Hammers & Heartstrings (The Riley Siblings #3)

8. Noah

Chapter Eight

NOAH

I snicker to myself like the evil genius I am, reach into my pocket and jingle the spark plugs I took out of Aggie’s car this morning as I walk through the doors at Gateway Records.

Phase one of Mission: Tame the Kitty is complete.

It’s a working title, the last thing I want is to tame my kitten, but I’m not sure how else to phrase it. Adopt the Kitten sounds weird, and so does Woo the Kitten . I sound like a dude who’s into Furries and while I won’t yuck anyone else’s yum, it’s just not my thing. Tame the Kitty was the closest I could get, but I’m still working on it. I’ll figure it out.

My plan has several parts, most of which are pretty shady, but not Junkie Noah shady, just Sneaky Sappy Lovesick Noah shady.

Shady with the best intentions.

Shady in a swoon-worthy way.

Whatever, I don’t give a fuck. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get Aggie to relax around me again so she can hopefully see I want her in my life as more than just my best friend.

And phase one went off without a hitch.

Aggs was supposed to take Clover to school this morning, as usual, then she was going to go into Inked in Sin early to talk to Ash and try to get some more hours before she started on her three appointments.

Well, not only did I not want her to be alone with Ashlee Rider, but I also needed to get my plan moving, because it’s been almost two weeks since I came up with it.

So, my big ass snuck out to the garage in the middle of the night and removed her spark plugs.

My kitten has zero car knowledge and the patience to match, so when her Jeep wouldn’t start, she popped the hood, stared at the engine for all of two seconds then taught my daughter some new and colorful words for twenty minutes before she text me.

The lack of wheels meant she needed alternate transportation and thankfully, I needed my Escalade for the meeting I scheduled on my way to it, and Aggie doesn’t know how to drive a motorcycle or stick shift so she couldn’t take my bike or the other two vehicles I have. And because the paparazzi have been more and more ridiculous the closer we get to release day, Aggie doesn’t leave the house without Jax or Vin, who also happen to be in on my plan.

Vin rode with me in the Caddy to my meeting while Jax drove Clover to school, walked in with her and Aggs, then took her and Tank to the shop where he followed her around like the biggest, most annoying shadow ever. Jax completely cock-blocked—not that she’s sleeping with Ash anymore, that shit stopped before she moved in with me—her conversation with her boss, made sure it was literally about her hours only and then he sat in the corner of her tattoo room until her first client showed up. And because she didn’t have a way home, Jax is staying until the shop closes, which is when the rest of my plan will unfold.

Phase three, Project Play Date —Clover gets ice cream with Uncles Jax and Vin, then goes to their house for a princess-unicorn themed sleepover complete with nail painting, makeovers, Disney and all the glitter one can handle. Both of them hate all of that shit, but they endure it for my peanut.

Phase four, Glory Days Relived —Aggie gets home from work to find that it’s just the two of us at the house. Given she doesn’t freak out and lock herself in her bedroom, we will be eating our most favorite food on the planet, food from Willie Mae’s Scotch House while watching our favorite movies. I already put in our order for everything on the menu and because we’ve been frequenting Willie Mae’s since we moved out here, the cook is going back after they close so he can make it all fresh for us.

And yes, I’m taking care of him for doing it.

Once I spread out the most amazing food we’ve ever eaten, Aggie and I will watch a lineup that should totally have shit locked down. The Princess Bride, Say Anything, The Dream Team and Constantine. Yes, it’s an odd mix, but those are some of our favorite movies, ones that hold a lot of nostalgia for us, and they fit perfectly with the comfort food.

See a theme here?

No, I’m not stupid enough to think this night alone will lead to professions of love, hotter than hell sex and plans for the indefinite future, but I am hoping to make Aggie forget her hang ups and at the very least, be my best friend again.

And if she decides to cuddle with me, maybe even share a blanket and snuggle like we used to, I won’t be mad at it. I might even go in for a small kiss if things go well.

But wait Noah, what happened to phase two?

Nothing.

Phase two, Suck Out the Poison , is under way right now.

I know one of the things that has always stood in the way of our friendship-relationship, one of the things that has always put a strain on our lives and made it hard for us to be together at all, is my career.

Which is exactly why I asked to meet with Grady and the owner of Gateway Records, Lenny Whitehead, so I can officially tell them this is my last album.

If I want a real shot at making something work with Aggie, the band has to go. I’ve been ready to do this for a while now, but a future with my best friend as more, as everything, is exactly what I need to finally get out.

“Noah,” Lenny says with a nod as I stroll into his office. “Good to see you again.”

No, it’s not.

Up until five years ago, the only reason Lenny tolerated me was because I am Bleak December. Like Aggie said, I’m the brain behind the music. Without me, they can’t do shit, and it was still true even when I was a train wreck. Since I got sober, Lenny hasn’t said one word to me and I’m pretty sure that’s because he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And I’m about to drop it.

I reach across his desk and shake his hand. “I appreciate you making time for me.”

“Of course. It’s not every day that a reclusive guitar prodigy calls and asks for a personal meeting.”

Reclusive, my ass.

I’ve stayed out of the spotlight the best I can and poured all my energy into raising Clover. That doesn’t make me a recluse , just a good dad trying to stay on the straight and narrow.

Grady snorts. “ Prodigy .”

“Are you questioning my assessment?” Lenny turns to him, my weasel of a manger going chalk white. “I was the one who sent you to scout Bleak December all those years ago, solely based on the demo Noah mailed me. If I recall correctly, I was also the one who isolated the guitar track and said that boy was a prodigy destined for greatness. Considering the number of albums they’ve sold over the years; I’d say I was right.”

He may be skinny as a rail, old as dirt with a bad comb over and beady eyes, but Lenny Whitehead fucking knows music and he can make or break someone in the blink of an eye. And he won’t ever argue with our two platinum and three gold albums, this next one hopefully following the same trend.

“I was agreeing.” Grady kisses his ass. “Noah is a prodigy, a legend in the making. He?—”

“What was it you wanted to speak to me about?” Lenny turns back to me with a roll of those beady eyes.

I smirk at Grady, then flash Lenny what I hope is a confident smile. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Mr. Whitehead, appreciate the amazing opportunity you gave to a broke ass kid trying to make it doing something he loved. And while I’ve enjoyed my time with Gateway…” I swallow hard, my mouth dry as fuck. “I feel it’s time for me to take my life in a different direction.”

Lenny stares at me long and hard, doesn’t speak for an eternity or more and when he finally does, well fuck.

“I had a feeling this was coming.” He sighs. “Your absence over the last few years spoke volumes, and while I admire you for taking responsibility for your actions, stepping into a role you did not plan to take, I’m afraid it isn’t that simple.”

I blink, then frown. “How do you mean?”

Lenny sifts through the papers on his desk, his eyes scanning whatever it is he found. “The contract you signed originally was for three albums, three albums that did very well and led us to offer another contract.”

“For three more albums, which should be fulfilled once our album drops next month.”

He shakes his head. “ Hail Mary was a digital only release. It doesn’t meet the requirements outlined in your contract that would allow it to count toward the total six needed to fulfill the agreement. Blow Back is technically your fifth studio album, therefore you have one more before you can legally walk away from Gateway.”

Fuck .

Okay.

That’s fine.

I can still make this work.

“Okay.” I take a deep breath. “So, what do I need to do to terminate my contract early?”

“That’s not really a road you want to travel, son.” Lenny sighs. “By the time we were through with you, you’d be back to where you started all those years ago.”

Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.

I scrub my hand over my face and try not to freak out. Not only can I not walk away from everything I hate about my career, my plan to make things right with Aggie just took a one-way trip into the shitter.

“So, what you’re saying is, I’m fucked.”

Lenny chuckles. “Not necessarily.”

I lift a brow and wait.

“Bleak December is legally obligated to produce one more album after Blow Back , but that doesn’t mean they have to do it with you.” He holds up a hand when I open my mouth. “Your talent cannot be replicated, you’ll be hard to replace and an album without your skills and ear for music, your lyrical prowess is most likely going to be shit, but we can find someone else to take your place in the band.”

“Okay...”

“That being said, you , Mr. Thornbie, still owe me an album.”

I frown harder. “I’m not a solo artist.”

Lenny grins. “You haven’t been, no, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be. Your voice is better than Kyle’s, no questions asked, and lyrically you blow ninety percent of the artists at Gateway out of the water. You throw in your gift of guitar and composition skills… I have no doubt you could be an extremely successful and well received solo artist.”

“Thank you, but that’s kind of the point of leaving the band. I love making music, but I can’t do it as a career anymore. The lifestyle isn’t for me, I have too much at risk if I keep putting myself in it.” Everything is at risk if I do.

“I can appreciate your situation, Noah. I’ve seen you at your worst and I know the lifestyle played a very large roll in that, but I believe I’m seeing you at your best now.” Lenny gives me a crooked smile. It must be hard for his face to do that. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve seen him smile, ever.

“You’ve completely changed, turned into a much more grown-up version of that barely twenty-year-old kid who was incredibly focused and driven when we first met. I imagine a lot of that can be attributed to becoming a father, but perhaps credit can also be given to that young lady you’ve been seen with lately. Agatha, yes?”

I nod slowly.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation like this with Lenny. And I sure as hell didn’t think he kept tabs on my life like this or knew who Aggie was by name.

He has to follow the tabloids to a degree but Lenny has a team of people who do that for him, people who are basically on clean up duty for when his artists fuck up, so he doesn’t need to stay in the loop unless it’s big. My life? In the grand scheme, it’s just a minor blip on this guy’s radar.

“She’s been a part of your life since well before the band?”

Another nod and lift of my brow.

He smiles again, which is so fucking weird. “Sometimes the best motivation to make a change is a combination of things that have been right in front of us for years, as well as forced circumstances we didn’t ask for but embrace completely.”

“Speaking from experience?” Because this is strange as fuck, the way he has my situation pegged.

“I am. I admire you for wanting to make a change, wanting to do the right thing and allow positive influences to drive your decision making instead of the negative.” Lenny looks over what I’m guessing is my contract. “Here’s what I’m going to do.”

Oh boy .

“I’m going to sever your ties to Bleak December. You will still be listed everywhere as a founding member, still receive royalties and monies accrued from the five albums you’ve been a part of, something I do not have to allow but will because I like you, but you will no longer be a member of the band. You are no longer obligated to make public appearances with them, no longer required to do press, promotional events or otherwise, with Bleak December. The tour that will follow the release of Blow Back?—”

I shake my head. “I can’t tour. I have my daughter to think about, and I don’t want to be away from her that long.”

“You could hire a nanny and bring her with?” Lenny asks with a weird smirk. Dude must be having an off day. I can’t believe the shit he’s saying.

“Absolutely not. Even with a nanny, hotel rooms, a separate bus, there’s no way I want her exposed to what those asshats do on the road, and to be honest, I can’t be exposed to it either.”

He nods. “Taking your sobriety seriously, Mr. Thornbie. I admire that.”

“I am.” Not to mention all the groupies alone would ruin my chances with Aggie. “That being said, I know what my contract says about tours and if it’s a deal breaker, I understand.”

“It’s not.” Lenny is still smiling. “We can have someone else tour with the band until they find a permanent replacement.”

“Okay...” Now I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Lenny leans back in his chair and clicks his pen a dozen times. “You still owe me an album and tour.”

KABOOM .

There it is.

God, I hope he doesn’t throw me in with another band or something, I don’t want that.

He shakes his head as if he can read my thoughts. “You owe me an album and tour as Noah Thorn, or Thornbie, whichever you decide to go by. The album can be a solo deal where you either use our house musicians as back up, you can play each part yourself and we mix it accordingly, or you can create a new band, one you hand pick to play your music, but it will be yours . Written, composed and recorded by you on Gateway Records.”

The smug grin I’m all too familiar with touches his mouth. “If the album is as well received as I believe it will be, you go on tour for three months to meet your contract requirements.” Again, when I open mouth, he stops me. “You will have complete control over the tour. You decide when you go, who goes with you and everything else in between. You want a completely sober crew? You interview our team, choose who you want and set the rules for them to follow. I don’t even care if you do random drug tests and boot people who don’t fall in line. As for the accommodations, I will do as I’ve always done and provide you with a private bus as well as air travel and hotels when needed, with a strict no fraternization policy as well as added security and no backstage access to anyone you don’t approve. This should eliminate any unwanted female attention, partying, or anything else that comes with the lifestyle you’re trying to move away from.”

I blink once, twice, three times.

“Let me get this straight.” I lean forward, drop my elbows to my knees, and look him in the eye. “I owe you an album and tour, but I have complete creative license as well as the power to design and control everything, so it coincides with my sobriety, fatherhood and fiancé?”

Another crooked smile. “That about sums it up. You think that’ll work for you while you finish out your time at Gateway?”

I grin and reach across the desk. “I believe we have a deal, Mr. Whitehead.”

“Excellent.” Lenny shakes my hand firmly. “I’ll tell legal to make the adjustments to your contract and have it sent over immediately.”

“What the hell am I supposed to tell the rest of the guys?” Grady finally speaks up. “This is bull?—”

“I’m done with him, right?” I point to my slime ball manager. “Don’t have to deal with his shit anymore?”

“Correct.” Lenny smirks. “And it would do you good to remember that, Jorgensen. Noah is no longer your concern.”

“But, but, what?—”

I get to my feet and shake Lenny’s hand again. “Thank you, Mr. Whitehead, I’ll be in touch.”

Then I’m walking out of his office on cloud nine.

I’ve never had this much freedom before.

I’ve been the brain of the band for years, but we’ve had to fit into a mold the record label created for us, and I’ve always had at least one person to answer to when it came to damn near everything. Lenny putting me in charge like this means I am the final say every step of the way.

I can write and record however I want, make the music I’ve always wanted to make.

I can limit publicity and press, keep my life still relatively private through the whole process.

Being able to schedule a totally sober tour with nothing but like-minded people means I can actually take Clover, set it up for the summer when school’s out, and keep her on a private tour bus with just me and Aggie. She can see the country, experience so many amazing places and people. She’ll get to see me in my element, the best version of me doing what I was born to do, something that will hopefully make her proud of me. Her and Aggie both.

Fuck .

Aggie.

I’m not sure what she’s going to think of all this or how she’ll fit into it. I know how I want her to, I just don’t know if she’ll agree.

The way I lived for years put a sour taste in her mouth, made her hate almost everything about musicians and what they do, but I’m not that guy anymore. I’m her guy, the guy who is on the straight and narrow, the guy who can’t even glance at another woman without feeling sick, the guy who doesn’t even take cold medicine because he doesn’t want to put anything toxic in his body. I’m Aggie’s guy and I’m just praying this new contract won’t have the opposite effect on my efforts to make her see that.

Fuck, this could be bad, but if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s to pray for the good and let me tell you, I will be talking God’s ear off between now and when I find the balls to tell Aggie about this.