TANTRIC (Book 3 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 25: Legends Run The Show

Okay, probably no one saw this coming, but this whole situation with Seb is spiraling and it's time for someone to get to the bottom of what's going on here...Ladies and Gentlemen...the incomparable, the undeniable....Matt del Marco...in his first POV chapter ever. 

Matt runs $hit like a boss, so  he's always keeping a lot of plates spinning in his life, and this chapter shows it. This is a long , long narrative where he's looking out for everybody, so enjoy.

Bon Jovi's You Give Love A Bad Name is the song...because well...if you haven't figured it out Bon Jovi is sort of the inspiration for Skid Marcs. And also Seb gives love a very bad name, when it comes to his long interaction with the del Marco's. Also, some of Ashlynn's backstory that is revealed is also bad love.

Matt

I slip away from the crowd and quietly file up the curving staircase in Trace's house, so that I can stand on the upper landing and look down into the open living room.

Down at all my family in one place, for the first time ever.

Jax, Artie, and Dom—my band, my boys.

Annie, Street, Bridge, Row, Lane and Alley—my life.

Trace. The treasure I never knew I had. And he's bringing his own family to mesh into mine—although ironically, they are all absent now, except his ex-wife that really wasn't.

I smile down on her blonde head. She's a very lovely girl. I don't know her very well, but it's clear to me that Trace still considers her family. Right now he's between her and Mason Moran, and his body language looks just like mine the first time Ratch Gorenson came to my house to take Row out.

Hostile.

I don't know why. I think it's a genius plan to throw Angelo Moran's kid out there as a possible love interest for Kat's sister. I've known Angelo forever; he's a good dude and his son is the same. And it couldn't exactly hurt for Soundcrush to have one of their very own inner circle dating their boss's son, because god knows, none of them are doing a stellar job keeping Moran happy right now.

These kids cost the label a lot of money last year and none of them have held up their end of the deal to recoup that money, except Mac. Adam was supposed to write an album for the little Disney Princess and Bodie was supposed to up her visibility. Instead, Adam lost his temper and lost his slippery handhold on that girl's potential, and Bodie didn't show her around town, he escaped to parts unknown with her. And Trace and Leed were supposed to amp up their branding and influencing, and both of them have been hiding out here in the suburbs playing house. Trace with his KitKat, and Leed with his baby mama.

So yeah, they could stand to score some points with Moran. The worst part is...none of them see it. They are hiatus for the first time ever, and all caught up in their personal drama and they are still too inexperienced to know that they should be hustling a little goodwill with the label now that they are back in LA.

So I'm doing what I can to help them along without butting into the band business too much. Mostly with Mac's solo effort. Thank God Mac's EP has gone platinum and she's had two number one pop hits—the one where she features with DevBlue-- and also Make it Right-- her duet with Adam. I produced Make It Right, and it's becoming the Love Anthem of the Decade. Moran called me yesterday and told me he wants a remix with a superstar feature, but I haven't called Mac and Adam yet with my ideas. I'm still waiting on a third party to come through.

Right now, I'm helping out in more subtle ways—namely trying to bring Mason Moran a little help. He's just coming out the other side of a terrible divorce and a bit of a boozey period, so a sunny and sober girl like Miss Ashlynn Ballard is exactly the ticket to bring some happiness back to Moran's only son. Moran loves that kid like I love mine. He'd do anything for him. Including look the other way on Soundcrush's broken promises, if Mason becomes part of that SCIC family thing they've got going on.