Page 30 of Ravaged For You

“Last night was a massive mistake, Axel. Even you can see that, surely.”

I frown. “I fucked up, okay? I should have made sure she wasn’t filming me. I should’ve vetted her more before I brought her back to my bed. I’ll be better next time, alright?”

“It’s not about that or her,” Lucas replies. “It’s not even about one woman, can’t you see?”

“Then what is it about?” I ask. “Enlighten me, wise man.”

“You heard what Maddie had to say up there.”

I roll my eyes and groan. “For fuck’s sake, all I hear about is that fucking Maddie. First, she spills tea all over me and now she’s daring to lecture me about how to live my fucking multi-millionaire life.”

Lucas smiles. “I know you like her, Axel. I know you’ve got a grudging respect for her standing up to you like that.”

“Not many people do that,” I add. “Not many people have the balls. It doesn’t change how goddamn annoying – how goddamn wrong – she is.”

“But you heard what she was going on about, right?” he asks me. “What she was trying to say with all the evidence she had?”

I uncross my arms and take in a deep breath. “Yeah. About the perception of me out there with our audience. Active Axel and all that bullshit.”

“About the reputation you have as a crazy, unrestrained playboy.”

“Yeah, that. Whatever.”

“You gotta hand it to her that she’s good at her job. She’s not wrong.”

“What is she, your fucking daughter?”

Lucas chuckles. “So, what do you say? Do you want to beat Tainted Lives? Do you want Ravaged’s new album to be number one?”

“More than anything in the fucking world, Lucas. You know that.”

“Then what should we do about it?” he asks me.

“I care more about Ravaged being the best band than anything else.”

“Then what should you do to make that happen, Axel?”

“I ain’t giving up the girls, man, if that’s what you’re trying to say,” I snarl. “What do you want me to do? Fake a happy-as-Larry relationship until Staying At Her Place’s release? Pretend I’m all reformed or some shit?”

Lucas thinks about that comment much longer than he should do. He sighs.

What the fuck is going through his head?

“Yeah,” he eventually says quietly. “That’s exactly what you might have to do.”

15

MADDIE

Lucas and Axel don’t return to the office. Which, of course, leaves me stranded in the meeting room with the rest of Ravaged. I just stand in front of them awkwardly, not knowing what to do with my hands or anything.

Things are pretty damn awkward, to say the least.

I am completely clueless on how to proceed until Drake finally speaks up.

“Well, I guess that’s the meeting over. Thank you, Maddie.”

And then the band walks straight on out of the room, back through the office, and out the front doors.