Last Name

Chapter Ten

3 Months Later....

Brantley's POV

I grumbled missing the chord I was trying to play but the melody just wouldn't come out right. I glanced at the time knowing PJ would be coming to drag me off the bus soon. This summer leg of the tour had been hell. I'd been irritable and just plain out grouchy. I had logged more time on my bike than I had in a while just because I couldn't sit still with my thoughts. Was supposed to be writing for the next album, yea that wasn't happening. I'd been in a funk ever since the beginning of June and my attitude showed no signs of improving.

I'd finally given up on trying to call Charli when I'd figured out she had blocked me. I had no idea where she was. I'd had PJ on it but so far nothing. Everything had seemed fine; the papers had come in two weeks after we had gotten back from St. Lucia. I'd been on the phone when she'd come back in from running an errand. That night she'd been kind of quiet saying she didn't feel all that well. Next morning, BAM.... I had come downstairs to find her gone. I had a suspicion Mama knew something, but she was locked up tighter than Fort Knox on that.

Hearing a pounding on the bus door, I put my guitar aside and grabbed my hat off the couch slipping it on backwards before heading out the door. I had just locked the bus door and turned around when all I saw coming at me was a fist and a ring that I got an up close, personal view that said USMC on it before the world went black.

The next thing I knew, I woke up sprawled out on the concrete beside my bus to Kid leaning over me with a cigarette half hanging out of his mouth laughing so hard he could barely stand up. As hard as he was laughing, made me wonder just what was in his cigarette. PJ was leaning over his shoulder with a satisfied smirk on his face. They both held a hand out to me pulling me up. I grabbed my jaw wincing as I moved it to make sure it wasn't broken. I didn't think it was, but damn did it hurt.

"Dudddddddeeee," Kid boomed with another laugh before taking a drag of his cigarette. "You just got knocked the fuck out!"

"Bout time someone knocked some sense into him," PJ grumbled with a sigh. "Not sure what he did to run Charli off but he's been a miserable son of a bitch ever since."

"Oh that's right," Kid said rubbing his beard taking a drag. "That's the girl he got drunk and married in Vegas years ago. She was gorgeous. Didn't take any shit off him did she?"

"Hell no," PJ snickered. "Sassy Belle put him in his place."

"Helllooo.....Fuck you both! I'm standing right there!" I growled clenching my fists. "Who the fuck hit me?"

"I did," I heard snapped behind me and I felt my face growing pale. I turned around to see the Colonel standing there glaring at me. If looks could kill, I was a dead man. I almost didn't recognize him dressed in jeans and a MARINES t-shirt. Hell, I didn't even know he was back stateside. He pointed a long finger at me still glaring. "Be glad that is all I did. I could have very well shot your dumbass. Don't worry, the jaw isn't broken. I know you have a job to do."

"What did I do?" I yelled before I thought about it. His dark eyes that were identical to Charli's narrowed as his lips flattened into a tight line.

"You made my pumpkin cry you asshole!" the Colonel yelled at me stalking over to get in my face. "Before I went back a few months ago, you promised me that you would take care of her! Then the little prick puts her through the ringer in the press pretty much calling her a whore. But she had you so I wasn't worried but now this!"

"I don't even know where she is!" I yelled back waving my hands around. "I woke up one morning and she was gone! Wouldn't answer my phone calls. I've tried to find her and no luck. Hell she's blocked my number."