Wheels of Steel Book 4 (4 page)

Jason was on the laptop when Robin sat up in bed. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 2 a.m.

He looked over his shoulder at her from his seat across the room where he was seated at a desk. He gave her a slight smile.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” He asked.

Robin climbed out of bed while shaking her head. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling his tight muscles. “What are you doing?”

“Reading information about the accident. It’s really big news in Japan—not so much here in the states,” Jason said with a tinge of disappointment. He knew that the fan base between Japan and America was different but he wanted to shout out to the world that one of his heroes was gone. Akita Tom was gone.

Robin lightly rubbed Jason’s shoulders while she joined him in reading the news about Akita Tom’s death.

Last night brought sad news for the underground hip hop community; it's been confirmed that Akita Tom (née Thomas Chancellor) died last night in a car accident in Tokyo. The Japanese hip hop DJ and producer was a mere 36 years old. News of his death was made public yesterday when his label Akita Productions issued a statement online. Akita’s family will hold a private burial in Japan.

Akita Tom was known around the world for his jazz-infused, sophisticated take on hip hop beats, and a melancholy, nostalgic undertone to his music that has made for some of the most beautiful tracks to emerge from the underground. In addition to making music and founding a record label, he also owned influential record stores in Tokyo (Genius Records, Ramen Records) and worked on the soundtrack for Samurai Hokoshu, Gobhi and Goliath and The Bushido Code a popular adult anime about a group of multi ethnic teens in 17
th
Century Japan.

Robin hugged Jason. Let’s listen to some of his music. Can we? We can play it low so that it won’t disturb anyone.

Jason nodded and she felt some of the tension release from his shoulders.

“Thank you for going to Japan with me-“ he began.

“Of course I’m going with you.” She sat on his lap and kissed him on the nose. “I liked Akita. And I wasn’t there the first time but I’ll be there this time. I’ll be there as long as you’re there.”

For the first time since hearing the news about his mentor’s death Jason smiled.

Belinda was able to send Jason and Robin’s passport to them by overnight mail and then the two were on the first available flight to Japan.  Mr. Edelson, Akita Tom’s assistant, arranged for the flights and paid for them. He had explained to Jason and Peter that he needed to talk to them concerning some legal aspects of Akita Tom’s estate. There was an unfinished album under Akita Tom’s record label, not to mention other works that had been contracted.

Jason spent hours on the phone talking to Mr. Edelson, Peter, in conference calls with Peter and his dad as well as with his own doctors.

The Baclofen was going to be a problem. Jason needed bi-weekly visits to doctors to regulate his intake. Although Jason didn’t feel that he had time to worry about missing a few doctors’ visits he also knew that not doing so could cost him his life.

He had to arrange for the Baclofen to be waiting for him, but more importantly he had to have doctors knowledgeable in the drug to properly dispense and monitor the amounts being dumped into his body.

When not talking on the cell phone Jason leaned his head against Robin’s shoulder and tried to sleep. It was hard to find enough peace to sleep. Akita Tom was gone, the man who had renewed his love for music making was no longer going to be there for him and Peter and now the world of music production seemed scary and far to complex for a person that just liked creating beats in his home studio.

Robin leafed through magazines with beautiful images of people who were an intriguing mixture of traditional culture and modernized western influences. She was excited about her trip even while she was saddened by Jason’s loss. She looked at him sleeping soundly against her shoulder. His unruly red hair haloed his head and she resisted the urge to place a kiss on the top of his curls.

Freckles covered his pale skin and a shadow of a beard was beginning to appear on his jaw and chin. He had eyes that were green and flecked with chocolate and gold. But those eyes could darken when he was angry … or aroused. He was as passionate and volatile as his red hair suggested—but he was also vulnerable and loving.

Robin leaned over and she kissed his forehead. He was so tired that he didn’t stir. She sighed and as she gazed down at his peaceful face, and Robin wondered how she would ever protect her heart when it came to Jason. She could resist any of the men that constantly approached her after her singing gigs. She had dismissed men that could have been underwear models. But when it came to Jason Hamilton, she couldn’t resist him. He made her throb and he sent her heart racing—even without a touch or a word.

She knew that they loved each other with the same intensity, but Jason had a star on his name. He was going to be famous and she wondered how that would affect him—and if it would then impact their relationship.

After a nine hour flight the plane finally landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Jason grimaced when he stood. His body felt stiff and he was just grateful for a flight with no layovers—thank you James Edelson.

He and Robin were allowed to be the first to disembark and Mr. Edelson said that there would be a car waiting for them. Jason had earned a jab to the arm when he advised Mr. Edelson to make sure the car was big enough to accommodate Robin’s entire luggage. Robin was just happy that she had packed as much as she had. She had looked at the prices in Tokyo and she would not be going on any shopping sprees.

As the two made their way to the terminal Robin saw a sign that said simply WOS, being held over the head of a young Asian man that looked like a teenager.

“Is that us?” she asked as she began to walk in that direction.

Jason caught her hand. “No. Mr. Edelson is over here.”

Robin turned and saw that indeed, the neatly dressed white haired man was waiting for them with a broad smile. Robin then noticed that there were other people holding signs over their heads. Some said Top, some said Wheels of Steel and a few signs read
Soul Horizon
, which was the name of the first collaboration album between Wheels of Steel and Akita Tom.

Robin stared with her mouth agape until Jason tugged her arm and urgently whisked her in the direction of Mr. Edelson who quickly boarded them into a mobile luggage cart. A driver in uniform was already behind the wheel.

A moment later a girl screamed. “TOP! It’s Top!”

By then they were already driving away. Jason and Robin craned their necks at the twenty or so teens that were trying to catch sight of them. Uniformed security kept the fans from chasing the cart.

Robin looked at Jason who was equally as surprised.

“Jeez,” she said, “Did you know you had groupies?”

Jason’s mouth was still open as he shook his head. “J just said that there would be a luggage cart waiting so that I wouldn’t have to try to navigate through the crowd …”

Mr. Edelson placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “We have no idea how they figured out which flight you were arriving on. We got Belinda and Peter through easily with only a few fans waiting in the terminal.” Mr. Edelson didn’t seem surprised that there were fans waiting for Jason as he gave a quick glance at the disappearing throng of yelling people.

Jason looked at Mr. Edelson. “J, maybe we should go back so that I can sign some autographs.”

Mr. Edelson smiled. “No, that’s not a good idea. You can sign autographs at the events—that way we’ll have the adequate security available.”

Security?
Robin thought, still in a state of disbelief. Jason wasn’t a shooting star. He was already a star.

They were driven straight to a waiting limousine.

“Wait, what about our luggage?” Robin stated before she would climb into the large vehicle.

“No worries.” Mr. Edelson stated. “Your luggage will be waiting for you at the house.”

Jason was just getting ready to step into the limo when he stopped. “Akita’s house?”

“Yes, is that alright?” Mr. Edelson asked.

Jason gave Robin a pensive look. “Robin … uh, that’s where Y and Amberly are living …”

Robin’s face fell, but she quickly caught herself. This wasn’t about her this was about Jason.

She gave him a quick smile. “It’s fine, Jason.”

Mr. Edelson looked over his shoulder where several young fans had evidently recognized Jason—or perhaps they recognized his red hair because they were yelling in excitement and coming towards them at a rapid rate.

“I suggest we continue this conversation inside the limo.”

Robin quickly climbed in, followed by Jason and then Mr. Edelson who had to block the door with his body to prevent three girls waving papers to be autographed to bowl them over.

“J, roll down the window and let me sign a few.” Jason said.

The older man didn’t seem to think it was a very good idea but the smile on Jason’s face as he spent the next five minutes signing autographs and thanking the fans was enough to put an end to the protests.

“Now we really must go,” Mr. Edelson said with a distinct British accent. “We have more than a two hour drive to the house.”

Two hours!
Robin thought. She was tired, she had her period and another two hours after the nine-hour flight was not good news. Tokyo seemed to be just as hot as Atlanta while the plane had been nearly frigid.

“Babe, we are going to have to make a pit stop.” She tried to whisper to Jason.

“Yeah, J,” Jason said while placing a hand over hers to let her know that he had no problem with it. “My girl has the bladder of an acorn-“

Robin swatted him playfully.

“And I need to hit the head—you can’t do much in the toilet of an airplane.”

Robin looked at him in disbelief that he was talking about his bodily needs with the stiff and proper Mr. Edelson. And was he calling the man ‘J’?

“Of course. We can take a respite once we leave the terminal—that is, if your needs can be held for fifteen minutes or so?”