Chapter Ten
DANGER
It’s morning, and I’m lying in bed when I hear a gentle rapping. Furrowing my brows, I figure it’s probably Ryan or one of the guys, so I slide out of bed in my boxer briefs to answer the door. Pulling it back, my eyes widen when I see Lunar standing there.
She smirks looking me up and down while licking her lips.
“See something you like?” I jest.
She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Like I’ve never heard that line before.”
I usher Lunar inside, kick the door shut, and then lead her over to the bed where we lie down. She moves into the nook of my arm, cuddling into my chest, gently playing with my nipple ring.
“Didn’t think I’d see you till the next gig.”
She looks up at me and grins. “Right, ’cause I only like you when you’re rocking out?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Pfft… you’re a twat. I like you, Danger. And not just ’cause you make my knickers wet when you’re singing.”
“Well, I’m glad I make your panties wet when I sing. And… I like you too.”
“Good, now that’s out of the way. I want to talk to you about something,” she says in her serious voice.
“Yeah? Shoot.”
She leans up on her elbow, her pink hair framing her beautiful face perfectly. “If, and I mean if, I were to distance myself from the club, do you have any ideas as to what kind of work I might be able to do?”
Taking in a deep breath, I think about what she could do that would keep her around me. My fingers trace up and down her arm. “Well… Recoil will be performing more, so we’ll need to arrange merchandise.”
She furrows her brows in confusion. “I’m not following?”
“At the gigs, we’ll need someone extraordinarily beautiful and sassy to sell all the merch.”
She blinks, opening her eyes wide. “You want me to work… for you?”
I shake my head. “With me, Lunar, not for me. You can help us pick out merch to sell and our branding if you want. Work with me to create great-looking gear so we can sell as much merch as possible.”
She slowly nods and looks upward like she’s thinking. “So, what kind of pay would I get?”
“That I’m not sure. It depends on how much money we make from gigs and merch sales. The problem is, it wouldn’t be the same profits you make from Strapless, and I’m sure that would be the case. But maybe we can think of something different in addition to the merch, where we can increase sales.”
“Like a kissing booth. Come one, come all… kiss Danger, Matt, and Nate,” she jests.
I chuckle. “Not Ryan?” I question.
She wrinkles her nose. “Nah, I’m sure he’s gay, right?”
Bursting out laughing, I shake my head when she grins and lies back down. “I’m gonna tell him you said that.”
“Do it. I’d love to see his reaction,” Lunar replies.
This woman is such a tease.
“Okay, so how ’bout I try my hand at the merch and limit my shifts at Strapless to the nights you’re not doing gigs and see how that goes?”
Bringing my hand up, I caress her cheek tenderly, looking into her eyes. “Sounds like you’re starting your new life, Lunar.”
She smiles wide, leaning closer, her lips almost touching mine. “And it’s all because of you,” she whispers before her lips crash to mine.
Two Days Later
We’re at another bar setting up for a gig when Techie walks in with a guy who looks like a typical Australian surfer.
His hair is that surfer-stereotype blond, which falls around his face in soft waves.
His broad shoulders show he’s fit, and I’m sure to the ladies he’s good-looking, with his strong jawline and bright blue eyes.
The way he holds himself is intimidating.
He’s giving off that sure-of-himself look, oozing undeniable confidence.
Wearing a crisp suit, an unbuttoned white shirt, and no tie makes him look all business but cool at the same time.
I raise my eyebrow, wondering who the hell this guy is.
I’m pretty sure if he’s here with Techie, then he’s here for us.
Lunar walks in with them. Her pink and yellow locks grab my attention, and instantly my cock aches for her.
She is the most stunning woman in this place.
Fuck, in the whole of Australia, no doubt.
Shaking my head as I smile at her, she grins, and I step down off the stage, walking over to the threesome.
Glancing at the new guy, I nod in a gesture of hello but put my knuckles out to Techie, who pounds them.
“Danger, I’d like you to meet Luke. He’s coming on board as your agent while you’re here in Oz.”
I look at the blond guy on Techie’s left. “Hey, Luke, nice to meet you. Thanks for coming on board.” Putting out my hand for him to shake, he takes it firmly and gives me a single yet solid shake with a dip of his chin.
“Nice to meet you, too. Techie tells me only good things about your band. From what I’ve heard, your music is great. I can’t wait to hear you live tonight to make my final call.”
“Final call?” I ask.
“I’m not on board just yet. I want to see you perform live. Tonight’s show will either seal the deal or end it… no pressure.” He grins.
A knot forms in my stomach, and I take a deep breath. Having an agent opens a hell of a lot more doors.
We need this.
“You’ll be on our side after the first song. I can promise you that, Luke,” I tell him with confidence.
“Let’s hope so. Go. Finish getting ready. You don’t need to waste your pre-show time on me. We can talk after,” he says.
“Thanks for coming, Luke. Means a lot.”
“Enjoy your show,” he says, patting my arm, followed by a brief grip, offering reassurance.
I glance at Lunar, raising my brows. She loops her arm with mine, and we walk to the stage.
“Did you know he was coming tonight?” I ask.
She grins. “Only when Techie told me this afternoon. I was going to tell you, but then I thought it might make you nervous all day.”
“It definitely could have, so I appreciate you keeping it to yourself. Are you all set for the merch stand tonight?” I inquire as we approach it.
Putting everything together on such short notice was challenging, but having Techie helped.
He certainly has contacts. We don’t have a lot of items, but what we do have comes at a hefty price tag due to the rush job.
My bank balance is worse off, but I believe in us, and any money spent now can be recouped from sales.
“It’ll do great. I’m gonna sell the shit out of everything, just you wait and see!” Lunar chimes excitedly.
“Attagirl.”
“Are you nervous?” she asks, biting her bottom lip.
I pinch my eyebrows, deep in thought. I was initially glad to know Luke was here. But now, not so much. “No, I know how to perform. It comes naturally. I’ll be myself up there and rock out like normal. I’m a pro at this.”
“Yeah, you are. Now go. The guys look like they’re waiting for you,” she says, with a tap to my ass.
Ryan, Matt, and Nate are already set up when I turn around. I’m not going to tell them about Luke. No need for us all to have nervous energy on stage.
I jog up the black stairs and onto the stage, my dark boots pounding hard on the floor.
Ryan looks at me as I step up to the mic.
A few girls in the crowd cheer, and I give them my panty-dropping smile, winking at the overexcited blonde in the front row.
She giggles and throws her hands in the air when I pick up my guitar and hurl the strap over my head.
After I adjust the strap, I reach into my pocket for my pick.
Ryan prefers to use his fingers, claiming it’s easier to feel the strings, but I was taught to play with a pick, and I’ve stuck with it. Using a pick is like my signature move and has shaped my image in the process. It’s one of the items for sale on the merch stand tonight.
I grab the mic and look out into the sea of faces. It might only be a medium-sized bar, but it is full of people. A crowd is a crowd, and there’s nothing quite like feeling the buzz and energy emanating from them. It surges the animal inside of me and makes me feel alive.
“Hello, Adelaide. We’re Recoil, and we’re gonna rock your fucking world tonight. So hold on tight. Shit’s about to get real,” I bellow, throwing my hand in the air, giving the signal to Nate to start playing the drum intro to “Stir of Echoes.”
When the song starts, the energy surges. The crowd begins to move when Matt’s bass kicks in, the heavy droning causing vibrations through the floor. Then Ryan takes the lead as we slam on our guitars.
The heavy rock filters through the bar, reverberating off the walls and filling the space with pure, unadulterated energy. This shit ignites my soul.
I live for this.
Breathe this.
This is my life.
Music is the center of my gravity.
I’ve lived without it for so long that I could never give this up again, not for anyone or anything.
This is not just a part of me—it’s who I am.
I open my mouth, and the lyrics caress my tongue, flowing effortlessly into the mic.
My deep, gravelly voice resonates around the bar, making the women melt and the men entranced.
My body moves with the rhythm, my heart rate syncing with the beat while I rock along to the music.
I love performing, even if it’s only at a small bar in downtown Adelaide.
Things are starting to turn for us.
And with the help of Luke, an agent on our side, anything is possible.
***
Luke is smiling as I bound off the stage on a high.
Performing is the best kind of drug in the world—ice, meth, or weed could never compare to the kind of lift rocking out can provide.
I smile at Lunar and give her a wink as she watches me walk past her while she’s busy selling our stuff to a bunch of girls.
Knowing Lunar’s doing an awesome job, I grin and stroll over toward Techie and Luke.
Luke looks me up and down, shaking his head, and my heart leaps into my throat for a moment, thinking he’s saying no to our sound. That is until a giant smile crosses his face.
He reaches out, grabs my arm, pulls me to his side, and wraps his arm around my sweaty shoulders.
“Danger, your sound is exactly what I’m looking for.
I’m in. I’m all in. I’ll start by getting your songs on the radio.
We will need a quick trip to the recording studio.
I know you have some tracks already laid down from before, so it should be easy.
In the meantime, we’ll do large clubs to get you known around the scene.
Then I will arrange an Australian tour. I want Recoil to be Australia’s latest buzzword. The next hot sound.”
Grinning like the fucking Cheshire cat, I shake my head. “Shit! I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, a fucking thank you might be a start,” he teases with a dirty great big smile.
“Fuck! Sorry. Yeah. Thanks, Luke. You don’t know what this means to the band… to me.”
“No, I do know what it means. You guys deserve it, and I will help make it happen, Danger. With a lot of work from you guys and dedication from me, we will do this.”
“Yeah, we will.”
“Good, now go pack up.”
His directness makes me smirk. He’s obviously going to be ordering us around a lot, so I figure I may as well start obeying him now.
“Sure, thanks again.” I walk back via the stage to see Lunar at the merch desk.
She’s selling the last item we have available and nods once at me. “I think I’m good at this…” she waves her hands around, “… selling stuff.”
My eyes light up, and a smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “Yeah, I think you are. Come here,” I order, and Lunar steps out from behind the desk. As soon as she’s close enough, I reach out, pulling her to me, and press my lips to hers.
“Danger, mind if I snap a quick photo?” someone calls out.
I reluctantly break away from Lunar, wincing. “Sorry, babe, duty calls.”
She nods and lets me go with the brightest smile on her face. Walking over to my new fans, I join the huddle for a selfie.
This is the best feeling in the fucking world.
Recoil is back, baby!