Chapter Two
TILLIE
It’s my second day officially working for Recoil, and I must admit I am excited to hear their sound live. I’ve heard them on the radio, and they’re good. Really good.
Being in this industry for a few years has given me a solid ear for talent, and hearing this band excites me.
Plus, having my parents in the business has taught me a thing or two.
I just hope Recoil is reliable and doesn’t create too much drama and media hype for me to manage.
I can’t stand spoiled rock stars with their over-demanding ways and high-maintenance attitudes.
Danger and Lunar are in their own world, so I’m not too worried about them.
Then there’s Ryan, who’s on edge for some reason that I have yet to learn.
Nate is grumpy at the best of times. Matt, well, I don’t know enough about him yet, so I’m not sure about his lifestyle or issues.
He seems quieter than the others, more like the peacekeeper.
Perhaps he’ll be the least of my concerns.
I turn my car off and slide out, remembering to put the top up on my red VW Golf Cabrio. There are dark, ominous clouds rolling in through the gray September sky from the west—I hope this isn’t an omen for my day.
Making my way inside the studio, I spot Oliver.
His short, spiked blond hair looks precision-perfect as always.
I’ve known him for a while, and his good looks never fade.
His strong jawline is cleanly shaven, and his blue eyes sparkle with excitement.
He’s a good-looking guy, and I’m sure under the business attire he’s built.
He is inside the studio with the band as I enter the sound room to chat with Lunar.
“How are you today?” I ask.
She turns and smiles. “Hey, Tillie. Good thanks. Glad you could make it. You wait till you hear them play. You’re gonna die. Like literally keel over and shrivel up like a corpse.”
Raising an eyebrow at her vivid imagery, I smirk. “Wow! Not sure I like that idea. I’d like to see my twenty-eighth birthday in normal style rather than a shriveled-up zombie.”
She laughs. “Don’t worry, you’ll only die just enough to know you’re living. I promise.”
“You’re a little bit weird.” I chuckle, hoping it doesn’t come off as awkward.
“Yeah. Think being with a bunch of bikers for so long has made me a tad morbid. But you’ll get used to me. Don’t worry,” she says, patting the stool next to her.
“Bikers?” I ask, wondering what the hell that means.
“Oh, I thought you might have known my background.” I shake my head. “I used to be a club girl with the Satan’s Savages MC back in Australia. When I found Danger, I left and joined the band on tour. It’s a whole story, and I can talk to you about it one day if you want to know.”
As I sit down, I cross my legs. My sky-high heel hooks over the bottom rung while the guys pick up their guitars, and Nate sits at his drum kit. “Sounds amazing. I would never have guessed—”
She taps my leg. “Here we go. Hold on to your tits, Tillie,” Lunar quips, effectively cutting that conversation.
I smile wide as she stares at Danger in a state of awe. The love oozing from this woman is palpable, and it makes me jealous to the point where I wish I loved someone like that.
The music starts, distracting me, so I turn to watch the guys.
The thing about Recoil is that they're all so goddamn good-looking—every single one of them. I can’t tell Matt and Nate apart, except for when their different tattooed arms are showing.
Danger is smoking hot, and Ryan? Even though he doesn’t have the built body with the defined abs the other guys have, it’s all about his face.
He is so handsome and refined, but has an edge, that childlike boyish look with a bad-boy persona.
He’s definitely my type, but I can’t go there.
Not only because, technically, he’s my boss, but also because he has made no attempt to hide the fact that he hates me.
My thoughts are muted when Ryan breaks into a solo on his guitar, leading into the song.
This man is making love to the guitar, and the sounds it produces are pure musical genius, causing my heart to leap into my throat as he plucks the strings.
Lunar’s right.
I am dying.
Because staring at Ryan and the way he’s playing is complete torturous agony. I want to run to him, wrap my arms around his body, and smother myself in him. There’s something about the way he moves with his instrument that makes me weak at the knees.
Danger starts to sing, and his voice is mixed with the beats and melody of the music, sending a rush of endorphins through me like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
And believe me, I have worked with and listened to great bands in the past. Sure, on the radio or in the car, Recoil’s sound is excellent, but live, it’s fucking electrifying with volts of pure energy running through me.
While staring at Ryan, my body pulses with need, my breathing breathy and harsh. I’ve never had a rush like this, and I know this man will be my undoing. He will be the death of me, just as Lunar has predicted.
The beats hypnotize me as Ryan continues to strum the strings of his guitar like a master, his fingers dancing effortlessly across the frets. For some stupid reason, I giggle like a schoolgirl, drawing Lunar’s attention.
She looks at me, raising a brow. “Care to share what you’re giggling about?”
Well, that’s embarrassing.
I make something up. “Just remembered a funny thing that happened on the way here.” I’m uncomfortable that she heard me, but hopefully, she won’t think I’m losing it.
Lunar giggles and shifts her focus. “These guys are great. Actually, even Ry, once you get to know him. He’s helped me through some rough times, especially in the beginning with Danger. He’s caring under all that idiocy.”
“Sounds like you’re trying to sell him to me?”
She smiles. “Well, I know you coming in will have stepped on his toes, and he’s gonna be a baby about it, but give it back to him and believe in yourself. You’re here for a reason, Tillie, because you’re good at what you do. Don’t let him cause you to doubt your abilities.”
“Oh, I won’t, believe me. I am strong, and I won’t let him faze me, but I’m not here to cause trouble either.”
“Ha! Cause trouble, I say! Stir these boys up. They thrive on it.”
With that thought running through my mind, I turn my attention back to the band. They’re so good my arms are covered in goose bumps.
As I take them in, I’m glad Lunar is here to help me tame these bad-boy rockers because two strong women are far superior to one.
After listening to Recoil play a few more songs and overhearing Ryan talking to the band, I see him in a different light.
He’s funny but vulnerable, hinting at past experiences that have shaped him.
At times, his bandmates hang on his every word, and his intense passion for music is evident.
There is a depth to him, a rawness that suggests he’s been through a lot, yet he channels that energy into driving the band.
Despite his harshness toward me, there is an undeniable charisma about him, and it’s something I look forward to experiencing as we work together.
Once I’m able to gather myself together enough to function properly, I get out of fangirl Tillie mode and slip into PR Manager Tillie mode.
Their sound has impressed me so much that I don’t want to delay sharing it with the world.
So I log into the band’s Instagram page and start a live stream, showing them rehearsing.
Live streaming is available to anyone, and I figure it’s a chance for their fans and anyone who hasn’t seen them before to view them in their rawest form.
It may be raw, but it’s fucking brilliant.
They only get one song, just a tease, a sample, to whet their appetites, which will make them want more.
This is an awesome way to entice fans to engage on their page and hopefully bring in new people who haven’t seen them perform.
Comments are coming in hot and fast. People are loving it, and Lunar is standing behind me, watching the comments and emojis flying across the screen.
When I look over my shoulder at her to gauge her reaction, she’s smiling widely. “Brilliant idea, Tillie,” she whispers in my ear.
I nod, keeping the camera rolling and focused on the guys. The song ends, and Oliver stands and starts talking, so I quickly end the feed and turn around to Lunar with a smirk.
“That went well. Will be interesting to see if the comments keep rolling in from people who play the video back later,” I say.
She pats my shoulder. “I never would have thought to do that. It’s such a good idea, Tillie. You are good at your job. The guys should be stoked!”
After I’m finished, I check their Instagram page, and it already has hundreds more likes than before the live stream. Knowing it’s been a success, I walk through to the studio to tell the guys with a smile on my face.
“I’m loving your new material. Keep up the good work, Danger. Your songwriting is evolving and improving,” Oliver says as I walk up to them.
Ryan looks at me like he’s annoyed by my mere presence.
“My writer’s block has officially gone since I was able to finish “Lunar Eclipse” and now the words flow easily,” Danger replies.
Ryan watches me pull up a stool next to Oliver. My skirt rides up my thighs slightly as I take a seat, and Ryan’s jaw clenches. I swallow hard, clenching my thighs, while my gaze stays on him, and I almost miss the way his eyes flick down to the movement before lifting back to mine.
“Right, Tillie, do you have anything to add?” Oliver asks, breaking my close watch on Ryan.
I look at him and nod. “Actually, yes. I did a live on your Insta while the band was playing, and over twelve thousand people joined the stream and were commenting.”
Danger, Matt, and Nate all widen their eyes, but Ryan huffs, folding his arms over his chest.
Taking a deep breath, I question him, “Not happy, Ryan?”