“I know I can salvage Dimefront.” Hans got a twinkle in his eye, like his plan was already in motion.
“The cogs of the wheel are turning, and the ringmaster is happy with the tigers,” she said, not making a bit of sense by mixing her metaphors. Though, in a way, it totally made sense.
“I’m thrilled with the cogs of my tigers.” Hans tilted his beer to his lips.
“Then I think I have to leave the band,” Courtney said, though she didn’t want to. Hell, she’d been there from the beginning. Leaving was not her favorite choice, but…
“You’re not leaving the family,” Hans said, and oh boy, did he mean it—what with the way he got rumbly when he spoke.
“It’s just a band.” She said the words but understood that they were not the truth.
“Tell yourself whatever you need to. The truth of the matter remains the truth.”
Did it though? She wasn’t entirely convinced.
Chapter Seven
Bax
Well,fuck him on a Friday.
Bax hadn’t expected to get pissed when he heard Linx and the guys onstage at Brek’s Bar. But they sounded good. Better than good.
He also hadn’t expected to know the woman that Linx called his girlfriend. Becca.
Becca and Bax had a brief history. Once on the Penny Pincher tour years ago, they’d nearly hooked up. Instead, they talked all night.
Since he knew the woman, and he knew Linx, he could say for certain that they were a good fit together. He hoped like hell his friend didn’t fuck it up.
Which had led them here, with Bax and Linx and Knox hashing shit out about the band in the back room of Brek’s Bar.
“The guys I’m playing with want to meet you.” Linx shoved his hands on his waist. “When we’re done here.”
Bax didn’t sit, because he was edgy as hell. He wanted to throttle his friend and bass player. Wanted to grill him about where Courtney was and what she was doing.
He did none of that. Instead, he leaned against the wall. Trying to go for ease, but anyone who knew him could probably read that he was on edge. Pissed that he’d let his life come to this.
“You seemed cozy up there onstage with them,” he said to Linx. Damn, but his tone was not kind. He didn’t mean for it to come out as an accusation.
“Take it down, Bax,” Hans said.
“I was.” Linx crossed his arms. “They’re good guys. Excellent musicians. They’ll sign with a label soon.”
After hearing them? Bax didn’t doubt it.
Knox grabbed a chair, flipped it around, and straddled it. “I’d like to meet ’em.”
Of course he would. Knox wanted to meet them so he could complain to them about something.
“Don’t like the look of what was happening up there.” Bax stared straight ahead. “Felt like it was more than just a set with noobs.”
“They get the music,” Linx said with a shoulder shrug. “They perform for the sound, not because of what it can do for them.”
Well, that stung.
“You’re saying that’s what I do?” Bax asked, his level of pissed ratcheting up to ticked without any actual intent on his part.
No one said anything.
