Page 32 of 12 Months of Mayhem

Gamble clears his throat, and I look at him. “Hey, I’m Gamble, and you are?”

She holds out her hand and says, “The lead singer of Steel Outlaws, and judging by the name of your MC, I should fit right in.”

Gamble smiles and looks at me. “What’s her name?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Oh, I like her!” Juniper grabs her hand. “Come on, new best friend. Let’s go find some food.”

“Juniper,” growls Gamble.

“Oh, shush, honey. She’s a friend of Whiskey’s. She’s cool. I’m going to call her Steel.”

The two women walk arm in arm through the crowd, leaving Gamble and me staring after them.

“What the fuck just happened?” he asks.

“That’s my hellcat, but be warned… wherever she is, trouble isn’t far behind.”

Gamble rolls his eyes and jogs after them.

Chapter Four

The trailer is an old school bus, the kind you know they repainted themselves from the crappy job and the hand-painted Steel Outlaws on the side. It’s been chopped into six makeshift sections, each with a flimsy curtain barely hiding a single bed. My hellcat is at the back, cross-legged on her bed, deep in conversation with Juniper. Gamble is leaning against the side of the bus, keeping an eye on them. Not exactly what I pictured. The first bed, squeezed into the tightest space, has a guy sitting on it, and I size him up.

“Interesting setup,” I say.

He lets out a rough laugh. “I know what you’re thinkin’, but this is temporary. And I got the best seat in the house.”

“You did?” I glance around.

“Yeah, see, I got this whole section.” He waves his hand, gesturing from the driver’s seat to his bed. “When everyone crashes, I string up my curtain, and I either sleep or sit behind the wheel, sip on a drink, take in the peace. They just have their bunks.” He taps his temple. “Smartest move.”

“And what about a bathroom?”

“Bucket. But most of the time, we hit rest stops.”

“You drive too?”

He holds out his hand. “George. Drummer, driver, and all-around good guy.”

I grip his hand. “Whiskey Mick.”

He gives a nod. “Nice to meet you.”

“You guys played well tonight.”

A grin spreads across his face. “Yeah, we did. Got a couple of scouts in the crowd tonight. Tomorrow, we’re playing our originals, mixing in a few covers. Should be even better. Hoping we’ll get signed.”

I give him a two-fingered wave and a nod. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, man.”

As I walk down the bus’s narrow aisle, the band members nod in acknowledgment and shift aside to let me pass. When I reach her, she stands up, a slow smile tugging at her lips.

“Hey, you,” she murmurs, sliding her arms around my neck before pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that sends a jolt through me. “Juniper and Gamble are heading back to their tent. You wanna play bodyguard while I grab a shower at the communal block?”

“I can do that,” I reply, my voice low.

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