Page 57 of Bulletproof
“Security answers to Felix, not us. If you know anything about Felix, it’s that he doesn’t take one ounce of bullshit.”
Travis pressed his lips together.“I don’t know what to say about your relationship with your manager. I don’t have one, but I never imagined that a manager could be such a hard-ass and have your back every step of the way.”
“Felix is a lot of things. He’s super annoying with his attention to detail. He watches over us like an overprotective mother. He’s got a half-dozen sets of eyes on us at all times. He doesn’tmiss a fucking trick. He’s also the reason we rose to the top so quickly and why we’re still there. He keeps us sane. He keeps us grounded. He never lets anyone take advantage of us. He got us twice the fucking money that the label originally offered us. He negotiates our contract, with a string of lawyers of course, but each deal is better than the last. He’s not free. He earns his money. He takeshis fair share. It’s our pie, but he gets a nice piece of it.”
“It sounds like I need someone like him.”
“We bust his balls. Give him a hard time. Drive him crazy. But we fuckin’ love him.” He pressed his knuckle into Travis’ shoulder. “He’s ours. Get your own Felix.”
Travis laughed and rubbed his arm. “Chill. I’m not stealing your manager.”
The elevator doors opened and Derek rushed into the lobby with Travis, just in case the bodyguard had woken up and followed them, and stopped at the concierge’s desk. “We need a cab. ASAP.”
“Of course, sir, but at this hour taxis aren’t lined up. It will probably be a 15-minute wait before a car arrives.”
They didn’t have 15 minutes. “I can’t wait that long.”
“I know. I’m starved,” Travis agreed. “And we gotta find someplace that’s open.”
“That’s not an issue,” the concierge replied. “There’s a 24-hour diner about 10 miles up the road.” The concierge picked up the handset to a landline. “Shall I call a taxi, sir?”
Derek looked over his shoulder to make sure the bodyguard wasn’t coming up behind him. “OK. We’ll wait outside.”
It was just as quiet in front of the hotel as in the lobby, but at least they were camouflaged by the night. Still, Derek knew that if the bodyguard was looking for them, they had nowhere to hide. “We gotta get the hell out of here.”
“What choice do we have? Either we call an Uber or wait for the taxi. Unless you got a car.”
“I don’t have a car.” Derek pulleda key ring from his pocket and jingled it in front of Travis. “But I got a tour bus.”
“You have keys to the tour bus?”
“Yep. Do you have any idea how many times we’re in and out of the bus every night? One of us always needs something. Mike, our driver, finally just gave each of us a set of keys.”
“Do you know how to drive a bus?”
“I can’t imagineit’s that fucking hard. It’s like a big car.”
“Then let’s go.”
Derek opened the door to the tour bus and they climbed inside. He sat in the driver’s seat, held the huge wheel in his hand, and looked at the massive length behind him. “Shit. This thing is big.”
Travis stepped into the back of the bus and took a seat on the couch that lined the wall. “This busis so fucking cool.” He listed the amenities. “Killer stereo system. Flat screen. Gorgeous leather couches. Look at that giant fridge!”
“Bulletproof travels in style!” Derek turned over the engine, slammed the bus into gear, and put his foot on the gas. Empowered at navigating the heavy machine through the parking lot, his energy level skyrocketed. “Woo hoo! We’re off!” he shoutedenthusiastically.
“Let me drive.” Travis stood next to Derek at the front of the bus.
“No way. Felix would have my ass if he knew I took the bus. He’d have your balls.”
Travis covered his crotch and winced. “Never mind. You can drive.”
The neon light up ahead announced 24 hours of burgers, breakfast, and wings, and Derek’s mouth salivated atthe thought of sinking his teeth into a juicy burger and fries.
A bar across the street displayed a billboard showcasing a local band, and it looked like the place had just emptied into the street. Small groups of people were milling around talking, and others were headed to the diner.
The gravel crunched under the tires, sending a splatter of pebbles bouncing off theundercarriage of the bus as they pulled into the parking lot. Derek hit the brakes and they came to a jerky stop.
“Smooth.” Travis laughed. “I see those driving lessons are really paying off.”
