MERCS
We all head down to the pub. Everyone will be there tonight as they know we have to leave on Monday morning to go back to Pittsburgh. They all decided to stay in Ligonier while Effa and I return. Raoul will come with us, while Cooper will stay here with the other guys from security and watch the rest of the crew. But for tonight, we’re going to party together.
Effa is walking ahead with Kiera, and I walk alongside Gran. The moonlight shines through the amber leaves of the trees. The town square is so peaceful at night lit up with twinkling stars and fairy lights as we wander the street casually, not having to worry about the shit of your typical city streets. Ligonier is calm, peaceful, and walking the streets at night is easy. You don’t have to worry about violence. The beauty of this small town is perfect for Kiera and Gran. I have peace of mind knowing they’re safe here. Gran’s enjoying having us home with her and I have to admit it’s great spending some time with my family.
“So will there be much involved with Effa’s testing on Monday?” Gran asks.
Exhaling, I shrug. “Not sure. I think it’s mainly blood testing from what she was told over the phone. But we won’t know for sure until we get there.”
She nods and smiles.” And how are you coping with all of this? Being worried over Kiera is one thing, but having Effa sick as well… well, that’s something else entirely.”
Raising my brow, I tilt my head. “Me? This is not about me.”
She chuckles. “It’s as much about you as it is her, my boy. She’s a part of you, and if something’s wrong with her, it affects you just as much. I see how deeply you care for her… how you worry. You can’t tell me that the possibility of something being wrong with her isn’t eating you up inside.”
Swallowing hard, I wince. “It’s the not knowing that’s the worst. She has symptoms, that’s for sure. I just wish I knew what they meant.”
She reaches out looping her arm with mine and sighs. “You’ll get to the bottom of it, and no matter what the outcome, you will both get through it together.”
“What if… if she’s sick… like Kiera.”
Gran screws up her face and shakes her head halting our walk and looks at me sternly. “Stop that right now. Kiera’s going to be fine. Effa is not sick like Kiera. She was in a coma. For goodness sake, Kaden, that doesn’t give you cancer. You’re thinking illogically.”
“No, not cancer. But I’m just saying, I can’t… I can’t lose them both. Fuck! I don’t want to lose either of them.”
Gran huffs and nods. “I know you don’t, sweetheart. But Kiera’s a fighter, and you know this treatment is going to fix her. Whatever’s wrong with Effa, I promise you it isn’t terminal. They would have found something like that after the coma. She will be fine.”
“Yeah...”
She chuckles and nods. “Stop worrying. Just have a good night out with your friends and try not to think about Monday.”
“Right,” I say as we reach the pub. It’s quiet, the only sounds are the locals chatting and drinking. The band hasn’t started yet as I make my way in behind Effa and Kiera, they stride to the others who are already seated in a booth area near the back.
Loud cheering erupts from our gang as they spot us and I chuckle as we approach. “Hey guys,” I call out as we all slide into the seats next to them. They have all started their rounds of drinking already.
“Effa… I miss you, come play with us,” Kristy yells tapping the seat between her and Alana, and she nods and sits next to her best friend and her sister.
I move in, sitting next to Tank and Jay as Gran sits next to Donny and Livvy. Kiera sits next to Raoul. He wraps his arm around her in a comforting way.
Damn it! She looks too sick to be out tonight, but she insisted on coming.
It fucks me off, but I figure I’ll let it happen. Be the supportive brother like Effa suggested, rather than the protective brother.
Tank nudges into my side. “So, this town, hey? Seems to be bringing out the best in everyone,” he states.
“It tends to do that, for sure. How’s things with you? I feel like we haven’t talked for a long while.”
He smiles wide and nods glancing at Andi and then back to me. “Good, brother. Things are great again. Andi’s back to her normal self. She’s not so fucking angry all the time. She said Effa helped with that, so thank her for me. It’s strange, though, since she’s admitted she swings for both sides, it’s like she’s even more into me. I don’t know how that works. But I get the added bonus of having another girl in the bedroom with us. It’s a win-win on my account.”
Furrowing my brows, I chuckle. “So, are you two a thing?”
He shrugs with a snort. “I have no fucking clue. I’ll just take it as it comes. With Andi, it’s best not to push. Just ride the wave, brother, ride the wave,” he says so blasé I can’t tell whether he actually cares about his situation or not. He’s so cool and collected all the time he’s hard to read, but his feelings toward Andi are even harder to gauge. Only time will tell.
“I need to find me a nice Ligonier gal. I haven’t had a good lay for a few days, man, I’m getting antsy,” Jay announces out of nowhere, and Tank and I look at him and chuckle.
“Jay, you sound like a sex addict,” I mock and he rolls his eyes.
“Shut up! On tour, there’s plenty of ass… here, not so much. And the thought of going two months without a fuck, has my balls turning blue and shriveling up,” he jests, and I chuckle.
“Shit! That sounds serious. You should get on that then. I know Jenny will probably be here tonight. She’s the town bike, give her a ride. But I’d wrap it up, Jay, ‘cause everyone here has tapped that. Except me of course.” I smirk. Jay and Tank raise their brows and chuckle.
“Inside town gossip, I like this. Jenny, huh. Okay, I’ll be on the lookout. Thanks, man,” Jay praises as he starts to look around the pub for potentials.
Shaking my head, I turn to Tank. “So, how have you guys settled in the Inn?”
He smiles. “It’s great, the staff are accommodating, and the other guests don’t make a fuss of the girls. They’re really respectful, which is a welcomed change to the usual fucking bullshit we have to put up with.”
“Good! Glad to hear it’s going well.”
Suddenly, I hear cheering, and we all turn our attention to the stage. The band is taking their positions and getting ready to play. I recognize the four guys, and I know how good they are. They have been a backyard band for a number of years. I grew up with them. Hell, I partied with them sometimes. They’re a good bunch of guys. Not only that, I know the girls are going to love their music. One of the guys stands out for me in particular, and he’s one I need to talk to.
“Hey, hey, Ligonier. Thanks for coming out tonight to see us. We’re Fort Affliction. Are you ready to rock?” Nix calls out in his deep tenor. His voice always did seem to melt the ladies’ hearts in school. I knew he would turn out to be a singer one day. We would always talk about how I’d do the lighting for their shows when they got famous and left this small town. Seems I got out before they managed to.
All the girls and Luke look up and take notice of the four-man strong band. I know they will be interested in how Fort Affliction sound. Hell, I want to know how they sound now, too. It’s been a while, and I remember back to when they were all teens with pimply faces and hormones running rampant. But these guys have filled out, and are strong, capable men. I even see Kristy and Casey grinning wide at the guys, almost like they’re ogling them. It makes me chuckle.
Nix looks back to the drummer, Rory, the guy I desperately need to talk to. His wavy blond hair is falling around his face as he shoos it away from his eyes, while he sits on his seat at his drum kit. He kicks the bass drum, coming in with a heavy beat on the side drum as Jesse slides in with his lead guitar, the electric sound filling the pub. Music is where I belong. Yes, Ligonier is home, but music is life and bringing the two together is what I live for.
Seeing Rory brings thoughts that I’ve forgotten about with all the stress I’ve been under. And now, that little niggle is in the back of my mind again. I need to find a moment to talk to Rory. I have to see if I can fix the damage that’s been done.
Brooks comes in hard and fast with a heavy bass line on his guitar, and Nix picks up his guitar and joins in stepping up to the mic. I look to Effa and watch for her reaction as Nix opens his mouth and the first words to the verse erupt. His deep energetic tone fills the room, bringing the sound of music to life, filling us all with what we’ve been missing since the tour came to a halt. I watch as Effa’s eyes light up. She’s smiling as she leans into Alana’s side whispering something. Alana nods in agreement, and I wonder what she’s saying. The pub is electro-charged, and the town folk are up and dancing already on the dance floor while we stay back and watch from the shadows.
Luke even looks up from his cell and pays attention to Fort Affliction as he studies them with appreciation, and a look of wonder in his eyes.
I turn to Tank and bump his shoulder gaining his attention. “What do you think?”
He smiles. “They’re fucking great. Do you know them?”
“Yeah, went to school with the guys. They’re a great bunch. Down to earth bastards, but can be practical jokers at times. I’ll have to introduce you all after their set.”
Tank nods and smiles. “I think the girls will like that.” He chuckles looking at them all who are busy staring at the band.
I hope this might open doors for Nix and the guys. As much as I need time alone with Rory, I want to see his band succeed. You never know, this might be the break they need. Hopefully, Luke sees something in them and can set them up with someone he knows in the industry. I might talk to him about it, see what I can do for them. Pay it forward and all that.
The music continues, and I sit back listening to how tight their sound has gotten. They’re killing it. Their lyrics are creative, their harmonies on point and their creativity in their composition is unique. They will go places if given the right opportunity. Living in a small town, opportunities don’t come knocking very often.
Our crew is sitting back taking it all in. Even Gran, Donny, and Livvy are sitting back enjoying the show as it comes to the halftime break. The drinks are flowing, and everyone’s having an amazing time. So I make my way over to Effa to see how she’s enjoying Nix and his band.
Walking over toward Effa, she raises her brow. “Mercs, do you know these guys?”
Smiling, I nod as I take a seat on the footstool in front of her. “Sure do. Went to school with them. They’re great, right?”
She nods her head and smiles so full I feel like her cheeks are going to burst open. “Why didn’t you tell us about this band?”
I chuckle. “Honestly, I haven’t heard them in a while. I didn’t know they’d gotten this good. I knew they were sound, but fuck they’re amazing now. Right?”
She looks to Alana and lets out a bemused laugh. “You’ve got to introduce us.”
“Yeah, okay. I’m sure they’d like that.”
“Not now, though, after their set. I want to hear it all before we announce ourselves,” Kristy calls out over my shoulder and Effa nods.
“Yes, true. We don’t want to intimidate them and have them change the way they play. Let’s keep listening, I’m loving this,” Effa coos.
I smile wide, loving the fact that she looks so happy right now. With everything that’s going on, it’s calming to see her in a happy place.
Luke moves in behind me and taps my shoulder. “Can I have a word?” he asks.
I raise my brow and nod, standing up as he leads me away from everyone. “Everything okay?”
He takes a deep breath and looks from me over to Fort Affliction—who are drinking bottles of beer and having a short break while chatting with the locals—then back to me. “How well do you know the Fort Affliction boys?”
Raising my brow, I shrug. “Well enough.”
He nods. “Good, because I might need you to help me with something.”
Fort Affliction’s set is finally winding up. Everyone’s dancing and having a great time, while our crew is stuck in the back trying to keep a low profile. After chatting with Luke, my stomach is unsettled.
I hope it works out for the best for the band. I hope Effa and the girls are okay with Luke’s plan. The music concludes, and Nix says so long to the audience as they begin to pack up. General music starts to play over the speakers.
Taking a deep breath, I stand up and crack my neck to the side.
Time to shine.
“Right everyone, let me go up to the guys first for a few minutes then follow me. Okay?” I instruct and head off toward the band who’s still packing up. I don’t wait for the others to answer. I need to chat to Rory first before he announces anything to Effa and the others about the little problem I’ve found myself in.
I step up, and it’s Rory who notices me first. His eyes bug out, and he lets out a loud whistle as he rushes toward me.
“Kaden fucking Mercury! I heard you were back in town, you son of a bitch. How the hell are you?” he asks making the other three guys turn to face me.
They all gather in a circle to greet me. “Hey guys, long time no see… fucking hell, you killed it tonight.”
Rory grins and laughs. “Yeah, we did. We always do.”
Jesse slaps his brother Rory over the back of the head and chuckles. “Cocky shithead,” he teases.
Nix and Brooks laugh while they both wrap guitar leads around their elbows and hands.
I crack my head to the side and clear my throat looking to Rory. “So, last time I spoke to you on the phone we discussed a certain app?”
Rory nods. “Oh yeah, Sportshark… the one owned by Hex. How’d you go? He runs a tight ship, but he always pays out on the winners.”
“You still dealing with that Hex guy? Rory, I told you to get rid of him,” Jesse, Rory’s brother calls out punching Rory on the arm.
Rory shrugs. “I did fuck him off. I got my winnings and got out. I told Kaden where he could make some fast cash. Help a brother out, you know.”
My muscles tense and I clench my jaw taking a step closer to Rory. “That’s the problem, Rory. You told me Trixabell was a sure thing. I got a 20K line of credit from Hex, and the fucking horse didn’t even finish the race. Now I’m 20K down, plus fucking interest, and Hex is riding my ass for his money.”
Rory winces, rubbing the back of his neck. “Shit!”
“Yeah… shit! What the fuck do I do?”
He looks back to me and replies without hesitation. “You pay him, Kaden. Don’t leave it. Find a way to get him off your back. Because you don’t want Hex and his men coming after you. They take their money in blood… yours or your loved ones, if you don’t pay up.”
“Fucking hell, Rory, what have you gotten him involved in?” Nix states while shaking his head.
“Just pay Hex back, and it’ll be fine. Then get out, Kaden. Don’t place any more bets and it will all be good.”
Gritting my teeth, I flare my nostrils. “Fucking don’t worry, I’m not gonna place any more damn bets, but where the hell am I going to get that kind of money?”
“Luminous!” Brooks states glancing behind me, his eyes open wide and he gasps. “Fuck… Luminous!” he murmurs again as the other guys’ faces drop, their mouth open and their eyes bug out of their heads as Luke, and the girls walk up to us effectively ending our conversation.
“Hi, guys,” Alana chirps as she waves.
The guys don’t budge continuing to stand stock still, mouths and eyes wide open.
“Ahh… Nix, Rory, Jesse, Brooks… meet Luminous and their manager, Luke.”
“Holy shit!” Nix murmurs under his breath.
Rory bumps Nix on the back making him take a step forward, and Nix clears his throat shoving out his hand toward Effa. “Ah… hey, I’m Nix. Lead singer. Backing guitarist and general all-around awesomeness of the band.”
Rory snorts dodging past Nix, shoving him aside, seeming to forget all about our previous conversation. Thankfully. “Fuck that! I’m Rory. Drummer extraordinaire and I’m the awesome one.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Jesse rolls his eyes and slumps his body. “Ignore these dicks. We’re all awesome, and it’s nice to meet you all. I’m Jesse. Lead guitar. The pleasure is all ours.”
The girls chuckle and Luke smirks as Nix and Rory look at each other sternly in a glare off.
“I’m Brooks. Bass. And I’m normal… unlike these idiots. Forgive them, they were all dropped on their heads at birth.”
“Fuckhead,” Rory murmurs glaring at Brooks with a smirk.
“Well, you seem like our kind of guys. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Effa—”
“Lead singer and backing guitar of Luminous, and you’re Alana, Kristy, Andi, and Casey. We know you gals well. It’s actually incredible to meet you. I’m honored. I was thrilled when I heard Kaden was working with you. Jealous even,” Nix interrupts.
Effa raises her brow and tilts her head. “Well, thank you. But I think it’s us who are taken aback by you guys.” They all jolt their heads and furrow their brows in confusion. “We’ve been here listening for your entire set, and I have to say, Nix, we’re impressed… very impressed.”
Luke clears his throat and steps forward glancing at me, and I nod. “I’m Luke, the girls’ manager. I run their tours and basically their lives… I’m not sure if you know or not but the girls were on a tour before we stopped in at Ligonier for a… break, and we’re down one opening band.”
They look around at each other as the girls glance to Luke raising their brows. He hasn’t run this past them, and I have no idea how they’re going to react to the news he’s about to give them.
“Oh?” Nix replies curiosity etched in his voice.
Luke steadies himself and glances to Effa then to Nix. “Are you guys tied to Ligonier? Or more importantly, would you be free to trial a tour in say a couple of months?”
The girls and the guys all gasp. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Rory blurts out as Nix belts him in the chest and nods exaggeratedly like a small child.
“Ah… yeah, sure. We could, ah… swing that. Right guys?” Nix replies coolly, his voice smooth and dry like he’s trying to play it calm and collected.
“Luke, do you think maybe we should have discussed this?” Effa mutters, glaring at him and he looks to me for my cue.
I spin facing her. “Babe, Nix and the guys are the best bunch of guys I know. Working with them will be a breeze. I know you’ve got reservations about working with another all-male band after Swift Division, but trust me… I know these guys, and they’re nothing like Jett and those assholes.”
“Aww, thanks man,” Rory quips with the lopsided smile he’s known for. “Wait, Swift Division are assholes? Hang on… yeah, I think I can see that.” He nods his head looking at Jesse who nods too, and the girls look at each other and raise their brows.
Effa takes a deep breath looking at Luke, who swallows hard tilting his head in a gesture of compliance. Effa rolls her eyes and nods. “Okay, fine. But only because Mercs is vouching for them and not because of you, Luke, and only if the other girls agree.”
Alana, Kristy, Casey, and Andi all shrug and nod as they look to Effa who smiles. “It’s settled then. Fort Affliction, would you like to complete the tour with us?”
I glance to Luke, and he tries to hide his smile as he winks at me. Making Effa think this was her idea was the plan, and she played right into Luke’s hands.
Rory chuckles nudging Nix again.
I know how excited these guys are right now.
“What would the play time be before your set?” Nix asks.
Rory glares at him like he’s being a jackass. But I know Nix, he’s trying to make it seem like he’s asking the right questions for his band. And he is.
“Forty-five minutes. Mercs will organize the lighting effects for you. We have a good crew supporting us, and they can organize all your stuff. If that’s acceptable to you, Nix?” Luke replies and Nix purses his lips and nods.
“Sounds fair, and ah… what would be the remuneration for the band?” Nix asks.
Rory, Brooks, and Jesse all look at each other like they might be worried Nix is taking this a bit too far. But he’s not, he’s asking the right questions.
Luke smiles as does Effa. “Are you the one who looks after the interests of your band, Nix?” Effa asks, and he nods.
“Yeah, someone has to keep these guys in line. You know, look out for the way to keep moving us forward,” he replies.
Luke smiles wide hooking his arm out and wrapping it around Nix’s shoulders pulling him in next to him. “Let’s go have a chat… we can talk numbers and contracts,” Luke offers, looking to all of the four guys.
“Have fun,” Effa calls out to Nix, his stern-faced façade suddenly looking a little shaken as he turns with the other guys to walk away. Rory looks back to me furrowing his brows and simply nods, then walks off with Luke and the rest of the band.
I guess that was his way of reminding me I need to do something about my debt with Hex sooner rather than later. I should talk to Effa about it, but fuck this shit’s embarrassing. Yes, I only used the gambling app once, and it was only to try and win some money for Kiera’s procedure, but the thought of telling Effa I owe money to a bookie… it’s damn degrading. Demeaning. Fucking humiliating and soul-crushing.
I know she’ll give me the out, but asking her for more money right now after everything she is doing for Kiera. Fuck! I may as well hand her my balls in a paper bag.
I should be providing for her, and instead, she’s the one taking care of all of my financial needs. There must be a way to sort this shit out on my own, but I have no idea how.
For tonight, I’m going to place it on the back burner and think about it later. Tonight we celebrate the girls having a new opening band.
I pivot to face Effa and the girls. “So, you have an opening band for your tour.”
Effa smirks. “And why do I feel like you had a hand in all of this?”
Chuckling, I shrug. “Don’t worry, you girls will get along with them just fine. This partnership will be epic.”
Effa leans in cuddling into my side and hums under her breath. “It better be, or it’s you we’re coming after, Mercs.”
Laughing, I nod. “Noted.”
Kristy turns to me and raises her brow. “Are they… single?”
Andi and Casey snort as they close into her sides, blocking her in like a sandwich. “I have no idea, last time I checked they were.”
“You’re so transparent, Kristy. The lust is oozing off you in tidal waves,” Andi chimes, smiling wide as Casey sniffs the air dramatically.
“I think I can smell your desperation.”
Kristy rolls her eyes and shoves the two girls holding her. “Shut up!”
“Who will she bed first?” Her eyes go up to the ceiling in thought. “Rory. My bet’s on Rory,” Casey jests.
“Fuck no! She’s more of a Nix girl. I’m right, aren’t I?” Andi teases.
Kristy breaks free and pushes past us all walking off in a huff.
“Kris! Kris, come back, they’re just being dicks,” Effa calls out. “Guys, say sorry.”
“I’m more of a Brooks girl actually,” Kristy calls out throwing her hand in the air and flipping us all the bird.
I grin as Effa slants her hip and chuckles.
Alana steps up to us and sighs. “Do you think Luke will do them a good deal?”
Effa shrugs. “Well, they’re an unknown band unlike Swift Division, so I can’t imagine it will be the same deal they got, but you never know, he might be feeling generous.”
Alana chews on her bottom lip. “I just hope he comes back in a good mood.”
Effa screws up her face. “Who? Luke?”
Alana nods and walks off. I glance at Effa who’s watching Alana walk away, and she’s almost sulking.
“What the hell was that?” she asks, and I raise my brow in question. “You saw that? Her concern for Luke is weird. That’s not just me, right?”
Letting out a small laugh, I shake my head. “Effa, if there’s one thing I know about Alana, it’s that she cares about everyone equally. So her being concerned about Luke doesn’t surprise me. If someone like Andi was concerned about Luke, then I’d be shocked… but Alana? Not so much. She loves everyone equally. You’re overthinking. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the night, ‘cause tomorrow shit gets serious again.”
She sighs and nods. “Yeah, sorry. Let’s go have another drink.”
I grab her hand and lead her back to the booth where her dad is sitting watching us. I give him a grin, and he nods to me as I look to Effa. She’s smiling as we slide into the booth. She looks so fucking beautiful, so fucking perfect and everything feels right—her being here, in my hometown. Tonight being filled with music, and Effa being a part of it all, makes everything feel like the world’s spinning on the right axis. Looking at her I know that no matter what, she means everything to me. No matter what, I would do anything for her. She is my everything, and so I make a decision.
Standing up, Effa looks at me, and I smile down at her. “I’m just gonna go chat with Donny for a bit. Try to make a good impression,” I tell her with a smirk.
“Good luck,” she encourages, and I lean down kissing her cheek then turn heading for her father.
He’s watching me like he knew I would come for him. I take a seat next to him, and he looks me up and down. “Hey, kid.”
“Donny.”
“I’m really liking this little town of yours. I wish we could stay longer.”
I relax a little more into my seat and nod. “I know Effa would have loved that. I’d like that, too. I haven’t had a chance to really chat with you and Livvy over the past week.”
He shakes his head and chuckles. “Kid, you’ve been looking after your sister and my baby girl. That in my books is far more important. But, we have some time now before you two head off tomorrow.”
“We sure do… I wanted to apologize. For not being able to see the signs. For not being there quicker to help Effa.”
He places his hand on my back and taps, then shakes his head. “From what I hear, you bashed on her chest till her ribs caved in. You breathed life back into her when she was fading so fast there was no coming back. To me, you saved her life. So sure, I might look like I wanna give you a hard time. I might look like I want to punch you… most of the time. But that’s because I’m fighting the urge to hug you like a sissy bitch and burst into tears thanking you. I look angry because I am angry, for feeling like less of a man around you. You make me so damn proud of you, kid, and I hardly fucking know you.”
A small gasp exits my mouth while I sit here speechless. I have no idea what to say to that. I certainly wasn’t expecting that much honesty from him, but fuck if it doesn’t feel good to hear. I honestly don’t know what to say, so I do the only thing I can think of, and I open my arms leaning forward and take him into a tight man hug with back-slapping and all. He chuckles, hugging me back so tightly I can barely breathe, his strength and warmth surround me, and for the first time in my life, I feel what it would be like having an embrace from a father figure. My throat grows thick while I blink a few times to adjust myself as I pull back from him. He slaps my shoulder and shakes his head.
“You’re a good match for my baby girl, Kaden. I couldn’t have hand-picked a better man for her.”
I glance over to Effa seeing she’s occupied with Kristy, so I turn back to Donny with a heavy breath and look him right in the eyes. “Well, that’s the best thing you could have said, because… I really need to ask you something.”