Page 8 of Guarding the Shadows
“And that’s a wrap,” Jude shouted after doing a drumroll on the back of Levi’s seat, in the van at the end of the night, while we raced toward the airport.
“Great job, everyone,” Levi praised, nodding. “Can’t wait to get home, get laid and a little hair trim.”
“I hear you. I could easily run a comb through my pubes,” Greg joked.
“Look at us. We’ve all got blue balls without our women. What happened to our hell-raising days when we had more pussy than the Cat Protection League,” Deakon mused.
Everyone burst out laughing, including us protection guys.
“It’s alright for you lot. No one’s waving their ass in any of your faces,” Deakon muttered, like it had been the toughest test of his fidelity to his girl.
“Who says they’re not?” Bodhi asked, wagging his brows. “Do I look frustrated to you?” he asked, circling his face with his hand like he was a smug presenter on a TV competition show.
“Or me? Do I look like someone that’s hard up?” Mikey suggested. Bodhi and Mikey grinned at each other, like they had a secret between them.
“Don’t tell me, Raff’s the only one of you three going home without an STD?” Korry asked.
“I’m not,” Jude grumbled like it wasn’t a good thing. “I’m so hard up, there have been days where I swear my dick was trying to punch a hole in my jeans.”
We all laughed again until the van stopped, and we were cleared through airport security. Once the van began to move again, the conversations continued until we came to a halt beside the private aircraft, waiting to take us home. “Right guys, here we go. Raff and I will just check the plane and move you guys on in a minute. Sit tight,” Bodhi ordered in a commanding tone.
Bodhi jumped out one side of the van and I jumped out of the back. Looking left and right, we quickly cleared the area, not that we were expecting any problems. But he still always insisted that we assess risk whenever the guys moved from one mode of transportation to another. Ignoring him, the rest of the guys poured out of the van and stood at the side, on the runway.
Bodhi hung back, nodding to me to take the lead in ensuring the jet was safe for the guys to board. Where I’d praised myselfon avoiding Beth for most of the day, when I caught sight of her standing with Levi, there was a quirk on my lips like I’d wanted to smile but I made myself look away.
Focusing on my job, I ran up the steps, took a quick look around while the guys from the band and the rest of the entourage waited beside the van.
“Clear,” I instructed.
“Copy that,” Bodhi replied.
“Climb aboard guys,” I said, giving them the go-ahead to move.
“Bet you’ll be glad to see Gwen,” Greg suggested when he boarded the plane first.
“Can’t fucking wait. I’ve really missed her this time,” I confessed.
“I’m not surprised, she’s an amazing girl … and a real beauty. I can’t imagine what she sees in your ugly mug.”
“I’ll admit, I’m punching above my weight, but I obviously have that little something that keeps her coming back.”
“Little something? I doubt that. If it was, she’d most definitely have kicked you to the curb by now,” he said, nodding toward my junk.
I flashed him a small smile. “I guess he must be keeping her happy.”
Greg slapped me on the back and dropped into a seat near the front, on the opposite side of me. “Can I just say this? Don’t talk about your dick in the third person, dude. It’s fucking creepy.”
We both chuckled, and for a moment, I was sorry their tour was over. I’d miss the banter, the thrill of the job and the camaraderie that I had with these guys, but on the other hand. I was stoked to be heading back home, to Gwen.
7
Beth
I was mortified after my conversation with Bernadette, regarding Raff.Bernadette had read me like a book, had the others seen how I felt about him as well?
“That was a fun few weeks, getting quality time with my baby sister,” Levi admitted with more energy than he should have had since he’d played a two-hour show. My heart squeezed with love because I couldn’t believe my luck at having such an amazing brother. The way he’d accepted me into his life almost overwhelmed me at times. I’d loved every minute of being around him, his bandmates and crew.
I gave him a warm smile, and he pressed a wet kiss to my cheek. “It might not look like it but I’m shattered now and I’m glad to be going home for a bit,” he disclosed as he slung his arm over my shoulder once we’d climbed out of the van at the airport.
