Unforgettable ~ A Jared Leto/MARS Fanfiction

1 - Jared

"Jared. Jared?" A shake of my shoulder. "Jared!"

I remove one of my earbuds and throw a glare at the strikingly beautiful woman on my right. "What now?" I demand, shaking off her claw-like grip.

"I'm bored."

I sigh. "We've only been in the air a few hours."

"I know. But I'm still bored."

"You know what? Entertaining you on the flight is not in my contract." I stick the earbud back in place and turn the volume up on my phone, hoping the music will take me somewhere—anywhere else. God, these transAtlantic flights are the worst, especially this one, because the woman I loathe more than anyone on earth—except maybe her father—is sharing the first-class cabin with me. What pisses me off even more is that Katia Valkov wasn't even supposed to be on this flight. She has access to a private jet, for Christ's sake! Why she's chosen to fly commercial to Madrid with me is anyone's guess.

Actually, I have a suspicion why. Too bad, babe. Ain't happening. Not in-flight, not in Madrid, Paris, or London, either. Not if I have anything to say about it.

Problem is, I don't have a say. What Katia Valkov wants, Katia Valkov gets, and if she wants my dick, I'll have to oblige.

Or else.

I shift in my seat and gaze out at the few clouds floating past the window. I wish I was home with Lanie and Shelby. I miss them both already, with a deep, hollow ache carving out my insides.

Thank God Lanie opted not to accompany me to LAX, though. Goodbyes make her crazy, she said. This goodbye in particular weighed on both of us, and Lanie's gorgeous hazel-green eyes gave away all that she didn't say. We said our goodbyes at home, and so Lanie has no idea Katia is on this flight with me. She wouldn't be happy if she knew. But I'll have to tell her. Keeping secrets, especially ones where Katia Valkov are concerned, are no way to start off our marriage.

Lanie has accepted that I have to continue this arrangement. She accepts it, but I know how much it hurts her. A knife twists in my gut at the thought of causing her so much anguish. I know it haunts her. I know she's wondering how far I'll be forced to go to keep Katia happy, to ensure that she keeps what she has on me secret.

My back and leg ache like hell despite the luxurious first-class accomodations. Laying down would help, but I don't dare recline my seat. Knowing Katia, she'd take that as an invitation, even though my brother Shannon, and our bandmates Tomo and Stevie occupy the rest of the cabin. My two assistants along on the trip, Carrie Walsh and Danica Simmons, are just on the other side of the wall in coach. Not that Katia would care. She's not known for discretion.

As those thoughts cross my mind, a hand slides over my thigh, heading straight for my crotch. Scowling, I stop the hand mid-journey and fling it away from me."Knock it off," I hiss, glancing behind me at my bandmates. All three of them are sleeping already. Unperturbed, Katia grins back at me but she leaves me alone, returning to her seat and turning her attention to her phone.

Jesus Christ, this woman is a pain in the ass. Worse than that—she's a nightmare from which it seems I'll never awaken. And I need to. Especially now that I have a wife and stepdaughter who mean everything to me, it's imperative that I extricate myself from both Katia's and her father Ivan's clutches, and the sooner the better. I just need to figure out how to do it without destroying my life.

***

Lanie and I were married just days before my trip to Europe for the EMA's. Ours was an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment Vegas wedding in the middle of a camping trip near Sedona, Arizona, the place where Lanie and I met, where she and her daughter saved my life. Getting married was a rash action by any definition. But I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was the right thing. I'd proposed, Lanie had accepted, we drove to Vegas, and the deed was done the following day.