No Holding Back

by Dresden, Amanda

  Wade was drenched with sweat despite the economy-sized fans that blew on stage, but it didn’t matter. He knew the secret behind his goose bump. And it happened to coincide with each of Chris’ hammering throws.

  When Chris brought her sticks down onto the cymbals one last time, Wade threw a fist into the air just as sparks and pyrotechnics launched in every direction. The lights cut out simultaneously and Wade breathed easy knowing the techies nailed his queue. The crowd roared absolute as Heretic’s performance came to a close.

  In complete darkness, Wade shrugged off his Gibson and placed it back on the stand not far from him. He didn’t need to see having done this so many times before. Hundreds even. But not Chris.

  He moved expertly past half a dozen techies, equipment, speakers, and over precarious wires just to get to her. He didn’t want to panic, but keeping her a secret among thousands of people gave him an uncomfortable feeling that he didn’t much like. He chastised himself when he inadvertently forgot to mention to Chris what to do after the concert. There wasn’t time to do anything it seemed. Ever since they hit the road, Wade hardly had the time to wipe his ass. But this one escaped him completely.

  He begged under his breath that Heretic’s savior drummer stayed put – that she would be there waiting for him in the darkness.

  But it wouldn’t have mattered if he screamed it. With no microphone in hand, he could hardly hear himself think let alone his own inaudible prayers. But as he groped through the empty air like a blind man without a cane he began to panic. If he couldn’t find her in five seconds he’d turn into an animal, and tear the place upside down.

  He felt his knee bump into the drum set and he knew he had to be close. But if he held his breath a moment longer, his lungs were going to explode. His hand fanned the darkness until they connected with a mess of fingers.

  He smiled and allowed himself to breathe again, feeling his heart pound as ruthlessly as Chris did her drums.

  Without pausing to consider his next move, he jerked her into his embrace. He didn’t think about how they looked in the darkness, nor did he care how Chris felt being man-handled. But their first concert together was a hit - their perfect beginning came full circle into a stunning show stopper that Wade didn’t recall having before with Hess. With no warning whatsoever, he became teary-eyed at the prospect at finding such a jewel – a diamond in the rough. And he would never let her go.

  Chris certainly wasn’t expecting the bear hug Wade subjected her to. She felt awkward and didn’t know what to do with her hands as he practically squeezed the air from her lungs.

  Finally, grabbed her head with both of his hands and pressed his mouth where he thought her ear was. Her face burned as if an iron had been pressed against her skin when she pictured the two of them alone in the darkness, cradled by nothing more than the endless cheers that echoed Heretic’s name.

  “You good!?” he screamed. She nodded. “Follow me and stay close!”

  He jerked her along behind him almost too roughly, but he was determined to protect her.

  She tripped once over wires she didn’t see and almost landed face first into Wade’s moist t-shirt. She tightened her grip around her drums sticks – afraid they would fall and be lost forever among the forest of endless wires. Chris was beginning to think that the darkness would never end until she happened to look down at her feet. And there, glow-in-the-dark tape lit the trail of their escape.

  As they walked closer to better lighting in the backstage area, she could begin to make out the contours of Wade’s chin and five o-clock shadow. But as soon as he looked at her, he jerked her sleeve.

  “Keep your head down!” he barked.

  Chris complied and stayed behind a protective Wade as he held both her tiny hands with just one of his own. She winced a bit in pain; the wood of her sticks pinching and rubbing her already sensitive fingers.

  His towering frame was an easy hiding spot and she tried not to think about her hands in his. She had no choice but to look down and see the mess of their fingers intertwined. She was miserably hot and uncomfortable in all her clothing and the way it clung to her. But each time he gave her hand a firm squeeze, she felt a distinct chill go up her spine.

  As Wade expertly maneuvered them both into a better lit area, he met a relieved Joe and his emotionless brother – hell-bent on ignoring Chris entirely. As soon as Joe saw them, he appeared on edge and more anxious that Chris ever thought possible.

  “Wade! Jesus-fuck, man! What the hell took so long!? You were starting to freak me out!”

  Wade kept his cool as the backstage became crowded with band members, security, and techies. They were nearly done. They just had to make it back to the bus.

  “Would you relax? Or did you forget Chris can’t see in the dark!?” Wade retorted.

  Joe didn’t seem to hear as he breathed in and out a few times and did some other ridiculous relaxing mantras. Wade rolled his eyes and looked around the entire backstage area trying to find the shortest distance to the bus, all while trying to prevent anyone from getting too close to Chris. He knew the last, not to mention the biggest, hurdle was making it from the building back to Heretic’s bus with their secret intact.

  “Joe! Os! Let’s go. We’re done here!”

  Os huffed in irritation at their delay but he and Joe followed Wade just as he set his sights on something that made his stomach drop.

  “Fuck me,” Wade groaned, giving Chris’ hands another squeeze.

  “What’s wrong?” Joe asked.

  Aside from a squalor of fans with backstage passes, Wade saw dozens of news crews from various local and national levels, and he even spotted a correspondent from Metal Madness. He knew security would be all around them, escorting them to the bus, but it was Chris he worried about most of all and so he wracked his brain trying to figure out what to do next.

  As Wade struggled to come up with an idea, he spotted a white news van off into the distance with green lettering that read “Ready, Reliable, and Relevant: Your Triple Triad News Crew.” Then, it hit him.

  “Joe!” His friend’s head snapped in his direction. “Stand here - next to Chris!” Joe did as he was told and then motioned to his lumbering brother. “Os, take the front.”

  At once, Os settled on a foul expression. “What the fuck for?!”

  “Just do it!” he screamed. “You’re bigger than anyone else and you can clear us a path!”

  Os mumbled some incoherent dislike under his breath, but completed the triangle, taking his place in front of Chris. But Wade had his reasons for such a request. After all, what he said was true. Os was, by far, the biggest of them all and even put some security to shame. And as Heretic eased their way past the exit doors, he acted as a living barrier as the four of them eventually made their way through a jungle of arms and hands.

  As they came within reach of the voracious news reporters, Wade put his hand on the back of Chris’ neck and talked through the thick layers of her clothing into her eardrum.

  “Whatever you do, don’t look up! Just keep your head down!”

  Chris couldn’t help but comply. With the way he kept pushing her head down, he was already doing most of the work for her. If he had shoved her anymore, she’d kiss the concrete. She expected the treatment, but the adrenaline dwarfed any other emotion she may have felt. Besides, she didn’t want to be discovered either.

  However, she was brave enough to sneak a peek past Joe’s lanky frame and saw the reporters and their lackeys waiting by Heretic’s bus like hungry vultures.

  “Wade! Wade! Wade! Tell us about your new drummer!”

  “Where did you find him?”

  “What does this mean for Heretic?”

  Several heavy cameras and about a half dozen microphones shoved themselves into Wade’s personal space but he did his best to keep his composure and all but ignored them as Heretic continued pressing forward. He didn’t so much as look into a news camera, more concerned with ensuring that Chris made it safely onto
the bus.

  “We’re very fortunate to have found him when we did. Heretic will now continue with the rest of the bands on tour thanks to Chris. Thank you.”

  A cold, emotionless response, but as far as he was concerned, it was more than what they deserved. But to his relief, the doors to the bus came into view and cracked open, allowing Heretic on board.

  Os was the first to step in, swatting at a few hands that flailed around him like flies. Security did their best to keep the crowds under control, but only by shoving Chris past the bus doors with his own body, did he manage to protect her from being exposed. Not to mention deter would-be souvenir snatchers from grabbing onto an article of her clothing.

  As Wade and Joe filed in behind, Wade noticed that his brother went directly into his bedroom without so much as a word and shut the door behind him. But he didn’t have time to see what was up Os’ ass at the moment.

  Because Wade lost his footing on the large steps and landed on Joe who, in turn, fell squarely onto Chris. The three of them dominoed up the landing just as Pete closed and locked the door shut with a switch from his massive dashboard.

  “Ooof!” Chris bellowed. “Get offa me, wouldja?!”

  Joe feigned upset. “Tell me about it! What the hell’er you two tryin’ to do? Gang rape me?!”

  Chris crawled a short distance away and collapsed onto her back while Wade, too exhausted to laugh, shoved Joe aside with a, “Move, dammit!”

  The three of them laid side by side for the longest time, heaving and panting, yet thankful that they made it through the night in one piece.

  Just then, Joe laughed breathlessly before his breathing fell into small giggles. But in no time at all, it appeared to be contagious. Chris started to laugh and a few moments later, Wade joined in as well. Soon the three were rolling so hard, the only reason why they stopped was because their stomachs started to hurt. Eventually, Chris was the first to speak.

  “Holy shit,” she stated, still out of breath from the whole ordeal. “I can’t believe it’s over!”

  Just then, Wade heard several female voices through all of the fierce banging on the doors. He nearly swallowed his tongue and forgot to tell Chris about one more thing.

  Groupies.

  “It’s not over yet,” Wade said as he hopped up and pulled Chris up along with him.

  “Huh? Whaddya mean?”

  Just then, Joe panicked and gestured to Pete. “We gotta hide her, man! Pete’s a horny bastard and you know he’s not gonna keep it locked forever!”

  And right on cue, the doors burst open and a half dozen scantily clad twenty-something beauties poured into Heretic’s bus. Joe instantly went to meet them but also acted as a barrier and shot an evil at them both.

  “Dammit!” Wade whispered fiercely.

  Chris panicked. “Wh-What do I do!?”

  Already, Chris could see one of the girls plop herself onto Pete’s lap and snake her hands down inside of his pants.

  Wade spotted his phone on the table and snatched it while pushing Chris to the relative safety her room.

  “Nothing. Here – take this!”

  And with that, he shoved his phone into her hand, opened the door to her room, and pushed her in.

  “What am I supposed to do with this!?” she hissed.

  “You’ll figure it out," he said cryptically. "Whatever you do: stay in here, lock the door, and don’t come out!”

  Suddenly, several girls plowed right through Joe. While one attached themselves to his lips, two others set their sights on Wade. Joe looked to be enjoying himself but his gaze held a sense of urgency and hopelessness as they made a b-line to the two remaining members of Heretic.

  “Oh Waa-aade? You wouldn’t want to keep your adoring fans waiting, now would you?”

  A gorgeous red head with too much eye makeup and full pouting lips, teased as she loosed a few buttons around her bulging breasts. Wade laughed as she made every attempt to undo his belt, but he made himself an immovable barrier between Chris and the groupies.

  “Would I do that to you, ladies?”

  His reply was so sickeningly sweet that Chris wanted to gag. Instead, she rolled her eyes under her hoodie.

  “What about your new drummer?” asked an equally voluptuous black-haired Goth who reached out to Chris. But Wade interjected immediately and caught her wrist, and kissed the top of it apologetically.

  “Oh, I am so sorry, ladies. But I’m afraid that our drummer’s gonna hit the sack a little early tonight.”

  They made a few disheartening and melodramatic groans and making Chris snort in disgust.

  Wade turned and looked directly at her. “Aren’t you, Chris?”

  Wade’s killer expression bore into her and it was more than enough to get her to move back into her room as the red-head hit her knees and made several motions to relieve Wade of his pants. But Chris needed no further urging as she closed the door to her room and locked it shut.

  She backed away from the partition, a trembling and nervous wreck though she was while several knocks came from the girls from the other side, beckoning her to come out and ‘play’. She seriously doubted if the flimsy partition would hold the onslaught of groupies, but she prayed it would. She drew back from the door and forgetting where her bed was, tripped and fell back onto the mattress.

  She was still shaking off the trauma of it all when she laid aside her sticks and looked down at Wade’s sleek phone, wondering what the hell he wanted her to do with it.

  She was much too scared to remove her hoodie but in answer to her question, she began to hear moaning and groaning from outside. She knew that numerous sexual acts were occurring just outside her room and not wanting to hear anymore loud smacking of lips and other body parts, she caught onto Wade’s idea.

  She unraveled the ear buds and shoved them almost too painfully in her ears. She turned it on as fast as possible in her shaking hands and brought the volume up as loud as she could handle – wanting only to ensure that her ears were blind to the events that went on mere feet from her. As some of Wade’s favorite songs connected with her eardrums, she laid down on her bed, curled up on her side in all her sweaty clothes, and turned off the light.

  With eyes locked open, she couldn’t help but stare at the door in complete terror as a few thin strands of light shone in through the cracks. She feared that at any moment, some girl would come bursting in, dead-set on ripping off her clothes, exposing her and revealing Heretic’s secret to everyone. She didn’t want to fail Wade and Joe, not in the way that Hess did. And so she clutched her drenched clothes around her even tighter and remained a silent witness as the gigantic bus rocked back and forth.

  Fear and loud music were her only companions as she drifted off uncomfortably.

  Chapter 7

  Chris sat upright as if someone had shocked her into waking. She hated how she had let herself doze off during the orgy but as she shook off the sleep, she noticed that Wade’s phone stopped playing and so she gently plucked the buds from her ears. It was still dark in her room but as Chris lifted the curtain to the only window in her room, she had to shield her eyes from the morning sun. She could see that they were moving along at a gentle pace, but she couldn’t understand how she managed to sleep through last night.

  As she yawned and stretched her sore limbs, she became still for a moment and held her breath, listening and waiting.

  No deep breathing, no groaning or smacking of asses. It was completely silent save for the droning noise of the bus as it hummed along the road. Wearily, she rose from bed and walked up to the plastic partition, coming as close as she dared and straining her ears for the slightest noise. She waited until she was certain there was nothing other than the dull roar of the engine. She sighed breathlessly when she realized that last night’s festivities were, thankfully, at an end.

  She cracked open the hard plastic partition millimeter after millimeter until she peered precariously through the small crack, but she didn’t see anyone. Feeling brave
r by the moment, she pulled it open more and more, but she guessed that the groupies hit the road before they did.

  Finally, she opened her door just wide enough to steal a glance down the small hallway. And when she found only Joe sitting at his usual spot at the table, she sighed in relief.

  Joe spotted her right away and made several over-exaggerated motions for her to join him. Gratefully, she left her room with Wade’s phone in hand and as soon as she stepped into the kitchen, Joe made another gesture for silence and pointed to the couch opposite of him. And there lay Wade, asleep in all his clothes from the night before. But Chris couldn’t see his face as he lay facing the couch cushions. Carefully, she wrapped the cord around his phone and placed it on the arm rest.

  Then, she quietly took her usual spot by the table and noticed that Os wasn’t up front and judging by the soft snoring that came from behind his door, he was still out cold. She didn’t know whether or not he took part in last night’s festivities but she thought it best to remove such potentially disturbing images from her mind.

  No sooner than she planted herself in her seat, than she noticed an unusual stench in the air. It smelled oily, almost like lingering tobacco, but she hardly had time to dwell upon it further when Joe broke into his trademark grin.

  “Good morning!”

  Joe’s unusually chipper voice made Chris cringe; after all, he was the one that pointed out that Wade was sleeping. But she just smiled and shook her head.

  “You can take that off, y’know. It’s just us now. We left those broads behind,” he said.

  Chris took up Joe’s offer and pulled back her hoodie, removed her beanie, and ran her fingers through her dark hair several times. Then, she took both hands and scratched her scalp and massaged the flesh just because it felt so damn good. When she looked back up at Joe, she couldn’t help but notice that he was still smiling. Now, she was just waiting for him to tell her that he farted.