Bam
LUCY LAID HER hand on my back, probably to keep me from losing my shit on my brothers. I glanced back at her and scowled.
“It’s a lot for them to take in,” she said, talking about them like they weren’t in the room.
“I’m okay,” I quietly assured her.
“Is that why you stayed in Seattle? So you could hook up with her?” Zeke waived a hand at Lucy.
I stood, my body locking in barely controlled anger. “Talk about Lucy like that again and you’re gonna have an easier time hitting those high notes.”
“Okay, so this meeting’s getting off to a bit of a rocky start,” Lucy said with a sigh.
Before I knew it, she was on her feet, and her hand was on my chest, feebly attempting to push me back down into my seat.
“Bam, sit down,” she continued. I glanced at her and then back at Zeke. He was already on thin ice with me and this made me want to invite him to go skating. “Beau,” Lucy snapped, and I focused on her. “Sit down, honey.”
I stared down each of my stunned band brothers before slowly lowering myself back on the sofa.
Lucy smiled. “As Bam so eloquently and romantically put it, he and I are in a relationship, we’re not just hooking up. I know it’s fast, but we’ve discussed this with my family and my father has given his blessing so to speak. I get that this is way out of bounds, and so does Bam. Believe me, this wasn’t planned but it’s where we are, and Bam and I are committed to making sure our private lives don’t interfere with the upcoming tour.” She sat back down next to me and I took her hand.
“Lucy, first of all I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disrespect you. It’s just that we’ve been here before with Bam,” Zeke pointed out. “Bam’s personal life mixes with his private life and then all our lives are turned upside down. Every interview becomes about him and who he’s with. I have to hire security for my parents because the paparazzi are on their property.”
I looked at Zeke. “Shit, man, I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.”
“You’re always sorry. I know you’re sorry, but here we go again none-the-fucking-less. It’s always all about you. The Bam Bam Nelson hour with special guests ‘three other assholes from Alabama.’ ”
“That’s bullshit,” I spit back. “I work harder than anyone in this band and you know it.”
“Of course we know it. You never let us forget it. Tell me; are you really working harder or do you just have to put in overtime to clean up the mess you make everywhere you go?”
“Fuck you.” I rose to my feet again. “When Melody and I were together you didn’t seem to have any problem at all with the extra attention. Then, she fucks me over and you get pissed at me? How was it my fault that Melody leaked that video and then cheated on me for the whole world to see?”
“It’s not, but you brought that shit into our house.” Zeke stood and faced off with me. “Things haven’t been the same since, and now you want to do it all over again? Once again, it’s all about you and what you want.”
“What about Chas?” Jimmy chimed in. “Talk about bringing shit into our house, Zeke. You brought a fucking wolf in!”
“Don’t change the subject and stop sticking up for Bam all the time,” Zeke snapped.
“I’m not sticking up for him,” Jimmy snapped. “I’m just saying he ain’t the only one at fault here. Personally I’m sick of everyone’s shit… Bam’s included.”
“You guys are unreal. All I’ve done for the past seven years has been to help you all. Everything I’ve ever done is for this band!” I shouted.
“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Zeke looked at my coolly. “Everything you’ve ever done was to help you run away from home.”
Fuck, he was right.
“Okay,” Lucy said, standing again. “Let’s take a second.” She took my hand again and squeezed. “Deep breath. Remember, they love you.”
I nodded, releasing her hand so I could drag mine down my face. After a few seconds of tense silence, I turned back to Zeke. “What do you want me to say, man? What am I supposed to do? Turn off the way I feel? I can’t. Not with Lucy. You want me to say you’re right? Fine, you’re right. I’ve spent my whole life running and I’ve dragged you along with me. I’m sorry, but I’m done running. I went back home and am trying to put the past behind me for good.”
Zeke’s face contorted in surprise. “You went back to Elwood?”
“There’s a lot to tell, Zeke. I want to tell you about all of it, hell, I want to talk to my friend, but that’s the thing, Zeke, I don’t know if we’re friends anymore.”
He dropped his head. “I’m sorry about the money, Bam. I’m so fucking sorry. I swear to you I didn’t know what Chas was up to. What I did was wrong, but I promise you I had nothing to do with that other shit.”
“I believe you.”
“I know Chas is a piece of shit and it’s my fault he was here. That’s the truth, but can’t you see where I was coming from? I needed someone in my corner.”
“Here’s the thing. I don’t get that,” I admitted. “I didn’t even know we were in opposite corners. I thought it was us against the world.”
“It was, until it wasn’t,” he said with a certain amount of defeat in his voice. “You say you do most of the work, but I say you took most of the control.”
Zeke’s words hurt because there was more than an element of truth in them. In an effort to hold onto the family I created, I crushed them. Instead of protecting them, I had become controlling and angry. In an effort to “take the hill” at all costs, I had forgotten to have my buddies’ backs, and instead acted like a crazy general marching them to slaughter.
I was so burned out; it hadn’t occurred to me that they might all be going through similar things. I figured they were having the time of their lives and I was the only one in pain.
I flopped down next to Lucy again and dropped my face in my hands. Lucy slid her palm along my thigh and her touch instantly soothed me. I raised my head and studied Zeke. “I’m really sorry, brother.”
He gave me a quick nod and sat down again.
“So… um… can you guys hug it out and then we can actually have a band meeting?” Hadley asked, and the room busted out laughing.
“Dude, you guys are more drama than my sisters… and they’re both actresses,” Edward retorted.
“The mute speaks,” Jimmy joked, and Edward cracked a semblance of a smile.
“You sure you want to dive into this?” I asked Hadley.
Lucy giggled behind me. I craned my head and raised an eyebrow at her.
“What?” she challenged. “Edward’s right. You’re also more drama than one Roxie Haddon, and believe me, that’s saying something.”
I grinned and took her hand, kissing the palm gently, before facing the band again. “So, unless anyone has any objections, Hadley has agreed to be our new manager.”
“Fuck!” Jimmy breathed out. “Finally.”
Hadley rolled her eyes. “What do you mean, ‘finally’?” she challenged.
“It took you a while to accept.”
“Two days,” she countered.
He shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin. “Shoulda just said yes right away, I reckon.”
I chuckled. “Well, she’s said yes now, so shall we move on?”
“Yes, let’s move on,” Hadley said. “I have something I want to run by you guys.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Lost Highway found out you guys were in town―”
“How’d that happen?” Jimmy challenged.
“There are a lot of little birdies around,” Hadley retorted. “Anyway, they want to know if you want to play next Friday night. Home show kind of thing.”
“It’s good for me,” I said. “You negotiate a good deal?”
“Of course I negotiated a good deal,” Hadley said.
I chuckled. “Great. Let us know the details.”
The rest of the meeting covered everything from roadie support to travel plans while on the RatHound tour. Lucy and Hadley worked in tandem to fill in the details of what we needed to know, but I had full confidence, the women would take care of everything without any input from us. I loved watching Lucy in her element and couldn’t wait to get her home and back in my bed.
* * *
Lucy
Later that night, Bam and I were laying in bed, one more epic love making session under our belts. I had flopped across his chest (my favorite position), and I was tracing his Roses for Anna tattoo while he stroked my back. “So, set up Thursday night, then show on Friday night?”
“That’s the plan,” Bam said. “Hadley’ll have final schedules tomorrow.”
“Well, whatever you need me to do, please make sure you put me to work.”
“I’m not puttin’ you to work, Lucy.”
“Um, why not?” I challenged.
“Because you’re here to enjoy the show… not work.”
“I appreciate that, honey, but if you need help, I want you to feel comfortable asking.” I stroked his cheek. “I let Hadley know I was available as well.”
“Okay, baby. Thank you.”
I smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“Where’s Sully?” he asked. “I haven’t seen him all day.”
“Dad needed the plane, so he flew it back.”
“Wait… Sully’s a pilot?”
“Yes.” I met his eyes. “Did I forget to mention that?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, baby… you kind of buried the lead.”
“He used to fly for United, and he and Dad met at one of the coffee places in… I think Singapore? They kind of hit it off and Sully told him to say hi if they were ever on the same plane. Short story long, Dad offered him a job when the band decided to buy a plane and Sully helped negotiate the sale and guide the refurbishment. He also stepped in as my bodyguard and the rest is history.”
“Can I ask a really nosy question?”
I giggled. “Of course.”
“How the hell does your dad have so much money? It’s not like RatHound’s as big as Metallica, you know? I know how much bands make, and the 90s weren’t that generous to artists.”
“Mom. She’s always controlled the money, because Dad’s smart and he made sure she was in charge. She negotiated some pretty incredible deals, invested really smartly, and made sure Dad, and the band, kept control over their publishing rights. They never gave up anything when it came to songwriting credits and the like. So, even when the stuff happened with rehab and everything, Mom kept everyone flush, and even gained power of attorney over Jack’s finances when Pam died. He went dark for a while there and probably would have lost everything if she hadn’t stepped in.”
“Wow,” he breathed out.
I nodded. “Never ever repeat that.”
“I won’t.” He smiled. “Your mom’s a fucking badass.”
“You have no idea.”
“I see where you get that from.”
I gave his waist a squeeze. “That’s the best compliment on earth.”
“Where did your red hair come from?”
“Dad’s side. My grandmother looked like Lucille Ball. I got her boobs and hair.”
“Shit, baby, your grandmother sounds gorgeous.”
“She is… she’s just kind of a bitch, unfortunately. Mom makes sure she’s managed as well.”
“Your mom sounds like she needs a vacation.”
I laughed. “She loves everything about her life. And she can go anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice, so I’m pretty sure she’s good.”
“What about your brother? Why haven’t I met him yet?”
“He’s hiding right now.” I sighed. “It’s annoying.”
“Why is he hiding?”
I shrugged. “He does that sometimes. Dad’s issues hit him harder than me. I think because he and Dad have always been super close. You know, same sex parent and stuff? He packs up his guitars and disappears for a few weeks every year or so. Dad knows where he goes, but no one else.”
“Not even your mom?”
“According to Luke, only Dad knows,” I said. “But knowing Mom, she probably made the reservations.”
Bam chuckled. “Is your brother any good?”
“At?”
“Guitar.”
“Ohmigod, he rivals Robbie. That isn’t a surprise, considering Luke pretty much sat at Robbie’s feet his whole life, but Luke really is amazing in his own right. A legitimate talent.”
“I can’t wait to meet him.”
“He’ll be helping out on the tour.” I smiled up at him. “You’ll have plenty of time to get sick of him.”
Bam rolled me onto my back and kissed me. “If he’s anything like you, I doubt I’ll get sick of him.”
“Give him a week.”
Bam laughed, kissing me again, his hand moving to my breast. “I can’t seem to get enough of you, Miss Lucy Haddon.”
I smiled against his lips and slipped my hands in his hair as he kissed his way down my body. His mouth covered my core and he sucked gently on my clit as he slid two fingers inside of me.
“So fuckin’ wet, baby.” He kissed his way back up my body, sliding into me.
“Yes!” I drew my knees up higher, wrapping my calves around his back. His mouth covered mine and his tongue slid into my mouth as he wrapped his hand around my breast and squeezed. He rolled the nipple between his fingers as his hips surged into me, his tongue matching the motion with each thrust.
I lost his mouth on mine, but he moved his lips to my throat and I arched my neck to get more. I dropped a leg onto the mattress and mewed as he slid his hand between us and fingered my clit.
“Come baby,” he said, his breath coming in pants as he slammed into me again and again.
I whimpered out, “More, Beau.”
He gave me more, pressing in deeper and I exploded around him. He wasn’t far behind and he collapsed on top of me, rolling us to our sides to keep our connection. I felt him pulse inside of me for several seconds and I wrapped my leg back around him.
“Wow,” I whispered. I stroked his cheek. “You’re really good at all this sex stuff.”
Bam chuckled. “I’d say you’re pretty good, too, baby, but I honestly think even if you weren’t, I’d still love it just as much.” He kissed my nose. “Because it’s different with you.”
“It is?”
He nodded. “Everything with you is just… better.”
I grinned, dropping my head to his chest. “I feel the same way.”
I wanted to tell him I loved him, however, I stopped myself. It was too soon and I didn’t want to scare him away, but I’d also never felt this way before.
“You okay?” he asked.
I snuggled closer, kissing his neck. “I’m amazing.”
“Good.” He stroked my back as he kissed my temple, and I closed my eyes, falling into the abyss of adoration he was providing.
We had almost a week before the hometown show, and I couldn’t wait to spend alone time with him on his turf, so to speak.