Chance (Rusted and Reckless Book 1)

by Charlotte Casey

  He was right about one thing, it was a long shot. Greer would be lying if he didn’t say he got just a tiny bit excited every time they found a lead on Nix. Because that could be the one time it was real. The one time he’s just sitting there. The one time he turns around, smirks and nods his head to join him.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t find him,” Aveline said giving Sawyer’s hand a small squeeze.

  He shrugged, his shoulders jerking up as if he had a tick. It was meant to be casual but came out stiff. “When he wants to be found, he will be. Whether it will be dead or alive, is another matter.” Sawyer took a swig of his beer. The ugly truth always hit him the hardest. “Until then, we all will just keep praying that he is safe and keep looking.”

  *****

  The three of them left together. Sawyer had desire to stay but Greer wouldn’t allow it. It would be entirely too easy for Sawyer to fall down the same path as Nix. Not drugs, he never had any interest in them. But he could let the numbness win out and fall into drinking as a safety net. Sawyer had once been the one to go shot for shot with Nix every night. But when shit got bad, he cut back.

  It would be nothing for him to reach for that security blanket again.

  So Greer drug him along and walked him to the suite the guys were staying in. He passed Sawyer off to Jason who was watching a movie and bid them goodnight.

  “Should we stay?” Aveline asked as they walked down the hall to their own room. “He looks like he could use you guys.”

  Greer shook his head. “He has Jason now. They will watch Godzilla and binge on pizza.” He swiped his card through the door lock. Aveline walked in first and turned on the light. Greer followed and turned off the light.

  “Uh, Greer?” she asked. The curtains had been left open and the lights of Atlanta illuminated the room. Ava was silhouetted in these neon blazes. He couldn’t see her face but he didn’t need to. Her features were ingrained in his memory.

  “I believe that I said I would be finding out later what delights you have for me under your dress.” Greer stepped up to her, his body in harmony with hers. He trailed his fingers down her arm, cascading with barely a touch. His hand engulfed hers and when he had found it, Greer took the purse from her fingers and dropped it to the floor.

  Greer clasped her now free hand with his and with an arm holding her to him, he began to sway as they had done on the dance floor hours earlier. This was more magnetic, though. It was about temptation, not flirtation. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. She found the motion intoxicating and let her head roll back. Greer followed the movement and dipped her.

  As he brought them back together, Aveline opened her eyes in the dimly lit room. “You’re lucky,” she said in a voice that was more of a purr.

  “Oh yeah,” he chuckled. Damn straight he was lucky. “Why’s that, Baby?”

  She leaned into him, her mouth by his ear. Her breath warming his skin.

  “I put out on the first date.”

  He was very lucky indeed.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The novelty of the concert had begun to wear off. Aveline had been to half a dozen of them at this point and although they were still fun, it wasn’t really special anymore. She was just one of the band as they walked from the green room to the stage. Greer had his moment with Jason as they did their mind meld thing and then would come over to kiss her. She became part of the routine and she loved it.

  Today as they changed, Sawyer and Greer had both put on superhero shirts. It was purely an accident but Jason and Rory took off like a couple of puppies and ran with it. Like giggling girls they shut themselves in the back bedroom and searched their clothes for matching shirts.

  Sawyer, Greer and Aveline went on ahead while the ladies primped.

  No one got to see what they had chosen as their superhero before they went on stage. Sawyer was annoyed that they weren’t there but Greer told him to have faith. After a kiss on each of their cheeks, Aveline sent them out to greet the masses.

  “Aaaaaaatlanta! How we doing tonight? We will get started here once the other two idiots get on stage. See Greer and I, the punctual ones, happened to both be wearing Comic book shirts today.”

  Greer leaned into the mic and in his deepest voice said, “I’m Batman.” The crowd cheered.

  Sawyer was not impressed. “Whatever Batman. Can the Flash get some love?” More cheering. “They like me more,” he said with a grin. “So anyway the girls are picking out their outfits for tonight and will be along shortly.”

  Rory stepped beside Aveline as he hooked his guitar around his neck. “He’s just jealous,” he told her with a wink and walked out.

  “We’re here, calm down.”

  “What the hell is that?” Greer asked as he took in Rory’s orange shirt.

  “I’m Aquaman,” Rory said proudly.

  Sawyer turned taking the mic with him so he could still be heard and asked “I know I’m going to regret it but why Aquaman?”

  A mischievous grin spread across Rory’s face. Anyone who saw it knew it meant trouble. “Because he likes to go down under.”

  Behind them Jason had snuck back to his drum kit and let out a ba-dum-tish on the drums.

  Greer turned back to Jason and snorted out a laugh. Aveline couldn’t see who he decided to wear but Greer was losing it. Sawyer caught sight and just shook his head.

  “Dude, there is something wrong with you.”

  Jason stood, his arms fisted on his hips, a red sheet knotted at his neck and hung down his back. Jason beamed at the crowd and then said, “That’s right, bitches. I’m Wonder Woman.”

  They put on a great show. The heavy weight of Nix’s disappearance was slowly lifting as they adapted to the new normal. Their dynamic had changed but it worked. Aveline wondered what would happen to the band she knew when they found him.

  Energy was high tonight. People danced, they sang along. It fueled the guys. A good crowd could make or beat a show. Tonight it was making it.

  “Excuse me, Miss Aveline?”

  She turned from her spot, her backstage pass in her hand. “I’m allowed to be here,” she said defensively.

  The man smiled. His name badge told her his name was Walt and he was security. “Of course. It’s actually…do you mind if we step away from the stage for a moment. It’s hard to hear you.”

  She took a look over a Greer who was line dancing with Sawyer and Rory. Playing, singing and line dancing in perfect harmony…that shit was talent right there. He was so caught up in the song that she didn’t think he would notice if she walked away for a moment. “Sure, but let’s make it quick.”

  They walked till the music wasn’t as loud. Walt was holding a phone and handed it to her. “I’m sorry to interrupt but the gentleman said it was an emergency and I needed to find you right away.”

  She frowned. “Do you know who it is?”

  “A Mr. Rob Briner. Would you like to take it in the Green room?”

  Aveline nodded, a numb feeling beginning to spread through her chest. “Yes. Yes, please.” Walt escorted her to the green room and she was thankful for it. She probably would have gotten lost had it not been for him. She cradled the phone to her chest as they walked. Walt kicked someone out of the room for her and said he would be right outside if she needed him.

  “Hello?” she said into the receiver. Her voice shook just slightly.

  “Baby girl? Oh thank god. I’ve been trying to reach you. I know you don’t take your phone with you when you’re backstage but you really need to start carrying it with you. I’ve been calling everyone I could but then Greer is probably on stage and Jason would be too.” He was rambling. Rob never rambled.

  “What is it, Rob? What happened?”

  He was silent a moment and that made the anticipation so much worse. “It’s your momma. She’s had a stroke. I’m at the hospital now and I think you need to come home.”

  Had a chair not been beside her Aveline would have fallen to the floor. “H-h
ow bad?”

  “It’s bad. I’ll work on getting you a plane ticket. Just get there as soon as you can, ok?”

  “I’ll leave now. I just need my purse.” She looked around. The room looking foreign to her. Where had she put her things earlier?

  “I’ll text you the info. Be safe.”

  They hung up as she remembered she had put it in a locker. Walt was waiting for her when she opened the door. “I…I need to go.”

  He nodded. “I figured. I have a taxi waiting for you outside.”

  “You do?” she asked. He started walking her forward and soon they were going out the exit to the parking lot.

  “He told me that your mother was in the hospital. I’m sorry to hear it. I hope she recovers.”

  “Thanks,” Aveline said numbly.

  Everything was happening so fast. She knew there were things she was forgetting but her mind just kept going back to her mom. Rob had no details for her other than it was a stroke. The doctors had just begun to test her to see how bad the damage was. There were no answers to be had.

  She should be there right now. She should have…

  A strangled cry came out of her mouth. She covered the sound but another one was coming. Her shoulder shook and her eyes glossed over with tears.

  “Shhhh. Now don’t cry honey. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Walt, bless his heart, put a hand on her back and gave it a rub.

  The taxi pulled up as she was gathering herself together. The flight would only take an hour and she would be home soon enough. Once she got to the airport she’d call Rob back and hopefully he’d have something to tell her. Right now, wondering the worst would do her no good.

  “I’m sorry, Walt. Thank you for your help.”

  “No worries, Ma’am. Would you like me to tell Mr. McQueen where you went?”

  Shit. Greer.

  She hadn’t even considered what he must be thinking right now. “If you wouldn’t mind that would be a great help. I’ll call him once I’m home.”

  “I’ll inform him. Have a safe flight.”

  *****

  Greer carried Jason out on his back. They ran across the stage, pumped up from an awesome show. Greer deposited the drummer off stage and looked for his woman. He needed a kiss.

  “Fucking fantastic show,” Rory said as he joined them. Sawyer was still out on stage tossing picks into the crowd.

  “Where’s Avalicious?” Jason asked as he helped himself to a bottle of water. His Wonder Woman shirt had only made it four songs before it was soaked through.

  “I don’t know.” Greer knew she had been there earlier.

  “Probably headed back to the room before the encore.”

  It was possible but she never left without him before. “Yeah, probably.”

  Sawyer finally made his way off stage. He took off his guitar and handed it to a waiting roadie. “Thanks man.” Jason handed him a bottle of his licorice tea. They all thought it was disgusting but ever since Sawyer stepped into Nix’s shoes, he found it really helped his throat after a performance. Sawyer opened the bottle and chugged half of it with a grimace. He was still getting used to the taste. “We ready?”

  Together they walked back to the green room. Greer was missing having Ava by his side. He liked hanging back from the guys and then pulling her into a random room or closet and fucking her up against a wall. It was their unofficial after show routine. Greer found himself staking out places during sound check where he could have a private moment entering Ava later.

  Her absence made the high he had coming off stage wither.

  The guys entered the room before him. Greer stopped in the doorway and frowned. She wasn’t there. “I’m going to run out to the bus quick,” he said.

  Sawyer was the one who responded. “You’ll never make it alive.”

  He wasn’t wrong. Right now thousands of people were leaving the stadium and although they weren’t parked in the general lot, fans still found them and would crowd around the back door waiting for one of them to come out and sign autographs.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Whatever. I’d lose the shirt if you are attached to it.”

  Sawyer was just full of the good points tonight. Greer pulled his Batman shirt over his head and left it on the table. Their fans tended to get a bit handsy and were known to rip off clothing.

  Greer left the room and snagged two security guards on the way out. Together they ran the gauntlet and he got to the bus relatively unscathed.

  “Aveline?” he called out as he ran up the steps two at a time. There was no answer. “Baby, you here?” She shouldn’t be here. They all told her that she was not to go to the buses without one of them because of the fans. Girlfriends weren’t exactly admired by their loyal followers. There would be hair pulling and insults yelled. Jealousy was a cold hard bitch sometimes.

  Greer looked in the bedroom but she wasn’t anywhere. Her stuff was still there, though. That was a good sign even if his gut told him otherwise.

  He left the bus and with his security buddies flanking him, they ran back to the venue. What should have been a ten minute trip took a half hour. By the time he reached the green room again, he was beginning to worry. No one had seen her leave. Greer asked everyone they passed. Someone had to know something. She wouldn’t just disappear like this.

  When he entered the room this time, it was not with a smile and buzzed on good vibes. Greer’s mouth was tight and a headache was beginning to form between his eyes. Each of his bandmates looked at him when he come in. None of them were smiling.

  They knew something.

  “Where is she?” he asked. No pussyfooting around. He needed to know.

  “Greer, this is Walt,” Rory said introducing the older man who stood with them. “He is the bearer of bad news tonight.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  How many voicemails does it take to fill an inbox? Greer and the guys had managed to fill it up within twelve hours. Aveline had the best intentions of calling or texting when her plane landed and again once she got to the hospital but seeing her mom with a machine breathing for her and more tubes and monitors than she could count, it had rocked her.

  “This,” she had thought, “is my fault.”

  She had become reckless over the last few months. The taste of freedom too tempting in her stressed state. But as she was off gallivanting with the band, he mom was getting worse. Maybe she would have seen it sooner if she had been around. Maybe she could had done something to prevent this.

  She hadn’t gotten here alone. Rob enabled it. Greer enabled it. He pushed for her to come with or begged to see her. She had tried to resist at first but soon fell down the slippery slope of giving in. He wasn’t intentionally trying to distract her but that was the result. Aveline should have stood firm from the start.

  Now that she had a minute to breathe, she had pulled out her phone to find it had been bombarded with messages. After the first few she just deleted them. No use looking at the same message getting progressively angrier at her lack of response. This wasn’t something she wanted to deal with right now but she had walked out on their show. At the very least they deserve to know what was going on.

  She waited another few minutes. The phone spinning between her fingers. The doctors had told her that there was nothing that she could have done to prevent where they were now. Her exhausted mind laughed at that. How did they know what she could or couldn’t have done? If she had just been home and not off pretending to be a country star’s girlfriend then something could have been done. Anything.

  Aveline hung her head. She wanted to cry but knew that she needed to save those tears. Chances weren’t looking good. If her mom didn’t start breathing on her own soon, then Aveline was going to have to be prepared to make a decision she really didn’t want to have to make.

  In her hand, her phone began to vibrate. She looked at it and sighed. Greer. Again.

  “Hello?”

  “Holy shit. You picked up.” He was just as surp
rised as she was. Aveline’s finger had originally been hovering over decline.

  “Yes,” her throat felt thick. The words sticking in her mouth.

  “I’ve been so worried. How is your mom?”

  “Not good.”

  “I’m sorry, Ava.” The concern in his voice almost broke her. “Can I come out there? I want to help.”

  She shook her head. “No. Stay where you are.”

  “It’s no problem. I can be there in a few hours. I really want to help in any way you need. I can pick up food or coffee, be your errand boy. I am also great at comforting. My shoulder is a sponge. Cry all you want on it. Just let me help you.” So sincere. Aveline would like nothing more than to take him up on what he was offering but he had obligations, just as she had. This was a lesson for him as much as it was for her. Don’t neglect your responsibilities.

  “If you want to help then you will leave me be.”

  The line got quiet. Aveline hadn’t known that she was going to break up with him. She hadn’t planned on it, yet it was to no surprise that they were here now, breaking up.

  “What are you saying?” he asked.

  “That I don’t want any distractions. With my mom is where I need to be. Having you in the picture only splits my attention.”

  He sighed into the phone and she pictured him rubbing a hand over his face. “I understand. I hate it but I get it.”

  His lack of fight hurt. The illogical part of her wanted him to fight for her. Wanted him to cause a scene. She wanted him to yell at her. Hate her, like she hated her. His agreement hurt worse than anything else he could have done.

  Neither of them spoke for a while. She didn’t trust herself to open her mouth and not collapse into tears. So she just hung up. Ended the call and turned off her phone. She would have thrown it at the wall too, but knew that she didn’t have the money for a replacement.

  “Aveline?”

  She looked up to find a nurse in the doorway. She had gone to the empty waiting room to check her calls instead of her mom’s room.

  “The doctor would like to speak with you.”