Ace (Band of Brothers #1) Read online

  "Turn off the lights. I have ten more minutes before I have to leave."

  My feet were glued to the floor. As I went to reach for the light switch he rolled over and shielded the light from his eyes. "Miles."

  He sat up on the couch and rubbed his face. I opened my mouth and closed it, then tucked my hands into my pockets.

  "You're not Miley, are you?"

  I shook my head but gave him a look. Obviously I wasn't her.

  "I'm Ace. And you are?" He reached his hand out and I grabbed his. Firm handshake. A small smile filled my face thinking about it. He gave me a small smile in return, but his eyes never left mine. Nervousness coated me and it was obvious from the shake in my voice when I spoke.

  "I'm Elizabeth Riley," I stuttered.

  The air in the bus seemed to evaporate with my words.

  Ace ran his fingers through his hair, then stood. He towered over me.

  "So, Elizabeth Riley. What are you doing here?"

  "I'm. I was. I'm supposed to be doing a spread on you all for PHASE Magazine."

  "I'm sure you know I don't care for journalists."

  My face went pink and I wanted to disintegrate into grains of sand right where I stood. My eyes moved away from his face and dropped to the floor.

  "Regardless. It's nice to meet you, Elizabeth Riley. I'm sure I'll see you around." He walked off the bus without looking back.

  I let out a staggered breath and leaned against the wall. The door opened and I straightened my posture.

  "Okay, you're still here. Just checking. You may want to get in place. Most of the others are out there." She stopped and looked me up and down.

  "You okay? Look like you saw a ghost or something."

  I kind of chuckled. "I'm fine, only a little taken a back. I've never been on tour before."

  "Well sweetheart, you're on tour now, so get your shit together." She smiled at me. Already I liked her. Miley kind of reminded me of Jules with her abrasiveness, and I knew she meant well even though I didn't know anything about her.

  "Thanks," I said, then walked off the bus and made my way across the parking lot behind her. Already, I could see the glow of cell phones and hear the crowd chatting from the stadium and on the lawn. I exhaled and showed my pass to the stage manager then continued backstage and stood behind the tape. There were a few other photographers back there but I slid on the edge making sure I still had a clear shot of everyone. I took a few test shots to check that my settings were right and did a few last minute tweaks as the brothers' intro music started.

  Sounds of the crowd's cheers filled the arena. One by one the brothers walked on to the stage and got into place. The lights flashed, smoke hovered on the bottom of the stage, and then the set started.

  Drums pounded on in different rhythmic beats. Cymbal crashes and high hats kept the rhythm and were accompanied by two guitars that screamed out in protest. The bass was pounding to the beat, fast but steady like my heart. Ace kept rhythm while he played and Nik soloed at the edge of the stage for the crowd.

  I leaned against the wall with my camera held tightly in my grasp. As much as I didn't like their CD, hearing their music live did draw something inside of me. I think it was the rawness of the lyrics. I could appreciate the lyrics that came from Ace's mouth; considering what I had read about him, it could be the only thing I liked. I had always heard there were truths hidden in lyrics. I wondered what secrets he was revealing to the masses.

  Ace used the entire stage and worked the crowd. The man was made for performing; there was no question about that. I leaned out a little and let my eyes wander over the crowd. Thousands were there, and to see them up on the hills, in the seats, and squished elbow-to-elbow in the pit was breathtaking. Everyone opened their cell phones and snapped their lighters to life, and then waived them back and forth as they sang the lyrics back to the band members. The ones in the distance looked like fireflies floating in the sky. I wrote a few notes in my phone trying to capture the exact moment and feel of the music and crowd. My eyes kept finding their way back to Ace. The charisma that oozed from the stage was almost magical and I couldn't keep my eyes from him. A tight fitting shirt and pants that hung low on his hips made him look sexy as sin. Style, he had it; hell, by the looks of it, he invented it. When he rolled his hips and belted out the lyrics, my predisposed opinions of them flew out the window. Admittedly, I understood the craze. Ace and his brothers could melt panties from a distance. The sexual tension pushed and pulled through the crowd as all female eyes transfixed upon his hips, the way he strummed his guitar, and made eye contact with people in the crowd. The brothers were born performers and knew how to do it right.

  All the lights, special effects, music, and sounds of the crowd screaming seemed beautifully intimidating. Thousands of eyes were on those four men performing on stage. The courage and the passion along with the pure love for the music drove them. They were a part of a movement, a community, something bigger than they were. I typed that in my phone. I wondered if they knew what they had created.

  Ace rocked his hips to the music. He handed his guitar to a technician, then slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Women screamed his name in high-pitched tones and reached for him as he walked past them. There he stood, singing raw lyrics into the microphone with his pants hanging dangerously low on his hips.

  The song changed and he strapped a different guitar over his shoulder and began playing. A man and a guitar—holy hell, it was one of my weaknesses. He played up and down the neck, fingers steadily moving like the wind on the fret board.

  Ace asked for a volunteer from the crowd. He pointed at someone and one of the stage crew helped her climb on stage. She was skinny with brown hair and tanned skin and dressed like a prostitute. He stood behind her and sang a few words then ran his hand up her bare arm. I started snapping pictures when his mouth brushed against the softness of her neck. The women continued to scream, all wishing they were her. I rolled my eyes and shook my head but kept the pictures coming. I started thinking about all the things I would ask if I had one hour of his time. Instantly the questions started to flow and I stopped for a second and wrote them down on my notepad.

  When I looked back out to the crowd, I caught sight of the late sunset in the sky. A yellowish orange hue stretched out behind the giant hills and created a masterpiece of a picture. I took a few more shots of the crowd with hands raised, and the people who looked like little dots on the grass. There were so many people.

  I reviewed the pictures quickly and smiled. I knew at that moment this is what Jules was talking about. I did have an eye for this and if I could grab some courage, I'd get that interview. Or I'd fail. Those were my only options.

  Once the show was over, Ace walked backstage, smiling with his arm around the brown-haired woman he had pulled from the crowd. Her eyes were full of want and lust. He whispered something in her ear and I couldn't take my eyes from them as they walked side stage. Thank God he was going in a different direction than me.

  His eyes locked with mine once more. I turned around to take one last glance before I walked away and seconds later he turned and looked back at me. I'd never be that desperate girl.

  My heart raced and a warm chill ran down my spine. Nik passed me backstage and I gave him a small smile, then so did Rex and Jex. It was odd seeing them so close after reading articles upon articles of them for the past day. For a split second, I think I was star struck. They were much taller and better looking in person. Sweat glistened over their bodies and they towered over me like giants. Each one of them was at least six foot or maybe taller.

  My heart raced. My mind spun. All the courage that I had found earlier had vanished and followed in the band's wake.

  I closed my eyes and counted to ten, then opened them.

  "Hey, darlin'. Mind moving out of the way? We've got to get all this gear loaded and the stage broke down as quick as possible."

  "Sorry."

  "Oh you're new, aren't you?" He set down a microphone stand
and held out his hand. "I'm Romeo," he said.

  I tilted my head at him, not believing him.

  "Yes, seriously. My mother loved Shakespeare and tragic love stories. Everyone has that reaction. I'm going to start telling people my name is Rome."

  I held out my hand with a huge smile and shook his. He passed the firm handshake test.

  "Pleased to meet you. I'm Elizabeth. Gosh, I want to say it."

  "Go ahead."

  I place my hand over my heart and lifted my other in the air like Juliet. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

  "Feel better?" He adjusted his thick black glasses on his nose and shot me a cute little grin. Romeo was the typical boy next door—a regular height and a big white smile. He wrapped a thick cable around his arm and continued to follow it across the stage.

  "Can I help you with anything?" I tucked the little notepad and pen in my back pocket and placed the camera in its holster.

  "If you want you can grab that microphone stand and carry it to the semitruck trailer in the front."

  I did, and then I waited for him to load the hoards of cables on a cart. He wheeled it down the sidewalk behind the stage where at least fifteen tour buses and big rig trucks with trailers were parked. I had never seen a touring entourage so large, but then again, I had never been on tour before so everything seemed to surprise me. I couldn't stop taking mental notes about the process.

  "Where are you from, Elizabeth?"

  "Texas, but I live in California. Moved there to live the American dream."

  "Which is?" He lifted his eyebrows and a crew member started to unpack the massive amounts of speakers and cables.

  "To do this, of course."

  Well not exactly this, but that would take too much explaining.

  He gave me a look that said, oh, or yeah right. I tucked my lips into my mouth and quickly smiled then I took a step back and tripped on the curb and landed flat on my ass. My cheeks were heated and Romeo walked to me and outstretched his hand. As I was about to take it, I saw Ace standing with that woman behind the stage. I watched him watching me, and I knew my cheeks were as red as blood. Romeo helped me stand and I brushed dirt and grass from the butt of my pants.

  "Are you okay? Watch your step." Romeo laughed.

  Granted if I had seen someone fall like that, I would have laughed too. I was distracted by Ace as he passed us with that woman attached to him at the hip. They went to his tour bus and my mind only imagined what they would be doing.

  "That's all shows," Romeo said. I searched his face. He couldn't be any older than 27.

  I squished my nose and made a face. "Disgusting."

  He shook his head and started walking back toward the stage. "It's called being a rock star, or a cock star as I like to call them."

  I burst out laughing. "Cock star is priceless."

  "Elizabeth." A female voice called out. I turned around and looked at Miley. She jogged up to me. Technicians called back and forth about breaking down the platforms on the stage on the radio. She turned the speaker down and gave me a quick smile.

  "I've got your bus situation settled. You'll be on six. There were a few real bunks available on that one. Take your pick of what's left. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?" Miley was all business.

  "Yeah, sure. Thanks, I appreciate it."

  "No problem. Happy touring," she said, then pulled the radio from her waist and gave whoever was on the other line her fury.

  "We have two hours. Get the shit done, okay? And quit complaining. If you don't like it, I'll find someone else who will and I promise Romeo will back me up on that." She gave me another smile and nodded at Romeo, then was on her way with determination in her step.

  "Don't you love her?" Romeo asked. "For once, I don't have to be the bad guy on the road. Hey, thanks for your help. Might want to get settled on your bus. Six is fun."

  "Thanks. Yeah. Have no clue what I'm doing."

  "Whatever you do, don't listen to what they say about the sleeping arrangements. The top bunks aren't that bad," he said before walking back to the stage.

  Tour buses lined the sidewalk along with semi-trucks and trailers for all of the equipment. They were parked in order so it was easy to find. I hadn't noticed the numbers pasted on the windshields before.

  The hatches were open for the storage under the bus and I saw my suitcase waiting for me. I unzipped it and pulled out a small duffel bag and stuffed the clothes I needed for the next few days into it along with clean sheets and a blanket and toiletries. I slipped my suitcase back under the bus then walked up the steps. I was surprised there was so much space considering how many people were inside. None of this seemed real.

  A group of people were sitting at the table laughing and drinking whiskey. When I entered, they stopped talking and looked at me.

  "Hi," I said timidly.

  "We got the new girl, holy shit! I won fifty bucks," one girl said and high-fived a dude sitting next to her. They all seemed like friends and before I could say another word, five more people entered behind.

  "Ooooooh the new girl! Damn it!" a deep voice said behind me as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and started counting money.

  "Don't be shy. We're going to be family for the next month. Tell us your name. I'm Ethan." He chugged a beer then crushed it in his fist.

  "I'm Elizabeth Riley," I said. It seemed like a weird fraternity party.

  "Glad you're with us, Elizabeth Riley. There are some bunks left in the back, take your pick. I'm Jenny," she said. They all looked like they had been in the sun for way too long but they were all smiling and happy.

  Jenny stood in the seat and stepped over a guy with a bandana then led me to the back of the bus.

  "So here is the bathroom. Here are the bunks. These two top ones are open and there are a few more back there." She pointed at the bunks that were stacking four on top of each other. Twelve people could sleep here with no problems.

  "There are also some suicide bunks in the living room but no one sleeps in those unless they're insane or there is absolutely no room. My bunk is right there."

  I opened the curtain to the bunk above hers and shoved my bag in there, then took off my laptop and adjusted my camera on my back. If there was one thing I learned from Jules, never take off your camera.

  "Thank you."

  "So what do you do, Elizabeth? What brings you on tour with Band of Brothers?"

  I licked my lips. "I work for PHASE. It's a magazine."

  "I know what PHASE is. Are you kidding me? You all interview tons of indies that I love!"

  "Really? Yeah, we do love Indies. That's one thing that I love about PHASE. We aren't douches to those who aren't represented by huge labels."

  "Wait, isn't… uhh, what's her name. Jules. Wasn't she supposed to be on this tour?"

  "Yeah, I'm the replacement and I have no clue what I'm doing. I usually help her once she returns from gathering the info. But it seems like we've switched places for the summer." I laughed nervously.

  "Most of us didn’t know what we were doing at first. I'm an audio engineer and help run sound. I've been touring with the brothers for a little over two years. Anything you need, I can help. Don't be shy about it. K?"

  Jenny was sweet and our friendship instant.

  "I may ask you a butt load of questions later. I've done lots of research but there are still things that I don't know. Any insight you have would be great." I closed the curtain to my bunk.

  "I'll be happy to help." She was so enthusiastic, and for once, I hoped it was contagious.

  Someone in the living room was calling her name and she smiled back at me then walked away. "Come on."

  "So everyone, this is the new girl. Her name is Elizabeth. Journalist photographer. This is Ben and Henry, audio engineers. This is Bev and Carrie, wardrobe. That over there is Spider Man and Juicy, all technicians." The two men took shots of whiskey then walked back off the bus with a smile and a wave.

  "Don’t tell
Miley you saw us," Juicy said.

  "There are five or six others on the bus too. Frodo, Larry, Kate, Fireball, and who am I missing?" She looked at the people who were sitting in the booth. They were counting everyone on their fingers.

  "Oh yes, Sarah, she's a journalist too. I always forget her," Jenny said.

  "She's not that friendly," she whispered.

  They looked around at each other, having a silent conversation about Sarah when she walked on the bus. From the vibe she put off, I could tell she was a major bitch. She walked onto the bus, as if she hated everyone around her, then walked straight to her bottom bunk where she sat with her camera and small laptop. I knew she was dumping the pictures she got from the night and I halfway wanted to see the shots she was able to capture.

  "See what I mean," Jenny whispered. "She's rude as hell."

  A short man stepped onto the bus. "We've got another hour of cleanup. Save some booze for me, please," he said.

  "That's Frodo," Jenny said. He waved at me, then stepped back off the bus. He did resemble a hobbit. I laughed.

  "I'm going to step outside and get some fresh air," I said. The introvert inside me was screaming to decompress with my thoughts.

  They all nodded their heads and smiled. I stepped off the bus and sucked in the warm air. I glanced over to see a crowd surrounding the Band of Brothers’ bus. A few of them were outside signing autographs and taking pictures. After a few more minutes of watching them from a distance, I walked over and stood in the back of the crowd and pulled my camera from the holster to take pictures. This was the band in the raw—not performing, but thanking people for enjoying their music.

  Nik stepped off the bus and people started screaming in excitement. He lifted his hand and waved at everyone with a big smile on his face. Uncapping a sharpie, he instantly started signing t-shirts and magazines. I searched the crowd and only counted three out of the four. Ace was nowhere to be found. Figures. So far the articles had described him perfectly as a douche.

  More people started filing in to see the brothers. White flashes snapped every few seconds from their loyal fans.