Page 21 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

Being in the background, she refrained from saying, but they all thought it.

“I don’t like being the center of attention,” he admitted.

Lyric arched a brow at that, and he swore he could read her mind just then. Yes, he’d played an entire set by himself. Yes, he’d burst into the room rather dramatically. He’d played the same show she had to try and get scouted.

None of that was by choice, necessarily.

“I had bills to pay, and I needed a gig,” he bit out. “If I have to, I can. But it doesn’t mean I like it.”

Lyric crossed her arms, challenging him. “So you’d be content playing bass on tour? Can you get along with other alphas?”

“Well, Odd’s my roommate, and he’s an alpha. So I’d say yes.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, and glanced to Adra. “About that…”

Andi stepped forward, who’d been staring intently as he and Lyric went back and forth. “It’s a major violation of her safety to leak a location like that. What if fans had gotten ahold of it? Stormed the hotel? You put her in danger by sharing what was supposed to be confidential.”

He visibly paled, and Emerson didn’t think he’d ever seen him look so ashamed. Emerson wanted to open his mouth and admit he’d stolen the info from his roommate’s computer, but the big lump began apologizing.

“I’m so sorry. I completely understand if you wish to dismiss me from the auditions. It was completely out of line.”

“No,” Emerson growled, speaking before he glanced at his roommate before glaring at Andi and Lyric. “You cannot dismiss him. You’re in a public fucking place. For all you know, I could’ve been passing by, saw you enter, and paid the doorman off to let me in.”

Lyric narrowed her eyes. “Did you?”

Like I could afford that.

“Well, no. But I could have. Just—listen, I’ll fuck off, I’ll leave. But he’s worked hard as hell to get to where he’s at, and he needs this opportunity. Don’t toss him out of here just because you don’t like me.”

If possible, her eyes narrowed even more.

“Do you just take me for some petty bitch?” she asked, lips curling up in a sneer. She waved her hand through the air before he could answer, and her features softened as she looked to Adra. “It doesn’t matter.” Another pause as she glanced between them. “Despite sharing the location, which is a huge violation of security…” He winced again, and Emerson held his breath. “I don’t want to dismiss you,” she said with a sigh.

She glanced at Andi, whose bitch face was out in full force, and Lyric winced. Her lips parted again, but Andi threw her arms up in the air before crossing them. “Oh, fuck right off. You know as well as I do that it’s your band. If you think he’s a good fit, then he’s a good fit. But…” She marched up to Adra and glared. It was almost comical how he, a six foot tall alpha, seemed to shrink under the intense stare of her beta agent. Emerson was glad he wasn’t the one under her scrutiny. “If you cause any other security issues, I will kick your ass out so fast you won’t be able to tell which exit you came from. Do not fuck with my artist or her safety.”

He nodded frantically, the whites of his eyes wide and bright as he lifted his hands in surrender. “Yes, ma’am.”

“And as for you?” Andi growled, and he backed up a step.

Damn, she was scary.

“Don’t show your ass. If she decides to let you on tour after your little performance, you better be fucking grateful and treat her like a goddess. If I hear one complaint from her, you’re gone.”

He made like Adra and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

When she finally backed off, a smile curled her lips and she nodded to Lyric. “Okay, you can take it from here.”

Emerson turned his gaze to the tiny blonde and tried not to reveal how hopeful he was.

Adra had been the one to tell him what a ‘fudging idiot’ he was for turning down Lyric’s offer in the club. And once he’d processed his initial reaction and looked at his pile of bills again… he’d realized he was right.

“I can audition if you’d like,” he blurted.

Please tell me I haven’t fucked this up for the both of us.

As the day had worn on, and Lyric had watched the applicants interact with each other, it had made her decision both easier and more difficult at the same time.

The vision she’d had a few days ago was still clear in her mind. Adra on keys, Desi drumming, Nohen beside her with his guitar. But even though she tried her hardest to connect with the bassists in attendance, she couldn’t envision herself inviting them on tour.