Page 26 of Hope & Harmony

“I assume everyone knows everyone?” Emmit nodded at all of us. “We can jump straight into practice?”

“No.” I heard the word cut up my throat, my legs pushing me up, my head shaking.

A smirk twisted Drix’s mouth, but it was anything but friendly. As if he expected my refusal. Was hoping for it.

“Echo, we’ve been over this,” Emmit conveyed to me.

“No,” I repeated fervently. “Anyone but him.”

Drix’s smirk grew, his arms folding over his chest like a challenge.

“I’m with Echo,” Ames huffed, glowering at Emmit.

“Me too.” Tobias and Geo nodded.

“Guess what?” Emmit’s face reddened with frustration. “I don’t give a fuck! I’m done dancing around this. You need a new bass guitarist. He is one of the best. There is no more discussion.”

“No more discussion? This ismyband!” Ames’s timbre pulsed off the walls.

“So you’re going to let your ego stop the band from making it?” Emmit’s tone matched his.

“Why are you here?” Ames stepped around to call out Drix. “Why aren’t you with your own band? You can’t play both.”

“He won’t be playing bo?—”

“I quit.” Drix cut off Emmit, sending a rippling wave of confusion through our group.

“Quit?” Geo stepped away from his keyboard. “You weren’t even hired, and you already quit?”

“No. I quit The Velvet Kings.” The rumble of Drix’s voice wrapped around my vertebrae, feeling it from across the room.

My head reared back in shock. “What?” He quit the biggest rock band in America? Why? They had sellout concerts and songs topping the charts. None of this made sense.

“Why?” I regripped my sticks, which gave me a sense of security. The wood was damp and heavy in my grasp, my knuckles clenching them tightly.

His head tilted, and his eyes slid back to mine slowly, zeroing in on me as if I were prey,. It felt like a pulse against my skin. “Not important.” He spoke clear and precise.

“Not important?” Tobias laughed. “You walk out on the number one band and come play with your competitors?”

“Funny.” Drix stayed facing me but let his gaze jump to Tobias. “I never thought of you as competition.”

Holy fuck. He didn’t just say that. Our group’s shoulders rose in sync, a snake about to strike.

“Whoa.” Emmit stood between us and Drix, his 5’11 frame comical-looking as he guarded the beast of a man behind him. “Enough.” Emmit only gave us his “threatening” look when he was about a hair away from ripping up our contract. It would never happen, but he threatened to daily when Ames was being pig-headed and running on ego. “I’ve had enough of the whining. Drix is no longer with The Velvet Kings, which is all that’s important right now. Especially when you’re supposed to be going on tour. You are opening in New York to thousands of people in a week.”

“Exactly! He doesn’t know our playlist. He can’t learn the songs in time. We are better off just keeping it us,” Ames interjected.

“Better off?” Drix scoffed. “I heard you guys. You are not better off.”

“Excuse me?” Ames marched up to Drix, chest all puffed up. Ames was at least 6 feet tall, but his thin body seemed insignificant next to the bass guitarist.

Drix’s arms stayed across his chest as he leaned into Ames, his expression empty. But I could see fire glint behind his eyes.

“You’re dropping notes, and the entire band is out of sync.” His cognac eyes flashed to me before jumping back to our lead singer. “And without a bass guitarist, your music lacks any depth. You sound like shit, Isley, and you know it.”

“Fuck you!” Ames lurched for him, with Emmit in between, while Tobias grabbed for Ames, pulling him back. “Get the hell out of here.”

“You know, I think I will.” Drix dropped his arms, curving for the door. “I want to be in a band whowantsto be the best.”

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