Page 16 of Echoes of a Muted Song

“Nothing. You’d never see it coming,” Sully stated. “Though our main directive will always be to keep you from winding up in a situation like that in the first place. You guys signing long-term, full-time contracts with us means that you are now our primary clients. I’ve got a few guys finishing up assignments. If they’re a good match for any of you, I’ll bring them in when they’ve wrapped up their current details.”

“How the hell are we supposed to fit two guys for every one of us on the buses?” Rebel asked.

“We’re not,” I typed, holding up my hand so he’d give me a minute.

When silence filled the space, it encouraged me to take the time I needed to lay out the full plan I was in the midst of pulling together.

“We’ve got two buses and an RV slated to meet us here at the end of the week. Sully employs tactical drivers, they will take over driving duties while he runs mobile command out of the RV. Once the tour kicks off, we’ll be joined by a second RV carrying a full-time crew of roadies.Ozzy and I put together a list of the guys both bands are comfortable working with, and that’s who will be on the road with us. No more hodge-podging a team together on an as-needed basis. This tour is going to be big, and we’ll be adding dates as contracts with venues are signed. That’s the only way we’ll keep the momentum rolling.”

“You’re right about that,” Ozzy said.

“Dash, you’ve been awful quiet,” I conveyed through my device, but when I turned to see what the hell he was up to, I noticed him bent over the arm of the easy chair he was reclined in, furiously filling out the packet.

“I trust you a thousand percent,” Dash said. “And I’m dying to check out the food-cart pods and do some kayaking on Scappoose Bay. You remember what the pods were like last time. I don’t even know how to make that work right now, and I don’t wanna fuck up trying to figure it out on my own. So I’m getting this filled out so Sully can do his matching thing. Then they can tell me if going in there is going to be possible, or if I need to just write up a list of stuff I want to try and let someone else get it for me.”

“And that just might prove to be the safest scenario right there,” Sully said. “Not being familiar with the pods, I can’t say with any certainty at the moment, but I’ll start looking into it tonight. What I’m grateful for is the attitude you’re already coming in with. That’s how we work together. My guys and I are alwaysgoing to look into every way that we can to make something safe and possible for you to engage in, but there might be times when logistically, we’ve got to take a step back and weigh the risk over the reward. That’s always going to be a conversation, but in the end, we’ve all got to walk away comfortable with the decision, or this isn’t going to work.”

“No, I get what you’re saying,” Rebel said. “We’ve already learned that we can’t just go places at random the way we always have. So far we’ve been lucky that it’s only been the random person, usually alone, who came scurrying over hoping for an autograph and some conversation. Giving them that little bit of attention they’re after has always let us keep on flying under the radar, but that video from Palm Springs was proof that things don’t always turn out that way.”

“Releasing those singles in the days leading up to Rocktoberfest was genius,” Dash said, looking up from his questionnaire to lock eyes with me. “We were floundering, man, and if it hadn’t been for that Rocktoberfest invitation, we might have stepped back and decided to cool our heels on the sidelines while we waited to see how things played out for Johnny.”

“After the way management dropped us in the wake of Johnny’s charges, we figured that was it,” Rebel said. “I know I’d planned to sign back on as a hand on my older brother’s lobster boat afterone last kickass performance at Rocktoberfest. That’s where my head was at. Figured I could always play a bar if I got the itch. Then Johnny started talking about having a plan and wanting to go ahead with this tour no matter what the outcome was. He still hasn’t told any of us what he has in mind, though something tells me that part of that conversation is taking place behind closed doors right now.”

“Wait, hit the pause button for one fuckin’ minute,” Keegan said, half coming out of his seat. “He better not be back there trying to convince Jagger to switch bands.”

“Oh hell no, he’d never do that,” Ozzy said, holding a finger up when Keegan started to challenge his statement. “But hewouldask Jagger to fill in until he works out the rest of whatever it is he’s been putting together, and I’ll bet he’s already given Draven a timeframe for when to book both bands together and when to space our shows apart.”

“He has,” I typed.

“Well shit,” Keegan said, sinking back against the cushions. “Sorry about that, man.”

“We’re good,” Ozzy said. “In your shoes I’d be worried about the same thing.”

“None of us is at a point where we’re willing to replace him,” Dash said. “That’s not going to come until the option has been taken out of our hands.”

“Not gonna happen!” Rebel snapped, but all ofthem looked grim.

We all knew that there was a very real possibility of Johnny winding up behind bars, but like Dash said, we weren’t at a place where we were willing to accept that yet. Ride or die meant you kept faith until the bitter end. It’s just what you did.

“Whatever Johnny has planned, this tour is moving forward,” I typed. “We’ll take everything as it comes and handle it as a family. What we can do right now is get these questionnaires filled out so Sully can get assignments made. Both bands have new albums dropping on the same day next week, and I’ve got us set up for a joint show in Seattle the night they go live. Blissfully Immune will be headlining that one. I was waiting until we were all together to share this, but in light of the conversation that’s arisen, I’m proud to announce that ‘Ghosts of Enemies Past’ hit number one on the metal charts this morning. Congratulations, guys.”

I could see just how long it took to sink in as every face reacted differently. Dash scowled before his eyes widened and his lips stretched into a grin. Ozzy, who’d turned to reach for the pen he’d set on the end table, fell out of his chair and hit the floor with a thud. He lay there a moment then started laughing, while Rebel leapt to his feet, bellowingholy shit! Was a good thing we had a suite or someone would have been banging on the wall, bellowing back at us to shutthe fuck up. Then I watched my guys launch into a round of congratulations, hugs and backslaps, the two bands celebrating together.

I was proud of all of them and the way they were meshing. It wasn’t like we were strangers; we’d been partying together and playing the same festivals for years. We’d done a few mini tours, too, back when I was still the singer. Our bands just vibed, the different personalities meshing so well that it was rare for anyone to spend time alone.

“If anyone already has an itinerary in mind for places they’d like to visit while we’re here, write it out on the back of your questionnaires,” Sully declared once the room had settled back down again. “Be as detailed as possible. If something is taking place at a specific date and time, note that, too, I’ll prioritize those and get the wheels in motion. You’ll see boxes asking you to write down any food and medication allergies, again, I need you to be as thorough as possible, so I ask that you not just list the allergy, but any effects you’ve experienced. There’s a box for medications you’re taking, too. We’re not trying to be invasive, we just need to know what we might be dealing with in case of a medical emergency.”

No one balked at that. Everyone just turned their attention to the thick, spiral-bound pile of papers Sully had given them.

“That means you, too,” Sully remarked, hisvoice cutting through my thoughts and concerns over what was taking Johnny and Jagger so long to emerge.

Blinking, I looked around at each of the band members, but every one of them was busy filling in the forms. It wasn’t until I caught Sully’s gaze and the raised eyebrow he was giving me that it dawned on me that I was the one he’d been referring to.

“Shit, sorry,” I muttered, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hear me.

At least the form would keep me from obsessing too much about the conversation that was taking place down the hall. Fucking hell. I might have a better idea of what was going on if I hadn’t been thinking with my dick this morning instead of my brain. It was just so easy to get lost in Johnny. Even sweaty and wrung out after he’d ridden me like a rodeo champion, the spicy scent of his patchouli body wash lingered beneath his ear. His lips tasted like the butterscotch candies he sucked on whenever he felt the urge to smoke. No matter how many times I kissed him, the essence of that sweet candy always lingered there. I’d never lay in bed and watched anyone sleep, but I did with him, every morning in Palm Springs. I watched him scrunch his nose when the sunrays slashed over him, right before he burrowed back beneath the blankets. Grumpy and disgruntled, that’s how Johnny woke in the morning. I’d even heard him cuss out the coffeepot. What was funny was that Johnny hated wasting the day once he was in motion, but a few times there I’d thought it was going to take fireworks and a catapult to get him out of the bed.

I didn’t care what the future held for him. If I had to flirt with him through bulletproof glass then that’s just the way it would have to be until I had him back in my arms again. He was my person. He wastheperson I’d been searching for, even when I was too blind to see that he was already right there, strutting around trying to make me see him. Johnny Amaral was my forever, and I knew him well enough to know that the best thing I could do for him right now was keep his dream thriving, keep his bandmates safe, and always keep on loving him.

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