Giving Chase (Incendiary Ink #1)

29. Heart Beat Here – Chase

Heart Beat Here

CHASE

The opening riff of Burning Bridges fills the arena as we make our way to the stage. Will's already grinning – this was his favorite to play live, the one that first got crowds really moving with us.

He takes the podium first, spinning a drumstick casually.

"So, funny story. Twenty years ago, we're playing the Viper Room on a Tuesday night, probably breaking at least three fire codes with our equipment setup, when this woman in killer heels walks up to us after a show and hands us a business card. Takes one look at us and says 'You're either going to be the biggest band in the world or the biggest disaster I've ever seen.' Turns out, we were both."

Perfect timing, perfect delivery. The crowd loves it. I spot Ryan and Jake in the audience, nodding – they've heard this story, lived their own version of it.

"Six months later we're opening at the Wiltern, blowing the power during our first song. A year after that, we're selling out Madison Square Garden, and I still can't believe they let us near the electrical system." He grins. "Twenty years, nine platinum albums, and only minimal property damage later, here we are."

The laughter is warm, appreciative. Industry veterans who remember those early shows are nodding.

"Thank you to everyone who got us here. Our families, our crew, our fans. And especially to Eliza Kerr, who saw something worth betting on in three guys who couldn't even properly run a soundcheck. Even if two-thirds of us were usually late to meetings."

Mark takes his place next, running a hand through his eternally uncooperative hair.

"Music..." he starts, then has to clear his throat. "Music saved my life. These guys saved my life. We were just kids trying to make noise that meant something. Trying to carve out our own sound when everyone said guitar music was dead. Trying to say something that mattered when everyone said rock had said it all."

He grips the podium. "That first tour, playing to half-empty clubs, we'd watch the crowd slowly get it. Watch them feel what we were trying to do. Something different. Something new. And somehow... somehow that noise reached people. Changed people. Changed us."

I see Jake watching intently – he was one of those kids in those crowds, before Murderous Crows was even an idea.

"To every kid out there making noise in their garage – keep going. Keep playing. Keep believing. Sometimes the most beautiful sounds come from the most broken places. And to Ryan, Jake, Jude, all the bands coming up now – keep pushing it forward. Keep making it yours. Thank you."

Then it's my turn.

The walk to the podium feels like twenty years condensed into twenty steps. Everything we've been through. Everything we've become.

"What do you say," I begin as the crowd goes quiet, "when your dreams come true? When the impossible becomes reality? When three guys from nowhere end up somewhere they never dared imagine?"

The spotlight feels warm on my face. Grounding.

"You say thank you. To our families who supported us. Our crew who kept us running. Our fans who kept believing. The industry that gave us a chance. And..." I find her in the group of people standing behind us, steel grey eyes bright with tears. "And to one person in particular."

The room goes silent.

"Eliza Kerr. You didn't just discover us. You didn't just sign us. You believed in us before we believed in ourselves. You saw what we could be before we knew how to be it. You protected us, guided us, fought for us. And personally..." My voice catches. "Personally, you saved me. More times than I can count. In more ways than I can say."

Will's hand finds my shoulder, steadying me.

"Everyone knows our story now. The ups and downs. The almosts and finallys. But what they might not know is that every song – every single one – was trying to say what I couldn't. What I can finally say now, in front of everyone: I love you. I've loved you for twenty years. And being inducted into the Hall of Fame wouldn't mean anything if you weren't here to share it."

The room erupts. I see Michelle dabbing her eyes. Justin whooping from his seat.

"To everyone else – thank you. For the support, the faith, the love. To my brothers..." I turn to Will and Mark. "We did it. We actually fucking did it. And we're not done yet."

The crowd catches that hint about the future, murmurs rising. I see Ryan and Jake exchange knowing looks – they've heard the new demos, know what's coming.

"Rock and roll isn't just about music. It's about truth. About heart. About love and loss and finding your way home. Tonight, we join the immortals. Tonight, we become part of rock history. But the best part? The best part is we get to share it with everyone who got us here. Everyone who believed. Everyone who stayed."

Michelle is full-on crying now. Justin's got that proud smile that looks just like his mother's. And Eliza...

I lock eyes with her one last time.

"Everyone who finally got their timing right."

The standing ovation drowns out everything else. Will and Mark envelope me in a group hug. Photographers go crazy. But all I see is her – the woman who first believed in our sound, who protected our vision, who saved my life, who waited twenty years for me to get it right.

Some dreams take longer to come true.

But they're worth every second of the wait.