Ransom(40)

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that,” Lennon says.

“Okay, enough,” Dad says. “We need to go over your schedule.”

We eat bacon and eggs while Dad briefs us on the upcoming essentials. I can’t even manage to be annoyed by our packed afternoon of radio promos. We’re scheduled to have a few free hours once we get to the venue. I plan to challenge Daisy to a Halo death match on the bus.

After breakfast, my brothers and I run into Levi waiting for an elevator. “You guys going up to pack?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I tell him. We’re checking out today. After our last Boston performance, we’ll be driving through the night to reach New Hampshire for our next show.

“Me too.”

The elevator arrives, depositing a trio of blond, scantily clad women. They all giggle, clearly recognizing us.

“Excuse us, ladies,” Cash says, grinning in that way that tends to send women overboard. To add to the effect, he gently guides the closest woman away from the elevator with his hand on her back. He can’t just go around her like a normal person. The girls’ giggling continues until the elevator doors finally shut between us.

“What’s wrong, Cash?” Reed asks, giving him a sideways glance as he pushes the button for our floor.

Cash’s cocky smile was replaced with a confused, thoughtful expression behind his Ray-Bans. “Those girls reminded me… I’m trying to remember if I left a blonde in my bed when I came downstairs this morning.”

“Maybe it was one of them,” Reed says, and the two of them laugh.

“What about you, little brother?” Cash asks, turning to me. “You’ve pretty much been a monk for the past six months. Now that Daisy’s back, think you might actually get some? Start acting like the rock star you are?”

I feel Levi stiffen next to me, but I just roll my eyes. My brothers have been teasing me about getting together with Daisy since we were kids. Reed and Lennon backed off in recent years; I always got the feeling that they eventually realized I really did have feelings for her and considered their casual teasing to be off limits. Cash, of course, was not nearly as decent; nothing was off limits for him.

“You better not tease Daisy like that,” Lennon tells him. “She seemed a little off last night.”

“And there’s the fact that none of us has heard from her for months,” Reed adds. “Did something happen to her?”

They’re all watching me, and I’m relieved when the elevator doors open on our floor. I don’t think Daisy would want me blabbing about what she told me last night. Besides, my brothers would want to go kick some ass at home if they knew someone messed with her.

“I don’t really know,” I say as we step out into the hall. “She said some people were acting like dicks to her after we left. Teasing her and stuff. I think it messed with her head a little.”

Reed’s face clouds up. “That’s fucked up. Is she okay?”

“I think so.” I’ve reached my room, and I slide my card into the key slot, happy for an end to the conversation. “See you guys downstairs.”

“I’m just about done packing. Can I come in for a minute?” Levi asks as my brothers head toward their own rooms.

“Sure.”

Levi follows me in and plops down on the couch across from my bed. “So what’s going on with Daisy? I got the feeling you were being intentionally vague out there.”

I start shoving my discarded clothes into a duffle bag. “I just figure it’s her business if she wants to tell people.”

“Did she tell you anything?”

“She pretty much told me what I said. I didn’t tell them how bad it was, but I figure that’s her call if she wants people to know.”

He watches my face closely, as if trying to figure something out. Finally, he relaxes back into the cushions. “Yeah, you’re right. So, what do you think? She gonna stick around for a while?”

I zip my bag. “I hope so. We always planned for her to work on the tour with us last summer, you know?”

He nods. “And you’re feeling good about this?”

I look down at him, exasperated. “What the hell, man? I didn’t realize I signed up for therapy sessions with Dr. Bullshit.”

He laughs. That’s the thing about Levi. I can never really insult him because everything just rolls off his back. He’s the most easygoing person I’ve ever met.

“I’m just curious,” he says. “I wasn’t sure if you were pissed she dropped off the face of the earth without a warning or if you were happy to see her—or if it was some combination of both.”