“Good. Keep them on their toes.” He leans in closer. “Plus, they will keep the label guys from being too friendly. Some of them are real sleazebags.”
Before I can respond, the stage manager appears. “Two minutes, Kade.”
He takes a deep breath, rolls his shoulders, and transforms into the rock-star version of himself. “Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need it. You’re going to kill it out there—you always do.”
And he does. The moment he steps on stage, the crowd goes wild. I position myself near the front and start shooting. The energy is amazing, and the new songs are even better live than in the studio.
I’m so focused on getting the perfect shot of Kade mid-guitar solo that I don’t notice the guy next to me until he leans in close.
“You’re Maddie, right?” he shouts over the music. “Kade’s sister?”
“Yeah,” I shout back, not taking my eye from the viewfinder.
“I’m Tyler. I work with the label.” He moves in closer, his hand brushing my arm. “I’ve seen your Instagram. Your photography is amazing.”
“Thanks.” I step slightly to the side, trying to get a better angle and put some distance between us.
Tyler follows, his hand now on my lower back. “This is incredible, right? The new album is going to be huge.”
I shift away from his touch. “Yeah, it’s great.”
“So, listen.” He leans even closer, and I can feel his breath on my ear. “Maybe after the show we could grab a drink? I know a great place nearby. We could talk about your work. I have some connections in the photography world.”
I lower my camera, ready to decline politely, when his hand slides from my lower back to my hip.
“I’m not—” I start.
But then I feel a presence behind me. Rhodes.
“She’s not interested,” he says, his voice cold, nothing like the Rhodes I know.
Tyler looks between us, his hand dropping. “I was just?—”
“She’s here for her brother. Not to be hit on by random men.” Rhodes steps closer, his body language pure intimidation despite his calm tone.
“Dude, relax. I was only making conversation.” Tyler holds up his hands. “I work with Kade. We’re practically family.”
“You’re not family.” Rhodes’s voice becomes dangerous. “You need to back off. Now.”
“Jesus, man. It’s not that serious.”
Ace appears from somewhere in the crowd, his hand landing firmly on Rhodes’s shoulder. “Outside. Now.”
Rhodes looks like he wants to argue, his entire body tense, but Ace’s grip tightens. “Now, Rhodes.”
They move toward the back exit, and I can see them through the crowd. Rhodes is gesturing, his hands in the air, clearly worked up. Ace has both hands on Rhodes’s shoulders, hopefully calming him down.
I turn back to Tyler, ready to smooth this over and get back to shooting, but Vander has moved in next to me. He’s not saying anything; however, he’s standing so close behind me that Tyler takes an automatic step back.
Vander doesn’t break eye contact with Tyler. He just stares at him with an intense, murdery look that screams, “Leave or I will kill you.”
“Umm.” Tyler swallows hard. “Look, I didn’t mean any harm. It was nice meeting you, Maddie.” He backs into the crowd, disappearing quickly.
I spin to face Vander. “Really? The intimidation stare?”
He doesn’t respond, only shifts his position, so he is now between me and where Tyler disappeared.
