“No, Remi,” Skye said.“The label called.This is important.”
He ran a hand over his face, exhaustion etched in the lines on his forehead.“Fine.Fine.”He turned and put his palms up to his bandmates.“I’ll be back in five.I’m not going to do drugs.”
If it was supposed to be a joke, no one laughed.Remi just huffed and started walking off stage.There was crew crawling everywhere, and she didn’t want Jillian interrupting them, so Skye nodded to the exit.
They pushed back through the paparazzi to get to the tour bus, squinting their eyes against the sun.
“Remi, your fans are turning their backs on you.Do you have a comment?”one of them asked.
“Moms Against Drugs petitioned for your shows to be canceled and all of your music to be taken off the radio.What will you do without music funding your drug addiction?”another shouted.
They both squeezed inside the bus.Skye locked the door and pulled down the second locking mechanism that the driver usually only engaged when they were on the road, just in case.
Remi collapsed onto the couch, tilting his chin up to rest his head on the back.“What is it, Skye?”He didn’t sound angry or upset, just tired.
She could work with that.
Sitting next to him on the couch, she said, “Remi, we need to be on the same side here.You don’t have to like me.We don’t have to get along, but we have to work together or everything is going to blow up.”
Remi opened his eyes to slits.“That doesn’t sound very much like an apology.”
“Apology?”Skye said.“I’m not apologizing.I haven’t done anything wrong.You and West are on one if you think I’m going to apologize for shit.”
Remi rolled his eyes.“Oh, right.Okay, so what the hell even is this?West has finally seen through your lies, and you’re trying a new tactic to get into my head?”
Yes, sort of,but not the way he was implying.
“Remi,” Skye said on a sigh.“I’mnottrying to trick you.The label called about this Moms Against Drugs group.They are trying to get our shows shut down, but we can fix this.”
At this point, everything had spiraled so far out of control that Skye didn’t have enough demon magic to compel it away anymore.The best thing she could do for the band was to fix it through the same channels that all famous people used to sweep things under the rug—money and connections.
“We can hire an emergency PR person to help deal with it,” she continued.“They’ll flood the market with positive stories.If we do a couple of interviews to drum up positive publicity, the shows won’t get canceled.We spin the narrative.We grease the right palms.We drop Jillian off on the side of the road for starting this shit in the first place, and then we won’t get slapped with fees, but I can’t do any of this—”
Without youwas what she was about to say, but Remi sat up, his body vibrating with anger.
“Jillian had nothing to do with this,” he said.
“Remi,” Skye said with so much more patience than she even knew she was capable of.“She’s manipulating you.”
Remi jumped up from the couch.“She’smanipulating me?”he yelled.“Jillian and I both know what we get out of our arrangement.The only person manipulating me isyou.You’re the one who says you want to help the band and then sabotages us every chance you get.”
“Are you high?”Skye said, standing toe to toe with him.“I’m the only reason the tour is going smoothly.And your bullshit isn’t helping!”
“If I’m such a problem for the tour, then get rid of me,” Remi said, and then he snapped and pointed his finger, tilting his head.“Oh, damn, except you can’t, can you?Tilted Haze ismyband.Not yours.I make the decisions.Not you.None of us need you.The guys are only blowing smoke up your ass.They would forget about you in a week if we dropped you.Because you’re nothing to them, and you’re nothing to me.”
Skye smacked his finger down and grabbed one of the chains around his neck, wrapping it around her hand and pulling him in until their bodies aligned.“If I’m nothing, then why is your dick pressing in to me?”
Remi blew out a breath and rolled his eyes.“You of all people know that doesn’t mean shit.I could fuck you right here.It wouldn’t change anything.”
“Nice try, Remi,” she said.“Reverse psychology?Now who is manipulating who?”
He stroked his fingers along the back of her fist and continued down her arm.She fought a shiver as his eyes followed the path of his hand, tickling over her shoulder, and crawling up her neck, under her hair.
He cupped the back of her head.“You know, I think I’ve got you figured out now, Skye.I know why you’re obsessed with me and my band, and it has nothing to do with the bargain or saving your wings.”
“Oh yeah,” Skye said between clenched teeth.“What is it then?”
His thumb traced over her jaw, back and forth.“You’ve latched on like a leech to my band because you’ve never been a part of anything.You’ve never had a purpose besides taking souls.Your pathetic attempt at being band manager, at fixing the tour that’s destined to fall apart, all of it.You like it.You like feeling needed, wanted.You like feeling like you matter.Because the truth is you’ve never mattered to anyone in all your life.I haven’t seen Zara and Laurie for weeks.You don’t have any other friends.Your mom is dead, and did you even have a dad?”
