Chapter 3: Axel
Little shit. Gareth came up spitting water and I had to laugh. Things had gotten way too intense for my liking. His touch had actually sent a shiver through me, and that alone freaked me out.
I never let anyone get close to me. Not even Mac. He sucked me and that’s as far as it went. I never kissed him; hell, I’d never kissed anyone. I could suck a dick like a pro, though. The nameless, faceless men I’d been with I’d only topped. I never let anyone get the drop on me.
“That was so mean!” Gareth pouted from the pool.
“Aw. Poor rock idol is all wet.” I put out my bottom lip to match his.
I slipped into the shallow end and almost groaned at the sensation of the warm water on my body. I’d been wound so tightly; I needed to uncoil for a bit. I was still on high alert. I don’t care if no one supposedly knows where this house is. Someone knows something, somewhere.
“I’m going to need to go shopping.” Gareth broke through my thoughts.
“Don’t you have someone who does that for you?” I asked.
“No. I don’t. I prefer to do my own shopping.”
“You really are weird. You do know that, right?”
“Why does that seem weird?”
“Look, I’ve heard the stories from a lot of the babysitters. They get stuck with these rich little shits —”
“Well, I’m not a rich little shit.” Gareth shot me a look.
“I’m getting that.” I held a hand up in surrender. “Don’t get all pissy.”
Gareth splashed me and I splashed him back. I sat on the steps as he did laps. He was an excellent swimmer with near-perfect form. No wonder his body was so lean. One of the rooms in the house was a workout room. Now I knew how he got his body. He was stunning to look at wet or dry, and again I need to pull my shit together because Gareth’s life depended on me being alert.
I looked at my surroundings instead. I turned to look at the back of the house. The patio had a long table with eight seats. Four pillars held the deck above it, and bougainvillea bushes in different colors climbed up each one. It was paradise. The house was painted light peach, which made the red and yellows of the plant life around it pop. One large Saguaro cactus was taking up residence by the back wall.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“Cow.”
Gareth chuckled behind me. “Cow it is. Still mooing or well done?”
“I’ll leave that up to you if you’re cooking.”
“I think I can grill a steak.”
Gareth swam past me and ascended the pool stairs. I watched as water dribbled down his smooth back, his muscles moving beneath silky skin. Damn.
I was in trouble.
Stupid. Fucking. Mac.
~*~
A half hour later, I was at the grocery store with Gareth. We’d already picked up steaks and potatoes, and now I was growing moss in the cereal aisle waiting for Gareth to decide between marshmallow charms or crispy peanut butter goodness. I’m an oatmeal guy; sugary cereal never was my thing. Gareth let out an agonizing sigh and finally dropped one box of each in the cart. I couldn’t help the snort that left me and Gareth narrowed his eyes at me.
“Not one word.”
“You could get some granola. Healthy food won’t kill you.”
“That’s what the quinoa is for.” Gareth shook the box at me. “I’m not getting a lot of food since we’re leaving tomorrow anyway. I’ll have to go food shopping in Flagstaff for the unconventional house.”
“So — I don’t get any clues why you call it that? Is it a cave or something?”
“Nah, that’s in Utah. I’ll be hiding out from the zombie apocalypse up there.” Gareth grinned.
“Oh. You’re so funny.”
“Don’t judge me.” Gareth pointed a finger at me.
“I would never.” I shook my head.
Gareth tilted his head, looking at me. His eyes seemed to roam over my face and settle on my lips. My dick stirred to life and I cleared my throat, turning around.
“So, what else do we need?”
~*~
Gareth stood over the grill, keeping an eye on the steaks as I sat at the patio table with my feet up. I could get used to this babysitting gig. Being with Gareth wasn’t a hardship. He was funny and had a great laugh. I have to keep reminding myself that someone wants this kid dead. I can’t lose focus on that part.
Ever.
“Well, here ya go. One mooing steak. I’ve also got some rolls so you can soak up the blood.”
I stared at Gareth and his lips curled up in a smile.
“What?” he asked.
“Is that how you eat it?”
“I could use the iron, so yeah. Why? Do you want it thoroughly cooked?”
“Nope. This is perfect, thanks. Do you want me to check on the potatoes?”
“Nope. I’ll get it. Do you want water or juice?”
“Water is fine. Lots and lots of ice, though.”
“Got ya.” Gareth winked and went back in the house.
That wink did so much shit to me, I had to grab my dick and close my eyes. I took deep, calming breaths and managed to let go of my dick before Gareth came back out. I need to jack off and release some of the pressure.
We ate in comfortable silence, Gareth only asking if I wanted some steak sauce. By the time we were done, I thought Gareth was going to fall asleep in his baked potato.
“Tired?” I asked.
“Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I like the fact that we have a jet, but I like taking the tour bus. I hate being jet-lagged.”
“I meant to ask about that. I thought most big-time bands had a bus for U.S. tours.”
“We do and it cost a shit-ton of money,” Gareth affirmed. “A few weeks into the tour, Paul had routine maintenance done and they found something major in the engine that was about to break. He said it’s still in the shop waiting for parts, so we’ve been flying. I just like the bus better; it’s more comfortable and you can sleep comfortably and stop when you want.”
“Well, let’s get this cleaned up so you can hit the sack. Glendale tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.” Gareth yawned, stretching his arms above his head. I got another good look at that smooth, pale skin. Holy Mother.
“Axel?”
“Yep?” I snapped to attention.
“Thanks for doing all this.”
“It’s my job.”
Something passed over Gareth’s face in that instant. Disappointment, maybe? I couldn’t tell; it was gone in a flash. We cleaned up and then headed to Gareth’s room. A large, beige sectional with a chaise on the end awaited me. Gareth slipped into bed with a sigh and rolled to his side. I stared at the ceiling on my back, watching shadows dance across it.
“Axel?”
“Hmm?”
“Night.”
“Night, Gareth.”
~*~
“Isn’t this where the Cardinals play?” I asked as we pulled into the parking lot at Phoenix Stadium. The lot was packed and Gareth was navigating his Jeep Sahara through a throng of people. His brother was behind us in his Land Rover. I’d never been to an NFL game; my job just didn’t give me time for it.
“Yep. They also have concerts out here, however. Black Ice likes playing this venue. So do we. It gives our local fans a chance to see us. We’ve played in Tucson, too. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Arizona doesn’t get too many big names. They’re always in California or Seattle. Sucks to be the small town — or state. That’s why all of us agreed that once we made it, we’d play here as much as possible.”
“I bet your fans enjoy that.”
“They seem to.” He smiled brightly.
We parked and joined Ransom on our way into the stadium. Gareth had his hoodie pulled over his head and sported a pair of sunglasses and Ransom wore an Arizona Cardinals hat with sunglasses as well. Everything was perfect right up until we got to security and the officer recognized Ransom. Then all hell broke loose. I grabbed Gareth and hauled him in front of me, keeping the screaming crowd at arm’s length. I also shoved Ransom ahead of me and glared at the security officer.
“Could you do your fucking job?” I shouted.
I guided Gareth ahead, making sure I covered his body as much as possible. Why I didn’t think to take a back damn door I’ll never understand. Ransom yanked open the lobby door and we piled in. I grabbed another security officer and pulled him along with us. He resisted until he noticed the gun in my waistband.
“Sir, you can’t be armed in this stadium!”
“I can and I am. Take me to your boss right now.”
Dammit, I should have called ahead to give them an ETA. I should have done a lot of things. I wasn’t cut out to babysit. I was a killer, plain and simple. Gareth seemed to notice my frustration and smiled gently.
“We always come in through the front door, Axel. We’ve never shied away from our fans.”
“Well, now you have to, dammit! This shouldn’t have happened!”
“Mr. Blaze?”
I turned as the chief of security entered the room. I nodded and waved my hand between Gareth and Ransom.
“I need to get these two backstage, ASAP. Is there a way to do that without going through the entire stadium?”
“Yes. Please follow me.”
I was still kicking myself. I should have gotten the plans for the building. Known every way in and out. I should have taken better care of the guy I was guarding with my life. What the fuck was I doing here? Gareth was going to die on my watch because I wasn’t prepared.
“Axel. Please stop beating yourself up,” Gareth said quietly.
“Starting tomorrow, things are going to change,” I practically snarled.
“Gareth!”
I turned, my hand on my gun. Gareth’s hand slipped over mine and our eyes met.
“It’s just Dagger, Axel. He’s the Black Ice lead singer.”
Wary hazel eyes met mine and then Dagger smiled. I could see the attraction for Gareth. The guy was completely hot.
“And who is this?” Dagger pointed slightly to me, as if he were afraid to be obvious about it. Yeah, as if I wouldn’t notice.
“He’s my bodyguard, Dagger,” Gareth announced, emphasizing it with an eye roll.
“Well, now. I’m sure you love having that body guarding yours.” Dagger winked and grinned.
Was everyone gay? Poor Ransom must have felt left out, being the only straight guy at the moment. Come to think of it, I guess he wasn’t aware of that. I smiled to myself.
“How’s Ryan?” Gareth asked.
“He’s perfect.” Dagger took Gareth by his shoulders and hugged him. I wanted to slap the dude for touching him at all.
Fuck.
“It’s good to see you guys again. We’ve got you set up right on the side of the stage, so enjoy the show.”
“Thanks, Dagger!”
I placed my gun back in my waistband as Gareth moved toward his seat. I’m not against heavy metal, but it isn’t my first choice of music. Sometimes I just like something easygoing in the background. Don’t judge me.
I stood behind Gareth after he sat down beside Ransom.
“You can sit, ya know.” Gareth indicated the chair beside him.
“I’m better on my feet. Don’t worry about me, and just enjoy yourself.”
For almost two hours, I was treated to loudest rock I have ever heard. Although, come to think of it, the Skull Blasters concert had been just as loud.
I’m starting to feel old at this point.
Once the concert ended, Gareth hugged the band members and his brother. They were going out to party but Gareth insisted he just wanted to go home. Thankfully, the band had a guard escort us out and we were able to leave the crowded parking lot before anyone else. I watched the city fly by through the passenger window. Gareth took the 17 north and I relaxed in the seat, keeping an eye on cars behind us and at our sides. Once we got out of the city, I was able to relax fully. Gareth was concentrating on the road.
“So.” I eyed his attire. “Is that how you normally go out?”
“Meaning?”
“I think those Converse died about a year ago.”
I swear it had to be a miracle of physics that they stayed on his feet. They were holey on both sides and I think the soles were falling off. His jeans were about the same. The knees were gone and hanging by threads to the rest of his pants.
“These are my comfy clothes.”
“Do you not go shopping?”
Gareth sighed and snuck a peek at me. The dashboard light illuminated the side of his face and I couldn’t help but enjoy his plump lips, and the way his hair curled around his ear.
“Ransom and I didn’t have a lot of money growing up. We got most of our clothes from the Goodwill. Dad worked part time at the Purina plant and Mom was a teacher. We were used to having something semi-new once or twice a year. We always had food on the table, but our wardrobe suffered. We were made fun of a lot, you know? I mean the other guys in the band were in the same position as us. None of our families had a lot of money, which is why we were all so close.”
“But now you can afford to get new clothing.”
“Yes, we can. I don’t know. I think it’s ingrained in us not to go crazy with money. Like, maybe someday we won’t have enough and we’ll be right back where we were.” Gareth eyed me sideways. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“What was your childhood like?”
“Normal military brat childhood.”
“Okay, explain to this mere civilian what that means.”
“You’re never in one place for too long. I moved every three years until I actually joined the Navy myself. My dad was gone a lot and he couldn’t talk about where he’d been.”
“Did you have friends at least?”
“What was the point? If I made any I’d have to say goodbye to them within a couple years.”
“There are these things they call phones. Plus, I think email.” Gareth shoved my shoulder playfully.
I sighed and ran a hand over my short hair. “Anyone I’d ever met as a kid didn’t really stick as a friend. We all had the same shit going on in our lives. Absent father, sad mom. I don’t have any siblings, so I just did what I had to do to get through school. I played football —”
“I was going to say, you’d be perfect for football.”
“Well as soon as I was old enough to enlist, I did. I went to boot camp and then BUD school.”
“BUD school?”
“It’s for Navy SEALS.”
“Was it hard?”
I snorted, and then laughed. I knew if I could see Gareth’s face, it would be flushed with embarrassment. I patted his shoulder with a grin.
“Yeah. It was hard. There were nights I didn’t think I was going to make it. But, I pushed through. I did a lot of swimming and running, conditioning myself for the worst. Trust me, it ain’t no fun running on the beach in full gear and pack with sand rubbing in places you didn’t know you even had. It paid off in the end. More than half the guys I started with weren’t with me at the end. I started to understand my father a lot more, though, over the years.”
“Yeah?” Gareth sighed. “I still don’t get mine. He moved to Tucson after a while. Ransom and I kept track of him over the years and then he went to jail. We both kept up our homes in Flagstaff even though we still know people there who knew our dad. They all know how he is, though.”
“And you trust them to keep your secret?” I turned in the seat to stare at Gareth.
“These people, we knew them when we were kids. They’re older now but they still remember how Ransom and I were treated. They diagnosed Dad with bipolar disorder when he went to prison. That actually explains so much about him. We knew he loved us, but there were some days when I thought he’d rather kill us than look at us.”
Gareth looked over his shoulder and then switched lanes. We got off the highway and made a right turn onto a dark road. I was going to have to check out the area fully when we finally got to where we were going. Gareth seemed to drive for hours down this road but I know it was only about fifteen minutes. Everything seems to take longer in the dark.
We crested a hill and then pulled into what appeared to be a small driveway. Gareth cut the engine and got out. I followed him to — a bridge?
“What is this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes in the dark.
“This is the bridge.” Gareth flipped open a small electric panel on the ground and lights illuminated the surroundings. “This.” He motioned behind us with his hand. “Is my unconventional house.”
I turned and my eyes widened. Holy shit. I was looking at an honest-to-goodness treehouse. An actual fucking house in a fucking tree.
Gareth grinned at the look on my face and began walking across the bridge. I took a tentative step and checked if it could hold my weight.
“Don’t worry. It will hold you. This whole place was checked and re-checked. Ransom made sure of it. It’s structurally sound.”
“It’s a treehouse,” I said slowly.
“Yes. You’re very observant. Did they teach you that in the Navy?”
“But how?” I followed Gareth to the front door and looked up. Rows upon rows of solar paneling lined the roof. “It has electric?”
“Yep. And the toilet flushes, too.” Gareth looked amused.
He unlocked the front door and as I stepped in, my mouth dropped in amazement. I’d never actually been inside a treehouse. I mean, I’d seen shows on them and shit, but to actually walk inside one?
Freaky.
I keep thinking the floor is going to fall in and I’ll plummet to my death. Gareth led me into the kitchen and opened a full sized refrigerator. He tossed me a bottle of water and then leaned against the counter, smiling at me.
“Well? What do you think?”
“I’m not sure what I think. This is so…”
“Cool?”
“Yeah. It is, kind of. What made you decide to build a treehouse?”
“Well, when you see the view in the morning it will all make sense. I always wanted something different, somewhere to call my own. Ransom and I used to play in a fort we built when we were kids; it was our home away from home. It’s where we went when things got too bad. This place reminds me of that. It’s a different place where I can open up my mind and relax.”
“How many rooms?” I stepped into the main room and took in the décor. Pictures of the band and Native American art decorated the walls.
“Two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. One bathroom. I usually eat breakfast in the living room.”
I could see why. That whole side of the treehouse was one big window. I could see lights far out in the distance.
“What is that?” I pointed.
“Sedona.”
I caught sight of a wood-burning stove in the corner. Decorated tile covered the wall behind it and a section of the floor. I turned to Gareth. “You have a fireplace in a treehouse?”
“Chill. There’s an escape ladder if anything catches on fire.” Gareth winked. “Although, it is a long way down.”
“Jesus. I need to canvass the area in the morning.” I sighed and stretched my arms.
“I’ll take you on a tour, but for now I just want a hot shower and some sleep.” Gareth looked over his shoulder as he walked into the adjoining room. “And yes, there is hot water.”
I wandered onto the deck once Gareth was in the shower. Every constellation was crystal-clear. A full moon glowed, lending even more of a fairytale feeling, and the lights of the town twinkled below. It was peaceful.
I glanced to the side and noticed the bathroom window. Gareth was running his hands through his shampooed hair, his mouth open slightly as if he were moaning. I stared. Couldn’t help it.
He has the most beautiful face. Yeah, I know, I’m thinking the word beautiful. But fuck it. That’s what Gareth is.
Thankfully, the window only comes down to his mid-chest. If it went any lower, I’d be jacking off. I turned away from the sinfully sexy sight to my left and sat down on one of the deck loungers. An owl hooted in the darkness. I was going to have to get the lay of the land in the morning. I needed to take this shit seriously. Whoever was after Gareth wasn’t going to wait until the European tour began to try again to kill him. Coming after him is even easier now that he’s on hiatus.
“Shower’s free.” Gareth called out behind me.
“Thanks, I’ll make it quick.”
I slept on the small couch in Gareth’s room. Treehouse or not, I wasn’t leaving him alone.
“Night, Axel,” Gareth mumbled.
“Goodnight, Gareth.”