Page 64 of Spite Crush

“Lawyer?” Mr. Munsey sat a little straighter and a few of the men around him started mumbling softly amongst themselves. “Kellen, what’s going on? We’re here to talk about your album. What need is there for a lawyer?”

“You brought four of your own,” I said calmly. “I regret to inform you, Mr. Munsey, that there won’t beanother HSF album. In fact, there will be no more HSF.”

“So, you brought your lawyer to break our contract?” Munsey said, his gaze narrowing.

“There’s no need to break the contract,” Adrian said. “Mr. Fox owns the band. He owns the name, he owns the media copyrights, and as of April twenty-fourth at eleven p.m., he has fulfilled the terms of his obligations to your label.”

I clasped my hands in my lap and forced myself to keep my expression neutral. But my heart washammering in my chest, despite the double dose of Xanax I’d taken prior to this meeting. I knew that it would be difficult, and that there was every chance that my lawyer had missed something in drawing up the original contracts, but I had to believe that everything was in order. That I could be done with no legal recourse on the part of my label.

The lawyers were talking in hushed tones with Munsey, and while they were distracted Adrian reached over and thumped me on the leg. When I looked at him he gave me asmall smile and an almost imperceptible nod of his head.

It was going to be okay. I trusted him because Rye trusted him.

When we’d been picked up by the label and put on tour with Whiskey & Rye, Rye Vixon had set himself up as a sort of big brother. Telling me to stay away from their guitarist Brandon, keeping me away from drugs and booze, and when the time came to settle into a real contract, he’d set his own lawyer to the task of protecting me as much as possible.

Clearly, Tim and Ford hadn’t been so lucky with their legal representation. Because they either didn’t read the contract or didn’t understand it. And it was going to be ugly when they realized that everything we’d built together was really mine.

Then again, there hadn’t been muchtogether. I’d written every note and lyric of every song, I’d designed the merch, made the connections and carried the band on my back for almost seven years. And I’d done it all with anxiety and ADHD, while they’d coasted along beside me.

They’d been paid handsomely for their parts, though. And I had no doubt both of them would land on their feet. They could start their own band, they could join up with someone else, or they could kick rocks.

“That is all true,” Munsey said after a few minutes. “This tour was his final obligation to the label. However, we do have the option to renegotiate and extend.”

“If both parties are willing,” Adrian said. “Which Mr. Fox is not.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Munsey said. “You do understand, that if HSF is not going to continue under our label, we may not be willing to entertain the option to sign any future projects you may wish to bring to us, Mr. Fox.”

“I understand,” I assured him. “At that moment I have no future projects planned, and were I to create something on my own, I believe I would prefer to do it…on my own. The music industry is changing, Mr. Munsey. And while I am grateful for everything you and the label have done for me over the years, I believe it’s time that I stood on my own two feet for a while.”

“Kellen, I honestly do wish you the best,” Munsey said. “You’re still very young and I fear that any advice you’ve received may not have your best interests at heart.”

I couldn’t hold back the laugh that bubbled out of me at his words. This company had taken millions of dollars from me over the course of my contract. They’d dictated how I behaved, the music I could create, and even the relationships I could have.

“You’ve had your best interests at heart,” I told him. “Which is what you’re supposed to do. But now, it’s time to follow my own heart.” My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket, smiling when I saw Zak’s name on the screen. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. Please excuse me.” I stood up and headed toward the door.

“Mr. Fox, we aren’t finished here.”

“Yes, Mr. Munsey…we are.” I gave Adrian a small smile then stepped out into the hallway. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Zak said. “Are you busy?”

“Not anymore,” I answered honestly. “How are you?”

“Now you pay attention to my games,” he said, chuckling softly. “Actually, that’s why I’m calling. The team asked me to invite you to the game Saturday.”

“The team?”

“Yeah. They, uh, figured out that we’re dating and also that we tend to win when you’re around, so we were all hoping that you might be able to make it to Michigan.”

“They figured it out?” I asked. “How did it go?”

“It went better than I ever could have hoped,” he admitted. “Like I said, they asked me to invite you.”

“Doyouwant me there?”

“I really, really do.” He sighed. “This isn’t working for me anymore.”

“Which part?” I asked, my heart starting to thunder in my chest again.

---