Broken Lyrics (Book 3 of the Black Heart Series)

Twenty-Six

Bree

After breakfast, I was encouraged to venture around the house and explore.

Claire had referred to this as my home too, but this place just seemed cold and drawn off. It was so empty.

I found myself in the in-house studio, fingering the key table.

This had been our dream, as kids. Ash had made it, and had created this whole life for himself. As cold and sterile as it all seemed, this was his. He had made it.

He owned everything in this room, this house and the house itself. Hell, he even owned me, since I signed that paperwork.

Although, if he truly did own me, why had he ASKED me to come back with him, instead of order me? What did he really want with me?

"Well, well, well..." A familiar voice sounded behind me, "If it isn't the princess... Coming back to your thrown?"

"My thrown?" I turned to Nick, as the other guys filed in, "You lost your mind, my friend?"

"No one's lost their mind, but you." Jason smiled widely, as he moved to his drum set.

"Ahhh...." Chris gave me a swift kiss on the cheek, before moving to his bass, "The queen has returned."

"We've already noted that," Nick said dryly, "You should have come in a little sooner."

"Bree's replacing Ash today?" Gabe smiled gleefully, "Cool."

"No." I jumped away from the key table and backed toward the door, "I just wandered in here, don't get any ideas. Don't need anymore videos getting out there."

Something Gabe was doing in the corner caught my eye. He had two guitar cases, but his electric was already set up in the corner.

Two cases, that were covered in stickers...

Two unmistakable guitar cases...

"Gabe..." My voice was in warning, as my eyes teared over.

"Ash is busy with legal shit today," Chris shrugged, as though he was not seeing what Gabe had just laid out, "We thought you might get bored and want some company."

"Gabe?"

"I don't think she wants to play with the boys today." I heard Jason chuckle.

Was no one seeing this?! Was this in my head?!

"How rude." Nick snorted dryly.

They were toying with me, they had to be.

"GUYS!" I snapped, barely holding my tears, "Where did you get those?!"

"Oh," Gabe feigned surprise, "My new guitars? I bought these used, off of this really stingy, blonde, lawyer chick back home. She charged me a fricken fortune too. Her best friend was apparently a musician, who was a little frigid and decided to hock these little gems."

"Lexi..." My voice was a whisper and tears slid down my cheeks as I squeezed my eyes closed. I had to be seeing things.

"Well, that would be a woman for you, so fickle." Gabe shook his head.

"Never could trust a person without a dick." Nick chuckled.

"Only problem with those Betty's is that they're purple." Jason shrugged.

"Purple?" Chris feigned disgust, "But that won't do, we're all dudes."

"I sold them, to buy Declan her bed set." I cried.

My hand reached out to smooth the case that I knew contained my electric.

I couldn't believe she had gone back to the pawn shop and bought them.

Oh, Lexi... How many times have you helped me like this? How many other things do I not know about?

"Anyway, I had them shipped here and I looked them over last night. The needed a good tuning, but they're still in amazing condition," Gabe watched me as I cried, caressing my cases, "Whoever this chick was, she must have sucked, because they look like they've never even been taken out of the cases."

I turned to Gabe and the guys, seeing their smiles for the first time.

"You know damn well, that I don't suck," I told them snidely, "I may not be the best guitarist, but I loved these pieces all the same."

"Then show us." Jason beamed.

"Let's jam." Chris motioned to Asher's position.

"I can't." I shook my head, "I don't sing anymore."

"You don't?" Nick asked, "I thought you did the other night. Come on, for old time's sake."

"This isn't for me," I continued to shake my head, "I'm a mom. DC comes first."

"Mom, I'm fifteen." I could almost hear DC's eyes roll, "I am more than capable of occupying myself."

I swung around and was face to face with my beautiful daughter.

"You have put me first for my entire life and it's time that you put this first."

"DC-"

"Mom, I love you so much, but I know what you've sacrificed for me. You've been so selfless and I appreciate it, but this?" She looked around the studio, "This is your time to be a little selfish."

I didn't say anything, I couldn't. My own kid was telling me to be selfish?

"When I met Dad and the guys, they kept saying that you were this vocal prodigy. I had never thought twice about it, but then I heard you sing that night in the bar and I got goosebumps." She smiled lovingly... Oh, my beautiful baby...

"Remember when I was little and we used to watch those music shows?" When I nodded, she continued, "You told me that the good ones would give me goosebumps when they sang... That they may even make someone cry... That's YOU, Mom."

I just continued to stare at her, completely dumbfounded.

When I realized that she wasn't going to waiver and give into letting me out of the studio, I turned the guys, who were beaming with excitement.

"What do you have for me?" I sighed.

"Oh, so because the prodigal princess returns, she wants us to hook her up..." Jason laughed.

"What is this world coming to?" Chris shook his head.

"Okay," I shrugged and turned to walk out, knowing they were bluffing, "I thought, since you wanted to jam so badly, you had something for me, but, if you don't-"

"Hold up, princess!" Nick called after me, "We have a few new songs, but we want to try to record some of the old ones, from way back."

"I'll cut a deal," I crossed my arms, ready to bargain, "I'll work on your tracks, if you help me with the sound on a couple of things I've written."

"Deal." Chris gave a nod.

"Not so fast," I held up a hand, "Also, this deal does NOT go beyond the people in this room. No one needs to know, including Asher."

"Deal, now choose your weapon." Gabe motioned to my guitars, as if ushering me to my seat in a movie theator.