If she were a man, I’d have hit her by now. As it is, I simply lock my jaw and clench my fists at my sides, trying to contain my rage.
“What the fuck is happening here, man?” Linc’s voice is deadly serious. “What exactly have you been negotiating?”
Aiden’s eyes cut right through me. “Just tell us.”
“Can’t do it, can you?” Lacey sounds like a teasing girl on a middle school playground, eviscerating an enemy in between giggles. She advances a step toward me, eyes never wavering from my face. “Don’t you think they have a right to know this was the last gig you guys will ever play together?”
“What?” Lincoln growls.
Aiden curses.
Lacey takes another step. “Don’t you want to share our good news about the record deal?”
The air goes totally still.
I glance at Lincoln and see sheer disbelief on his face. Aiden looks less surprised, but equally grim.
I pull in a sharp breath. When I finally manage to force out the words, they’re stripped of all emotion. “After our last set at the Nightingale, that guy from Red Machine approached us. He offered to fly us out to LA and perform at a showcase. If it goes well, there’s a deal on the table. All we have to do is sign the dotted line.”
“That’s fucking great!” Lincoln explodes. “Why would that be a bad thing—”
“There’s more,” Aiden guesses.
I nod. “The deal… it’s only for me and Lacey. They said they won’t sign us if you guys are onboard.”
Linc’s eyes lock on mine. “And what did they say when you told them to go straight to hell?”
My jaw locks. The tension is so thick, it’s hard to breathe.
Lacey’s tinkling laugh feels like glass against my eardrums. “Oh,boys. You and your perverted sense of loyalty.” She shakes her head mockingly. “This is everything Ryder has ever wanted. Why on earth would he tell the man handing him the keys to the kingdom to go to hell?”
“No,” Linc says flatly. “I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it,” Lacey volleys back. “Because we’ll be gone by this time tomorrow.”
Lincoln advances on me. “Tell me she’s lying, Ry.”
I grit my teeth. “She’s not lying.”
There’s one, single beat of absolute silence before he launches himself at me.
“You fucking prick!” he roars, red in the face. “You selfish fucking asshole!”
I don’t even try to duck the blow. I let him wail on me — one, two, three punches to the face. My eyes explode with stars. My lip splits, sending blood trickling down my chin.
“Fight me, you fucking coward!” Linc screams. His knuckles are bloody. “Don’t just stand there!”
I don’t fight back. I don’t even lift my hands to defend myself.
I deserve every goddamned punch.
My nose crunches sickeningly. A zing of metal hits my tongue as blood floods my mouth.
I hear a heartrending feminine cry as I stagger, the world spinning around me, pain vibrating through every nerve ending. I turn my head and wince when I see Felicity standing with the rest of the crowd that’s gathered to watch the brawl. Her eyes are wide with horror, her face white and bloodless.
I would’ve given almost anything in the world to prevent her from seeing this.
I open my mouth to call out to her, tasting copper and regret on my tongue. I quickly realize there’s nothing to say. I can’t fight for her anymore than I can fight with Lincoln.