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Milo

“Are you guys ready?” Milo asked, turning his Chevelle onto Alvarado. “Only one week away.”

Leaf blew smoke out the open window and glanced over his shoulder at Tristan, who didn’t seem inclined to respond. Sprawled on the backseat with his head reclined on the cushion and eyes shut, Tristan enjoyed the breeze. With a smile, Leaf turned back to the front. Seeing Tristan so relaxed had a calming effect on him.

“I’m a little nervous,” Leaf admitted.

“You?” Milo exclaimed. “That’s hard to believe, my friend.”

“I know the album is good, but will the critics see it the same way?”

“Well, you set the bar pretty high with the first album,” Milo said with a wink. “You kind of brought this on yourselves.”

“Yeah … In a way, we can only mess it up.”

“I’m not worried,” Tristan chimed in from behind, leaning forward between the two front seats.

“Not at all?” Leaf asked, though it didn’t surprise him much. Tristan had a good sense of what was good.

“Not at all,” Tristan replied casually. “If Milo says the album is good, then it is.”

Leaf raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. Milo burst out laughing as he stopped at a red light.

“Ha! Of course, little brother. When I tell you that you’ve recorded a legendary second album destined to go down in rock history, you better believe it.”

“I told you.” Tristan settled back in his chair with a satisfied smile.

Leaf chuckled as he extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray. “Yeah, you were right about the first album too,” he admitted inevitably. “Why should you be wrong this time?”

“I never go wrong with these things, my friend.” Milo grinned broadly. “I’ve got a sixth sense for this stuff.”

Leaf suddenly felt Tristan wrap his arms around him from behind and plant a kiss on his cheek. “You don’t need to be afraid,” he whispered into his ear, sending a cool shiver down Leaf’s spine. “Our songs are awesome, and people will love them. And if they don’t, remember: I love you more than anything.”

Leaf shifted his head and found Tristan’s warm lips. “I love you too.”

The intimate moment was interrupted by the annoying ringtone of Milo’s phone. Tristan slumped back into the backseat as Milo pulled his phone from his back pocket, glanced briefly at the screen, and answered the call.

“Yeah? Hello?” he said, changing lanes.

They were on their way to Santa Monica, and Tristan was adamant about stopping for a funnel cake before the tour. The idea of indulging in that greasy pastry made Leaf cringe. He couldn’t care less that the best ones were on the pier; he’d follow Tristan anywhere just to spend time with him. With the upcoming tour looming, Leaf cherished every moment with the two brothers even more. He had missed Milo during the last tour. Their conversations always lifted his spirits.

But seeing Diego’s name flash on the phone screen made him uneasy. Even though Milo hadn’t put it on speaker, Leaf could still hear Diego’s voice quite clearly.

“Where are you?” he heard him say over the phone with a strong Spanish accent.

“On Alvarado,” Milo replied.

“Oh, that’s convenient. Could you do me a favor?”

“I’m on my way to Santa Monica.”

“Please! It’s just a quick stop on the way. I would do it myself, but I have something else going on here.”

Leaf rolled his eyes. Considering he had worked for Diego Garcia himself for a few years, he could only imagine what kind of favor it could be.