Page 4 of A Way Out
Yeah, they’d been the ones to find their mother. Yeah, Oz would never, ever forgive their father for doing that to Raquel or her children.
The drummer for Panic Station, the hottest rock band of the minute, who also happened to be the owner of this house, thrust out his hand and said, “Hello there, I’m Sam Stokes.”
Daniel was more of a hip-hop kid, but living with Oz for the last four years had resulted in him listening to Oz practice his guitar every single day, and Oz played rock. Daniel had picked up a few things, including the fact that he was standing in the presence of a rock god.
Daniel’s eyes went wide, and he stared at Sam for long seconds before finally shoving his hand out and shaking Sam’s, stuttering, “It-it’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Sam laughed. “It’s just Sam. No sir. What’s your name?”
“Daniel Garcia.” Changing the kids’ last name had finally happened a few months ago. It was a battle Oz had refused to give up, despite the lawyer fees he’d racked up. Everybody needed some sort of closure after a devastating loss, and Oz’s was taking away their birth father’s parental rights and giving his sister’s kids her family’s last name for the rest of their lives, instead of the name of the man who had killed their mother.
“Daniel,” Sam said, pointing at the woman standing next to him, “this is Holly McGregor. My fiancée and the singer for?—”
“Panic Station,” Daniel blurted, his eyes glassy. “Yeah, I know.”
Holly gave him a blinding smile while Sam chuckled. “We’re heading out to Missouri to get married, and we’d sure appreciate it if you and your sisters and your grandmother would watch our house for us while we’re gone.”
Oz and Sam had rehearsed this, two days prior, when Sam had come up with the idea.
Initially, Oz had turned him down. He didn’t take handouts, no matter how desperate he was, and this wasn’t even a desperate situation. They had a roof over their head, regardless of how small it was and the fact that it had only one bathroom, which was becoming increasingly more challenging as the kids got older.
“Think of it as a vacation for the kids,” Sam had said. “And I’d really rather have someone here than leave it empty for two weeks.”
Neither one of them pointed out the obvious: Sam and Holly were rock stars, often out on tour, and the house sat empty for months at a time. Normally, Oz would have said exactly that, but when Sam suggested it would be a vacation for the kids, Oz’s heart had given a little lurch. Those kids hadn’t ever had a vacation, and damn it, this was the closest they’d get anytime soon.
Man, he could not wait for his own band, Demigoddess Revival, to take off so he could treat them to an actual vacation. Although first—after he paid off his staggering debt—he was going to buy his mother a new, larger home. Then the vacation.
How many times in his life had he wished the music industry today was like it had been in the ’80s, when the members of a breakout band could shoot to the status of millionaires in the blink of an eye? Today’s reality was, most rock bands were lucky to earn a middle-class income.
Demigoddess Revival was worthy of so much more than that. He knew it. He could feel it.
They just had to get there.
“Me?” Daniel asked, pointing at his chest.
Sam nodded. “And your sisters. Can you all do that for us?”
Daniel darted a glance at Oz.
“Abuelita will be here too,” Oz assured the boy.
“What about you?” Daniel asked.
“I’ll be here for a few days,” Oz said. “But then I have to head out to Missouri too. My band is playing at Sam and Holly’s reception.”
“Are you getting paid?” Poor Daniel worried about making ends meet almost as much as Oz did.
“Nope. It’s our wedding gift to the happy couple.” Oz nodded at Holly and Sam, who beamed like he was presenting them with the key to the city.
He was more than happy to do it, despite having to take the time off all three of his jobs and worrying over whether his POS, older than dirt Civic would even make the drive. At least he didn’t have to worry about where he’d sleep while he was there. Holly and Sam had rented out some huge lodge for the wedding, and the guests had all been invited to stay there.
Still, this trip would not be cheap, and Oz already worried on a daily basis about having enough money to feed and clothe his ready-made family.
“Will we get paid?” Daniel asked slyly.
Sam chuckled. “Sure.”
That wasn’t part of the deal—Sam was doing them a favor, not the other way around—but Oz couldn’t say anything now. Damn it.
