“Oh…she’s a rattlesnake ready to strike. Who pissed her off?” Rich muttered.
“That would be me,” Shane sighed.
“If you survive the night, it’ll be a miracle,” Rich mumbled, walking away.
“That’s why I stopped,” Shane whispered. Haley Nielsen was unlike any woman she’d ever met. If she loved as passionately as she hated…God help the person she fell in love with. Shaking the thoughts from her head, Shane picked up the pace and joined the group who was escorting Haley.
“I thought I fired you,” Haley sneered, catching a glimpse of Shane out of the corner of her eye just before they entered the building.
“Not likely,” Shane replied. “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”
The roar of the crowd was loud in the tunnel leading under the stage. Shane’s blood pressure rose slightly as they passed by the spot where just four hours earlier, they’d shared a kiss hot enough to melt the rafters around them. She quickly turned and headed towards a staircase that would take her up onto the side of the stage behind the curtain. Her foot tapped to the beat as the band began the first song.
Haley rose up on an elevator lift, already playing her guitar. The screaming crowd became impossibly louder as she grabbed the mic and went to town singing the first song of the night.
Shane had worried in the beginning about Haley tripping over the various items people always seemed to throw onto the stage, but as usual, she put a boot to them, sending the objects flying off to the side and out of her way as she walked back and forth, sawing the chords of her guitar.
Tearing her eyes from the singing bombshell, Shane scanned the massive audience, but the only people she could truly see were in the front two rows. Most of everyone else was darkened by the bright stage lighting.
***
At the halfway point of the performance, Haley grabbed a shot of tequila that had been sitting by her guitar stand. “Here’s to you; here’s to me; here’s to the party you came to see!” she shouted and slung it back. Then, she traded her acoustic style guitar for her custom Telecaster guitar and stepped up to the mic.
Shane raised a brow. She’d never seen Haley drink shots on stage, and she usually jammed on her Telecaster at the end of the show when she covered a couple of rock and roll songs.
“I feel like doing things a little different tonight. What do you say Tulsa?” Haley asked with a huge grin on her face. Then, she turned and nodded at Vince on the drums before playing the first ten or so chords of Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water. The crowd roared with cheers as she adjusted the switch and changed the tune to tease them with the opening of Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine.
Shane had never heard a crowd so loud. Enthralled, she waited, eyes glued to Haley and the cherry red electric guitar in her hands. The initial surprise wore off quickly as Shane watched her work the stage and the crowd while jamming on the guitar. The country spitfire was also a pretty badass rock and roller, and the tens of thousands of people in the arena absolutely loved it.
Stiles jumped in, playing with her first the first few chords of ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man, while Vince continued riffing with her on the drums. Then, the band went silent once more. The spotlight closed back in on Haley as she played the intro to Aerosmith’s Walk this Way.
“What do you think guys? You want more?” she yelled into the microphone.
The crowd continued screaming at the top of their lungs. Haley smiled from ear to ear and went right into the beginning of T.N.T. by AC/DC, then finished with Ted Nugent’s Cat Scratch Fever.
“Alright. Alright,” she laughed. “Enough teasing!”
The spotlight faded and slowly, the whole band came back into view as Haley and Stiles traded chords once again, this time to Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love.
Haley stepped up to the microphone. “You need coolin’, baby I’m not foolin’,” she sang. “I’m gonna send you, back to schoolin’.”
People in the front row fought security, trying to get onto the stage as Haley continued singing.
Shane stood frozen, utterly mind blown when Haley played the guitar solo in the middle. Watching her jam on that guitar and belt out rock and roll lyrics, was one of the sexiest things she’d ever seen. The only time Haley had let loose like that however, was once in a while in rehearsal. This was the first time she’d done it on stage in front of a crowd, and they were eating it up.
By the time the song finally ended, the entire arena was on their feet screaming, standing in their chairs screaming, and jumping up and down in the aisles screaming. They were just plain loud.
“What the hell was that?” Shane asked, leaning over towards Rich when he stepped up next to her.
“She loves to jam, but usually in rehearsal and rarely on stage. I’ve never seen her like this. I’d say she was having a blast out there, and it looks like she is…but she’s been hell on wheels all afternoon.”
Shane pursed her lips and nodded.
Haley turned her back to the crowd as Vince played the beginning drum solo of Joan Jett’s I Hate Myself For Loving You. Then, she spun around, her fingers working the chords of the electric guitar as she stepped up to the microphone. “Midnight gettin’ uptight, where are you? You said you’d meet me, now it’s quarter to two,” she sang.
Rich looked at Shane. “Whatever you did…I don’t think it was a good idea,” he said, shaking his head.
Shane turned back towards Haley. No, it hadn’t been a good idea.
“Whatever is going on, either this is how she’s getting it out of her system, or you better hold on for a wild ride.”
“There’s nothing going on…at least not—”
Rich held up his hand. “It’s none of my business.”
Shane growled in frustration. Great. Now her manager thinks we’re sleeping together.
After the song ended, Haley set the electric guitar back in the stand and walked back to the microphone. “Tulsa, did we bring the party, or what?” she laughed.
Shane looked around, but Rich had once again disappeared. She wondered if he had A.D.D., or really was insanely busy.
***
Haley had slipped easily back into her country music, wooing the crowd even more with her chart-topping hits for the last thirty minutes of the show. Shane waited away from the side of the stage for her to finish.
As soon as the encore ended, Haley exited the stage and waited for her band members to finish out the song and join her. Her eyes met Shane’s in the dim lighting. They were only a few feet away from where they’d stood, locked in each other’s arms while passionately kissing, earlier in the day.
Shane opened her mouth to speak, but the music went quiet, and her band members appeared.
“We rocked the hell out of this place!” Haley yelled, high-fiving the guys as they celebrated together.
“That was insane!” Stiles exclaimed.
“You’re such a badass!” Joey added, causing Haley to laugh.
“Come on, party’s on my bus tonight!” she cheered as she headed off towards the exit where a couple hundred fans were gathered, hoping for an up close glimpse of the blonde bombshell.
Shane rushed to catch up to her, falling in step at Haley’s side as they walked out of the building. She watched cautiously as Haley snapped selfie pictures and signed autographs. She hated this part. She knew the arena’s all had metal detectors, so it was somewhat safer for her on stage. Out in the open, anyone in the massive crowd could get to her.
When she’d had her fill of the fans, Haley said goodnight to them and walked off towards the buses with Shane never leaving her side. “I thought you were supposed to be like a shadow…out of sight, out of mind?” she mumbled as she opened the bus door.
“I am, now that you’re away from the masses of people out there,” Shane uttered, watching her board.
The other band members got onto the bus after Haley and Shane closed the door behind them.
<
br /> ***
Outside, Shane hoped to ignore the ruckus going on in the living room of the bus. She was sure the tequila was flowing. She knew they needed to talk, but now wasn’t the right time. Everything was still too raw and emotional. Haley’s over the top, wild behavior was a testament to that.
Shane rubbed her hands together before shoving them into her jeans, wishing she’d grabbed her jacket. She didn’t mind the cold, but the long-sleeved dressed shirt over a t-shirt wasn’t exactly feasible for a fifteen-degree temperature drop.
“Looks like we might get some snow tonight,” Fizzy said, lighting a cigarette.
“Where are we off to from here?”
“Omaha. It’s about a six-and-a-half-hour drive.”
Shane nodded and checked her watch. The show had ended at ten, which meant the road crew would be busy tearing down the set until one a.m.
“I heard she rocked the house tonight,” Fizzy said, smiling and shaking his head. “She blew my mind when I met her right before her first tour. She was just starting out and green as goose shit, but man that girl can play the hell out of a guitar, and she has pipes like no singer I’ve ever heard. I’m sorry I missed it. Sometimes I sneak into rehearsal just to listen.” He smiled.
“Yeah.” Shane nodded. “She’s definitely something else, that’s for sure.” She glanced around, looking for Rich to discuss the next venue. “Have you seen Rich?”
“I believe he hopped a flight already. I saw him leave not long after I got up. There’s
pizza and wings. I’m sure they’re in there pigging out,” he said, nodding towards the bus.
“Wonderful,” she muttered, wondering what she’d be eating for dinner because she wasn’t getting on there any time soon.
***
The party on the bus had only lasted about a half hour. After that, Shane watched the band members leave Haley’s bus and board their own.
“As soon as the road manager gives the all clear, we’re out of here,” Fizzy said.
“Sounds good.”
“Goodnight,” he said.
“See you in the morning,” she replied, pulling the door open.
***
Haley was sitting on the couch with her socked feet curled up under her, when Shane entered.
“We should talk,” Shane said, sitting down across from her. She was happy to be in the warmth of the bus and out of the cool night air.
“Not tonight,” Haley replied, without looking up from her notepad.
“Fine with me,” Shane shrugged, getting up. As she walked past the kitchen area, she snatched the pizza box from the table and kept going. “Your show tonight was on fire, in case you give a shit what people think,” she called before going into her room.
***
“Enjoy your cold pizza, and it’s not like I asked anyway,” Haley uttered. It had been a great show. One of the best she’d ever done. The kiss with Shane had still been reeling on her mind like a bleeding cut during the final rehearsal, so she’d made a sudden change, a shift in the temperament of the show. She needed to let loose; to free herself and feel the music; even if it was for only a few minutes. The couple of tequila shots afterwards had helped even more. She was by no means drunk, or buzzing for that matter, but she felt warm inside. Her mind was in a good place finally after hours of mayhem, and she wanted do to nothing but write. However, writing only brought her right back to where it all started…the kiss. “Damn it!” she growled, tossing the notepad across the bus to the loveseat.
Chapter 19
Haley had finally cleared her head enough to find the words she was searching for. The cavalry had long pulled out of Tulsa. The bus was quiet, except for the faint sound of her strumming her guitar and scratching notes on a piece of paper.
Two a.m. in Tulsa
you’re the reason I can’t sleep
She strummed a couple of chords, then continued.
We toss and turn, tearing at the sheets
the fire burns
between you and me
She was about to begin another line when all of a sudden, the bus jerked and swayed all around. Tires skidding and a loud smashing sound were heard, before everything lurched forward. The cabinets opened, spilling their contents, and Haley flew airborne, almost suspended in the air as the bus swerved to miss an oncoming car that had veered in its lane, before smashing through a guardrail and going over an embankment. The furniture shifted, pummeling down on top of Haley as the bus came down on its nose, smashing into the ground and crushing the first seven feet like an accordion with twenty tons of pressure, before flipping over onto its roof, then finally coming to rest on its side.
***
Shane had been thrown from her bed, to the floor, then slammed hard against the wall. When she opened her eyes, she had no idea how long she’d been out. It was pitch black, and she was disoriented. Nothing was where it used to be, and she was standing on the closet instead of the floor. “What the fuck,” she mumbled, frantically searching for her gun and a pair of shoes. Thankfully, she’d fallen asleep on top of her covers with her clothes still on. Haley, she thought. “Oh God!” she felt around, trying to locate the door, which was now above her head. Moving the bed frame, she was able to stand on the edge and reach up for the door. She never found her shoes, but nothing else mattered. She had to get to Haley. The smell of diesel fuel permeated the air as she crawled on her hands and knees on what used to be the hallway wall.
“Haley!” she called, trying to get her bedroom door open. Something was wedged against it, most likely the queen-sized bed or dresser. “Damn it!” she yelled. “Haley! Can you hear me?” She pounded on the door with her fist, but heard nothing. The sour fuel smell was getting stronger and stronger. Realizing she may be able to get to her from an outside window, she headed the other way down the hall, falling into the kitchen around, in the midst of pots, pans, and dishes.
“Fucking, damn it, ouch!” she yelled, scrambling to get out of the mess. There was zero light. She had no idea where the living area furniture had ended up, as she continued crawling around, searching for the exit door.
“Shane,” Haley called out softly.
“Haley!” she exclaimed. “You’re in here?”
“Shane,” she said again.
Shane quickly began pushing and pulling whatever she could grab a hold of. The diesel fuel had made its way to her location and was now stronger than before. I have to get her out of here! She wedged herself under what felt like the couch and used every ounce of strength she had to stand up, and she was able to get it moved to the side. Reaching down, feeling her way around the jumble of furniture, she finally felt a soft, warm hand.
“I’m going to get you out of here, Haley. Are you hurt?”
“I don’t know,” she said, frightened and trying to hold back tears.
With adrenaline flowing through her veins, Shane continue heaving furniture until she found Haley on the very bottom. She reached down, grabbing her around the waist. Haley put her arms around Shane’s shoulder’s and neck as she pulled her free. They fell backwards with Haley half on top of her. “Come on,” Shane said. “We have to get out of here, now!”
“What about Fizzy?” Haley called, trying to feel her way around.
“Haley, the front of the bus is smashed flat. I’m sorry.” She wrapped her arms around the sobbing woman as Haley began to break down. “This thing is going to be on fire any minute. Please, Haley. I have to get us out of here.” She felt around for the door, but it was in the part of the bus that was crunched inward. Feeling along the wall, she realized the window was smashed. Thankful she’d fallen asleep with her shoulder holster on, so she used the butt of her gun to break it the rest of the way, allowing the cold night air to fill the interior of the crumbled bus.
Moving back towards the spot where she’d left Haley, she searched around, grabbing her hand. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. I don’t know. My
whole body hurts like hell,” she said through tears.
Shane pulled her to her feet and helped her over towards the open window. She grabbed Haley from behind, and pushed her up and out, onto the side of the bus. Then, she heaved herself up and out as well. Together, they slid down the top, landing in a pile of dirt and freezing cold grass.
Faint light from the half-moon cast eerie shadows along the black metal roof of the bus. Shane put her arms around Haley’s waist and pulled her further away from the wreckage. Leaving her in a seated position on the ground, she walked over towards the front. The windshield was gone, and Fizzy’s body was crushed between the dash and wall section behind his seat, and hanging limply to the side. She reached in, checking for a pulse, but there wasn’t one. Feeling around, she realized his neck was completely broken, with his head lying on his shoulder.
She made her way back over to Haley and huddled closely with her to share their body heat, trying desperately to keep warm in the near freezing temperature. “Fizzy’s gone. I’m sorry.”
Haley turned into her. Huge drops trickled down her cheeks, wetting the front of Shane’s t-shirt as she cried.
“Help will be here soon. The rest of the group had to have seen the accident.”
“You don’t think they crashed too, do you?” Haley mumbled.
“I don’t know. I don’t even see a road. I think we went over the side of the mountain or something.”
“Oh my God,” Haley cried.
“It’s okay. We’ll be okay. We don’t seem to be really hurt,” Shane reassured, pulling Haley further into her.
Within minutes, the back of the wrecked bus began to spark. Shane watched as a tiny flame appeared. They’d gotten out just in time as the fire began a slow burn.
***
Shane had no idea how much time had passed before she heard the sirens in the distance and the faint thump of a helicopter. Within minutes, a spotlight lit up the two of them, and rescuers were lowered down on cables. The entire back of the bus was engulfed in flames that were quickly working their way forward.
Rebel Sweetheart Page 8
