Then she unplugged the external drive, slipped it into her bag, and stood.
“Carlene?”Jami called from the studio.“You coming in here?We’re ready to roll.”
She forced a smile, walked to her spot by the control board, and nodded.“Let’s make some magic.”
As the lights came up and the music began, she let herself look at him once.His voice filled the barn, warm and raw, every note echoing off the rafters.The song was the one he’d been working on for weeks, the unfinished one that had kept him up at night.It was still unfinished, but the cameras only wanted a snippet for a teaser.
Something in her chest loosened as he sang, but the unease didn’t fade.
The label had gone quiet.
Her access was gone.
And Vivian was suddenly too interested.
Carlene forced herself to keep smiling as the livestream started, but inside, she knew one thing for certain.
The real storm hadn’t even hit yet.And her body tightened with the dread of what that might be.For her, for the band, but mostly for Jami.Just as they were hitting it big, he didn't deserve this bullshit.None of them did.The injustice of it all made her stomach go sour.
ChapterTwenty-One
The barn still hummed long after the livestream ended.The crew moved in slow, tired waves, wrapping cords and lowering lights, the sharp edge of adrenaline fading to relief.
Jami sat on the edge of the small stage, a towel around his neck, a half-drained water bottle in his hand.His voice was rough, his throat raw, but the crowd reaction online had been everything they’d hoped for.Comments were already flooding in, full of heart emojis and praise for the new sound.
They’d done it.
Still, he couldn’t shake the weight in his chest.Carlene had smiled through the whole broadcast, calm and confident, but something behind her eyes hadn’t matched the smile.
He’d seen it too many times in himself not to recognize it.
Tony clapped him on the shoulder.“That was solid, brother.You hit every mark.We’re trending.”
“Yeah,” Jami said.“It felt good.”
Tony gave him a long look.“You don’t sound like it.”
“I’m just thinking.”
“About Carlene?”
Jami gave a wry grin.“You think?”
Tony chuckled, then sobered.“Vivian texted me.She wants a full debrief tomorrow morning.Said Carlene would fill us in after she meets with her tonight.”
Jami’s head came up.“She’s meeting Vivian alone?”
“Apparently.Why?”
He didn’t answer right away.“Something about that doesn’t sit right.Carlene’s been on edge all day.She said she was just tired, but…” He shook his head.“It’s more than that.”
Tony leaned against a speaker.“You think the label’s got something brewing?”
“Don’t you?”
Tony sighed.“Yeah.The sudden praise, the silence before that, the server lockdown.It’s all too neat.”
Jami stood and drained the rest of his water.“I’m going to check on her before she goes.”
