Daisy (Pushing Daisies Book 1)

by Heather Young-Nichols

  “You get inside that venue right now,” I told her. “Find your brothers or the guys and stay with them until I come get you. Understand?”

  I didn’t know who was on her bus but I was about to find out.

  She nodded then turned and took off running again. When I couldn’t see her anymore, I took off for her bus. Probably not the best idea without security or one of the cops, but if I could get my hands on whoever had scared the hell out of Daisy, I wasn’t worried. I was going to tear him apart.

  I pulled the door open with so much force, I’m surprised that I didn’t rip it off.

  There was no sound anywhere. Slowly, I went toward the back of the bus and pulled open every single bunk, the bathroom door, then the bedroom door. No one was back there.

  “What’re you doing?” Bonham asked from behind me.

  When I got back down to them I said, “Daisy slammed into me in the parking lot. Said there was a man on the bus when she came back.”

  “Where the fuck is she?” Van yelled.

  “I sent her inside to find you or the guys. Told her to stay put until I come find her.”

  “What the fuck?” Daltrey asked. He sounded more lethal than the others. His voice was deadly calm yet promised as much world burning as the others. “Who the fuck was in here?”

  “No idea,” I told them. “He said she invited him, but she says she didn’t.”

  “Daisy doesn’t invite random guys back to the bus,” Mack said through a clenched jaw.

  I shook my head. “I didn’t think she did.”

  “Fuck!” Mack yelled. “It’s whoever sent those fucking messages.”

  Bonham was nodding. “Probably the flowers too.”

  “How in the fuck did he get in here?” Mack directed that at me.

  Anger rose inside me, setting my muscles on fire. No way was he blaming this on me. “Fuck if I know. I had everything set. My only guess is he somehow got backstage legitimately. No more backstage meet and greets until we figure this out.”

  “Agreed.”

  I didn’t give a fuck if he did agree, but it was easier that he had.

  “I want to go find Daisy,” Van finally said and I couldn’t have agreed more.

  The five of us made our way into the venue. Cal was right inside. Just the man I needed to see.

  “Cal,” I called him over.

  “Something wrong?” he asked me.

  “Yeah. Someone got on Pushing Daisies’ bus,” I told them. “Daisy went in alone. He scared the shit out of her.”

  “Fuck.” He ran a hand over his head. “We had everything—”

  I raised a hand to stop him. “I know. I think he must’ve gotten back here in a legit way and snuck over there. I want this backstage area cleared out. Anyone who doesn’t absolutely need to be here has to go.”

  “Got it. I’ll take a couple of guys and check all the buses, then put one on each until you all load up.”

  “Do that.”

  We kept going. Van peeked into their dressing room, but she wasn’t there. At the same time, Barrett came out of Courting Chaos’ dressing room.

  “She’s in there,” Barrett said. “I was coming to find her brothers. Oh and her phone. She said she left it in the dressing room.”

  “I’ll grab her phone,” Daltrey said, veering off that way.

  Nothing was going to stop me from getting to Daisy.

  We followed Barrett back into the dressing room.

  Daisy was on the couch with her feet pulled up and her chin resting on her knees. She looked so small. Like she was making herself small. I fucking hated it. Dixon was on one side of her, Booker on the other, and both had their arms over her shoulders. Cross was standing in front of her and Ransom behind. Like a little protective cage.

  They were protecting her and I knew there was a reason that I liked these guys.

  “You OK?” Mack asked as he pushed in front of Cross and squatted down beside her. Ransom, Dixon, and Booker all moved away as well so that her brothers could fill their places.

  “Yeah,” she told them. Bonham, who was standing behind her, leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “But I don’t know who that was. I didn’t invite him.”

  “We know you didn’t,” Van told her. “An overzealous fan.”

  I folded my arms over my chest and leaned a shoulder against the wall, watching them come together as family. Mack had told me that they’d always protected her and that was what they were doing now. But the fact that they hadn’t just a few minutes ago probably burned their asses as much as it burned mine.

  “Are you really OK?” Van asked.

  She nodded. “I was better once I got out the door and I was fine once I ran into Lawson. Literally.”

  “Did he hurt you?” Mack asked the question we were all wanted an answer to.

  She shook her head. “No. He didn’t touch me. He just scared me, but he absolutely wanted to touch me.”

  Hearing that out of her beautiful mouth had my pulse pounding in my ears and my muscles twitching.

  “She can’t stay on our bus,” Bonham told us all.

  “Absolutely not,” Van said.

  “Unless we just make sure one of us is with her until we find this fucker,” Daltrey offered.

  “I don’t want a fucking babysitter.” Daisy hopped up from her spot and tried to pace this crowded room. With Courting Chaos, Barrett, me, Daisy, and her four brothers, it didn’t leave a lot of room. “I handled it. I’m fine.”

  “No way, Daisy.” Mack shook his head. “Either we find somewhere else for you to stay or one of us is with you whenever you’re outside the arena. We don’t have another bus for you.”

  “Maybe we should just fly her everywhere,” Van offered.

  “No,” she snapped while still in a stare down with Mack. “I’m riding the bus with you guys.”

  “What about our bus?” Barrett asked. She glanced at Dixon and Booker. “She could ride with us, right?”

  “Yeah,” Dixon said. “Of course.” Because he’d give Barrett whatever she wanted.

  “Absolutely,” Booker agreed. “Paige is coming soon, too.”

  Daisy groaned. “You do not want five people on the bus if you can help it. I’ll be fine.”

  “Cross and Ransom have room on their bus,” she countered.

  Daisy shook her head and looked over at Cross and Ransom. Cross shifted uncomfortably.

  “No fucking way,” Daisy said before either guy answered. “They have girlfriends.”

  This group was a great bunch of guys. They’d let her on the bus if that was safer. No question. That didn’t mean doing so wouldn’t bring them a lot of grief.

  “So?” Barrett countered. “Indie and Bellamy would understand. It’s not like they they’d think anything was going on.”

  “Maybe not,” Daisy countered. “But the fucking gossip that would come from me being on their bus might drive them insane.”

  “We can all deal with it,” Cross told her.

  “No,” Daisy said again. “Thank you. But no. Besides, aren’t they coming on tour soon, too?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So same problem. I’ll stay on my bus.”

  “Lawson’s the only person on his bus,” Barrett said. She probably should’ve stopped with the ideas.

  Fucking hell. Daisy on my bus was something I wanted right now more than anything, yet I said, “Probably not the best idea.” But if she was on my bus, then I could protect her myself. Make sure she was safe.

  “Look.” Daisy pinched the bridge of her nose for about half a minute before sighing. “I don’t want to inconvenience anyone, OK? I’ll just stay on my regular bus.”

  “You’re not an inconvenience,” Barrett told her, then she turned to Ransom. “Tell her, Ransom, that it’s not about being a pain to anyone. Remember when some douchebag didn’t want to leave Bellamy alone?”

  Ransom’s jaw tightened. Not the best memory to bring up right now since this was hitting close to home f
or him, I was sure. Bellamy’s ex-boyfriend hadn’t initially wanted to be an ex so much.

  “This is not an inconvenience, Daisy,” Ransom told her. “Lawson?”

  I sighed while rolling over the best play here. If I jumped in too early, everyone would know I wanted her with me, which would cause other problems. If I waited too long, she’d think I didn’t want her there.

  “Daisy.” Barrett came over and pushed Van aside to fall in next to her. “Bussing with Lawson isn’t so bad. I promise,” she emphasized. “I did it last year, but we had a bunch of hairy dudes with us. You wouldn’t even have that. He’s as quiet as a mouse. I promise.”

  Daisy chuckled for the first time. “You know I’m not worried about that.”

  “Besides,” Van said, “we can trust Lawson. He wears a suit, for god’s sake. He’s got to be harmless.”

  Fuck, that was a dangerous assumption to make. I wouldn’t hurt Daisy, obviously, but there were other valid reasons she shouldn’t ride on my bus. Reasons that were running through my head over and over yet somehow thought of them as reasons she should be with me.

  “Yeah. I just want her safe,” Mack finally said. “Can she ride with you for a while?” he asked me.

  “Of course,” I answered when I should’ve said anything but that.

  Chapter Nine

  Daisy

  The guys took me back to the bus, walking as if I needed a wall of brother between me and the world. They chattered the entire way there and while I packed a bag to take to Lawson’s bus. The idea of staying with him frightened and excited me.

  My lips longed for him to kiss me again, but being trapped on a bus with him with no escape meant the conversation he wanted to have was bound to happen. There wouldn’t be a choice and I’d already promised myself that I wouldn’t let his version of our kiss mar mine.

  “I’m walking you over,” Mack told me when I came out from my bedroom.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Precautions.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s right there.” I pointed in the general direction of Lawson’s bus.

  “I’m walking you,” he said as if he hadn’t heard anything I’d said.

  “Fine.” I sighed. I could’ve been there all night trying to talk him out of escorting me on a thirty-second walk.

  As we approached the bus, the door was open, but Lawson was nowhere in sight.

  “I’ll take you in.”

  “No,” I snapped outside the door.

  “Daisy,” Mack said with as much frustration as a man could.

  “Go back to your bus of debauchery,” I told him. Without me on there, the place could turn into a full-on Caligula-style party for all I knew. “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow in… well, wherever the hell we’re going.” I walked away from him, pulling the door closed behind me. Maybe a little harder than necessary.

  “Sorry about that,” I told Lawson about the door.

  “It’s fine,” he said as he leaned a shoulder against the wall near the table with his arms crossed over his chest. He was still wearing the dress pants and button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I was beginning to think of it as Lawson’s uniform and he was sexy as hell. His dark hair pointed in all different directions yet added to his sexiness. “Let me take your bag.”

  He took my duffle out of my hand, then added, “Follow me.”

  I did as I was told and took several quick steps until I was right behind him.

  “You can sleep in here,” he told me when we got back to the bedroom.

  “No way,” I countered. “This is your bed.”

  He shrugged. “I’ll sleep in one of the bunks.”

  Looking around, I began to wonder if this was how his bedroom always looked or if he’d cleaned up just for me. His bed was made and I stood there getting my hopes up that I’d be able to smell him on the sheets.

  “You don’t have to do that,” I told him quietly.

  He peered down at me with the softest look on his face. “I really don’t mind.” Then he came in closer. “I’m really glad nothing more happened tonight.”

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  Lawson then did the unexpected. He reached out and wrapped his arms around me, holding tightly. He snaked an arm up my back and buried his nose in my hair. My heart sped up and I was sure he’d feel it against him. But my chest also expanded at the thought that tonight’s scare had affected him as much as it had me.

  Maybe he did have more feeling for me than he was letting on.

  “Wait,” I said, pushing back from him, though I’d rather he kept me right there. But this couldn’t wait. “What is that?” I pointed to the head of the bed, where some sort of restraint system hung.

  “Fuck,” he said under his breath. “Uh…”

  I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Being on Lawson’s bus was showing me a whole new side of him. He ran a hand down the front of his face as I waited.

  “This is the guys’ version of a joke. They had it installed and I haven’t been able to get it down.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. I told them to take the fucking thing down.”

  “You haven’t used it?” I asked him.

  His jaw tensed. “Fuck no.”

  Well, that wasn’t the answer I’d expected. “Why would you take it down, then? Don’t you at least want to try it out?”

  Lawson swallowed hard as his eyes burned with the fire of a thousand suns. But he didn’t answer me, either. I giggled and patted him on the shoulder as I slid out of the room.

  That night, I lay awake thinking about the way Lawson had looked at me when I’d asked him if he wanted to try the harness before taking it down. Honestly, it had surprised me when it come out of my mouth—as much as it had surprised him.

  I fell asleep that night wondering if Lawson, who was in one of the bunks out there, was thinking about me the way I was thinking about him.

  Lawson was already off the bus before I woke up the next morning, but he did leave a security guard outside who was under strict orders to walk me to the venue whenever I went. He told me his name was Calvin. I didn’t take my annoyance out on him because last night’s scare wasn’t his fault. Security on this tour was fantastic but things still happened. Didn’t mean it was anyone’s fault. Nor was it Cal’s fault that he was now my babysitter. He’d told me I could call him Cal.

  That was on Lawson and my brothers, but I also couldn’t blame them. Last night had been scary and not just for me.

  The entire day ran smoothly. I took out some time to play my violin, then we had soundcheck, dinner, and the show, which we rocked. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and Cal followed me anytime I left the arena without saying a word.

  Apparently, he was going to be my shadow.

  But again, we had no meet and greet of any kind. It was kind of a boring day as far as our days went.

  After our show ended, I made a stop at my normal bus for some of my favorite snacks then headed over to Lawson’s. I wasn’t in the mood to hang out with anyone except maybe Barrett and she was busy working. Courting Chaos had some obligations after their set. I didn’t ask what they were. But she wasn’t available anyway.

  Cal checked every bus before he let me on.

  On the way to my new bus, I turned to Cal and said, “I’m just going to stay on the bus. Maybe read. You don’t have to stand outside the entire time.”

  “I have clear instructions not to leave you unless you’re with one of your brothers, one of the Courting Chaos guys, or Lawson,” he told me.

  I groaned inwardly. Of course he was told that. “Yeah, but I’m staying on the bus.”

  “Listen, Daisy,” he said as he leaned a shoulder against the outside of the bus when we arrived. “I know you’re frustrated about this, but I’m not that bad to be around.”

  This time, I rolled my eyes so he’d see it. “It’s not about you at all. I don’t love having a babysitter.”

  He nodded slowly. “I get that. But that guy getting o
n your bus could’ve been really bad.”

  “I know,” I snapped. It wasn’t him. It was the situation. “Sorry.”

  He waved me off indicating that my apology wasn’t necessary.

  “So until Lawson and Mack can figure out who it was and do something about it, just let me hang out with you.”

  “But you’re not hanging out with me,” I countered. “You’re going to go inside the bus, make sure no one’s there, then stand outside like the secret service. If you were hanging out with me, you’d be inside… you know… hanging out with me.”

  He chuckled quietly. “I can do that if you want. I just didn’t want to intrude on your privacy.”

  I snorted. “Privacy? All I have is privacy. This is supposed to be our big break and I’m sitting here cloistered like a fucking nun.” I pulled the door open without thinking.

  “Let me go in first.” He pointed at the door. “Then we’ll hang out.”

  Finally. Someone wanted to hang out with me. Sure, he was being paid to do it, but I wasn’t too proud to take it.

  Cal went in first, turning sideways as he did so his broad shoulders could fit through, and after a minute, I slowly climbed the stairs to find him checking all the bunks and the bedroom.

  “We’re good.” He put his hands on his hips. “What do you want to do?”

  “Actually, I’d like some ice cream. I happen to know there’s a place around the corner that has butter pecan on the menu. Am I allowed to go get some before we do something else?”

  He snorted. “As far as I know, you’re not a prisoner. I was told that where you go, I go. Not that you couldn’t go.”

  I yelped with joy, grabbed my crossbody purse, and skipped my way out of the bus.

  As we walked, I asked him, “Are you married?”

  “Lord no,” he said. “Could you imagine having this job while married?”

  “Lots of people do.”

  “I know, but I think it’d be incredibly difficult.” He reached over and scratched his tattoo-covered bicep. His dark skin under the tattoos added to the aesthetic, almost as if part of the design. They were beautiful.

  “How old are you anyway?” I asked him.

  “Twenty-eight.”