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A Voice to Love (Fallen Tuesday Book One) (A Brothers of Rock Novel)

Page 9

by Karolyn James


  **

  Mack snuck into the bathroom and let the door shut behind him. He knew it was bullshit Luke needed to wash his hands. Luke never washed his hands. It was the lamest thing he’d ever heard in his life. When he saw Luke’s face and paired it with the way he had been acting the past day or two, Mack worried Luke was messing around with drugs. He wasn’t the same Luke. If he was messing with drugs, that would be a situation the band would have to face together. Sure, they liked to drink. They liked to party. They enjoyed themselves. However, drugs never became part of the picture, mostly because they couldn’t afford drugs.

  Until now.

  Luke had plenty of money, more than the rest of the band because of the Chasing Cross shows he played.

  Mack looked around the bathroom. He used his foot to lift the toilet seat. The water was clear. The trashcan was empty. Then came the sink. At first, Mack wasn’t sure what he was looking at. It was a few red spots. Like someone had dripped…

  “Blood,” he whispered.

  Mack reached with a finger but caught himself.

  He didn’t know it was Luke’s blood.

  If it was, where did it come from?

  Maybe Luke had done something embarrassing and cut himself. Maybe he was too afraid to say something… but probably not. Mack had a terrible feeling inside. Luke had hurried into a bathroom and now there was blood in the sink.

  “Shit,” Mack said. He looked up into the mirror. His face was white. “What’s happening to Luke?”

  Mack turned the water on and let it wash the blood away. He left the bathroom and walked the hall slowly. There was something wrong with Luke. He had trouble singing the other day. He had trouble with the sound check. Now there was blood in a bathroom sink.

  Mack kicked the backdoor open to the arena. He was pissed off. He made fists, wishing he had his bike with him. On the next tour he would definitely make it happen. Right now was the kind of moment when he needed to go for a ride to clear his mind. So much had happened with the band in the past six months. Now they were wrapping up their first real big tour and were set to hit the studio for another album.

  Fans screamed Mack’s name, snapping him out of his trance. He saw four people standing at the gate. He noticed that cars were already starting to pull into the parking lot.

  Talk about dedication…

  Mack went to the gate and signed autographs for the four fans. He took two pictures, laughed, and then hurried to the tour bus. The second he climbed up the steps his eyes searched for Luke. He sat facing the window, lost in thought.

  Maybe he was high.

  Maybe he was hiding something.

  Maybe he was afraid.

  Mack walked to Luke and smacked his arm. “You sure you’re okay?”

  Luke looked up at Mack. “I’m fine, man. Just fine. Ready to play tonight.”

  Mack nodded. One thing the bandmates had never done was lie.

  Luke had just lied. Mack knew it.

  He wanted to be angry, but he was more concerned… whatever was going with Luke must be really bad.

 

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