Wheels of Fire

“Mine would’ve whooped your ass several times by now.”

He snorts and holds out his hand for me to help him off the floor. “He still coming to our last show?”

“Far as I know.” I glance at the clock. “Fuck, I was supposed to call him.”

“I really ruined your night, huh?”

“In several ways. Yes.”

“Thanks for sticking around, even though I’m an asshole.”

I slap his shoulder. “I’ll talk to Pamela but don’t get your hopes up.” I pause with my hand on the doorknob. “Don’t go anywhere. Get some sleep. Stay out of trouble.”

“I’ll try.”

Not all that satisfied with his answer, I escape out the door and into my room. It’s dark but there’s enough light to make out Pamela’s body stretched out on the couch.

“Pamela,” I whisper. “Are you awake?”

She sniffles and picks up her head. “Did he come with you?”

“No, I told him not to. Do you want to talk to him, though? I’ll walk you down there if—”

“No, fuck him.”

And that’s the extent of my mediation. “All right. Night, Pamela.”

She sits up but I pretend I can’t see her in the dark and hurry into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Mallory left a lamp on but she’s curled away from the weak circle of light. I strip down and snap off the lamp before climbing into bed behind her.

“I’m back,” I whisper.

“Oh.” She turns over and kisses my chest. “Is everything okay?”

“No, Andrew’s a mess. But it’s his own fucking fault, so I’m low on sympathy for the fucker.”

“Same here.” She cuddles up closer to me. “This wasn’t what I had in mind for our first night together in weeks.”

I snort and kiss the top of her head. “Me either.”

“Was Pamela still awake?”

“Yeah, I talked to her for a sec. Promised Andrew I’d try to get her to talk to him, but that was a no go.”

“Did she ask you for Kyle’s room number?”

“No, but I heard about that.”

“Really? From Andrew?”

“Yup.”

“You know I’d never do that, right?” she asks.

“What?” Then her question sinks in and I snort. “Yeah, and you know I’d never do that.” Fuck it feels good having her in my arms again. I trace my fingers over her shoulder. “You know how much I love you, right? How much I love just being with you?”

“I do. I’ve missed you every day since I left.”

“Same here.” I swallow and try to collect my thoughts. “I don’t want that to ever change.”

“Neither do I.”

“Good.”

The apprehension that bothered me earlier finally fades.

I hold her tighter and don’t let go.

Chapter Ten

Mallory

“I appreciate you trying to be quiet, but these walls are paper-thin,” Pamela announces the next morning when I stumble into the living room.

Both the sunlight pouring into the room and her statement leave me blinking in confusion.

“I’m just messing with you!” Her gaze moves past my shoulder. “I’m jealous you’re getting laid and all I got was screwed.”

Chaser’s hands settle on my shoulders. “Morning, Pamela,” he greets with all the enthusiasm of a mall security guard making his morning rounds.

Someone pounds on our door.

Pamela’s gaze darts to the bathroom. “If it’s Andrew, I’m not here.”

She scurries away and Chaser answers the door.

“You ready for this?” Jacob sweeps into the room without waiting for an invitation. Garrett and Alvin following behind him.

“Fuck.” Chaser scrubs his hands over his face. “I totally forgot.”

“How could you forget?” Alvin thumps his hand against Chaser’s chest.

Chaser rolls his eyes. “Trust me. It’s been a night.”

The toilet flushes and a few seconds later, Pamela emerges from the bathroom.

One corner of Jacob’s mouth slides up.

“Don’t,” Chaser warns. “You know what, fuck it.” He steps back. “Have at it.”

“You sly fucker,” Garrett says.

I glare at him and he winks at me. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Fuck off,” Chaser growls.

“Andrew and I broke up and they let me borrow their couch. But thanks for talking about me as if I’m not even here.” Pamela drops down on the couch and starts riffling through her purse, ignoring the guys.

“Pay no attention to them, darling,” Jacob glides over and squats down in front of her, Prince Charming style. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Oh, boy,” I grumble. “I’m going back to bed.”

Chaser and Alvin follow me into the bedroom.

“Oh my God, can I have two seconds without someone up my butt?” I snap.

Alvin chuckles. “I’m thrilled Chaser’s broadening your horizons, Mallory, but I actually need to talk to this bonehead.”

“Sorry.” I wave my hand toward the living room. “I wasn’t expecting that last night.”

Chaser stretches out on the bed, tucking his hands behind his head. “What time do we need to be there?”

“Eleven.”

“Be where?” I ask.

“We’re doing an in-store record signing at All Ears Music store up in Union. Thom added it to our schedule last minute,” Alvin explains.

“I can’t believe I forgot.” Chaser groans and rubs his hands over his face again. “I always wanted to do a signing there.”

“Looks like you were busy.” Alvin drops down on the bed and shakes Chaser’s leg. “Have fun with your psycho buddy?”

Chaser sits up and in a hushed voice explains, “You have no idea the shit I had to listen to last night.”

“I can guess.” Alvin gestures toward the door. “I heard him screaming her name up and down the hallway. In desperation, not passion.”

I giggle-snort into my hand and Alvin winks at me.

“Thanks for coming out and helping,” Chaser says.

Alvin grins at him. “You seemed to have it handled. So, what happened? She find out about one of his groupies?”

Chaser’s mouth twists as he fights off his laughter. “I can’t…” When he finally has control, he explains the events.

Alvin falls over in a fit of giggles and promptly rolls off the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. “You’re making that up.”

Chaser nudges Alvin’s butt with the toe of his boot. “I can’t make that shit up, bro.”

Like a child unhappy about being called on to provide an answer for the whole class, I raise my hand. “Unfortunately, I can confirm. It was red lipstick.”

Alvin stops laughing. “Aw, shit. Poor Pam. That’s really fucked up.”

Someone knocks on the door and pushes it open. Garrett sweeps his gaze over the three of us. “Damn, thought you were having a party in here.” He glances over his shoulder. “Jacob took Pamela down to his room to “console” her.”

“Fucking great,” Alvin mutters. “Just what we need.”

“Thank fuck this tour’s almost over,” Chaser adds.

“Ah, Thom wants to talk to us about the possibility of another tour after we finish the album,” Garrett informs us.

Another tour? More time away from Chaser?

Our gazes collide but he quickly looks away. “Headlining? Opening? What are we talking about?”

That’s so not the question I hoped he’d ask.

Chapter Eleven

Chaser

Robbie guides our tour bus down the narrow city street toward All Ears Music. Mallory shifts in her seat and stares out the window. I’m not sure if it’s hanging with the guys or finding out I might be going right back out on the road, but something in Mallory’s attitude

has deflated since we left the hotel.

“Damn, look at all those fuckers,” Garrett peers out the window, drawing our attention. At the moment they’re neatly lined up, waiting to get inside but as we pass, half the line breaks and they rush around the side of the building to follow the bus.

“Are you sure I should even be here?” Mallory asks, watching the kids trailing after us. “I’m not a member of the band.”

“You’re an honorary member for life.” Alvin pats her leg and she smiles at him.

Robbie has to stop to make the turn for the narrow alleyway, giving the kids a chance to surround the bus, screaming and banging on the doors.

“Damn.” Alvin whistles, staring out the window. “You got this, Robbie?”

“I think so.” He pounds on the horn a few times and the kids back off.

Slowly, we roll down the alleyway and into the record store’s parking lot. Once we’re through, two guys in black and yellow polo shirts slide a massive chain link gate closed.

“Phew.” Robbie roughs his palm over the back of his head. “That was intense.”

As the tour progressed, the poor guy went from acting as our bodyguard to being our bus driver, security, and gofer. He definitely needs a pay raise if we’re going back out on tour.

“Let me make sure no one’s gonna mob you guys before you get off the bus,” he says, hefting himself out of the driver’s chair.

“Thanks,” Alvin says.

“Think Jacob will make it on time?” I ask Garrett.

“When is he ever on time?”

Ever the helpful gentleman, Jacob offered to take a taxi to the airport with Pamela and then meet us at the store. Kind of hard to do a signing without our lead singer, so he better get his ass here.

Once the parking lot’s clear, Robbie waves us off the bus. I help Mallory down the steps last and we follow the rest of the guys over the cracked asphalt parking lot.

“I should’ve skipped the heels,” Mallory says.

I run my gaze over her red plaid dress—tight on top with two layers of ruffles flaring out below her hips, black lacy tights that end below her knees and shiny red spike heels. Before we left the hotel, she’ added a short denim vest with little silvers studs sprinkled over the shoulders. The overall effect is a bit rock-n-roll, a little Debbie Gibson, a dash of biker chick and one-hundred percent hot as fuck.