Chapter 120 - Ain't Nobody Gonna Hurt You

After a few days of lightly looking, Dave was unable to locate Beth.  Jon has to leave for the tour.  He has a job to do, contracts to fill and was quite honestly sick of looking for her; waiting for her when she does this stuff.  

He always sends out the calvary, finds her - she comes home and the band aid works for a while, but not this time.  Jon has had no contact with best, not even so much as an answer to one of his texts  Using the find my iPhone app they are able to see that she's in Washington State.  But after a few days of looking for her, Jon tells Dave to wrap it up and come home.  

While they were planning Tony's wedding, Bon Jovi had to change some dates on the schedule.  Management wasn't able to work out the details at a couple of venues, so they had to move some stuff around.  

It's the end of show number one.  Jon is alone backstage in his dressing room.  The band just played a sold out show to 50,000 in Sydney, Australia.  Exhausted from the show and the time change, Jon takes a seat on the traveling couch and exhales deeply.  Feeling great about the show, he smiles knowing that they once again rocked Sydney.

"Your car is waiting.'  Jon hears Matt from the doorway.  "Are you ready?"

With a mumbling growl Jon replies, "Do I look ready?"

"We gotta get out of here." Matt says, with an urgency.  "They are already making their way to the back doors."  Matt is doing the job that he's paid to do, look out for his older brother, but there is no one that knows the workings of this business better than Jon.

"I can wait.  I just want so sit here." he states.

"But...."

Jon sits up, gives his brother the look and adds, "We can wait.  They'll thin out.  I don't want to go back to the hotel and sit in a quiet room all alone."

Matt gives Jon a look back and just leaves the room.  As he opens the door to step out, Jon can hear all the commotion and the chatter.  It's a sound that he loves to hate and hates to love.  He knows that he's in for a long wait, but he doesn't care.  He wants to soak it in and enjoy it like he hasn't for a very long time.  He kicks back and relaxes.

The Bongiovi children were left in New Jersey with Carol and Pete.  Pete did;t mind, it was all that she has done her whole adult life.  Wipe the noses and the asses of the Bongiovi children, day after day; year after year.  Carol drops by though to make sure that everything is okay, it's Pete that's entrusted for their care and well being, which she is paid handsomely for.  Stephanie and Jesse are back at school, Jacob and Romeo start back to school in a few days and the twins are a full time job.  And if there is anyone that can handle it all, it's Lupetta.

As Jon sits there and thinks about the show he just finished, pictures the beaming faces in the front row he reminds himself just how great his band is.  To himself he says, "We sold out shows before we even released the album, this has to be a first?"  

There's a loud knock on the door.  At first Jon ignores it, but it doesn't go away.  

BANG BANG BANG

He tries to ignore it agin, still doesn't go away.

"WHAT?" he yells.

The door creeps open slowly, "Do we really have to stay if you're not leaving?"  David questions Jon, having been told that they weren't leaving until a majority of the fans have left the area.  "Matt says we gotta wait?"

Jon takes the towel that lays on the couch next to him and wipes his face again.  He tries to shake off a little of the exhaustion to make room for the irritation that he feels for Matt right now, "No you don't.  I told Matt that I wasn't leaving yet."

"He has everyone held up in catering.  I wanna get out of here."  Dave states, turning to leave.  "Do you want to handle this or shall I?"  David keeps going, adding over his shoulder, "My kids are waiting for me."

With a loud sigh, Jon stands and makes his way out the door, down the hall and into catering.  Sure enough, everyone is in catering, all visibly anxious.  "Matt, what are you doing?"

"You said we were leaving after the crazies left."  Matt states, looking at his brother with a confident demeanor.

"I'M leaving then.  They should have left, you dumb ass.  Why would they have to stay?" Jon replies, animated to express his dissatisfaction, "Now they have to wait.  Jesus, Matt."

"Maybe you need to specify next time, Jon."  Matty snaps back, trying to save face with the band.  The band this is pissed off now that they have to hang out backstage for quite a while before they can leave and go be with their loved ones that are waiting for them at the hotel.

Jon firms his stance, gives his brother the look and tells him as a matter of fact, "You are the head of MY security.  Not theirs.  Look around, they all have their own bodyguards, Matt."  Jon gets louder with each word, in disbelief of what Matt just pulled.  "They have never had to wait with me, why in the fuck do you think we have multiple cars, vans and busses?"

As the band and support staff stand around and watch this ass chewing, one of them can't keep their mouth shut.  He's antsy and ready to add his two cents, so he does.  "From now on, I will take no orders from that ass.  We missed the window to get out of here and now we have to wait for what, over an hour before we can get out of here."  Richie chimes in, not even trying to hide his current distaste for Matt.  

"I won't risk it.  It's not like the cars can pull up to the doors."  Tico adds, "Like at other venues."

Mike Rew has to be part of the conversation as well, "There are about 150 girls back there too.  Even I wouldn't walk out there right now."

Just then a statement was added by one that rarely gets involved in their heated conversations, their bitchfests as she calls them.  "I was just casing up quick change and security had to escort two girls out.  One was hysterical and the other was cursing like a sailor, acting like she belonged down there."  Dawn lets them know.  

"I noticed that no one was in a hurry to get them out of here.  Usually they kick everyone out as they start taking down everything."  They hear Beth say from behind them.