happy family like the good old days.”

  A cold wave swept over her as memories of the ‘good old days’ skipped through her mind. Before he turned into a monster, Jesse Sampson was her best friend, protector, hero. And then one day, everything changed. She managed to avoid him for five years. It wasn’t nearly long enough.

  “Ten years, Vi.”

  The warble in Dad’s voice captured her attention immediately. Her father wasn’t an emotional man. He was hard-working, religious, conservative and raised her by himself until Lynne came into the picture. Lynne made their house into a home and filled their lives with light and joy. Lynne had softened her father considerably and she had never seen him so happy. Watching him struggle to keep his emotions in check made her heart feel as if it was being shredded.

  “I had ten amazing years with her. Next year she was supposed to retire and we were going to Hawaii for a month before we bought an RV and went on the road.” He spread his hands in a gesture that conveyed his helplessness. “We had so many plans and now…”

  She gripped his hand and squeezed. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

  He cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’re here, kiddo.”

  She couldn’t stop herself from grumbling, “You should have told me from the beginning.”

  “It was Lynne’s decision to keep this quiet.” He patted the back of her hand. “All that doesn’t matter now. Whatever time we have left will have to do. You’re here. Jesse’s coming in. We’re gonna enjoy the time we have left.”

  She hesitated before she asked, “Does he know?”

  “Yes, he had to know how serious her condition was to request leave.” Dad glanced at his watch. “Can you pick him up?”

  She jolted. “Jesse?”

  He gave her a stern look. “I have to stay with Lynne.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t argue. Pick him up and sort out your issues before you bring him here. Lynne doesn’t need you two arguing at her bedside.” He got to his feet and dropped his keys in her lap. “He’s coming in on United. Flight two forty-three, arrives at four fifteen.”

  When she opened her mouth to protest, he leaned down and cupped her chin.

  “Please, Violet, I’m having a hard time as it is. I need you to do this for me.”

  She took in his weary, defeated expression and swallowed her arguments. He saw her acquiescence in her expression and gave her a wan smile.

  “That’s my girl.” Her eyes watered as he pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s going to be all right.”

  When he went back into Lynne’s hospital room, she didn’t move. She sat there with his keys on her lap, pondering how quickly her world flipped upside down. She wasn’t prepared for this. None of it. This morning her biggest worry was asking Dad if she could move back home and confessing what a mess she’d made of her life in Utah. The moment he picked her up, she launched into her speech. She was too deep in her feelings to notice that he was unusually subdued. He didn’t ask questions. He said yes before she finished her explanation and didn’t give her the lecture she deserved. Before relief could set in, he told her about Lynne, and her already gloomy world darkened considerably.

  Slowly, she got to her feet and stood in the doorway of Lynne’s hospital room. Dad spoke to a nurse while Lynne lay very still in bed, a mere shadow of the woman she remembered. Her father nodded as the nurse handed him a list and went over it with him. Even though she had already agreed to pick Jesse up, protests bubbled up in her throat. She didn’t want to do it. Everything in her revolted against Dad’s simple request.

  Lynne let out a moan. Dad and the nurse immediately broke off their conversation.

  “Jesse?” Lynne said in a voice laced with pain.

  Her father’s eyes moved to the doorway and speared her. “Violet’s picking him up. He should be here soon.”

  “Oh, that’s good,” Lynne said hoarsely.

  There were things she wanted to say, but like all the other times she felt compelled to speak, nothing left her lips. Six years she had kept a filthy secret locked inside of her and even though she ached to let it out, she knew she couldn’t. One utter of the truth would destroy their family. This wasn’t the time. She had to acknowledge there would never be a right time. She would have to keep it locked inside of her even if it continued to rot her from the inside out. She had to deal with her inner demons as she always had—alone.

  She walked through the busy halls on legs that felt as if they were made of lead. The sun blasted her the moment she stepped out of the hospital. She slipped on her shades and climbed into her parent’s SUV. The stifling heat forced her to roll down the windows. She glanced at the clock and felt her stomach lurch. He would be landing in twenty minutes and since they lived on the other side of town, she didn’t have time to dawdle.

  She made no move to put the vehicle in gear. She sat there staring through the windshield as memories careened into her. Visiting Texas was bad enough—it brought back everything she strived to forget and now she had to face him. It had been five years since she came face to face with her step-brother. Even though she made vows to avoid him for the rest of her li
fe, a part of her knew she would have to face him one day. She just hadn’t expected it to be so soon. The day Jesse left for basic military training was the best day of her life. He was a year older, which allowed her to finish her senior year of high school in peace before she moved to Utah to attend college and start over. She hadn’t seen him since.

  Her phone pinged. She glanced at the text and ground her teeth as she put the car in gear. Dad messaged her the flight info so she couldn’t claim she’d forgotten the details. She exited the parking lot and merged onto the freeway. She calculated the time. Jesse would have to wait. Hopefully, he would get impatient and get his own transportation and she could put off this fucking reunion for another hour or so.

  She blasted the radio as she navigated through traffic and tapped the wheel in time with the beat to convince herself that this was no big deal. Dread lay like a ten-pound weight on her chest. She kept the windows down even though the wind whipped her hair in her face because she couldn’t breathe. She tried to combat her panic by taking in the familiar sights. She had grown up in Austin and after being in the desert, the sight of the rich, green countryside comforted her. The air smelled sweet, or was that just her imagination?

  Five years ago, she chose the furthest college from Texas that her parents would allow her to attend, University of Utah. She moved to Salt Lake City and got the fresh start she needed. After two years of floundering in college, she dropped out and went from shit job to shit job. Nothing lasted long and she had been living paycheck to paycheck for a while now. She hadn’t been too worried until her roommates announced that they were moving out of the house they had been living in for four years together. To make matters worse, she had been fired from her latest job for being tardy one too many times. She couldn’t afford to live on her own and didn’t want to move in with strangers, which left her stranded. She was swimming in debt and had been playing around with the idea of moving home so she could sort out her finances when Dad asked her to visit. She took that as a sign and had been totally unprepared for the news that Lynne had only weeks to live. Her life had been going downhill for a while now, but this was the cherry on top. Her step-mom, who she loved dearly, had terminal cancer and she had to face her step-brother after successfully avoiding him like the plague. Life was fucking cruel.

  Too soon, she turned into the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

  Her heart thudded in her ears. If Lynne wasn’t dying, she would be on the next fight out of here. This couldn’t be happening. The thought of seeing him made her lightheaded with panic. This had to be a bad dream.

  Her palms sweated as she rode the middle lane and eyed the crowd on the sidewalk. She’d rather pick up a damn stranger than Jesse. Her hands flexed on the wheel as she shook herself. No, this wasn’t how this was going to happen. She was older, more mature. She wasn’t the naive teen she’d been and he couldn’t be the fucker she remembered. He had been in the Air Force for six years. The military probably beat the shit out of him, which he deserved. She was freaking out about nothing. They were both here under dire circumstances. Jesse was here for his mom, nothing else. They could be adults, right? She took a fortifying breath as traffic inched along. She was twenty-three, not seventeen. She could handle this. She ignored the voice in the back of her mind that said she had no choice.

  At first, she didn’t see him and her heart soared as she convinced herself that he had missed his flight or better yet, Dad was mistaken and Jesse couldn’t come at all. Before she could sail past the pick-up area, she spotted a lone figure at the end of the terminal in a military uniform. Her heart slammed so hard against her ribs, she thought she might be having a heart attack. He was covered head to toe in traditional camouflage. He wore dark sunglasses, combat boots, and had a large pack slung over one shoulder. She was too far away to know for certain, but her body recognized him. Jesse Sampson—step-brother, tormentor, and object of her nightmares.

  As she cruised toward him, she considered stomping on the gas and telling Dad she hadn’t seen him, but Jesse wouldn’t play into her lie. He would say she left his ass, which would stress out Dad and Lynne even more. She couldn’t do that. She straightened her shoulders and pulled into the next lane as her body broke out in goosebumps. This wouldn’t be a replay of the past. She wouldn’t let it. He had changed and so had she. This was her opportunity to show him he didn’t rule her any longer.

  It took every ounce of courage she possessed to pull up in front of him. She turned her head and felt her insides quiver as he stared at her through the window. She caught a glimpse of his smile before he headed to the back of the car. He pulled on the lever and paused, eyeing her through the tinted glass. She swallowed hard as she pressed the unlock button, allowing the devil into her safe place. Her stomach rocked, making her feel ill. He tossed his heavy bag into the trunk and came around to the passenger door. She stared straight ahead as he folded his large frame into the seat.

  “Vi.”

  She didn’t acknowledge him. She looked to the left to see if she could merge into traffic and tried to control the fine trembling in her fingers.

  “No hello?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her mind was a complete blank. The years in between made no difference. The sight of him, the sound of his voice flooded her with memories.

  She slammed her foot on the gas, causing the SUV to buck forward. She gripped the wheel with white knuckles as she navigated out of the airport.

  “Want me to drive?”

  She shook her head and silently told him to shut the hell up. She was rattled and desperately trying to find her footing.

  “It’s been a long time.”

  She wanted to get back to the hospital as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, rush hour was in full swing, which meant she would have to take back roads that would prolong their time together. Hell.

  “You’re going to have to talk to me some time,” he said.

  She planned to show him how little he mattered to her, to show how much she had changed, but the moment she saw him, her voice deserted her. He made her feel small, vulnerable, insecure. She thought years on her own would magically fix her, but in his presence, she reverted back to her teenage self and hated herself for it.

  “Have you seen her?”

  The question snapped her out of her inner turmoil. An image of Lynne passed through her mind, wiping away the past and putting her solidly in the present. “I have.”

  Her voice was small, but steady, and could be heard over the wind whistling through the cab.

  “How’s she look?”

  Her eyes burned. “Not good.”

  “How long are you staying?”

  Her lips compressed. She didn’t want him to know, but Dad would probably tell him anyway. “I’m moving back.”

  When she didn’t receive a response, she glanced at him and wished she hadn’t. He had taken off his cap, revealing slicked back hair that was in disarray now. He was cleanly shaven, revealing his strong jaw, generous lips, and straight nose. She hoped he’d be covered in scars or had his nose broken at some point. No such luck. Unfortunately, he appeared unmarred. He had always been a big guy, but now he was larger than life. He was so broad, his shoulders branched across the console and nearly touched hers.

  Her friends had drooled over him. He was a great athlete and particularly talented at football. Many had pegged him as a future NFL player. He shocked everyone by going into the Air Force instead. Lynne begged him not to, but nothing would sway him. He was determined to follow in his late father’s footsteps. She counted her lucky stars the day he announced his decision at the dinner table. She hadn’t been quick enough to conceal her joy. He made her pay for it later that evening.

  “What about college?” he asked.

  She returned her attention to the road. “I dropped out.”

  “Why?”

  She was surprised the steering wheel didn’t bend under the force she was exerting. She had a death grip on t
he damn thing. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I was wasting time and money.”

  “And now?”

  “I still don’t know.”

  “So, you’re moving home.”

  She nodded and waited for more questions, but he didn’t voice any. She should have been grateful that he didn’t push, but the silence was worse. The radio was still going, but it didn’t cut the tension in the car. They passed cows and horses in pastures as far as the eye could see. She should feel safe and comforted by the familiar scenery. Instead, she felt as if an invisible clock was ticking. Being near him made her feel claustrophobic, as if she could step on a landmine at any second. Minutes passed and she pressed more heavily on the gas pedal while she diligently searched for cops who liked to hide along this long stretch of highway.

  “Pull over.”

  She whipped her head in his direction. “What?”

  “Pull over,” he said again.

  She stared at him for a heartbeat. She couldn’t read his eyes since they were covered by sunglasses, but she didn’t need to. His tone had changed and despite the years they had been apart, she knew what he wanted.

  “No.” When he reached for the wheel, she slapped his hand. “No, Jesse.”

  Her smack didn’t deter him. He took hold of the wheel and started to steer her toward the right side of the road.

  “Stop!” she shrieked.

  “Get your foot off the gas before we crash,” he rapped out.

  “You’re going to kill us!”

  “You will if you don’t do what I say.”

  “You can’t do this to me!” she wailed.

  “Fuck,” he said through clenched teeth and reached for her leg to lift it off the gas, but she had already done so.