Page 13 of Higher Notes (Chaotic Abyss #2)

Chapter Thirteen

Jason

I stewed over the Marley newsflash for far too long. Then when I least expected it, I snapped. I was the frontman for a reason. I gave one hundred and ten percent to the band I started nearly ten years ago and in doing so left no regrets on the table. But Marley better grow the fuck up and step up to the plate real fucking soon or his ass was gonna hit the pavement. Ignoring his mentor wasn’t gonna fly. Social went out of their way to help us and more than earned the respect we owed them.

“Again,” I told the guys, not at all happy with the second chorus on one of the new songs called “Until You Came Along.”

A revolving door of naked flesh

Nameless faces long since forgotten

This journey has been great, and I have no regrets

But it’s time to move on

Trust nothing and no one

In and out.

No feelings and no goodbyes

No time to realize how lonely my life was

Until you came along

Chorus:

I was lost until you came along

Watching as the world passed me by

Filled with nothingness until you came along

Like a beacon in the night, you brought the light

Every day was the same familiar haze

Another day, another show

Another town, another row

Somewhere along the way I lost me

Chorus:

I was lost until you came along

Watching as the world passed me by

Filled with nothingness until you came along

Like a beacon in the night, you brought the light

How had I gone this long without you

You taught me how to trust again

You taught me how to love

Even when you’re far I can still feel your arms

I can’t imagine my life without you

Now I have you to watch the world with me

The one to share this life with

My light, my life, my every breath

Emptiness filled me until you came along

“What gives?” Marley bitched once the song came to an end.

“What gives? You fuck around and waste time talking about your fucking hook-ups and half-ass play. Have you ever given this band a hundred percent or are we just here to fill in the time between nameless fucks for you?”

Harsh? Quite possibly and the fact that Sikes and Snipe now stood beside me told me as much.

“Just because you’re getting laid on the reg doesn’t give you the right to condemn the rest of us.” I lunged at him, but Snipe caught me around the waist and held me back.

“What the fuck, dude?”

“Pull your head out of your ass or I’ll tell Easton to find us another bassist.” The room went silent but all I saw was red. I was over this. We had our big break and I’d be damned if his perpetual hard-on was gonna screw it up for us. “Don’t fuck up the hands that are feeding us. Understood?”

“Yes, Daddy,” the smartass said as he cased his bass and walked away. Had Snipe let go of me I’d have torn Marley a new asshole.

“Jase, you okay?” Nigel asked. Josh stood there blinking, eyes wide like he didn’t know what the fuck to do. “You’re the levelheaded one of us.”

“Mickey said he’s tried to meet up with Marley multiple times and gets no response. I’ll be damned if Marley’s gonna fuck this up for us. We’ve worked too hard for it.”

“Shit, I meet with Diamond at least once a week and when he’s not available we do video sessions. I’m not fucking this up for us or my daughter. It’s too fucking important to me to give her a better life. I’ve, um, I’ve filed for full custody.”

Whoa, that was news to me.

“Shit, man, I hope you get it. You’re a great dad. We’re getting ready to move, you should bring her over more once we get back from the tour so she can play with Nolan and Nicole.” She was only two years younger than them, and she’d have a blast.

“We’d like that.”

“Who’s watching her while we’re on the road?”

“My folks mostly but Diamond and Easton have offered their nanny as well. I’m like you, this gig is far too important across the board, plus being mentored by one of the greats is off the charts awesome. You’re right, Jase, we worked far too hard for one loose cannon to fuck it up for all of us.”

“Word!” Josh added. “I thought I’d be the one to fuck it up for sure. Glad I pulled my head out of my ass and that you guys took a chance on me. I love you guys like brothers.”

“Same and I was a total dick to you when we first met. Glad Jason saw what I didn’t, and I get to call you friend.” Josh and Nigel hugged, and it was like a huge breath I’d held in finally released. “Bring it in, Jase,” Nigel waved me over to them and I joined my band brothers in a group hug.

“I love you guys. You’re my brothers and I’d rock the fucking world for you. But damnit, when one rich kid with a chip on his shoulder risks that for us it’s time to make the big boy decisions for him.”

Fuck. This. Selfish. Shit.

“Couldn’t agree more,” Nigel said. “Let’s see what he does now that you addressed it. I say if he pulls anymore shit we move on.”

“Agreed.” With Josh in agreement that put the three of us on the same page. That was all I needed. Hopefully Mickey would get through to Marley before he fucked up a chance to be his own man away from Daddy’s money and under his wing.

Yeah, I’d done a bit of digging after the dinner convo at Mickey’s the other night. Spoiled rich kid didn’t even cover the shit I found. Marley never said anything about being hauled off to jail before but the internet told all.

It wasn’t my place to tell anyone what to do with their money but when you’re scraping by like my family was while someone else lived the high life and got nothing more than a smack on the hand thanks to Daddy’s money, it fucking hurt. Then to half-ass everything band related was the cherry on the proverbial sundae and one I was about to melt.

“Why don’t you guys come up to the bar? I’ll treat ya to a meal and a beer?” It was rare Josh offered and the need for a beer was strong.

“I’m game. Nigel?”

“While I appreciate the offer, I need to get home. Millie already lives with me, but I want to get this done legally so Haley can’t come back later and claim I kidnapped her.” Man, I felt for the guy. His ex was an addict, and it was hard on him to have zero control over what Millie had been exposed to.

“I bet Easton could help you with that.”

“He, um, he already is. Diamond got that ball rolling. His exact words were fuck that shit, get her out of that situation now and well, they did. Cops showed up with Millie that night. I’ll forever be in their debt, and I’ll be damned if I’m doing anything that doesn’t make them proud and all of us money.”

“Ditto. They gave me a second chance when they didn’t have to. We’re with you on this Marley sitch, Jason.”

“Thanks, guys, I just hope we don’t have to make the decision for him. Marley’s always been a friend, and I’d like it to stay that way.” Fucker better get his shit right.

“Amen, my brother. Let’s head out.” Josh packed up his beloved baby girl. I locked up and loaded into my usual spot in the backseat of the truck.

“You all right, Jase?” Snipe asked as we merged into traffic. “Never seen you so mad.”

“Yeah, it just pisses me off. Like the rest of us are busting our asses while Daddy’s little troublemaker rides out the waves. I don’t ride on anyone’s shirttails. I’ve worked my ass off for all I have, and I’ll never stop.”

“That’s the right attitude to have but I had to report this to Fizzbo,” Sikes chimed in. “I hope you’re not mad at me?”

“We all have jobs to do, and I’ll never be mad at you for doing yours or for doing what’s right. The three of us are in a relationship behind our jobs, or that revolve around our jobs. However you want to look at it. I know our safety is first and foremost but had Snipe not stopped me I honestly can’t say what I would’ve done to him.”

I’d never hit another person, let alone a friend, and I hoped to keep it that way.

“I’m ready for a beer.” And likely a shot, or twelve…

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Reagan greeted us with kind words and his usual smile. His man, however, got a sweet kiss.

“Josh said he was buying so who were we to refuse?” We took a seat at the bar.

“Drink?” Reagan asked and we each ordered a beer. “Coming right up. Food?”

“Please.” He handed us menus then got to work filling our drinks. No clue why I even asked for one, I’d already decided on the ride over I wanted wings.

“Sucks to have this hit right before release day,” Josh sighed. “Fuck, man, this is gonna hurt.”

“Ya know, I’m more pissed at myself than anyone else.”

“How so?”

“He’s been in the band since the early years. I never paid no mind, didn’t ask if he worked a job or how he got his car. None of my business, I figured. Meanwhile, we’re working band practice around everyone else’s work schedule. Hell, when we’re not on the road Nigel works for his parents. I’m finally down to just the band but there were times I worked two jobs plus this. I just figured Marley had a flexible work schedule, not that he probably didn’t work at all.” But where did you draw the line question wise? “Working as much as Nigel and I did, we never hung out aside from band practice.”

“Figured I’d find you both here.”

Josh and I whipped around on our stools so fast at the sound of Marley’s voice we nearly fell on our asses.

“Yeah? What do you want?” I wasn’t relenting. Even if I wanted to, I’d stewed so long the attitude was hard to shake.

“I got into music just to piss my dad off.”

That explained a lot.

“He insisted I go to college and work for him. Said I’d never make it as a musician or be worth anything. So, I got better at the bass but never serious about it. It was learned out of spite. The problem now is, I love it. I want to be a part of this, of Chaotic. Not only to prove my old man wrong, but to prove to myself I’m not the worthless piece of shit he claims I am.”

Parents could be cruel. The ones who were genetically built in to love you were the worst kinds of fails there were.

“Fuck, man. I hate hearing that but why’d it take me losing my shit for you to come around? We’ve been playing together for years and never once have you opened up about anything other than getting laid.”

“Well, there’s not much I’m good at besides fucking.”

“You’re a great bass player, too,” Josh chimed in. “I vote we quit hearing about your dick and focus on your job as a bassist. Deal?”

“Deal.” Josh and Marley bro hugged then Marley turned to me. “What do you say, Jase? Can I keep my job?”

“Band decisions are just that—made by the band. There are only two of us here and you need three votes.”

“Fuck, man, you’re not gonna make this easy on me, are you?”

“No. You’re a grown ass man. Accept responsibility for your fuck ups and either fix them or move on. While you’re hellbent on pissing off Daddy, the rest of us have been working our asses off to get the band off the ground and keep a roof over our heads.” Marley nodded but said nothing. “If you’re serious about the band you owe Mickey a huge fucking apology, too.”

“Jase, you’re my friend and I hate that we’re fighting.”

“Am I? Really? Because you sure as hell never acted like it. I put my heart, soul, and hard-earned money into this band while you sat back and raked it in. Now it’s time to put up or shut up because I’m done with this shit.” I spun around, took a sip of my beer and dug into my wings. This conversation was over as far as I was concerned.

“Remind me to never piss you off,” Josh said a few moments later and it hit me all at once. I nearly choked on my food laughing as hard as I did.

“I second that,” Snipe added.

“You handled that very well. I don’t blame you for being pissed at all.” Sikes was always the voice of reason but had that whole convo escalated he and Snipe would’ve jumped right in. Marley wasn’t stupid enough for that and if he wasn’t upset about the whole ordeal he wouldn’t have bothered to apologize. Now, he had fences to mend and shit to prove so it was game on.

Meanwhile, I was gonna enjoy my fucking wings and have myself another beer.

When we walked into Mickey’s house it was to a round of claps. There stood Mickey, Diamond, and River.

Fuck. Me.

“Round of shots for the man of the hour!” Diamond called out. Benny came around the corner carrying a tray and handed them out.

“What’s this all about?”

“Got a call from a very apologetic Marley tonight. Said you handed his ass to him.” Mickey was all smiles.

“That he did,” Snipe gripped my shoulder. “Rather proud of him if I do say so myself.”

“Same. Thought he was gonna rip Marley’s throat out at first but instead used his words which had an even better affect.” Sikes kissed the side of my head and grabbed a shot from the tray.

Once we each had one, Mickey held his up. “To frontmen with brass cahones !”

We slammed down the sweet, smooth, silky cordial and I was instantly ready for another. “This is fantastic. What is it?”

“A loganberry liquor Benny insists we pick up each time we visit a distillery on Whidbey Island.” Benny wiggled and refilled our glasses and Mickey once again raised his. “To Benny and his sweet temptations!”

“To Benny!”

“The sweetest temptation!” Benny cheered and launched himself at Diamond. Good thing D was used to that or they both would’ve split their heads when they hit the tile.

“When do you meet with Marley?”

“Tomorrow at ten a.m. If he’s not serious about this I won’t waste my time, but his words tonight led me to believe he was.” Mickey was a great guy and if Marley fucked him around it would be the end of his career with Chaotic. “You’ll be the first to know if he does, Jason. I’ll let you handle your team your way.”

“Thanks, Mickey. I appreciate that.” Marley better hope like hell he didn’t fuck this up.

“All right, I’m out of here. Easton said to tell you if your day job doesn’t work out you’ve got one in management.” Diamond winked and grinned.

“D, did you just show teeth?” Mickey teased him.

Diamond flipped him off as he walked backwards toward the front door. “Deuces, jackass!”

Fuck, these guys were the best. Fierce friends and stellar performers. Their souls reached the heavens themselves.