Page 35 of Rock Giant

His band mate’s—she assumed—interest morphed from one of bored amusement to full-on scrutiny.

“Yo, guys.Rock Giant’s hitched,” he called, prompting other figures to creep out of various crevices.Two sets of booted footsteps hurtled down the stairs that emerged just behind the dining area.A waif-like woman in fishnet tights and a band tee came out of the back room and perched on the worktop, while an ogre uncoiled from the driver’s seat and leered at her as if he was eyeing her up as his next lunch.

“You got married?”The question came from one of the two men who’d come downstairs.He peered at her intently, like some prince of darkness inspecting the latest offering left at his altar.

“Yep.”

“No.We’re not married.It was a handfasting.”

“Same thing,” Rock Giant muttered.

“It’s not.It isn’t legally—” She’d meant to say it was merely a ceremonial union, not legally binding or recognised, but based on the looks the guys and girls were now giving them, that didn’t seem to matter.To them, to Paul, they were official.

Shit!This was going to require far more explaining, now, than when it’d simply been a matter for her and Rock Giant to work out.

“Congratulations.”A guy she’d not noticed yet pushed his way forwards.Long blond hair fanned around his shoulders, and a wealth of leather bangles covered his forearms.He offered her a hand, then pulled her into an embrace.“Welcome to the lunatic asylum.Hope you realise what you’re letting yourself in for…”

“Jodi,” she supplied, realising he was waiting for a name.

“Jodi,” he repeated as he looked her over again.Some sort of illumination seemed to strike him as sparks lit inside the hearts of his eyes.“Of course.”

Of course, what?She didn’t get a chance to ask as various people swaddled her in hugs and spat names at her, among them an Ash, and a Spook, and a Troll.A nickname she hoped.Also, a Mrs Ash, and the prince of darkness, whose name she didn’t catch but maybe started with Z, and a guy with strikingly different coloured eyes called Luthor.

“I thought you were hanging with Ronnie last night,” said the latter.

“Hanging,” said the ogre-troll, “I thought Ron was slurping his giant.”

“Where is Ronnie?”

“Still in bed,” Mrs Ash said.

There were so many of them cracking jokes and making remarks she couldn’t keep up with it all.Paul removed a guitar pick from her hand then laced their fingers again.

“So, how’d this come about?”

The prince of darkness seemed to be their leader.“You ditched Ronnie and found yourself a lady friend…”

“Careful,” Rock Giant cautioned.

“I’m just pointing out that you weren’t betrothed at the start of the night.What did you do, make a pact with some old-world deity?”

“I suspect mushrooms were involved.”A red-haired woman entered.She lifted her hands in a shrug when Paul glared at her.“Soz, Ronnie told me.”

“Blabbermouth strikes again,” Ash remarked.

“Mushrooms!As in ’shrooms!”Evidently, the Prince of Darkness didn’t approve.“Are you fucking kidding me?You got married because you were tripping your bollocks off.What happened to being mister clean living, huh?”

“Fuck off, Xane.Besides, fungi are the natural bounty of Mother Nature.And don’t fucking lecture.It’s not like you’ve never partaken of anything.We’ve all been naughty a time or two on tour.”

“Naughty?”Xane blurted.“Mate, shagging isn’t illegal.’shrooms definitely are.”

Now instead of smiles, everyone was giving them serious stink-eye.

The bus’s axle groaned as a large man entered behind them as if summoned by the spectre of trouble.He had on a suit, though it appeared to be wearing him rather than the other way around, and his bulk instantly made the bus seem narrower.“What’s illegal?”

“The bogs in this place,” Ash replied without blinking, proving that when it mattered these guys had one another’s backs.

“That is true,” the new arrival said.He noticed her and gave her a quick up and down glance, before returning his attention to the band.“Useful to find you all up and gathered.Saves a summoning.You know I only like to say things once.”