URGENT (Book 2 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 63: Bad Girls Make Side Deals

I love this song for this chapter. Mac has had a huge shift at this point, but she's still Mac. She's still independent, strong-willed, a woman writing her own song...

Mac

Back on land, it feels like everything has changed. Adam and I walk into the farmhouse kitchen hand-in-hand, and the first people we see are Leed, Trace and Bodie sitting at the kitchen table. Their conversation stops as they all greet us with smiles, but the air has shifted. Their smiles don't touch me with the casual ease of a day ago. They aren't looking directly at me or directly at Adam.

Seems like all they see is Madam right now.

Adam feels it too; he squeezes my hand slightly. Then he pulls out a chair for me at the table, before settling in beside me. "W'sup? Label hassle already?"

Leed looks at Trace. "We don't have to hash this out now, man. Christ, they just walked in the door. Let Mac have some breakfast first, at least."

I shake my head at Leed. "No, I wanna know. How bad is it?"

Trace's icy gray eyes reveal nothing and his voice is perfectly level. "Angelo called a little while ago," he says mildly.

Angelo Moran is the label VP in charge of legend, rock, and alt acts. He's basically Dawes' boss's boss. He never calls the talent just to say hi. He called us after we won our first Grammy. I heard he called Leed when I was hospitalized after my assault. Usually if he's displeased with something we've done—Leed punching a pap, Trace's Little Sister Scandal earlier this summer—we hear about it through Dawes or Marcy. But I have a feeling, if we weren't scheduled to do a show tomorrow, we would all be on our way to "the principal's office" right now.

"What did he say?" I ask.

"He was friendly, for now." Trace gives Adam the chin tip. "Said he tried to call you first, ask after how you were feeling. He knew about your appendix, of course."

Adam shrugs, "Maybe, my phone is dead. What else did he say?"

"Said he knew we hadn't been feeling Dawes for awhile. Said he's coming to the Knoxville show to talk things out, check out our new opening act. Asked me if the Instagram rumors were true—if you guys got married last night, if Mac was pregnant."

"I don't suppose he thought to call me and ask," I laugh bitterly.

Trace rolls his eyes. "You know how some old dudes in the business are, Macaroni. Thinks every talented female artist is a Diva. Maybe he thinks you have be handled or something, I dunno. Who the hell knows what he thinks, we hardly know him," Trace grumbles.

"You told him the truth, I imagine," Adam says agreeably.

Trace nods slowly, "Yeah, I did. Figured not being honest couldn't help us going forward. I would have put you both on with him, but...you weren't here. I didn't give much detail. Just said you just announced to us over the weekend that you are pregnant, and that you guys got hitched in front of family and friends last night. He asked how far along you were, I told the truth there, too. He immediately yelled at somebody to calculate the due date, then he said that means we have a lot more to talk about than Dawes. He's not wrong," Trace shoots me a look, then Adam. "But before we sit down with Angelo, we all have to be on the same page. Time to put our cards out on the table. Time to hear what everyone is thinking about Europe, and Mac being eight months pregnant when we are supposed to kick off over there. Obviously, Mac's input is first and foremost. It's your baby, your health, your comfort, your stamina. It's time to hear from you on this, girl." He nods at me.

I open my mouth, but before I can speak Adam squeezes my hand under the table and jumps in. "Mac and I need to talk about it first. We need to make sure we are on the same page, before we bring it to you guys. Give us the day, and then we'll all talk tonight on the bus. Sound good?"