“I don’t.”
Ace nods, hoping I’d say that.
“Good. ‘Cause I’ve seen him pull some shady shit, Allie.” He shakes his head. “Signin’ artists into deals they can’t get out of. Layin’ traps in contracts. Pullin’ publishing like he wrote the damn song and dance himself.”
He lets the silence stretch,
debating how deep he wants to go.
“There was this one guy—songwriter. Brilliant,” he says, like it’s someone he admires. “Raymond gutted his whole catalog out from under him. Then bled him dry in legal bullshit, burying hisname so deep he disappeared. Cut the dude’s name off at the knees.”
He rubs his jaw,
eyes drifting away, remembering.
“That’s what he does.
“Finds the cracks in people
“and pours legal cement over ‘em.”
The words sink inside me,
right into the places that knew all along.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
Ace studies me for a long moment.
“Because I know you, Allie. You got that thing, y’know? That raw shit no label can fake. The thing people in this industry leech off of. You’a loyal prodigy with a heart. That’s the first thing someone like Raymond bleeds dry.”
My fingers digging into the leather,
my pulse crawling up my neck.
“Just… be careful, Allie. Don’t let him sink his hands too deep into what your dad built. You’re next in line for this—he knows that.”
Ace leans forward, eyes tired.
“And if he ever forgets? Remind him whose fucking name is carved into the foundation.”
TRACK NO. 07: HOUSE OF VICE — SIDE A
// THE GIRLS - OCT 7, '23 - HOUSE OF VICE - LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC //
// the vinyl starts spinning //
The night House of Vice opened, no one knew.
One minute it wasn’t there. Next minute, it had a line down the block.
The way New York makes legends: by accident, then all at once.
There was no press release, or promo, or launch party with a guest list. There was only a purple neon sign,House ofVice—cursive, crooked, half-lit, buzzing above a black basement door. And when it cracked open, music spilled out, and the city started vibrating.
House of Vice wasn’t built for the spotlight.
It doesn’t give a shit about fame.
