Keys to Love (28 page)

Kenny shrugged. “I really don’t care so long as you’re not pulling the crap he does.” He pointed to Jesse with his thumb,
226 S.J. Frost

then looked at Morgan. “And you seem pretty cool. You like sports, man?”

Morgan nodded. “You name it, I watch it.”

“Awesome!” Kenny said, holding up his hand for a high five.

Morgan slapped their hands together.

Julian glanced at Brad. He left Morgan’s side and sat on the couch beside him. He laid his hand on Brad’s knee. “I’m so sorry, Brad. You’re right. I should’ve told you, if no one else. You’re one of my best friends and I know I haven’t shown it with how I’ve acted the past few weeks.”

Brad kept his eyes turned away. “I just kept waiting for you to come to me about it, not understanding why you weren’t, then Jesse and Evan pulled me and Kenny together to tell us what they were thinking about you guys. I was surprised, but I guess I don’t really know what I was expecting.” He slowly turned his head and looked at him. “Maybe part of it’s my fault for not pushing you harder to talk.”

“No, you have no blame in this. I just hope we can put it behind us. I don’t want our friendship to be damaged.”

Brad laid his hand over Julian’s. “It’s not. I just need a little time to let the hurt heal.” His gaze turned to Morgan, his voice dipped to a gruffer tone. “And to get to know him and make sure he’s good enough for you.”

“He’s too good for me.” Julian leaned forward and hugged him.

Brad squeezed him and gave him a couple pats on the back.

Morgan moved over to them and looked at Brad. “I know you and Jules are good friends and I don’t want to come between you guys. I really hope we can become friends, too.” He held his hand down to Brad.

Brad gazed at it for a moment before he took it. “Yeah.”

Jesse took a seat in a chair near the couch. “Now that we’ve got everything cleared up, we have to tackle the bigger problem.

I’m assuming you already know about your piano.”

Keys to Love
227

“Morgan and I were discussing it just before you came in.”

Jesse smirked at him. “You must’ve been talking really closely then.”

Julian gave him an exasperated look. “Don’t even start with the jokes.”

Jesse snickered. “Sorry, but you’re going to have to deal with it. I’ve got weeks of jokes to catch up on.”

Julian laughed. “Yeah, I’m getting a clear vision of my punishment.”

Evan sat on the arm of Jesse’s chair. “Before we came in, what were you guys saying about everything?”

“Julian was thinking it might not be him or the band someone’s trying to get at, but me,” Morgan said.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Evan said. “Have you fought with any of the other staff? Done or said something to offend someone?”

Morgan shook his head. “I’ve gotten along with everyone.

Well, except Kurt, but he doesn’t get along with anybody.”

“Does anyone know about you and Julian?” Evan asked.

“Not from my mouth, they don’t.”

“You’re spending your nights together, right?”

Both Morgan and Julian nodded.

“Then who are you rooming with, and what have you told them about why you’re not in your room at night?”

Morgan tensed. “My roommate’s Remmy.” He told them of his conversation with Remmy after he had returned to his hotel room from his and Julian’s first night on the road together.

Evan shared a look with Jesse, then brought his gaze to Morgan. “So he seemed uncomfortable when you said you were gay?”

“Well, I don’t know if it was uncomfortable or shocked.”

Jesse fell back against the chair. “That’s going to really suck if
228 S.J. Frost

it’s Remmy. I thought he was pretty cool.”

“I’m not ready to put full blame on him yet,” Evan said.

“Whether it’s Remmy or someone else, they’ve already struck twice, they’ll do it again, so we need to be ready for them.”

Kenny cut in. “I think it’s weird they’re always going after the piano. Why aren’t they going after Jules’s keyboards if they’re targeting him? He’s the only one who plays them during shows, but he shares the piano with Jesse.”

“Yeah, but the piano is his,” Jesse said. “This was his personal concert piano he used on the last tour, and he’s owned for years.

I’m just borrowing it during shows.”

Julian sighed. “I haven’t even seen it yet. Have you?”

Jesse’s expression filled with sympathy. “Yeah. I think it’s better if you don’t see it.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Ev thinks someone took a sledgehammer to it.”

Julian choked out a shocked cough. Morgan wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer.

“But…but how could you tell?” Julian stammered.

Evan’s gaze went to Julian. “First off, even if it and none of the other equipment was secured in the truck, the ride here wasn’t rough enough for everything to get thrown around with such force to the do the damage done to it. Second, when I was looking at the wood, I saw a couple half circle indents, like the wood broke lower or higher where the hammer impacted.”

Jesse winked up at him. “That’s my Inspector Ev.”

Morgan spoke softly. “To smash something like that takes a lot of strength and a lot of violence.”

“And a lot of anger,” Evan added. “Which is why I need a favor from you.”

“Anything,” Julian said.

“I need you to have your mahogany grand shipped to you.”

Keys to Love
229

Julian shook his head. “I love that piano! It took me forever to find one like it. It’s an antique! I’d never find another with its sound.”

Evan locked his gaze with Julian’s. “And it’s dear to you.”

Julian stared back at him. He looked to Morgan for help.

Morgan gave him a squeeze. “I’m sorry, but if it’ll bring out this psycho, we need to do it. His plan makes perfect sense to me.”

Julian let out a whimper and hung his head. “Fine. But I’ll have to go back to Chicago. The only person with a key to my place is Brandon.” He felt Morgan’s arm around his shoulders twitch and looked at him, seeing his tense jaw muscles. “It’s only so he can check on things while I’m gone. He does the same for Jesse and Evan.”

“He’s Jesse’s brother, so it’s expected,” Morgan said between clenched teeth.

Jesse chuckled. “Looks like you got a jealous one there, Jules.”

Morgan shot him an unappreciative look.

Evan brought the conversation back. “If you’re comfortable with Brandon and Shunichi going into your place, there’s no need for you to go back home. They can handle meeting the haulers, and they might even be able to come down with it.”

“I’m fine with them going in and getting it moved, but I don’t think it’s necessary for them to come down.”

“Then it’s settled,” Evan said. “Let’s hope this works.”

Jesse stood up. “And now, we need to start thinking about getting ready to rock this joint.”

Julian slowly rose to his feet. “I’d like to take a moment to see my piano first, just to help convince me the risk I’m taking with my grand at home is worth it.”

Jesse headed toward the door. “If you really think you have to, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Julian and Morgan followed with Brad and Kenny behind.

230 S.J. Frost

Evan stopped Jesse before he opened the door and turned to them. “There’s just one more thing. You guys came out to us, so I take it that means you’re ready to be open with everyone.”

Julian nodded. “We are.”

“Good. Then I want you guys hanging all over each other every chance you get around the staff.”

“I’m fine with that, but why?”

“He’s adding fuel to the fire,” Morgan answered for Evan.

Evan nodded. “I have another thought this whole thing could be based in jealousy, and whether that’s it or it’s something else, like someone not comfortable with Morgan being gay, then you two openly flaunting it will agitate both factors.”

“There’s one other problem, though,” Morgan said.

“What’s that?” Evan asked.

“Kurt. He can’t stand me. He’s been one step from firing me since I started, and he would’ve today, if he wasn’t so pissed he couldn’t get the words out.”

“I’ll handle Kurt.”

Morgan looked at Julian and held out his hand. “Then shall we?”

Julian smiled and placed his hand in Morgan’s. “Yes, we shall.”

They followed Jesse and Evan to the back of the arena. They walked outside, since the broken piano never got as far as being unloaded.

The back of the semi was open. Julian gasped as he saw the black grand lying inside, half of it held up by only one leg, like a wounded animal still struggling to rise. He stopped and stared, then took a few hesitant steps closer. He climbed into the trailer and stood over his broken instrument. Morgan and the others watched him from the outside.

Julian shook his head slightly. “How could someone do this much damage without anyone hearing?”

“Depends on what time they did it,” Evan said. “If it was in Keys to Love
231

the middle of the night, after everything was loaded, there would only be a handful of guards watching the trucks. If they’re not watching closely, or a few take a break together, someone could sneak in and do it. They could’ve hid in the truck behind the crates while it was being loaded and waited for their chance. They might’ve even stayed inside during transport, then when it was time for it to be unloaded, ducked out. Since there’s no damage on the doors, I’m leaning that way.”

Jesse turned to Evan. “I know it’ll take forever, but we should have someone interview the staff to see where everyone was last night.”

Evan put his arm around Jesse’s shoulders. “Good idea, gorgeous. I’ll talk to Sam about it.”

“Who’s Sam?” Morgan asked.

“The head of our security,” Evan answered.

“Kurt could probably help out with what staff was on that night, too,” Kenny said.

Evan let out a humorless snort. “Kurt’s going to be getting questioned with everyone else, if not harder. I have zero trust in him.”

Julian knelt and picked up a shattered piece of wood from the panel. He gently ran his fingers over the slick black surface.

He looked at them, his voice trembling with anger. “I want the person found who did this.”

“We’ll find them,” Morgan said.

Julian placed the piece of wood down and moved to leave the trailer. He glanced back at it a final time, then jumped out. He took Morgan’s hand and marched toward the stadium without looking back again.

Morgan sat beside Evan in the empty stadium, watching Julian and the others on stage doing a sound check. In the week since they stopped hiding their relationship, not a great deal changed except their lives were easier and so much better. He even started taking Chopin jogging in the morning with Jesse and his dogs.

Since Jesse ran almost everyday, his endurance was unbelievable and he couldn’t believe how fast Jesse was. Lucky for him, Jesse was nice enough to slow his running to a jog so he could keep up and to shorten the distance for him, then would hit a treadmill afterward to do his full routine.

He’d gotten to know all the band members fairly well. He learned that Jesse, while arrogant, had a kind and caring heart, which he guessed anyway from how good he treated Chopin.

Kenny was laidback and easy to get along with, always ready to talk about sports or his girlfriend. He noticed one of Jesse’s favorite pastimes was teasing Kenny, who would often ignore him, which only spurred Jesse to keep going until he got a rise out of Kenny, but Kenny always ended up in laughter, and it was clear he enjoyed the attention. As an outsider looking in, he thought they acted as much like siblings as they did friends.

Brad had a sweet natured personality, but there was still some tension between them. Things seemed fine with Brad and Julian, but he knew Brad blamed him for Julian’s distance over the past few weeks. He tried his best to stay cool and nice with him, hoping to gain his friendship for Julian’s sake, and also because if Brad decided to start badmouthing him like he knew Brad had with other guys, he’d have to confront him, which would probably turn ugly real fast.

Evan kept the guys focused and organized, but also happy.

Out of everyone, Morgan felt the strongest connection with him, maybe because he knew Evan was working on keeping Julian safe, but also he felt comfortable around him. In his time watching
234 S.J. Frost

everyone, he caught that Evan was aloof with most people, but not with him. Maybe since he was Julian’s partner, Evan already considered him part of the inner circle.

Morgan did notice many of the other roadies didn’t rejoice for him and his relationship with Julian, the news of which he was certain had spread to every staff member in less than five minutes. He still continued to do his job; he traveled with the staff rather than the band, even though he was growing weary of it and wanted to be with Julian instead.

He didn’t let it show outwardly, though, and thought he hid his emotions better than others. He saw open resentment in some.

With others, he saw more smiles and friendliness, but they were a façade, people sucking up to him because of his connection to Julian. It gave him an idea of what life must be like for Julian and the guys on a daily basis, never knowing who they could trust, who genuinely liked them or who was showing kindness because of their status. He never thought about the challenges of being famous until now, when he was thrown in the middle of it.

Remmy didn’t seem changed by the news, but then, he’d grown distant ever since Morgan had told him he was gay. Kurt, however, was one of the people wearing a false smile. Kurt no longer pushed him to do tasks beyond his job, he didn’t yell or degrade him; he didn’t force him to work endless hours. All of it pissed him off. Not necessarily the better treatment, but that it should’ve been given to him from the start, and he wondered who had taken his place on Kurt’s shit-list.

One thing he could say, he was getting used to Julian spoiling him. Part of him rebelled against it, on the inside. But more of him had fun with it because he saw how happy it made Julian.