Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter 27

Jon sighed as he closed the door to the apartment he had arranged for CC and Frankie to stay in while they were in town. CC was back in bed resting. It pained Jon to see her so weak and frail, but she still kept up good spirits. They had spent the last couple of days just being together and talking about anything and everything. He’d learned a lot about Frankie and what she was like growing up. In turn he had shared his life story about the band and meeting his wife and having his children. He had some decisions to make in general about his future with Dot but right now that wasn’t the main concern. CC and Frankie were. Seeing Richie on fire at the concert on night they had arrived had been awesome. They were able to string together one of the best performances in months.

Jon cringed at the memory of when they had returned to the venue with Frankie wearing one of Richie’s tee-shirts. He’d shook his head and bit his tongue as David and Tico had teased him mercilessly about it. Letting it go was the hardest thing he had to do; it was so obvious that they both reeked of sex and good love. They had been inseparable since Frankie had arrived. Jon in a way, had found this easier and an excuse to spend a lot of time with CC. As he grabbed the morning papers he’d ordered to be delivered he walked back up the stairs to check on CC. Richie and Frankie were due any minute to come and visit before heading out for the day.

Jon walked into the bedroom “Hey you I have the papers, let’s see what trash is in there today and who’s doing who,” Jon sat on the bed and opened the paper.

To his horror the front page was a full page spread of Richie carrying Frankie out of the limo at the hotel, her dress was all ripped in shreds, she looked disheveled and on top of that Richie was without a shirt looking equally unkempt. The next picture was of the open limo. It was blurry but you could just make out some clothing on the floor, and it was accompanied with this article

News Flash, Richie Sambora likes them barely legal. That's right folks you heard it here first. Richie Sambora, lead guitarist of Bon Jovi was seen last night in the company of a girl young enough to be his daughter. Our photographers's managed to capture the couple in a very risque mode of dress right outside their hotel. Tell us it ain’t so Sambora. You don’t need to force them to do your bidding do you? I know being 49 is hard, but God man, grab ‘em young and abuse them? Thought you had more charisma than that.

Jon felt his blood start to boil, his knuckles whitened from gripping the paper so tightly. HOW could Richie be sooo stupid?

CC watched him pale, as if he'd seen a ghost. "You ok Jon?"

Jon sat silent until he heard the front door slam and giggles float into the room.

She giggled as she backed through the front door being chased by a very persistent set of lips. "Prince now stop it!" She shrieked as long fingers reached out and tickled her bare skin.

"I can't help it you're too irresistible Princess" he chuckled as he smacked her ass lightly.

She laughed and moved to the couch, pulling him along with her. Pushing lightly, she giggled as he fell into the couch's comfortable cushions before sliding into his lap to start a gentle bump and grind. "Ohhh look Mom's not here and her ever present shadow either. We can have funnnn." She leaned in to capture his lips in a kiss, her hands already roaming up under his shirt.

Jon waited for them to show in the bedroom but they never came. "I’ll be back" he said as he trotted down the stairs and got an eye full of the two "lovebirds"
He coughed loudly to alert them to his presence.

Frankie sighed at the cough. Glancing back over her shoulder her eyes narrowed as her hand slipped past Richie's waist. "Well lookie here, Jonny's in attendance."

Jon just stared at them, all intentions of staying calm had long gone, he marched over to them and pulled her off his lap in one quick swift movement bringing her unsteadily to her feet. "We need to talk," he said gruffly

Frankie jerked away from his hand. "HEY, what happened to the no interference rule man? You have NO fucking right to ...." her eyes blazed at the look of anger in his. "DON’T go getting parental on me Bongiovi, it won’t work!"

"Don't speak to me with that tone when you have caused me THIS," he said flinging the paper out in their direction.

She glanced down at the picture and started to laugh. "So what’s the big deal?"
She went to move back to Richie, a slight shrug to her shoulders. "Price of loving a man whose famous.. big whoop.. Get your undies outta the twist their in Jon."

Richie’s brow waggled as he cracked out, “Man don’t wear them Princess.”

Frankie snorted and winked at Richie before starting to laugh, “TOOO much info there handsome.”

Jon’s temper began to crackle at their seeming lack of understanding about the situation at hand. "It’s not fuckin funny young lady I have worked hard to make this band an institution that prided itself on privacy and minimal debauchery in the public eye. This just screams scandal, you have no idea what sort of Pandora's box this opens," he snapped.

"And you," he said pointing a finger at Richie "You should have known better than this."

Frankie whirled and got nose to nose with Jon. "Listen, it’s a stupid picture, It’s not a big deal, Jesus Jon get a grip."

"Have you READ what it says Frankie, it infers that Richie raped you and FORCED himself on you," he said his eyes blazing white hot in anger. She had to get it, dammit this was serious.

Richie just stared at the article and read exactly what Jon had mentioned. As usual the scandal rags had everything completely wrong and had really laid it on thick in the process. He cringed internally, even though Jon was going Nazi, there was some truth in what he was saying.

Frankie blinked then fell back on the couch laughing hysterically. "Yeah and that’s why I was grinning like a loon, cuz he RAPED me.. Man, you get in a twist too easy." She stood up and started walking to the door. "It’s easy to fix, I'll just go find me another photographer and tell them the WHOLE thing."

Jon grabbed her arm "No you fuckin won’t, you're not going near them, once you start, THEY don’t stop. Frankie, you gotta trust me on this, I have been dealing with their shit for twenty years or so." He was trying to keep calm but his Bongiovi temper was boiling.

Richie " Calm down Jon, she doesn’t understand," he said defending her.

"Fuck you Sambora, you've done enough," Jon snarled

"Take your fucking hand off me. It IS that easy." She turned and stared him down. "What? Afraid of them finding out about your bastard brat?? Afraid of them finding out you aren’t so perfect? Poor little Jon, a brat he never wanted, never had anything to do with, and she has the gall to ball his lead guitarist, happily so."

Jon shook his head "Frankie, please it has nothing to do with that, I’m happy your my daughter but Jovi doesn’t share its dirty laundry with the public," as the words escaped his lips Jon cringed. He didn’t mean for it to come out that way.

She backed up a pace, her skin paling to alabaster. "FUCK YOU! Dirty laundry? so that’s what I am now." She glanced over to Richie, "And you defended him, tried to convince me he actually cared. All he fucking cares about is his fucking band's good name."

She whirled back to stare Jon down. "It’s a stupid newspaper article, it will blow over in days. I’M GLAD its there, GLAD the world saw I was with a man I love. Get it? I’ll tell it to anyone I wanna, I'M NOT A FUCKING JOVI!! I’m a Benson!"