Page 41 of Not the Punk

“Anything,” Kay said at the same time.

“Help me figure out how to get Colten to move in with me.”

Don clapped and rubbed his hands together. “We nee-eed a pwan.”

Kay snorted a laugh. “Is that from Princess Bride?”

Don bumped into him. “No. It’s from Fievel Goes West. Duh.”

“Guys. Focus.”

“Right.” Don grabbed a piece of paper, and we started figuring out how to convince Colten. I sure hoped it would be easier than they made it seem.

Chapter eighteen

Colten at a Fire

We pulled up to the old warehouse building, and my crew did their thing. We operated like a well-oiled machine, and we should. We trained a lot for all different scenarios and knew how to handle a fire from experience as well. What we faced all seemed normal, or as normal as a warehouse fire could be. Until it didn’t.

I went in wearing full turnout gear. The front of the building was a bunch of offices, and we cleared them fast, then pushed farther into the building. Jack went to the left while Porter watched our backs. Straight ahead was a room that spanned the back. I kicked the door and went in, looking for anyone who might be trapped. I could tell the fire was winding down, being put out by the rest of our crew, so I wasn’t concerned about anything else, when, without warning, the ceiling fell on top of me.

Heavy, hot, darkness…

Chapter nineteen

Joe in Atlanta

We made it through another sound check, working with techs, and tuning everything to perfection. In front of the stage, the Soul Shred guys were fooling around. They weren’t really distracting us, but they were definitely making their presence known. Matty, their singer’s Little, was there, but he was playing with Don backstage and Saxon was watching them. That kid constantly needed a babysitter for sure. I hoped they’d stay out of trouble. The guys in the band were joking around.

“Run through that riff in Win.” Laz got my attention. He messed with the board as I fingered the fret.

“Sure.” I let loose. It was one of my favorite songs.

“Cool. Cool. Thanks, boss. Think we’re ready.”

“Sounds good for sure.”

Laz was an excellent guitarist, and I knew damn well that he could play everything I did. It could have easily been him in my place. The only real difference was that Jinx had my number. I’d worked with him in the studio a few times after we met on that reality show. I may have had punk beginnings, but I had a lot of talent and learned a lot of different styles, including the pop shit Jinx had played when Midnight Hunt was on their long-extended break and the heavy rock we played now.

“Joe. Joe.” Don ran up to the stage, waving his arms.

“What? What is it?”

He gasped a deep breath. “Colten is in the hospital. He’s okay but wants to talk with you.”

I didn’t have my new phone yet, and we’d all decided to turn my current one off. So I wasn’t surprised when he handed me his phone.

“Colten? Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine, but it was a close call.”

“What happened?” I sat on the floor right there, unwilling to move until I heard what he had to say. My heartbeat ran overtime, and my breath came harder. I had to slow down. The last thing I needed was a full-blown panic attack.

“We went out on a call last night and part of the ceiling collapsed on me. Thankfully, Jack and Porter were right there, and they pulled me out.” I didn’t know who those guys were, but I owed them a lot.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Daddy?” I didn’t like his dangerous job, and I was trying to figure out how to get him to quit in the back of my mind, even if it wasn’t fair.

“I am. I’m fine, but it could have been a lot worse, plus now the fire Marshal at the Arson and Bomb Unit says it looks like arson.”