She tugged his arm. “Come on. Let me finish the tour before Audra corrals everyone on board to leave.”
Three additional bedrooms and two more bathrooms occupied the rest of the second floor. One of the bedrooms was massive, with an incredible bathroom, and he suspected that this space belonged to the famous polyamorous couple – or throuple, as the media liked to call them. One of the other bedrooms had bunk beds, presumably for the kids. The other had two small twin beds and a futon, along with another bathroom.
Brett had seen some plush digs working for Bulletproof over the years, but he had never seen anything even remotely like this. “You really ride in style.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her with everything he had.
She let out that soft little moan that drove him crazy, and he felt his insides stir. Voices coming from the floor below quickly extinguished his rioting hormones as he heard people starting to board the bus. He recognized Audra’s voice right away. Then Jessi Blade, who he had spoken to for five minutes once. The third voice, filled with attitude and snarky comebacks, obviously belonged to Alyssa Diamond, the wife of Immortal Angel’s bass player. He was looking forward to meeting her.
Seconds later, the three women were on the top level of the tour bus, overnight bags slung over their shoulders. They stopped as soon as they saw Brett and Kira with their arms around one another on the far side of the playroom. Audra and Jessi each let out a dreamy sigh and stared at them. Alyssa, true to form, displayed a devilish grin and gave Kira a high five. “You’re here for fifteen minutes, and you already scored a guy. It’s about time you have some fun.”
Kira arched her brows. “I intend to. This is Brett. Brett, this is Alyssa Diamond, Jessi Blade, and you know my sister.”
“Welcome aboard the crazy train,” Alyssa said, as she flipped her long black hair over her shoulder and then tossed her bag onto the couch.
Jessi shook Brett’s hand. “It’s nice to formally meet you. We spoke in Vegas a few months ago when I arranged for a surprise birthday cake to be wheeled on stage for my husband, Tommy Blade.”
She said it as if he didn’t remember her. There’s no way in hell anyone could ever forget this woman’s presence. Her hot pink hair and flashy clothing made heads turn. She was a top fashion designer in the rock and roll industry and a celebrity in her own right. “Of course, I remember. It’s nice to see you again. That was some show.”
“It was incredible. Did you see my son play on stage?”
“No. I didn’t. I got called away. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“I swear that boy’s talent doubles every day,” Jessi boasted. “I hope you don’t mind loud rambunctious kids who play music at all hours of the day and night.”
“Of course not.” In truth, it scared the hell out of Brett. He loved kids, but he’d never spent any significant amount of time with any children, and he didn’t know what to expect.
An alarm went off on Audra’s phone. “Boarding time! We’re out of here in ten minutes,” she announced, as she ran downstairs, presumably to gather everyone onto the bus.
“I got to let my team know that I’m riding with you,” Brett told Kira. He cupped her face in his hands and placed a very soft kiss on her lips. It was gentle, although he wanted it to be hard, but he didn’t want to embarrass her in front of her friends or seem rude or vulgar. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Better hurry or Audra will instruct the driver to leave without you!” she called after him, as he ran down the stairs.
He hurried over to the other set of buses and found the rest of the road crew. It was his first day on the job, and he only met them an hour ago. He didn’t want them to think he was getting special treatment because of Kira, although, in reality, he was. He explained his situation to the guys and told them that if they had a problem, he’d decline the offer to ride along with Immortal Angel. Above all, he was a roadie and proud to ride with the crew.
No one, including the road manager, gave him a hard time. Quite the opposite actually. They were a little humbled at his humility, and he received a few pats on the back. He gave them each a bro-shake, then he jumped onto the bus to grab his overnight bag and returned to Immortal Angel’s oversize touring vehicle.
As soon as he was inside, the doors closed behind him and the engine came to life. By the time he stepped into the first compartment, which was the massive living area, they were already on the road.
Brett stopped mid-stride as he stared into the stone-cold faces of all four members of Immortal Angel. It was a vastly different reception than the one he received from their wives upstairs not long ago. Four sets of eyes impaled him with a hard stare, wondering who the hell he was and why he was on their tour bus.
“Can we help you?” Angel, the legendary lead singer, asked.
“I’m Brett Navarro, part of your road crew.” Before he could elaborate, Damian Diamond, the hardcore punk rocker, cut him off.
“Dude, you’re on the wrong fucking bus.” Damian jutted his chin toward the driver. “Charlie, stop and let this guy off.”
The driver hit the brakes, and the bus doors immediately opened.
They were going to throw him out, on his ass, on the side of the road. Brett’s eyes darted around the bus for Kira, but it probably just made him look more suspicious. “You got it all wrong. I’m with Kira.”
The guys smirked at one another, clearly questioning his explanation. Angel look the most put out, with his brows raised high with disbelief. “You’re with Kira?”
“Why don’t we know anything about this?” Tommy Blade, the iconic guitar player, asked.
Brett shrugged. “It was kind of last minute. Call her. Or Audra.”
Jimmy Wilder, Audra’s husband, snapped his fingers. “He’s right. I remember, now. Kira met this guy in Chicago and Audra hired him as a roadie. He’s part of Bulletproof’s crew. It was a surprise.”
At least Jimmy didn’t look as if he wanted to chop Brett’s head off and spoke with a natural charismatic smile on his face. His easy-going demeanor could have easily passed for someone on the West Coast, and Brett immediately took a liking to him.
Tommy and Angel seem to relax their posture at the confirmation that Brett belonged on the bus, but Damien Diamond was relentless. A suspicious scowl remained on his lips as he glared at Brett. “You’re still on the wrong bus.” He pointed his thumb out the window. “The road crew’s ride is back there. What are you doin’ on our bus?”
Jimmy clapped his hand on Damien’s shoulder, dimples still fully on display. “Relax, man. Let’s find out what’s going on.” He turned toward the staircase and called up to Audra. “Sweets! Come down here and bring Kira. Damien thinks we got a stowaway, and he’s about to throw the guy out the window.”
While they waited in awkward silence, Damien didn’t take his eyes off Brett, and it made Brett’s hackles rise. He didn’t care that Damien was the talent and technically his boss, or that the guy looked like a mean motherfucker. He wasn’t backing down and returned the dead-eye stare.
Finally, high-heeled footsteps tapped on the circular stairway as Audra and Kira join them on the first floor.
“Why is the bus stopped?” Audra glanced at the time on her phone. “Charlie, what are you doing? We’re on a tight schedule. You know we don’t have time for delays.”
The driver stuck his head out and peered into the back of the bus. “Sorry ma’am. I was told to stop. Should I continue?”
“Yes. Please.”
As the bus started again, Kira elbowed her way through the wall of men and stood at Brett’s side. She looked up at him with the most adorable amused smile on her face. “Are they giving you a hard time?”
“We didn’t mean to give him a hard time,” Angel said, apologetically. “We were just concerned. He said he was with you, and we didn’t know anything about it. Jimmy straightened it out.” Angel smiled warmly at Brett. “We were just looking out for Kira. She’s family.”
“Yeah,” Damien blurted out. His tone couldn’t be more different from Angel’s. “We look out for family.”
Kira smiled affectionately at Damien as she looped her arm through Brett’s. “This is Brett Navarro. Brett, I’d like to formally introduce you to Immortal Angel.” She presented them each with the wave of her hand as she recited their names in succession. “This is my brother-in-law, Jimmy Wilder. Tommy Blade, Jessi’s husband. Angel Garcia, Tommy and Jessi’s husband. And the man with the blue Mohawk, who’s all smiles, is Damien Diamond, Alyssa’s husband.
The remark about Damien being all smiles was obviously a playful jab, but he actually did smile a little when Kira said it. But it was so quick that if Brett hadn’t been looking directly at Damien, he would have missed it.
Brett shook hands with Angel and Tommy, received a healthy slap on the back from Jimmy and a very hesitant fist bump from Damien. The rebellious bass player still wore his signature scowl, but his demeanor warmed up by half a degree.
“We’re going to get settled in my room.” Kira tugged Brett toward the back of the bus. “Try not to kill anyone while I’m gone,” she joked, directing her statement at Damien. “Did they really want to throw you off the bus?” she asked, when they were finally alone in the small room that would serve as their private space.
“Yes.” Brett grunted, still irked by the less-than-friendly initial reception. “I honestly thought I was about to get rolled out there.”
She smiled with affection. “They’re just protective.”
He could understand why. Kira was a sweet, innocent little thing who was petite and cheerful and well-mannered. But he knew there was a fire inside of her. He saw the way she stood up to the jerk who spilled coffee on her. The guy had been arrogant and brash and twice her size. But that didn’t stop her from lashing out at him. She had grit and moxie, and he loved that she had a hot temper that simmered under the surface just waiting to be unleashed.
Staring into her pale eyes, he saw the spark that ignited his hormones, reminding him that it had been too long since he touched her. “Come here.” He placed his hands on her slender hips, feeling the curve of her pelvis. Gently, he pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers. He’d waited so long for this kiss, and it brought an intoxicating sense of relief. It was a rush of adrenaline that woke something inside of him that had been sleeping since they’d been apart, as if waiting for her touch.
She slid her hands around his neck and took a quick intake of breath as they shared their first kiss in a month. It proved that he had an effect on this gorgeous woman. She had everything. Opportunities. Wealth. Power. He had nothing, but it didn’t matter to her. She wanted him, and that was the biggest turn on.
He pulled back when the kiss turned heated and he felt his body respond to hers. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we need to slow it down.”
Her brow creased with confusion, and she gave him a quizzical smile.
“I can’t. Not the minute I step on the bus with everyone right outside the door. We need to wait until we’re alone. Or everyone’s asleep.” Blowing out a breath, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair and tugged on his beard, unable to believe that he was turning down an opportunity to be with Kira after he’d waited so long to be with her again. “I must sound like an idiot.”
“Not at all. You sound respectful.” She took his hand. “Let’s go back out there before I ruin such a lovely gesture.”
They emerged from the back bedroom and made their way to the kitchen area, where the girls were all sitting in one of the booths. Conversation halted, and they all turned to look at Brett and Kira.
“That was quick,” Alyssa teased. “I thought you two would be in there for at least an hour.”
Kira turned pink. “It’s mid-morning and there are children on board.”
Audra picked up her phone and started texting. “Speaking of, where the hell are these kids? They’re too quiet.”
Jessi folded her arms and leaned on the table. “Last I heard from Lucas, they were getting ready to do a five-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.”
“Five thousand pieces?” Brett exclaimed. “How old are these kids?”
“Lucas is a genius,” Jessi bragged, like the proud mother. “But to be fair, Mason is ten, twice his age, and Aunt Mary and Sofia, our nanny, are helping. My daughter, who’s only three, is probably just mixing up all the pieces.”
Brett was looking forward to meeting the offspring of Immortal Angel. Mason Wilder, in particular. The third-generation drummer was hailed as a child prodigy and had recently been on several morning talk shows. His career was about to blow up, and the kid wasn’t even a teenager yet.
Boisterous chatter and laughter drew Brett’s attention to the front of the bus where the guys from Immortal Angel were stationed. He strained his neck toward the living area just in time to see a pillow fly through the air and hit Tommy Blade in the face.
While Jimmy and Damien laughed, and Tommy swore that he was going to kick Jimmy’s ass for throwing the pillow, Angel Garcia placed a protective arm over Tommy’s shoulder.
Brett wanted an amicable relationship with Kira’s friends since she spoke so highly of them. He wanted to join them, but he wasn’t sure if this was the right time or if he was overstepping. He was just a roadie. They were rock stars.
“Go talk to them,” Kira suggested. “Let us have some girl time. I haven’t been away with Audra, Jessi and Alyssa in forever.”
Brett nodded and kissed her cheek before he strolled toward the front of the bus. Jimmy saw him first and extended his arm in invitation. “There he is! C’mere and sit down. We were talking about getting a card game going, and we could use a fifth player.”
Still feeling the scrutinizing eyes of Damien Diamond glaring at him, Brett wasn’t taking the captain’s chair next to the bass player. Tommy and Angel were awfully cozy on the couch by themselves, so Brett took a seat on the other couch next to Jimmy. It was the safest place.
In a friendly gesture, Jimmy clapped his hand on the back of Brett’s neck and gave him a small shake. “I hope you’re ready. Tommy is some kind of Rain Man when it comes to cards.” Jimmy leaned over and whispered, “But he doesn’t part with money so easily, so if he’s betting high, that means he’s got a winning hand.”
“I heard that.” Tommy threw a wadded-up paper towel at Jimmy. “Stop calling me cheap.”
Jimmy shrugged and shook his head, innocently. “I’m not saying that you purposely forget your wallet all the time, man. It’s understandable. If you never reach for it, it’s not important to make sure it’s in your pocket.”
“You’re hysterical.” Tommy pressed a button on a remote control, and a section of the floor popped up to create a table between the couches.
“That’s so cool!” Brett exclaimed. “This is an incredible ride.”
“We need it,” Tommy replied. “I never thought we’d pull off touring with three kids. Thanks to this custom-built RV, it works. The kids actually enjoy being on the road.”
“So, how long have you been a roadie for Bulletproof?” Angel asked, as he pulled a deck of cards from a compartment under the table and handed it to Damien.
Brett knew the question was Angel’s way of tactfully asking for personal information, which is exactly what Brett expected to happen during this little get-to-know-you session. “I’ve been working for those dudes since before they were famous. We all went to high school together.” He wanted to add that the guys from Bulletproof could vouch for his integrity but decided against it.
Angel seemed pleased with Brett’s answer and displayed a warm smile. The guy was really chill and cordial. Not as easygoing as Jimmy, but definitely gracious and polite. Tommy seemed to be the carefree one, sitting with his ankle crossed over his knee and bouncing his foot as he waited for Damien to finish shuffling the cards. Bored with waiting, Tommy went to the kitchen and came back with a six-pack of beer. He kept a bottle for himself and placed the rest on the table.
“All right!” Jimmy exclaimed, helping himself to a brew and handing one to Brett. “Tommy comes through with the alcohol!”
Tommy offered a beer to Angel, but Angel declined, which made Tommy’s expression turn into that of a dejected puppy. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few seconds later with two smoothies.
“What’s this?” Angel asked, taking the fruity drink from Tommy.
“Not sure. The girls made them. They’re supposed to be healthy.”
Angel gave Tommy the sweetest expression, and a very heated kiss. “Thank you, mi amor.”
Tommy pulled his long blond hair into a ponytail and fanned himself with it. “Kiss me like that again, and we’ll have to postpone this card game.”
“Knock it off, you two. We can finally get a decent game of poker going.” Damien said, dealing the cards. He threw a twenty-dollar bill in the center of the table, and everyone followed.
Brett stared at the pile of bills, unaware that they were playing for money. He wasn’t much of a gambler to begin with, but also didn’t carry a ton of cash and certainly couldn’t afford the stakes that these guys were probably prepared to bet. He threw a twenty onto the table anyway. It earned him a tiny smile of amusement from Damien, which lasted a fraction of a second.
Everyone was quiet as they peeked at their two face-down cards, except Jimmy who was tapping a beat on the back of his cards with his fingers. Brett started off with a pair of threes and a queen on the table, and an ace and a ten in his hand. Not the highest pair, but the only pair showing.
After the first betting round and card exchange, Tommy folded, which made Jimmy laugh and nudge Brett’s knee with his elbow. “See? He never bluffs. If he’s got shit, he folds.”
Tommy shrugged. “I just don’t see the need to throw money away.”
“Why the other glass, mi amor?” Angel asked, motioning toward the other smoothie on the table.
“Oh.” Tommy pushed it in front of Damien. “This one’s for you. Alyssa said it’s probably the only time you’ll have fruit in your life.”
The Roadie: Radical Rock Stars Book 7 Page 6