Read Online The Devil's Metal by Karina Halle - Free Book Online Page B

the couch were cupboards and a small stack of 8-track tapes
and books. Further back, there was a closet, and then two bunk beds
tucked into the side. Behind Noelle and Mickey was another set of
two forward-facing seats, and behind that a tiny kitchen consisting
of a mini fridge, sink, and one burner. I couldn’t tell what was in
the back but I assumed it was a bathroom and more beds. It was a
nice bus…or it would have been in 1965. Now it was down at its
heels, a victim of too many wild tours.
    “Our driver’s pretty cool too,” Robbie went
on to say. “He used to drive around Elvis. He has many stories. We
have yet to get him drunk to hear them, but we have plans. Ain’t
that right, Boyo?”
    Mickey nodded and lit the joint at his lips.
After inhaling and passing to Noelle, he let out a slow puff of air
that drifted off into the bus’s already smoky atmosphere. “Yeah. If
Bob doesn’t have a heart attack on us.”
    “So why did they send you here?” I heard
Graham say from beside me.
    “Pardon me?”
    “Creem,” he explained, nostrils flaring
slightly.
    I gave him a look. His harping on about this
was getting on my nerves.
    “I don’t know,” I replied. “Jacob arranged
this, why don’t you go ask him?”
    Okay. So chiding the members of the band
that I was supposed to interview probably wasn’t the best idea.
    And then I remembered. I looked beside me at
Robbie, still finding it unnerving that he was just inches away,
our hips touching on the seat. “Speaking of Jacob, he’s outside the
gate. He gave me his pass because I didn’t have one. He said he
wants one of you to go get him.”
    Robbie shook his head and reached over for
the joint dangling from Mickey’s slightly shaking fingers. “Rusty,
don’t worry about The Cob. That’s rule number one on the bus.
Having Jacob around is like having a creepy babysitter who owes
money to the mob.”
    “I swear Jacob is the mob,” Mickey said in
between coughs. “Even the names rhyme.”
    “That’s brilliant,” Robbie told him, blowing
smoke in his face. “You should start writing lyrics for the
band.”
    “Go fuck yourself,” Mickey replied.
    “I’ve tried. My dick was too big.” Robbie
leaned back in the seat, his legs spread open, knee bumping against
mine. My goodness he had on tight pants.
    I looked away and cleared my throat.
    Noelle got off of Mickey’s lap, making
annoyed noises.
    “I’ll go get Jacob,” she said, reaching for
a pass that was hanging off a cupboard knob. She looked back at
Mickey and he tapped the side of his nose.
    “Could you two be any more obvious?” Graham
said.
    “Shut up, Graham,” she retorted over her
skinny shoulder and flounced down the stairs and out of the
bus.
    “You do drugs, Rusty?” Mickey said with
glazed eyes.
    I could feel everyone looking at me.
    “I smoke a little dope from time to time,” I
admitted.
    “No coke?” he asked.
    I shook my head.
    “Acid?” asked Chip.
    “Quaaludes?” asked Robbie.
    “No.” I felt like I should elaborate with
some excuse but there wasn’t really much to say other than the fact
that I didn’t do hard drugs. I’d seen what my mother had gone
through on prescription meds and that was enough for me.
    Robbie put his hand over mine and squeezed
it. It was warm, and his lovely well-formed fingers were delicate
and soft. “Good for you. More for us then.”
    He took another toke of the joint then
added, “But don’t quote us on that.”
    “Yeah, maybe don’t quote us on anything
until we say when,” Mickey mused, suddenly sounding concerned.
    “You’re just thinking about Noe. Your woman
is going to get in trouble,” Robbie said to him.
    “No,” Graham spoke up. “You’re going to get
us in trouble. You always do. Starting with hitting on the hack
here.”
    I shot Graham another glare. Did he and
Noelle make some sort of deal to tag team me?
    Robbie took his hand away, looking
chagrined.
    “Sorry, I can be too friendly.”
    Chip snorted.