TANTRIC (Book 3 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 47: Front Men Crush Hard Candy

Hey! So maybe you guys recall that several times in our narrative, I've alluded to a big "blow-up"  between Bodie and Arabella and Mac and Adam on the tour that drove Bodie to Thailand? Well, I've been saving the tale to tell when it's required, and now it's time to find out what happened! Leed recounts the events for us in this surprising chapter that turns in ways you may not expect....

Leed

If Riley is unsettled by Slade's presence, you'd never know it. He walks in like fucking James Bond, gives Moran a curt nod and shakes Slade's hand with, "Riley Eddison, pleasure to meet you."

Slade gives him a broad smile that strikes me as disingenuous, but it could just be the unnaturally white teeth. I mean, I bleach, of course—who in this business doesn't?—but there comes a point that the teeth become so unnaturally white, the smile just looks fake. Maybe that's case with Slade. Anyway, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for fake smile, as he turns his attention to me.

"Leed Lawson," he says with satisfaction, and his handshake is somewhat more assuring than his smile. "My apologies we haven't met. You're a very important part of our talent roster here at Colossus. I'm a huge fan, myself."

I give him a nod. "Thanks, that's...great to hear. I'll pass it along to the guys."

"And gal," he says. "We can't forget about that sister of yours."

I give him the chin tip, in acknowledgment of my sis. "Yeah, Mac likes to be just one of the guys, to all of us. Well, except Adam, of course."

He crosses his arms over his chest, nodding and smiling more. "How's the new family?"

I give Riley a quizzical look. This really isn't how I thought this meeting was going to go. I thought we were being called on the carpet for Bodie testing positive for heroin. He gives me the tiniest nod, and I take that to mean I should just keep playing along.

"Uhhhh...they're doing great. Lennon-that's their daughter—she's healthy and thriving and Mac is bouncing right back—feisty as ever. Adam's...rock solid." I give a first pump to accentuate. Actually Adam's women have him totally wrapped around their fingers, but rock solid sounds like a better way to describe him than whipped.

Slade gives another one of those white-washed smiles. "That's just...terrific. But I know Adam's not the only Soundcrush guy solidly in the dad department. How's your kid doing, man?"

"Oh, he's super chill and super fun," I say, a little embarrassed to feel my rock star face slipping into a goofy grin.

"That's awesome," Slade laughs lightly—and for the first time my needle flips to the distinctly heebie-jeebie end of the dial. Yeah, this guy definitely does not give a shit about us Soundcrushers being in the family way. But, he's not the first fakester I've met in LA. He's just playing the game. I can play along.

I nod and give back the same kind of forced laugh. "So they tell me. You...uh...you have a family? Kids?"

He keeps right on laughing. "Nope, not that lucky, it seems."

Just then Marcy pushes through the door, looking for once, a little harried. She's clutching three phones, a bag and an Ipad, and she dumps them all unceremoniously on the table and plants her palms down, breathing heavily. "Sorry...I'm...late..." she gasps. I've never heard her short of breath before—she was a professional athlete and she's still in great shape.

"It's fine, we haven't started. How's Artie?" Moran says.

"He's fine. It wasn't nearly as bad as it seemed at the scene. Matt's in worse shape than he is."