Page 6 of Accidental Fire
“Oh, yeah! Bring ’em on,” Hardy added, he and Goldie bumping fists. Arlo stared out the window of the limo without adding anything. Something was going on with my half-brother, aside from our dumbass father’s push and pull regarding Arlo and his mother being accepted into the family.
That whole hidden-baby charade was a disaster of epic proportions, and I’d heard some of the fights Mom, Hope, andRegal had over Cindy, Arlo’s mom. It was a time bomb waiting to explode at the least opportune moment, no doubt.
“You laugh and think it’s a good time, but if you’re caught in the middle of a circle of frenzied groupies wanting a piece of your hair or clothes or wanting you to sign something, you’ll wish to hell you had someone watching out for you.” Marsh pulled his phone from the front breast pocket of his jacket and began scrolling, paying no mind to the rest of us.
Five minutes later, the limo made a right and stopped at a gate. The driver spoke to a guard, and when the gate opened, the car pulled through. I’d seen a lot of those gates leading to fancy mansions on television, but it was the first time seeing one in person.
“Daaammmn!” Everyone rushed to the windows at Goldie’s outburst. All the visual did was make me nervous.
The limo stopped at the stairs leading from the driveway to the front door, and we all bailed. I saw several other vehicles parked to the right of the circle drive, so obviously, there would be more than just Accidental Fire and Nate Ashby at this party.
We climbed the steps and Marsh rang the bell. The door opened, and a pretty lady smiled. “Mr. Kensington, welcome. Please come in. Nate’s on the pool deck with other guests.”
“Chanice, good to see you again. Guys, go straight through and out the sliding doors at the back of the kitchen.” We followed Marsh’s directions, all of us taking in the sight of the beautiful home.
There were shiny marble floors and a massive staircase with deep mahogany stairs and railings leading to a second floor. The art on the walls appeared to be fancy, though I didn’t recognize any of it.
There was an expensive-looking round table in the center of the entry, adorned with a huge bouquet of white flowers. I laughed when JD walked over to it and touched one of theblooms, plucking off a white blossom and tucking it behind his right ear.
I reached up and slapped it away, the stupid idiot. We were going into a business meeting, not partying with our friends at the beach. We needed to at least give the illusion of being mature.
“Come in. Come in,” Mr. Ashby greeted us in the kitchen, sporting a big grin. I glanced around to see a lot of other guys and a few women seated around tables on the pool deck. Everyone was wearing casual, neat clothes. We looked like bums dragged in off the street. I didn’t remember if I’d even combed my hair that day. I’d pretty much been in a drunken stupor since my birthday.
I reached into the pocket of my jeans and grabbed an elastic hair band, reaching up and pulling my hair back to secure it behind my head. I followed everyone out the huge sliding doors that led from the kitchen to the pool. It was cooler than anything I could imagine.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Accidental Fire.” Mr. Ashby stepped to the side as the five of us stopped in the doorway. People began clapping like we were a big deal, and I felt the heat rise on my cheeks.
When we played at Rocktoberfest in 2024, we saw a lot of bands that weekend, and it occurred to me that Skyler had led us through that whole overwhelming experience with a calm energy that I appreciated. We’d naturally looked to him to show us what to do and how to act and then fallen in line without argument. Now, he was returning from New Zealand and getting ready to have the summer off with his new husband. He wouldn’t be with us to keep us from looking like talentless hacks. That thought sent a shiver down my spine.
“Guys, introduce yourselves to your tour support team.”
The other four looked at me, the stupid dicks, so I went down the row, starting with JD, who stood next to me. “This is JD Horn, our bass player and backup vocals. This is Arlo Timmons, our keyboard player and backup vocals. Next is Goldie Robbins, our lead singer, and then Hardy Boyer, our drummer. I’m River Ashe, lead guitar and backup vocals.”
Marsh started clapping and turned to everyone in the room to lead them in a round of applause. Nobody seemed to know who we were, and some of the people didn’t seem impressed, which was no surprise to me.
“Okay. Let’s start with the teams. Security team, you’re up.” Mr. Ashby pointed to a group of three large men and a petite woman with dark dreadlocks and a bright smile.
One of the men stepped forward. “We’re from Guardian Security Specialists. We’re based in Los Angeles, licensed in the US, and affiliated with a European-based security company, Golden Elite Associates-Italy, should an international tour be in your future.
“We specialize in personal protection and crowd control for individuals in the entertainment industry. I’m Robert Wilder, the lead protection specialist on your detail, codename Rowdy.”
He pointed to the young woman next. “This is Specialist Danae Flowers, codename Orchid. Next is Specialist Calvin Bartholomew, codename Cavalry, and last is Specialist Dagr Blix, codename Yeti.” That guy was as large as a bus.
We joined the applause, which was apparently a thing we needed to do with every introduction. Mr. Ashby turned to another table. “Next.”
A tall, slender man with a pointy nose and a pretentious attitude stood. “I’m Barker Dussault, your tour promoter. I don’t travel.”
Mr. Ashby laughed. “Barker works for me, but I wanted him to meet the band.”
He then pointed to another man at the table, whom I easily recognized. “You guys know me. Clancy Morse. I’ll be driving your tour bus again. I’m not your friend or your father, so leave me alone. That’s what these other folks are for.”
Clancy patted a gorgeous man on the back, who laughed before he stood. “I’m Kit Hansen. I’ll be responsible for moving your instruments, equipment, and stage backdrops. I leave immediately after the show, so if you want your shit on the truck, get it to one of these guys as soon as you step off the stage.” He pointed to the four guys sitting at the table with him and Clancy. “Otherwise, take it with you.”
Kit sat down, but I couldn’t peel my eyes from him. The man was stunning.
The rest of the tour staff introduced themselves, though I didn’t hear a word of what they said. I had no idea who they were, and at that moment, I didn’t give a damn. All I could do was stare at Kit Hansen and imagine his handsome face between my ass cheeks as he ate me out like his favorite dessert. My dick started to grow, and my torn T-shirt wasn’t going to cover it, so I glanced at the view and thought about playing with Hope’s two dogs, Bess and Midnight, until I calmed down.
Food was brought out to create a buffet, and we all filled our plates. There was a self-service bar with beer and wine, and after I filled my plate, I sat at an empty table, expecting my bandmates to join me. Marsh had other ideas.
