Untamed

As guilty as I felt about Kellan spending his money on me, I was touched by his offer, and I felt a bond being strengthened. A brotherly bond as tight as family. Putting my hand on his shoulder, I sucked up my pride and told him, “Thank you, it’s been…hard. I’ll pay you back, of course. Double, triple, you name it.”

Kellan’s smile was soft when I pulled my hand away. “You only need to pay me back what you borrowed, Griffin. Family doesn’t charge interest.”

I felt like I could breathe freely after that. Sure, even with that monkey off my back, things were still tight living on just one income, but it felt good to know we were making it. And it felt even better to know there was a light at the end of the tu

The album released in April. There was a lot of hype behind it, thanks to the show, and to the a

Matt, Evan, and Kellan were as calm as could be. Liam was just giddy. He wanted to start playing live. He wanted to go on tour. He wanted his rock star life to start. And about four weeks before the album dropped, he got his wish. The five of us headed out on a massive promotional tour.

The first stop of the tour was back in L.A. Mom and Dad came down to the radio station with Matt’s parents to listen to their kids perform. Because I thought it would be fun for them to see behind the scenes of the radio station, I got them passes to join us inside the conference room where we were playing.

I texted A

A

Before we played the new single, the DJs asked us some questions. Surprisingly, most of them were directed at me. “So, why did you leave the band and what made you return?”

It seemed like that should be an easy question, but it really wasn’t. There were so many factors. I decided to simplify it though. “I left because I was an effing idiot. I came back because I…well, I think I grew up.”

The DJs laughed while Matt nodded like he agreed with me. Then one of the DJs said, “You technically didn’t win the right to join the band. How did it feel to lose to your brother?”

Again, a complicated question. Again, I answered as simply as possible. “I’d never expected to win, and my brother kicked ass during the competition, so I had no regrets over him wi

Liam gri

Matt, Evan, and Kellan all looked at each other, then Kellan pointed at Matt. “Go ahead. You take this one.”

Matt looked down, then up at me. “We saw Griffin’s growth and his potential.” He smiled at me, then shifted his eyes to the DJs. “We could have gone on without him, but it would have felt incomplete.” Smirking, he added, “The D-Bags just aren’t the same without their biggest D.”

The DJs laughed again, then we set up to play our new song. I was so nervous, I was shaking. But as soon as the intro started, the familiarity of playing hit me and all my nerves evaporated. It was just like we were back at rehearsal—no pressure, no one but us listening, nothing but good times and good music.

Our new song was extra special to me; I’d helped Kellan write it. We’d been talking one night about everything I’d gone through, all the ups and downs, and he’d said my story, my struggles, would make an awesome song. It was about having it all, then losing it, and trying to work your way back. It was probably the first D-Bags song that actually meant something to me…plus, I got to rap in it, which was freaking awesome.

Evan and Liam started us off with a mellow intro, then Kellan came in real quiet. But just one line. After that, I started my rhythmic rap. The DJs clearly weren’t expecting that, and seeing that I’d caught them off guard almost made me smile. I would have, if I wasn’t concentrating so hard. This begi

After the second chorus, the instruments mellowed again, but instead of me rapping, Kellan came in with a smooth solo. Listening to him made me appreciate his talent. He really was incredibly fucking good at this. The instruments kicked in again and Kellan took his voice up a notch—it gave me goose bumps. We rode out the song on a high note, and when it was over, all I wanted to do was play it again.

Everyone in the room clapped when we were done, and Mom even wiped some tears from her eyes. The texts and messages the station received were all positive, but I really wasn’t sure what the fans thought of the song until we stepped outside. The crowd had been listening to the radio station’s outdoor speakers, and the screams and cheers they let out when they saw us was damn near deafening. I immediately texted A

Her response was instant. Of course they did! I’m so proud of you, baby. She included a kissy face after that, and I suddenly wished I was home with her and the girls. All of this meant nothing without them.

We went back home after the promotional tour ended. The tour was a mammoth success, and the album debuted at number one. I was excited that the fans were eager for our new bigger and better sound, but I was even happier to be home in A

De

It was a party for the record books, and even though it felt good to have my banishment lifted from my favorite bar, I spent most of the night attached to A