Moment(s)

  I’m pure dead sick of hearing that. “We haven’t slept together.”

  “Looked like you were.” He smiles and looks me up and down.

  I’m wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs.

  I roll my eyes. “We haven’t had sex.”

  “Has she thought about being emancipated?” he asks and when I shrug, he continues on. “You’re absolutely arse over elbow for her, yeah? No matter…I smell a happily ever after.”

  “Who’d want to be stuck with me the rest of their life?” The coffee burns my lip, so I rip off the top to cool it quicker.

  “Me. I’d follow you to the ends, mate,” Luke says with a scowl. “Julian, you’re buggin’ and don’t say it’s only about last night.”

  Kasen’s flipout isn’t enough, is it? But Luke has me clocked. I’m starting to feel like I’m just taking and taking.

  “First I wanted to meet her. Then I wanted more time with her. Next I wanted even more time, and now she’s going to London.” I rub my hands down my face. “I almost feel like I’ve wrecked her life, and what if she decides she doesn’t want me or want this? You and everyone else keep saying Emilie’s young. She’s one year younger than me—big deal. The bigger problem with getting all tied up with me is she likes temporary. She could decide to split. But she cannae even do that comfortably. Us going to London together—her old life is properly over. End of.”

  “Has she grumbled about this?” He gestures down the passageway to where two security minders stand with hands behind their backs. “Or the notoriety? Traveling? Scheduling?”

  I think back. “I guess she hasn’t, has she?”

  He puts an arm around my shoulder. “Brother, I think you’re the one who has the problem with it.”

  “Aye, she’s fine now, but what if she can’t deal after all?”

  He runs his hand over his short brown hair and sips from his cup. “Looks like she’s dealing better than we did at the first.”

  Aye. The first time we were mobbed in Sweden, Parker was in tears. He was convinced people hated his voice and wanted to kill him. It took us hours to calm him down. God, we were all so young then. I guess that’s what has me fussed. I almost want her to cling to me more. Firstly, so I’ll know what I’m dealing with if that’s ever going happen. Secondly, because I want her to need me.

  “Och! All the mollycoddling from Mum and Jane has really screwed me up,” I say. “I’m suffocating her, aren’t I?”

  I’m the one usually doing all the cuddling, but of course she cuddles back exquisitely. And oftentimes I’m the one starting all the kissing and loving, though I was actually the one to pull back last night.

  Luke gives my shoulders a squeeze. “You know, you’re probably my favorite person in the world—next to Mum, of course—and I think you deserve to be happy.” He pats my back and chuckles. “When we first put the band together, I thought you were the huggiest kid I’d ever seen. It’s just your nature. Nothing wrong with that.”

  “Thanks, mate.” I raise my eyes from the floor and smile.

  “Just don’t overthink it. You know…with Emilie.”

  He stands and sticks his hands out. After he pulls me to my feet, I turn to the door. Fash.

  “Blast, you’re locked out, aren’t you?” Luke laughs.

  Blast…Luke’s swearword. Kasen doesn’t have one because he’s never had a problem curbing his tongue. It keeps our rude mouths from getting us in trouble during live interviews.

  “I’ll see you in a bit,” I tell Luke and make my sleep-heavy legs move down the hall toward the minders. They’re standing in front of their little office they call floor headquarters.

  “I’ll be needing my room key.” I stop at the two chests in front of me. I’ve given up feeling like a wee boy next to them. I’m pretty muscular—it’s impossible for a gymnast not to be—but the minders are always abnormally massive. “And can you toss this coffee in the bin? It’s pure givin’ me the boak.”

  “Julian.” Doug’s voice coming from further in the office gives me a wee fright. He must be over the flu now. I haven’t had a proper chat with him since the big screw-up. But I’ve noticed them stepping up for Emilie.

  He pushes through the two behemoths and rips my cup away. “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Have to get ready.”

  “I won’t be long.” He places the key card in my hand, though he doesn’t take his hand away. “I’m really very sorry about the breach the other day in Utah. As head of security, I should have had better policies in place. We weren’t taking…we just weren’t prepared for another one of you. If something happened to little Emilie we’d all be devastated. But we’re on the same page now. She is considered a permanent part of the detail.”

  “Thank you.” A permanent part of the detail. Very generic words to anyone else, but they make me smile…until I mind. “Any news about that murder last night?”

  Doug looks at his feet and shakes his head. “The investigator doesn’t have anything new about Virginia either. But something happened in Florida that was strange.”

  “At the arena in Orlando?” I can’t mind when we played there. “That was a long time ago, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah, and it wasn’t the night of the performance either. Two weeks later. It’s just that the girl had pictures of being at the performance.”

  “A girl?” A female!

  “Well it was three brothers and she was a friend of the family. O’Ryan Crews is her name. But their bodies are missing except for one—the middle brother. His was in the home still.” Doug looks away.

  My mind spins when my worry from last night comes back. These murders…always around us somehow. I grip the door frame and waver.

  “Doug,” I whisper. “It’s not connected to us, is it?”

  Because if it is, then there’s no way to avoid one possibility: we’re responsible. If every time we come to town people are murdered, then there’s nothing else to think.

  He jerks his head up and scowls at me. Easing away from the door, he shuts it behind him. “Don’t be stressing yourself about that. I already said that you can trust we’ll keep all you kids safe. and I mean it.”

  “Keep us safe?” I tug at my hair. “But what about everyone else? Four people in Orlando. Four people, Doug.”

  “There’s really no other connection than those pictures from fifteen days before. The investigator…” He snaps his fingers. “What’s his name? Oh, it’s DeHaven. He doesn’t think there’s anything to it. The three brothers didn’t have concert tickets or anything, just her and her friend, and the friend is still alive and accounted for.”

  If they can’t find the bodies, then how do police know they’re dead? And why make me worry about a girl victim now if there’s no connection? “But the boy with the concert bracelet on eleven, November. We shouldna played that show, Doug.” My heart races ahead while I replay that serious meeting before the show. “They warned us, and we didn’t listen. And Thanksgiving…was he one of the fans gathered at the hotel? Where was his pair? They’re supposed to travel in pairs.”

  He puts an arm around my shoulders and presses my face to his chest. “You’re not responsible—”

  “Oh, God. Last night,” I mumble. “What if he was here for the party?”

  “Shhh, I guarantee this isn’t about you boys,” he says.

  “You sure?” I latch on to whatever hope can be afforded.

  “Positive. Come now. You need to get ready.” He leads me to my room. “You’ve got too much on your shoulders as it is, Julian. Don’t worry about this too, okay? Let me take care of it.”

  “Aye.”

  ###

  Forty-five minutes later, I’m washed and sat on a massive stool downstairs between Kasen and Luke. We are in some sort of ballroom-type place, with a stage taking up one whole side. But not the ballroom from last night.

  “Okay, boys,” the excited magazine journalist says. “Thank goodness we got the photo spread over and done with the d
ay before you stood me up.” He runs his hands through bleached blond hair while looking us up and down.

  I guess we don’t look so great. I’d like to see him dodge bomb threats and bodies showing up at your hotel. How would he look the next morning?

  Parker takes this one. “I’d just like to say we’re massively sorry about that.”

  “Yeah,” I say in unison with Luke and Kasen and then add, “Very sorry.”

  “As I understand it, you boys had your own piece of drama that day. Julian?”

  It’s their cue. I watch as the lads all talk at once, saying everything yet absolutely nothing. We never tell reporters they’re not allowed to ask us certain things, but we mess them up royally.

  “And the paint ball hit me square between my shoulders blades,” Luke continues on.

  “Syrupy paint,” Parker talks over him. “And the cough syrup tasted like strawberries which suited me.”

  “Bowling ball on my toe,” Kasen finishes off. He drops his head to his hands, his shoulders bouncing with suppressed laughter.

  Holden Fox eyes each of them, one at a time, and then me. I’d laugh…if I wasn’t cheesed. I can’t believe he’s more interested in that security scuffle from weeks ago than the murdered boy from last night.

  “Alrighty then. I thought we’d have a game to help us learn more about you guys rather than boring interview.” Holden pulls out the cards we’d written on earlier. They’re full of random questions and our answers. “So I asked you some questions and you wrote the answers on these cards. Now we’re going to play a game to see how well you really know each other.”

  “Yeah?” Parker is most keen.

  “Yup. If you don’t know your Jagged Black members well enough, then the rest of us will get a nice show. Answer correctly, and you’ll get different gifts from that box over there.” Holden twists in his seat. “Or over there somewhere.”

  A short, round man walks over with four pairs of goggles. Holden takes them. “Have you ever heard of drunk goggles?”

  “Awesome,” Kasen says.

  Aye, this should be proper fun—I pure dead need a laugh. We all do. “Let’s get on with it then.”

  “Okie dokie,” Holden says and pulls out one card. “What is the top item left on Parker’s bucket list?”

  Of course I know he is dying to ride a camel. “Parker wants to shave his head and get a tattoo on it.”

  Parker looks at me like I’m off my trolley, and then busts out laughing. Kasen and Luke give a wrong answer as well.

  “Okay,” Holden says and stands. “Put these on, then run up one side of the stage and down the other.”

  I slide on the goggles and immediately feel disoriented. Lifting my hand, I try to focus on it, but it’s blurred and twisty.

  “Oh, my God,” Luke says.

  And Holden expects us to run?

  I jump as something brushes by me. Then I hear Kasen’s cackle. He’s already taken off—track-star extraordinaire he is. He’d do well on his skateboard, too, wouldn’t he?

  Luke grabs my arm, and we both take off after him. We’re only a few steps before we both fall over. The carpet burns my elbow, but I don’t care. This is so bizarre.

  And fun. I bolt away, leaving Luke behind, and finally make it across the stage without falling over again. Kasen whoops from somewhere ahead of me and—

  I miss the first step on the other set of stairs, and I’m rolling down them. Luke too; he lands on me. But I get the last laugh when my knee goes into his bollocks.

  “Ugh!” he groans and holds his crotch.

  Someone grabs my shoulders, a dark someone, and hauls me to my feet. I take off running again. Kasen and I make it back to our stools at the same time, both of us in stitches.

  I pat down the stool and try to sit without taking the goggles off. Is this what if feels like to be high? It’s definitely not like being bladdered.

  “You look like an alien,” Kasen says and cackles again. “Your head is huge.”

  “That’s what she said,” Parker says. Luke misses his stool he’s laughing so hard—which makes me jump since I didn’t know he was even back yet.

  I slip my goggles off and have a giggle as Luke climbs back to the over-tall stools. Who brought these monstrous chairs?

  “Okay. That was great. You get plenty of pictures, George?” Holden asks. “Beautiful. Are you ready for the next question, boys? This is about Julian. We won’t talk about his bucket list because we all know what he wants to do. Or should I say who?”

  All of us stay silent. It feels like we are one again. United.

  Kasen shoots daggers at the choob; Parker gives a false laugh.

  I grin at my bandmates and turn back to our interviewer, who seems to feel their tension. Ugh! Every interview is going to be tense if I let it. I try to think of something to lark back with.

  “A certain blue-eyed brunette?” Holden pushes.

  Magic.

  “Aye,” I say. “Parker and Luke have been fighting over me for years.”

  Luke laughs and puts an arm around my shoulders. “Yeah, but I’m afraid of getting pregnant.”

  Holden smirks then looks down at his card. “You keep quiet, Julian, while I ask this. Boys, what is Julian’s favorite thing to do other than perform?”

  I watch as Kasen, Luke and Parker look from one to the other. This guy is good. I’ve given the standard answer: spend time with friends and family.

  That covers it all even with Emilie in my life now. I consider her my closest friend…and more. But Holden Fox must know that things have shifted. The lads look at each other then at me.

  “Eat broccoli.” “Tie his shoes.” “Kiss the mirror.”

  Their answers have me in stitches. “Aye, kiss the mirror. I forgot all about that one.”

  They don’t wait to be prompted. The three take off across the ballroom, Luke weaving and then falling over before he gets two steps away. He crawls back to his feet and holds his hands out in front of him. “This is worse than being lagered up. I can’t see a thing.”

  Parker and Kasen reach the stairs at the same time and fall over each other.

  “Ah!” Parker stays down.

  “Get up. Get up,” I chant.

  “I broke my finger, you wankers.” He holds his right hand up, the ring finger looking a bit wonky.

  “Oh, shite…fash.” I glance back at Holden’s assistant. Right. It’s a camera—not a video.

  Kasen and Luke yank off their goggles, and we head over to Parker. Holden brings up their rear. Nope, a minder overtakes him…and me too.

  With his good hand, Parker grips Kasen’s out-stretched one and is standing before we get there.

  “Maybe it’s not broke,” Parker says. “Just out of joint.”

  Minder Tom swings Parker up in his arms while Gregory talks into a walkie. “Get a car ready to go to the hospital.”

  “No,” Parker shouts and tries to get down. “I’m not missing the plane to London.”

  I lean in close and whisper, “Just say the word, mate.”

  “Let me down.” He twists almost all the way around and makes eye contact with me. “Jules!”

  “Put him down.” My hand won’t go all the way around Tom’s arm, but I give it a tug anyway. I swivel my eyes around for help. Luke’s face is sweaty and pale, his eyes locked on Parker’s wonky finger. He won’t be any help since he looks ready to boak. My eyes land on my best mate. “Kase.”

  He lifts his chin. “Parker wants to be down. Let go.”

  Tom lets him slide to the floor and says, “And now what?”

  I grab Parker’s good hand and tow him away. “We’re going to look at it,” I call over my shoulder. “We’ll let you know.”

  “And no word about this to the rest,” Kasen says. But I’m absolutely positive that won’t work until he tags on, “You’ll be in trouble for letting it happen, and you’re already up shit creek for the Emilie scare.”

  Shit creek?

  “The what scare
?” Holden says.

  “Nothing,” I call out. “Nevermind.”

  Doug says to never talk about our security problems for fear of copycats and showing where our weaknesses are.

  Chapter 15

  We meet a shocked Emilie in the passageway. She’s just coming from her room, wet hair and dewy skin…and no freckles.

  She leads us back into her room, glancing back and asking, “What happened?”

  Parker holds up his awkward digit. “Whacha think? Out of joint or broke?”

  She kneels in front of him when he collapses to the bed and eyes his hand. “You’re double-jointed, Parker, so it might just be popped out.”

  He jerks his head up. “Really?”

  “Sure.” She shrugs. “You have weak joints in one spot—they’re probably all weak.”

  He scowls at her. “My joints aren’t weak.”

  Emilie rolls her eyes then turns back to us. “Which of you pale-faced boys are going to put it back?”

  None of us make a move at first. Then, squeezing my eyes shut, I reach out. “All right,” I say and move closer to the bed.

  She holds Parker’s other hand while I get a grip on his finger. He presses his face into her shoulder.

  Shite, it feels so grotty. I give it a tug then almost gag when it grinds and pops.

  “Ah!” Parker shouts.

  “It’s okay,” Emilie croons and smoothes his hair. “Someone bring me the blue bag on the counter in the bathroom.”

  Kasen is back in a nanosecond, thrusting the bag in her hand. She quickly looks away from him and mumbles, “Um, thank you.”

  Digging in, she comes out with a roll of white sticky tape with little pumpkins dotted all over it. She winds it around Parker’s middle finger and ring finger—the injured one taped to the uninjured one in order to limit movement and stabilize it.

  Aye, she’s done this before. For who?

  Emilie eyes her handiwork. “This’ll keep the bad one stable.”

  “Basketballs?” Luke says, looking down at Parker’s taped fingers. And here I thought they were innocent little pumpkins.

  She looks over at me. I get to my feet and shoot mental darts at Parker gripping Emilie’s hand again. “Aye, Luke likes basketball too. You must’ve played nurse to your boyfriend’s whole team.”