Page 51 of A Billionaire Rebel

By the time I went to bed, I was glad I’d ignored my phone all night. Twelve calls from unknown numbers and no voicemails. I was starting to think I might need to ask Damon how he handled reporters because ignoring them didn’t seem to be working. There was still the chance they were robocalls, but considering that they’d started the day Damon and my picture was in the paper and a video of us was making its way around the internet, my money was on paparazzi.

Twenty-Eight

Damon

I appreciatedZ and Haje agreeing to meet in the private hospital room where Otis was now recovering, but this still wasn’t a meeting I wanted to have. I understood and agreed with what we were going to do today, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

Otis was talking with Kalini and Hawk when I knocked on the door. The guilt on his face told me that they’d been talking about the dissolution of the band. I smiled at him and took the seat next to Hawk.

“It’s all right,” I said before he could say anything. I didn’t want him to feel like he had to apologize. “Shit happens, and this is the best way to deal with one part of it.”

Another knock at the door and the meeting became official. Z and Haje were joined by the label’s lawyer, Mr. Banks. I’d never gotten his first name, and he wasn’t the type of man to let anyone use it anyway. I hadn’t had much interaction with him, but what little I’d had always rubbed me the wrong way.

Everyone exchanged basic greetings and then settled in for the discussion none of us wanted to have.

“Let’s get this out of the way,” Z said. “We’ve always been more than satisfied with Holden’s work, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to do what’s best for all of you.”

Shit.

I didn’t have to look at the others to know that they were thinking the same thing. It would’ve been easier to do this if they’d been assholes about things.

Even though it hadn’t been my idea, I knew they were going to defer to me. I’d put us together. I’d take us apart.

“We appreciate everything you’ve done for us,” I said. “Since we first signed with you and even more over the last week.”

Haje’s smile tightened, and I knew she understood where this conversation was headed. Mr. Banks’s expression had barely changed, the slight narrowing of his eyes telling me he’d figured it out too. Z was the only one who hadn’t gotten it yet.

“We can’t make it past this,” I said, letting my feelings about this bleed through my words. “I’m sorry, but Holden is done.”

Silence stretched out, broken only by the sounds of the hospital outside the room.

“You have a contract.” Mr. Banks sounded pissed. “If you breach that contract, we will sue for everything you have.”

Z held up a hand, and the lawyer’s mouth snapped shut. “I’m guessing that this wasn’t your idea, Damon.”

“It was mine,” Kalini said.

“Ours,” Hawk corrected. “The two of us decided together that we want to step back from music.”

“The two of you?” Mr. Banks just couldn’t seem to control himself. “Maybe you don’t understand what breach of contract means, but–”

“That’s enough, Banks,” Z said sharply. “We have no idea what they’ve been through. Let them speak.”

“I’ve got at least another two weeks here and months of physical therapy ahead of me,” Otis spoke up. “I don’t know how long it’ll be before I can even hold my bass, much less play.”

“How hard is it to replace a bass player?” Banks muttered.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” I said with a barely-polite smile. “Because if I did hear it, I might be distracted from what’s important here.”

“We don’t want to play with replacements,” Hawk said firmly.

“Neither do I,” I added. “You’re right that this wasn’t my idea, but it’s the right thing to do. Replacing a single member of Holden would have been hard enough. Replace two, and you change who we are. Without Kalini and Hawk too, the band wouldn’t be Holden anymore.”

“You’reHolden,” Z said. “We can repackage. The fans will understand.”

“Maybe do a farewell concert,” Haje suggested.

The fact that they weren’t being rude with their suggestions was the only reason I wasn’t snapping at them to respect our decision and stop trying to talk us out of it.

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