Escaping Me

by Cat Mason

  “Camaron your girlfriend?” I ask. Hunter laughs before latching on to the neck of the bimbo on his right.

  “Nah, I don’t do girlfriends. We hooked up a couple months ago in a bar outside of New Orleans. She’s a fuckin’ wildcat.” Aiden says with a groan. “She’s meetin’ us tomorrow before we head out. Since we’re booked in Vegas for a whole week Cam’s gonna come stay with me while she visits family or some shit. Works for me, I’m dying to rev her up again. Bitch purrs like a fuckin’ sports car.”

  “I’m so glad Landon doesn’t talk about me like that!” I shriek.

  Hunter looks up and winks at me, “Who says he doesn’t?”

  “Fuck you Cunter.” I spit making him laugh.

  “You’re off limits Mrs. Cole.” He tosses out as he shoves out of the booth. “Come on ladies.” He grabs their hands, leading them off to the bathroom.

  “Is he serious?” I ask as he pushes past a crowd of people paying their check.

  Gray nods, “Sorry. He’s um, overinflated.”

  “I mean about Landon…” Blushing at the thought of them all sitting around sharing sleazy sex stories. I love playing the freak in the sheets, but I don’t want it discussed on the street. Landon has a hard enough time handling changing positions, I honestly wouldn’t think he would talk about us but what do I know?

  Gray fingers brush my cheek and he smiles at me. “Landon and I weren’t close growing up. I mostly lived with my Dad. Landon didn’t give two shits about my career until last year. I was shocked as shit when he came to see me with Tad in tow. Said that Tad wanted to represent Shaft and that was that. Now he’s interested? Up until the other day when he mentioned bringing you…” He shrugs, “Well I didn’t know anything, not even your name.” He says and I watch his cheeks heat. Wow! Grayson Cole is embarrassed.

  I nod. Letting the conversation go as our food arrives we all dig in. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast this morning now I am starving. While I eat, I wonder why Landon hadn’t told me about Tad until he took the job with the band. He obviously knew him long before but didn’t he tell me Gray asked him to take the job? How could he have been there with Tad then? I keep up minimal conversation with the guys. Nodding along with what they are saying. Gray watches me knowing something is up but I just keep thinking things over in my head. When Henry leaves to go pay the check, Gray tucks me against him walking me back out to the SUV. I am completely lost in trying to process everything. Just trying to think it all out makes me feel dizzy along with completely exhausted.

  The changes in Landon are one thing but the fact that his own brother didn’t know that we are getting married shocks me. Okay, I get they weren’t close but even so it would have been mentioned in passing before last night right? I decide Landon and I are going to have a long talk so we can put this all behind us. Obviously there will be growing pains in adjusting to being on tour. Nothing that we can’t handle of course. We have a future to plan. In a few months all this will just be a memory anyway.

  “You’re awfully quiet Wildflower.” Gray asks as we pull up at the bus.

  “I’m fine. Just tired.” I murmur as I hop out of the car straightening my skirt.

  I look over at the bus where I see a dark blonde sitting on the steps with a bag at her feet. She is thumbing on a cell phone as she looks up and smiles. “’Bout fuckin’ time!” She says jumping to her feet shoving the phone into the back pocket of her jeans. “How ya supposed to surprise an asshole if he isn’t here?”

  Aiden smiles all but running around Gray and me, scooping her up off her feet. He slams his mouth to hers as she leaps into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Cam you sneaky bitch.” He growls, pulling back to look at Henry, “No fuckin’ way my first night with Cam is goin’ to be on that tiny bunk on the bus. Tonight we’re breakin’ the sound barrier and shatterin’ windows! Take us to a hotel, gotta fuck her proper the first dozen times or so.”

  “Softie.” Cam murmurs against Aiden’s mouth as Henry tosses her bag in the back of the SUV.

  Aiden ruts up against her. “Cock’s been neglected Cam, nothin’ soft about it. You got helluva lot to make up for. Get in the damn car so you can say hello to me properly!” He says firmly as he swats her on the ass. They climb into the back seat and slam the door leaving Henry shaking his head.

  Hunter rudely dismisses his fuck buddies without another word, shoving past me. The disgusting odor coming off of him is nauseating, “Jesus Hunter, you smell like bleach blonde pussy and bacon.” I say plugging my nose, trying not to gag on the stench of the cheap perfume they rubbed all over him.

  Rubbing his crotch, he grins. “Yeah, it’s been a great night. Nighty, night fuckers. Be sure to rock out with your cock out and always wrap your wiener.” He says stomping up the bus steps, flinging open the door. “Honey I’m home get off the mailman!”

  “Where the fuck is she?” I hear Landon scream from the bus.

  Gray’s eyes flit to mine and Landon flies out of the doorway and grabs my arm. “Where have you been Daisy? I’ve been waiting here for hours!” He shouts. Gray looks down at his grip on my arm and I swear he growls. Landon shoves Gray’s leather jacket from my shoulders, letting it fall to the pavement.

  “What the fuck is your problem Lan? Daisy watched the show, we put her stage left so no one touched her, then she went to eat with us because you didn’t give a fuck ‘bout tendin’ to your girl.” Gray says shoving at him, making Landon release my arm.

  “Stay the hell out of my business Gray.” Landon spits angrily, his fists balling at his sides.

  Oh my god this isn’t happening. They are not fighting over me. I shove past them both as I stomp up the steps. “Both of you can go to hell. I’m standing right here! I can speak for myself. I can go wherever the fuck I want Landon!” I say stomping to our room where I slam the door just to drive the point home.

  I kick my shoes off and shimmy out of my skirt. Grabbing a hair tie from my wrist, I pull my hair up in a messy-bun and slump to the bed. With all the adrenaline pumping through my system all I wanted to do was kick the shit out of something now I am drained. No matter what I do I can’t win in this situation. Now all I really want to do is pack my shit and leave. I don’t need this. Burying my face in the pillow I let go and cry. I sob loudly because of course I can’t be a cute quiet crier. I have to wail and have mascara pour off my face.

  “Ssh…Wildflower…” I hear only making me cry harder. Why do I have to hear his voice calming me? Why can’t Landon come in here to tell me everything is going to be okay? Nope I am all alone in here crying, fantasizing about my fiancé’s brother soothing me with his voice. Rough fingers rub soothing, slow circles on my back causing me jump up from the bed meeting Gray’s sad eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “W-where’s L-landon?” I stutter through my tears.

  “Outside talkin’ to Tad. You alright?” He asks handing me a tissue. “Stupid question…of course you aren’t.” He says rolling his eyes at himself.

  I wipe my eyes and pull my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my knees. Grayson’s eyes dart to my legs as his gaze moves up my thighs, he bites his lip ring making my stomach flip. “Wildflower, I am good with friends, naked friends even… but if you don’t put somethin’ on those fuckin’ amazin’ legs you got goin’ on I can’t promise I won’t wrap them around my ears and eat you alive.”

  My eyes go wide as I look down realizing I am still in just the halter and a pair of very tiny red panties. I jerk the quilt over my legs making him blow out a breath. “Not a whole lot better, since I know what’s under there.” He says with a wink as he grabs my hand in his squeezing sweetly.

  The door opens, Landon walks in looking like a kicked puppy. “Can I talk to you?” He asks as he eyes Gray sitting with me on the bed. Gray’s fingers entwined with mine. “Am I interrupting something?”

  I shake my head. “Thanks Gray. I’m good. I’ll see you later.” I whisper as he nods and leaves the room.

>   Landon sits on the edge of the bed, blowing out a shaky breath. “Daisy… I’ve been an asshole.” He says with his back to me.

  “That’s for sure fucker!” Hunter yells beating against the wall behind my head.

  Ignoring Hunter’s input, I lean up to kick the cover away and wrap my arms around Landon’s neck. “You’re under a lot of stress. I’m not helpin’ that. I’m sorry too baby.” I whisper kissing his cheek.

  Landon pulls me into his arms settling me onto his lap. “I love you Daisy. I’m sorry too. Tad has been ridin’ me so hard. I just don’t know how to talk to you about it.”

  I look up into his beautiful blues leaning in to kiss him softly, “You can talk to me about anything Landon. I know that this is all stressful. That you need me on board.” I cringe at the words I just used, hoping he doesn’t figure out that I heard them talking.

  “I do and it is.” He says nuzzling my neck. “I don’t want this coming between us, Daisy. I’ve never felt about any woman the way that I feel about you.”

  “I love you too, Landon. Make love to me.” I whisper pulling his lips to mine.

  “Not here Daisy. Please… I can’t…not like that.” He says pulling away from me. “Let’s just wait until we get to Vegas and have a hotel room for a week. Then everything will be perfect.” He says reassuring me, but even though I nod the rejection hurts.

  “Vegas.” I reply.

  Landon nods, “Everything will change once we get to Vegas. You’ll see.” He rolls us on the bed pulling the blanket over us. Closing my eyes, I hope that Landon is right.

  Chapter Five

  X-rated Board Games and Outrageous Wagers.

  For days I have done nothing but hang with Cam in the bedroom or hang with the guys while Tad keeps Landon busy with work for the tour. If I don’t get the hell off of this bus I’m going to lose my shit and kill off an entire city block! You’ve seen those people on the news snappin’ out and just goin’ ape shit? Well, I am realizing it was probably because they are stuck with a bunch of loud, obnoxious men who couldn’t wipe their own asses with both hands. Even if they have a fuckin’ You Tube instructional video!

  Cam and I are becoming great friends already. We like a lot of the same things, and spend most of our days watching shows on Netflix or laughing at stupid shit online. After having done our nails, our hair, and organizing this ridiculous room we are both starting to go nuts. I have no doubt that this plan was concocted by Landon and Tad to keep us stuck where they can hide us.

  “If I have to spend one more day on this bus I’m gonna cut Aiden off!” Cam screams as she bangs on the wall. “We haven’t stopped but to fill the gas tank! I need to breathe air that doesn’t smell like man ass and stale beer!”

  “Damn right!” I shout as I fling the door open. “Let’s go make our demands.” I yank her hand, tugging her up the aisle behind me.

  “Looks like the pussy’s gettin’ restless.” Hunter says as I lean against the wall crossing my arms over my chest. Cam matches my stance against the other side of the door way. We probably look like gangster hookers; all made up and in nothing but tanks and boy shorts. Hunter laughs his eyes drifting between us. “If they go rabid we’d have to put the kitties down.” He teases. Standing to his feet, Hunter wraps an arm around each of us pulling us in tight. “That’s a sin against all that Shaft stands for. Shaft never neglects the pussy!”

  Aiden, Gray and Landon look up at him and I hear a growl tear out of Aiden’s throat. “Henry!” Aiden yells, his eyes not leaving his brother. “We need to stop for a bit. Before Cunter whips it out and tries to fuck all of us in the ass.” I can’t mask my look of disgust as I shove out of Hunter’s hold and flop on the couch next to Gray. “Come here Cam.” Aiden commands, making her nearly leap into his lap.

  “We’ll stop in an hour.” Henry calls from the driver seat. “Try and get at my ass Hunter. I’ll be rippin’ that cock off and makin’ you eat it.” He adds with a laugh.

  “You’re what nine foot six Henry?” Hunter asks sarcastically as he moves around Tad and Landon to get to the fridge for a beer.

  “Without my heels or a hard-on motherfucker.” Henry says with a snort making Hunter spit his beer. All of us laugh. Even Henry, is amused as Hunter sputters and chokes trying to catch his breath. Henry may look intimidating. I know he could and would kill if necessary. Once you get to know him though, he is really nothing but an enormous teddy bear. Henry is like that though, he smiles real huge in private, but when we are all in public it’s scary silence. “You best quit offerin’ if you can’t even swallow a beer without chokin’ chump.” Henry shouts. “You could never handle me.”

  “Fuck Henry, my door doesn’t swing both ways.” Hunter says gasping for breath.

  “An hour?” Aiden interrupts looking around. “What can we do to pass the time?”

  Landon jumps up, all but running toward our room. I half expect him not to come back. He hasn’t spent much time with me over the past two days. He says that Tad needs him to work out details for Vegas. They spend a lot of time in the living area sorting shit, as the guys say, while the rest of us sleep. I have inherited the weird ass hours of a rock groupie. We stay up late only to sleep the day away mostly, all except Tad and Landon who are up at the ass crack of dawn every morning. Landon has been avoiding my questions about his job. Changing the subject every time I ask about what he feels he can’t explain or talk to me about. I gave up on pushing for now. We sleep together maybe two hours a night then he is up and out of the bedroom. Late nights are spent goofing around with Cam and the guys, along with talking with Gray. Our conversations aren’t deep earth shattering conversations but he listens to me when I talk. He doesn’t seem to have a problem talking about things with me, it’s a welcome distraction from the distance Landon is putting between us. The attraction to Gray is still there growing stronger everyday but he doesn’t push or bring up the elephant in the room. He is just there for whatever, whether it is watching movies or talking about songs and why we love them. The flashes about sex with Grayson Cole though, are still running rampant in my brain with no sign of stopping.

  With no room in the bunks, Gray sleeps on the floor of the bedroom which in no way helps the fantasies I have been having about him. I lie awake until the sun comes up staring at his bare chest. Of course Grayson Cole with his almighty sexiness kicks the sheet off the moment he falls asleep. I lie there after Landon kisses my cheek and I watch the rise and fall of Gray’s breathing as I study his tattoos.

  He has barbed wire running around his left arm. It starts on his wrist and circles up around his arm, which spreads around his shoulder and his chest. His chest though… that’s what is amazing. The barbed wire spans and spreads around a shield on his pectoral, right over his heart. A worn, battered looking shield, the shield of a warrior, a protector and it rules my dreams.

  My dreams are even more vivid than my day dream the night he sang. I can’t stop even if I really wanted to. I think the problem is my sexual frustration. I can’t get Landon interested in me at all. He just smiles, kisses me and says soon. I mean hell we weren’t rabbits by any means. We didn’t even live together. I stayed over occasionally when school didn’t get in the way, but we had a very healthy sex life. Now it’s like he has put his cock on ice. I’m going to fucking explode with all the testosterone around here and no way to release my urge. I am really, really glad that I don’t have a penis because I would be walking around with a constant hard-on. I seriously have these thoughts that make me want to rut up against something like a crazy fuckin’ cat in heat. Oh my God! Hunter is right! I’m a rabid pussy! They’ll call animal control to have me put down if I don’t get laid soon!

  Landon walks back into the room ending my thoughts about animal control and vaginally administered tranquilizers. Hunter takes one look at the box in Landon’s hand and doubles over in laughter. “I’m not playing Scrabble with you dumbass! Don’t we have Twister?” He asks winking at me.

  “Idiot
! You can’t play that on a bus, we’d fall for sure.” I say with a giggle.

  Spreading his legs wide he rubs his crotch through his jeans. “I’ll catch you. Won’t even need to use my hands.”

  “Hey, how about we play but we attach a little wager?” Cam says pulling her mouth off of Aiden long enough to get into the conversation. Looking around she wrinkles her nose in disgust. “The bus is a fuckin’ mess you know? We can’t keep goin’ with it like this. If Daisy and I win you guys have to clean the entire bus, do the laundry and restock the pantry. If we lose then you guys pick…” She says making Hunter’s brow raise, “No sexual favors for you Cunter. I’m a one shaft only, Shaft groupie.”

  Hunter frowns. Taking a drink of his beer he contemplates the situation then a smile spreads across his face reminding me a lot of the big bad wolf. I have gotten to know Hunter and even his alter ego a bit the past few days, the big bad wolf fits. He is truly looking to corrupt and devour everything he touches. “Fine. We go head to head in an X-rated words only Scrabble match. Two on two and when Gray and I win you two lovely ladies will clean the bus in g-string bikinis inside and out while we sit and watch.”

  Aiden glares at his brother, “No fuckin’ way asshole.” He says wrapping his arms around Cam. “I didn’t even share my toys with you when we were kids.”

  “No huffin’ or puffin’ big bad wolf or I’ll kick your teeth in. Strip club rules apply here. You know no touchin’ the merchandise?” I blurt, making Landon’s eyes dart to mine in shock. “If you keep your hands off, I’m in.” I say looking at Gray with a grin. “If we win, which we will, all of you men will clean the bus in nothing but teeny tiny little thongs yourself. Sure you wanna do this?” I say turning my grin to Hunter.

  “Gray?” Hunter asks, smiling wickedly.

  Gray arches a brow as they bump fists. “Set the board up fucker, let’s do this.”

  Tad sprawls out on the couch typing away on his phone. Hunter and Gray set up the board at the small kitchenette table as Cam and I sit across from them ready to kick ass and take names. “So typical point system applies, you’re only allowed to use words deemed X-rated by the judges.” Aiden says hopping up on the counter. Looking over he rolls his eyes at Landon who just sinks further into the chair getting lost in his laptop. “Yo! Big Man you in on this shit?” Aiden calls up to Henry who is manning the wheel.