Surprise of a Lifetime (Sequel to Poison Rose)

One

Nashville, Tenn

        June, 2026

The woman now known as Aerin Dall-McKagan couldn't help the deliriously stupid smile on her face as she walked outta BNA International in Nashville, Tenn. Fresh off the honeymoon trip she'd taken with her second husband, Guns n' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, she couldn't help being in a great mood. She'd needed some kinda trip that didn't involve her kids–even though she loved Zeppelin and Zephyrine with every fiber of her being–for a long Time. Maybe a handfasting wasn't quite the same thing as a marriage the likes of which most of society was familiar with, but as far as she was concerned, it was still marriage all the same–and therefore, it required a honeymoon trip.

        As she'd gotten to baggage claim to grab her luggage before it disappeared into what she and both husbands called the airport void, she'd decided to make a quick check of her phone. She knew that Duff was likely still in the Air–they mighta both started out in their honeymoon destination of Williamsburg, Virginia, but he was flying back to his home in Seattle, Washington. But just 'cuz he was still in the Air didn't necessarily mean her first husband, Poison bassist Bobby Dall, hadn't tried to get in touch with her.

        Part of her wasn't surprised to see her phone light up to reveal a text from said first husband, and her smile only grew as she turned to head outta the airport. The thing that surprised her was the content of that text, which wasta let her know that he'd taken their kidsta the home of a couple they were close friends with. Apparently, there'd been some emergency at the restaurant he owned that he'd to respond to with a quickness.

        Unlocking her truck once she finally got to it, Aerin'd no doubt that her Silver Fox of a husband had taken their kidsta the home of Ash and Aidan Purdy. Aidan was an occasionally hot-tempered ginger she'd met online and befriended due to a mutual Love of writing–particularly the controversial genre of fan-fiction–nearly a decade ago. Ash was the former bassist of Black Veil Brides who'd helped her out in more ways than one, but mostly financially, when she'd first blown into Nashville. If there was anyone besides either of her husbands, the wife of the younger, blonde one, and their collective kids she trusted with her babies, it was these two.

        "I kinda wonder what on Earth called Bobby into the restaurant so suddenly, though," the young woman muttered to herself as she fired up her truck. "Oh, well–guess I'll find out once I get the kids and we're all back home."

        So eager to see her babies again after a couple weeks away from them and to solve that particular Mystery, she didn't even realize she'd forgotten to fire off a text to Aidan. Her friend was rather fond of knives, just like she was herself, so she usually let her know she was heading her way before she ever left her starting point. Some of the knives the ginger'd acquired over the Years'd prolly give even Freddy Krueger nightmares, and she never wanted to find herself on the pointy End of one.

        Not thinking anything of it as she parked in the driveway of the home she'd once lived in, Aerin killed her truck and started fishing up the key she'd kept, even after she moved out. The Purdys–who'd handfasted back in April so the Chaos was somewhat staggered–trusted her prolly more than they trusted anyone else besides each other. Obviously, both of the older bassists were a part of that group, but after what'd made Ash flee the good Life of So Cal to live in Nashville in the first place–well, their group of explicitly-trusted folks was small, and with damn good reason.

        Aerin barely got a chanceta look up after unlocking and opening the front door of her former home before she was greeted with an irate shriek and something shiny flying at her face. Grateful for having the reflexes of a Cat when she wanted to, she quickly jerked the front door shut, allowing the tip of the knife that'd been thrown at her to bury itself in the Mahogany of the door.