On The Edge
Chapter 48
HERE'S TO US
The music pulsed loudly, but the crowd surrounding the table chanting Addison's name as she went shot for shot with some of the honorees and performers at the Rolling Stone after party was even louder.
"How are you still standing?" Dave asked as he grabbed her in a headlock and mussed her hair.
She swatted him away, swaying slightly into Zed's waiting arms. "Because I've been drinking with the likes of you since I was a kid!" she giggled.
"Way to make me feel old as shit! Just for that…" he poured another round and handed her yet another shot.
"Don't encourage her!" Bucky laughed. "We've got an early flight tomorrow and a gig tomorrow night."
"You're such a buzzkill, brother dear," she said sweetly as she flipped him off and downed the shot.
Dave grimaced and slammed his glass down. "Gig, huh? Where at?"
"The Troubadour!" Addison said excitedly.
"No shit! That's huge!"
"I remember playing there," Slash said wistfully. "Crazy times…" He glanced towards the stage as a slow smile spread across his face. "Speaking of which… wanna crash this party?"
Addison followed his eyes, "Think they'll let us?"
Dave let out a loud booming laugh. "Who would stop us?"
"Good point," she giggled.
"I'll grab Dirnt," he said before knocking his shot back. "Meet you up there."
Bonzo's eyes widened. "Did he just say Dirnt? As in Mike Dirnt? As in Green Day bassist, Mike Dirnt?"
"Try to contain yourself there, Bonz," Addison teased. She turned around in Zed's arms and looked up into his eyes. "I'll be right back."
He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her softly. "Knock 'em dead, Gorgeous."
"Always," she purred, crashing her lips against his.
Before he could deepen it, she was already walking off towards the stage. He shook his head and smirked. "God have I missed her like this."
"Like what?" Tracey asked.
"You're about to see," he said pouring himself another drink and getting comfortable in one of the chairs.
Mason sat down in the chair next to him and clinked his glass to his. "Feels like old times… only now we can legally drink."
Zed barked out a laugh as Tracey flung himself dramatically onto Mason's lap. "What are you two going on about."
Mason pecked an affectionate kiss on Tracey's cheek and pointed to the stage where Addison now stood, adjusting the microphone stand while Slash talked to someone trying to stop them. "You'll see."
The man Slash was talking to threw up his hands in defeat as Dave and Mike took the stage as well. Dave was right. Who would actually stop them? He tested out the bass pedal and cracked out a four-count.
The already raucous crowd screamed with excitement as the spontaneous supergroup began to play.
With Slash building a sultry melody, Addison stepped up to the microphone.
"Ooooooh…. Ladee da…. Da…. Da…. Da….
Oooooh…. Oooooh…. Ladee da… Da…. Da… da…
You like it smooth like brandy…" she practically purred.
"Savor the flavor with delight
You can be Sid, I'll be Nancy
'Cause sometimes it's more fun to fight…"
The beat kicked up and she grabbed the microphone stand, swinging it around and leaning down towards the crowd.
"I hear the thunder thumping
and my heart starts jumping
And that's when I spin on the pole
Now my head's exploding
And your gun is loaded
So I'm guessing I'm on a roll…"
Tracey's jaw dropped open. "Jesus…"
"Well, it's a fine time
Looking for a wine time
And you said, "Baby, you ready to play?"
Well, come ride on this roller coaster
'Cause it ain't over, it ain't over…"
Zed and Mason both laughed as Tracey jumped to his feet. "That's my best friend!" he screamed excitedly, jumping around. He turned back towards Zed and Mason. "Are you seeing her up there!"
Mason chuckled and grabbed him around the waist, pulling him back down into his lap. "That is the Addie we know and love."
"Rebel of this party
I'm in love with all your danger, danger
We can live forever
I can be your pagan angel...angel
Beautiful dangerous…."
"I can't believe I get to be on stage with her every night!" Tracey said in awe as he continued to watch her.
"I know what you mean," Zed whispered. "I can't believe I get to call her mine!"
Mason looked over to Bucky and shook his head. "Good luck getting that bottled back up, B."
"What do you mean?"
Mason raised his glass in a mock toast and nodded towards the stage. "There isn't a chance in hell she's going to go back on tour and hide anymore… Addison Fucking Donnelly is back from the dead."
"It's about damn time," Zed said as his smile grew.
After a few more songs they all made their way back to the table, collapsing into sweaty heaps.
"I am not as young as I used to be," Dave laughed as Eliza slid him a cold beer. "Damn, Adds… if you rock that hard on a whim, I may just have to check you out tomorrow night."
Eliza's jaw nearly hit the table at the thought of her idol coming to one of her shows.
Zed chuckled and placed a kiss behind Addison's ear. "Think I could tempt you to leave?" he whispered.
She turned in his arms, running her hands through his hair as she gazed into his eyes. "You mister, are walking temptation."
"Is that a yes?" he asked hopefully. "Because we have some serious celebrating to do."
"And what exactly are we celebrating?"
He pretended to ponder as his arms tightened around her waist and he leaned down to whisper, "Hmm… I can think of several things that deserve to be celebrated tonight… Like you finally beating your mother at her own game… and..."
Her head began to swim as he continued to whisper in her ear between kisses.
"...You showing the world just how big of a rockstar I've always known you'd be…" he bit down on her ear, making her moan. "… But more importantly… You finally not saying no. We definitely need to finish celebrating that one."
Her nose scrunched as she smiled. "Is that so?"
He nodded and gave her a look that set her insides ablaze.
"What are we waiting for then?"
Without missing a beat, he lifted her over his shoulder, making her laugh loudly. "Well, this has been a blast, but we're heading out!"
"Do you have to do that?" Bucky whined loudly.
"You said we had an early morning, I'm just trying to get her to bed," Zed said innocently, much to the amusement of everyone.
Bucky rolled his eyes and looked towards Slash. "You see this shit? This is what I have to deal with!"
"Oh, ease up," he laughed. "They're young and in love… Adds, don't disappear on me again! I expect a fucking phone call every now and then."
She lifted her head up and looked over Zed's shoulder. "I swear I'll call!"
"Good!" he said, raising his glass up to her. "Maybe we can record something together for my next album."
"Talk to my manager!" she called out through a giggle as Zed rushed them towards the exit.
"Those two are so lucky I love them…" Bucky mumbled, raising his glass to his lips.
Tracey jumped, as his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and smiled. "Hey, Wills!" He said as he answered it. His face suddenly fell. "Hold on… he's right here." He held his phone out for Bucky.
With a questioning look in his eyes, Bucky took the phone from Tracey. "What's up, Willa?"
"Were you going to check your phone at some point tonight?" she asked in a near panic.
Bucky dug into his own pocket and pulled out his phone, noticing for the first time the number of missed calls it was displaying. "What the hell…"
Willa laughed humorlessly. "Ready or not, shit is about to hit the fucking fan."
PING
…
PING
…
PING
…
"Baby… turn your phone off," Zed groaned as he pulled the pillow over his head.
"Hmm?" she mumbled, still sleeping.
PING
…
PING
…
PING
…
"Uhnn…" she whined a moment later when the obnoxious sound didn't stop. With one eye cracked open, she rolled over to silence it. She snuggled into Zed's side and let out a sigh as she tried to fall back asleep, only to be woken up by the sound of knocking on the bedroom door. She sat up in a huff. "WHAT?" she yelled.
The door cracked open and Bucky stuck his head through. "Morning…" he said nervously. "I… uh… ordered breakfast… it should be here any minute now…"
She grabbed the pillow Zed had covering his face and threw it at the door. "It's too early…"
Bucky laughed even more nervously. "We… um… really need to get going…"
Addison looked over to the clock and groaned. "But we still have an hour…"
"Change of plans. We're leaving sooner. Everyone is already on their way up here. So… get ready. Please."
She propped herself up on her elbows and glared at him. "You're being weird… What are you hiding?"
His eyes widened slightly. "Um…" He turned at the sound of a knock coming from the front door. "I need to get that."
"What the shit was he going on about?" Zed mumbled as he threw his arm around her and pulled her back down into his chest.
She snuggled into him and yawned loudly. "No clue." She had just closed her eyes when the bedroom door flew open and Tracey bounced into the room.
"Bucky rushed me out of my own damn room, I'm using your bathroom!"
"It's right over there…" she mumbled through a yawn, vaguely gesturing to the corner of the room.
Zed sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. "We're not getting any more sleep… are we?"
She yawned again and shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I can already hear everyone in the sitting room."
"What the hell did you two do last night?!" Tracey exclaimed, walking back into their room.
Zed sat up and scratched the back of his head. "Celebrated."
"Celebrated? I almost busted my ass on the wet floor! It looks like a goddamn monsoon hit in there! Not to mention the wax all over every flat surface and all the rose petals!"
Addison bit her lip and let out a soft moan as flashes of the previous night ran through her head. "Remember that bathtub scene in Queen of the Damned?"
"You mean the one with Akasha and Lestat getting it on in the bathtub while Deftones play?"
She smiled and winked. "That would be the one… It was even better than I ever thought it would be!"
Tracey's jaw dropped open. "Fuck me… Can THAT be your next tape?"
"No more sex tapes! Ever!" Bucky screamed from the sitting room. "I swear to christ if you two made another one…"
Zed laughed. "Don't worry, we didn't." He kissed the top of Addison's hair and whispered, "We totally should have though. I don't want to forget a second of last night."
"I don't think I ever could," she breathed against his lips.
"Food is here!" Bucky shouted.
Tracey grimaced, "We better go before Mason eats everything!"
Addison shook her head and giggled. "Some things never change… We'll be right out."
As their door closed, Zed wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back down. "I don't want to get up yet."
"From the feel of things, part of you already is up."
"Totally your fault."
She bit her lip and looked up at him through her lashes. "Is that so…"
"The walls are pretty thin, don't you dare start having sex in there!" Bonzo called out, teasingly.
Addison threw her head back in frustration. "Fine!" She shook her head and sat up, grabbing her phone from the nightstand. Her still bleary eyes suddenly flew open. "Jesus fucking Christ!"
Zed bolted upright, "What?! What's wrong?"
"I don't know yet…" she said, unlocking her phone. "But those pings and dings that woke us up were Google alerts going off…"
He scratched the back of his head in confusion as he let out a loud yawn. "Google alerts?"
She nodded. "Yeah… After those paparazzi pics my mom leaked recently, I set them up to go off whenever my name is mentioned anywhere…" She gasped and turned her phone for him to see.
Zed rubbed his eyes. "What am I looking at? I'm not awake enough to comprehend that number."
"… I expected some, but this is insane…" She began to scroll through them but stopped almost instantly. "Zed…" she whispered.
"Is it the video?"
She shook her head and turned her phone back around to show him. There, under the red script logo of Rolling Stone Magazine, was a bold print headline: IS ADDISON DONNELLY THE SAVIOR ROCK HAS BEEN WAITING FOR?
"Holy shit…" he whispered, taking the phone from her.
Her eyes were still wide with disbelief. "There's a Rolling Stone article about me…"
"Damn right there is!" he exclaimed, pulling her in for a kiss. "Did you read this yet?"
She shook her head again. "I… I don't think I can…"
He rolled his eyes playfully and squeezed her tight before looking back at the phone.
"The elusive, ethereal, tattooed heiress to the Bamm! Records dynasty…" he stopped and looked up at her, "elusive and ethereal… not a bad start," he teased.
She smiled and smacked his arm as he continued to skim the article.
"Accompanied on stage by her long-time boyfriend, the charismatic lead singer, and guitarist of the up and coming rock band Zombies, Zed Necrodopolus, as well as Zombies bassist James Bonzo, and drummer Eliza Russel, and guitarist Tracey Nguyen from The Acey's…"
"Well that reporter certainly did his homework," Addison said, shock still in her voice. "The guys are going to love the shoutout."
He leaned over and kissed her again. "You realize this article just publicly outed us, right?"
She smiled and pulled him down to her. "I'm pretty sure that kiss on stage last night did that," she whispered against his lips.
"I regret nothing." He deepened their kiss, his hands lacing through her hair and pulling just hard enough to make a moan fall from her mouth. He pulled away with a smile and continued to read. "What is being heralded as the sexiest set to ever grace the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame stage…" He smiled again and pecked her cheek. "Look at us, making history already!"
She smacked his arm playfully as he continued to read. A few paragraphs down, he stopped. His eyes went wide as he turned back to her.
"What?"
"There's a direct quote…"
"From who? What does it say?" she asked, trying to snatch the phone from his grasp.
"My step-sister was born to perform."
Her jaw dropped open. Without warning, she threw her head back and screamed, "Get your ass in here NOW, Bartholomew!"
Zed chuckled under his breath. "You're not really pissed off at him, are you?"
"Of course not… but I'm going to let him sweat it out a little," she giggled, leaning down and kissing him. "He's kind of adorable when he's scared."
Laughter could be heard coming from the sitting room as the door slowly creaked open. "Yes…" he said quietly, walking into the room.
She turned her phone towards him. "You fucking greenlit a Rolling Stone feature?"
"Surprise!" he laughed nervously.
"Despite the fact that this has always been a dream of mine…" she shook her head in disbelief. "Why? Aren't you worried Lacey and Jacey are going to see this? Or Santos? We're still on tour."
He walked farther into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Tracey already wants Lacey out… and I'm firing Jacey the second the show is over tonight."
"If I don't kill him first," Zed muttered.
"Or that," Bucky shrugged. "So no… I didn't give them a thought when I gave that interview. It's time to start living the life you were meant to…"
"And the tour sponsors?"
Bucky sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It is what it is."
She narrowed her eyes. "This isn't what's got you all wound up, is it?
"Um…"
"Just spit it out, Brother-dear."
"Lacey texted me this morning."
"And?"
"And… she wants to meet with you so the two of you can work on the new songs for tonight."
Addison arched her brow. "Wasn't that already the plan?"
He nodded his head. "Yeah… But…"
"But?"
He sucked in a deep breath. "So you know how we made a point of telling Tracey and Bree not to post anything to social media while we were here?"
"Yeah…"
"Well… Rolling Stone went live on Instagram a few times last night. Like on the red carpet and from the after-party while you were singing with Dave, Slash, and Mike…"
"So? What does that have to do with anything?"
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "… judging from the hundred or so missed calls, voicemails, and texts from last night… Lacey knows something. I don't know how much. But she definitely saw the video from the after-party."
Zed shook his head and laughed. "Well… this should be interesting."
The moment the door to the plane opened, Zoey and The Pack began to applaud and cheer loudly.
"I could soooo get used to this," Tracey said with a large smile as he pulled his oversized sunglasses down over his eyes.
"Be careful what you wish for," Addison teased before smacking a loud kiss on his cheek and walking down the steps with Zed.
Before they had even reached the ground, Zoey was already running and launching herself into her brother's arms.
"Oh my god! My brother is an actual rock star!" She screamed as she hugged him as tightly as possible.
Addison giggled. "He always has been."
Zoey wiggled out of Zed's arms and hugged Addison. "Yeah, but last night… the two of you… was just… WOW!"
"Shouldn't you be in school?" Zed asked with a laugh.
"Yeah, like there was a chance in hell she was going to miss seeing you guys after a performance like that," Wyatt said as he walked up to them. "Alright short stuff, let them catch their breath," he said as he picked Zoey up around the waist and moved her out of the way just enough so that he could pull Addison and Zed into a large hug.
"Hey! I thought you just said they needed to breathe!" Zoey complained.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he laughed, kissing their cheeks. "Maybe I just needed them to myself for a minute."
"We missed you too, Wy," Zed smiled, hugging him back.
"She's right though… you guys were amazing."
"You know, we were there too," Tracey called out, throwing his hands up into the air as he joined them on the ground.
"Oh we know," Willa said, hugging him. She looked over his head to Zed and Addison. "I'm assuming the only reason you didn't call us to play was because it was a last-minute decision?"
"Oof! I swear I called an audible in the 11th hour. Mason hurt his wrist during the final run-through and it all just sort of happened. If it had at all been planned, you guys would have been on a plane out to Cleveland!" Addison said as Wynter practically tackled her in a hug.
"And that party last night! Jesus, Pom-poms… Legend-fucking-dary." Wyatt said with a dreamy sigh.
"And let's not forget that Rolling Stone article," Willa laughed. "That picture alone was hot as hell."
"My girl is always hot as hell," Zed said with a smile as he pushed away Wynter and picked Addison up to kiss her.
"Eww… gross, big bro. It's bad enough I had to watch you two make out on stage last night."
Zed chuckled and turned towards his sister. "I've told you, Zo… If you're old enough to raise hell, I no longer feel bad about you seeing me kiss the love of my life."
"Speaking of raising hell," Bucky said as he joined them. "Any word on Lacey…" he looked over at Zed and rolled his eyes. "… and do you have to do that with my sister?"
"I'm done hiding, Brother-dear," Addison answered.
"We're done hiding," Zed added.
"Yes! Fucking right!" Wyatt exclaimed with a loud whoop. He turned towards Bucky. "And no, we didn't see her or Jacey this morning when we were down there rehearsing."
He nodded his head and looked at his watch. "Well, I guess we're going into this blind."
"What's the plan, Boss-man?"
Bucky turned to Wynter and gave her a tight smile. "She wants to meet with Adds alone, so…" he shrugged his shoulders. "Addie goes alone, and we wait."
Zed rolled his eyes. "I hate this plan."
Tracey and Mason raised their hands. "Us too."
"So do we," the pack answered in unison.
"Samesies," Eliza said, pointing to herself, Bonzo, and Bree.
Bucky threw his hands in the air. "What do you suggest then?"
"That we all fucking go," Zed replied with a 'well duh' look across his face. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let my girlfriend anywhere near that psycho bitch alone?"
"Your girlfriend can take care of herself, fuck you very much," Addison said as she slid out of his arms. "If Lacey wants me and me alone, that's what she's going to get."
"Baby…"
Addison looked up at Zed and smiled. "If it makes you feel better, you can be close by. But I'm going to deal with her by myself. End. Of. Discussion."
As they pulled up to the West Hollywood landmark, they all took a moment to stare in disbelief. The Troubadour was the home to some of Rock's most legendary performances. It was where Bob Dylan first tried his hand at the electric guitar, where Neil Young played his first solo show, the place where Don Henley and Glenn Frey met before eventually forming the Eagles, the last place Janis Joplin partied the night before she died, the very place where Guns N Roses performed the show that would get them signed, and where practically everyone played to celebrate the release of their debut albums.
Addison took a deep breath. No matter how many times she had attended a show or partied at the Troubadour, the weight of the club's history never ceased to amaze her.
"I can't believe we're actually playing here tonight," Tracey said in an awed whisper.
"I know what you mean… I've been dreaming of this my whole life," she said, staring up at the illuminated letters sprawling across the front of the building.
Zed wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed below her ear. "I'm giving you fifteen minutes in there before I come in."
She smiled and rolled her eyes. She'd never admit it, but she loved how fiercely protective he was of her. "It's just Lacey."
"And I've never trusted her," he said, turning her around in his arms so she had to look at him. "You're everything to me… I love you, and that is the beginning and end of everything."
She pushed herself up on her tippy toes and kissed him softly. "Paraphrasing The Great Gatsby?"
"And stating the truth."
"I love you, too," she whispered, kissing him once again.
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "Fifteen minutes." He kissed her once more and exhaled.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Addison asked Tracey.
Tracey sighed and hugged her. "It's been a long time coming…"
"Okay…" she looked back towards the building and nodded her head. "Here goes nothing."
Bucky grabbed her hand. "I'm coming with you."
"But…"
He held a finger against her lips and shook his head. "Do not argue with me on this one. Yes, I'm your brother and I have a tendency to be a teensy bit overprotective of you…"
She swatted his hand away and arched her brow. "A teensy bit?"
He rolled his eyes and smirked right back. "Shut up, sis… my point is, I'm also your manager as well as Lacey's. At least let me walk in with you."
"I fully support that idea," Zed piped up.
Addison huffed in annoyance. "Fine… let's go."
The two of them made their way to the rear entrance and walked up the stairs to the dressing rooms, following the sound of Lacey singing. Addison stopped and listened before letting out a soft humorless laugh.
"What?"
"I am beautiful with you
Even in the darkest part of me
I am beautiful with you
Make it feel the way it's supposed to be…" she sang quietly, finishing the chorus. She rolled her eyes and motioned towards the closed door ahead of them. "If she's going to steal my songs, the least she could do is sing in the right key."
Bucky smirked and gave her a nudge as they reached the door. They both exchanged a look, silently communicating their support for each other before he pushed the door open.
"It's about time you showed up," Lacey snapped when she looked up from her phone to see the two of them in the doorway. "Late night?"
Addison resisted the urge to roll her eyes and immediately go off on her, opting to instead address the larger than normal bouquet of red roses sitting on the table. "Nice flowers."
Lacey's face lit up. "Aren't they amazing! Salvador is coming to the show tonight! Can you believe it?! Mega Records AND Salvador Santos all in one night!"
Addison's eyes widened and she stole a glance at Bucky who seemed to be wearing an equally panicked look.
"Yeah… great…" he mumbled.
Lacey was on her feet walking towards them. "Well, us girls have a lot of work to do before rehearsals this afternoon, so…" she motioned for Bucky to leave.
"Are you sure you don't need me to stick around? I mean, this is West Hollywood… not the best neighborhood."
"We'll be fine, Bucky!" Lacey snapped. "Casey and I have a lot to go over and we can't do anything with you hovering! Leave!"
He glanced at Addison. "Okay… call me if you need anything. I won't be far."
"Oh for Christ's sake…" Lacey mumbled.
Bucky held Addison's gaze for a moment longer before turning and walking back out the door.
"I thought he'd never fucking leave!" Lacey said cheerfully when they finally heard the rear door close. "Let's get to work!"
Addison silently followed Lacey down to the dimly lit stage.
"I'm sure you'll have no problems picking up the new songs…" Lacey said with an obviously fake smile.
Addison rolled her eyes. "Yeah… I bet… it'll almost be like I wrote them myself..."
Lacey popped her hip to the side. "I don't think you're in any position to be giving me attitude right now."
Addison couldn't help the laugh that slipped from her lips. "Oh really… and why is that? Because I'm pretty sure you're the one that stole my notebook."
"Because I know your secret."
"Oh yeah? Which one?"
"That you violated your contract last night."
Addison's brows scrunched together in confusion. Of all the things Lacey could have said, she hadn't expected that one. "How so?"
"I saw that Rolling Stone Live on Instagram last night. I don't know who you had to sleep with to play an after-party gig with members of Guns N Roses, Foo Fighters, and Green Day… but I saw you. You played a gig with a band that wasn't The Acey's. You violated your contract. And if you don't do exactly what I say, I'm telling Bucky and you'll be out of this band, and you'll never even have a chance to play for Mega Records!" she said with a look of satisfaction crossing her face.
Addison was silent for a moment as she processed what Lacey had just said. A slow smile began to spread before she threw her head back and began to laugh uncontrollably.
"I see nothing funny about your predicament, Casey."
Addison wiped a tear away from her eye as she tried to calm herself. "I'm sorry… but you've had what is basically my diary for how long? And THAT is all you managed to figure out? That I sang a few songs last night? Wow… Just… Lacey I'm speechless."
Lacey crossed her arms angrily across her chest. "What do you mean, that's all I managed to find out?"
"I'm just saying, there was a lot more you missed," Addison answered, still laughing.
"That's it! I'm tired of this shit! You're going to play the fucking songs tonight without saying a goddamn thing about you actually writing them or I am telling Bucky. I fucking mean it, Casey!"
Addison took a deep breath and tried to wipe the smile from her face. "Fine, Lacey… which of my songs did you steal?" she asked, playing along just to see exactly how clueless Lacey actually was.
"So you're going along with my plan?"
"That remains to be seen… Let's just call this morbid curiosity."
Lacey rolled her eyes. "Whatever…" she walked up to the microphone and turned it on.
"Found one of our old mixtapes
Remember listening to grace, I do…
We were driving to DC
We were drunk in my backseat, I know…
Nothing will ever be
Like when we were seventeen
The stars will rearrange
The sun will fade away
Everyone will change
But we will still remain
And outlast the pyramids …"
Addison nodded and grabbed Wyatt's acoustic guitar that was already on stage from The Pack's last rehearsal. She walked up to other mic and cut in.
"The oceans can burn for all I care
And in the ashes I'll meet you there
I know someday the moon will blow away
And all fish will decay
Everything will change
But we will still remain and outlast the pyramids…" She looked over to Lacey and shook her head. "At least you had the decency to change LBC to DC," she shook her head, "And you're singing it an octave too high."
"Doesn't matter, because I'm the one singing. All you'll be doing tonight is playing bass," Lacey smiled victoriously. "So are you going to play nice or am I calling Bucky?"
The sound of doors being opened echoed through the room.
"I can play real nice," Addison smiled as Bucky, Tracey, Mason, and all of Zombies walked in. "I still can't believe you didn't realize who that song is about… especially with the next verse."
"This is our rehearsal time!" Lacey snapped before turning back to Addison. "What are you talking about?"
"You'll see…" Addison stepped back up to the microphone with a wicked gleam in her eye and began to sing again.
"Remember all the frilly nights
Driving down I-95
Singing in a smokey room
When we had everything to lose, I do…"
"What are you doing Casey?" she warned.
Addison ignored her and locked eyes with Zed as she continued to sing.
"And when we had some room to breathe
You said that you would marry me
But even if we never do
I will always be with you, I know…."
Without warning, Zed ran and jumped up onto the stage. He grabbed Addison, crashing his lips against hers.
"What the fuck?!" Lacey screamed.
He pulled back and looked into Addison's eyes. "One day I'm going to get a yes out of you."
She smiled and kissed him back. "You've already gotten a not yet… don't push it."
"You love it when I push it."
"I really do," she giggled.
Lacey screamed and stomped her foot. "What the hell is going on?" She looked over to Bucky and pointed to Zed and Addison. "Did you see that?! I don't care if we do have the biggest show of our lives tonight! I want her out NOW! That snowball has been violating her fucking contract! She's probably been screwing Zed for god only know how long!"
"For a lot longer than I'm comfortable admitting," Bucky deadpanned with a shudder.
Lacey's jaw dropped open. "You knew?"
"Of course I knew," he said with a shrug. "I'm their manager."
"But… but the contract!" she screamed. "This is MY band! I make the rules! I want her gone NOW!"
"Lacey... you can't really expect me to fire my own sister, can you?"
"Sister?" she gasped. "But… but…" she shook the shock off and replaced it with a determined look. "Doesn't fucking matter. She signed the contract!"
Bucky chuckled to himself. "About that… you see, I know my sister better than she knows herself sometimes. Despite the fact that I asked her not to, I knew there wasn't a chance in hell she wasn't going to sleep with Zed at some point. So I signed it Casey Jacobs for her. Casey Jacobs doesn't actually exist, so… contract is null and void," he said with a smile.
Lacey's jaw dropped open as everyone else snickered.
"Thanks, Brother-dear… I was wondering how we were going to get around that one… and to think of all the shit you gave me when you did find out..."
Bucky rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't know you two had so much history then, remember?"
Lacey screamed at the top of her lungs. "That's it! Someone better tell me exactly what the fuck is going on?! What do you mean Casey Jacobs doesn't exist? What fucking history? And how the ever-living fuck did I not know you two were brother and sister!" She grabbed at her chest and blew out a deep breath. "I do not need this today! Tonight is supposed to be perfect!"
Tracey took a step towards her and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll give you the full run-down, but first… I have to ask you something, Lacey Babe."
"What could you possibly ask me at a time like this Tracey? We need answers!"
"You're right, we do… so please, indulge me," he smiled.
Lacey rolled her eyes. "Fine… what?"
"That song that you wrote back in New York… you know, the one that Zed stole… what exactly was the inspiration behind it?"
She threw her hands up in the air. "Seriously? We have traitors in our midst and you want to re-hash this shit? We have the biggest show of our lives tonight! We need to fix this!"
"Oh, come on Lace…"
She crossed her arms over her chest and gnawed on her lower lip. "You're so lucky I love you…" she let out a breath and closed her eyes. "It's about a girl falling for a boy. Obviously."
"Why 'morphine' specifically?" Tracey prodded.
"It sounded good."
"Bullshit."
Her eyes popped back open. "Excuse me?" she asked in a dangerously low tone.
"You didn't write that fucking song and I'm fucking tired of your lies."
"Tracey!" she exclaimed.
"Do. Not." he shot back. "Did you really think the truth would never come out?"
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!"
"We all know you stole that song from Zed and we all know you stole the songs you sent to Mega!" Eliza said angrily.
"That a lie and you know it!" She spat back. "If anyone is stealing songs, it's him!" she screamed, pointing at Zed. "That's probably the only reason he's even sleeping with her!"
Tracey turned to Addison and Zed as he smiled. "Care to take it from here?"
"Gladly," Zed said as he took Addison's hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. "That song you say I stole… the one you copied out of my notebook when I was passed out drunk… It's about a night back in high school when I was with the most gorgeous girl that I had ever seen, who I wanted more than anything, and her kisses worked better than morphine when I'd been punched in the face by her ex-boyfriend… She was and still is the love of my life."
Addison laughed at the memory before turning to look at Lacey. "Beverly Hills. Junior Year of high school. My mother was out of town so I threw a house party. I spent the entire night hanging out with the hot new guy at school who had just transferred from Seattle Prep. My ex-boyfriend was drunk and jealous so he punched him in the face. I brought him into the kitchen to put some ice on it, and one thing led to another, and I couldn't help but kiss him. His response… 'your lips are better than morphine'." She sighed wistfully at the memory. "Zed isn't using me to get my songs or to get back at you. He was never yours. We may have lost our way at one point, but he has always been mine, just as much as I have always belonged to him."
Zed wrapped his arms around Addison's waist as he locked eyes with Lacey. "She's my past. She's my present. She's my future. She's my always." He turned Addison around in his arms, "I love you… forever."
"And after..."
"You're fucking lying!" Lacey screamed.
"Are we?" Addison asked with a wicked smile as she took a step closer to her. "You know that super sexy tat Zed has on his lower lip… the one that you said was the name of the girl he was still hung up on when you two hooked up… the one that… how did you describe it?" she asked looking back at Zed.
"The name of the only woman I've ever loved," he answered with a smile.
Addison snapped her fingers and nodded. "That's it… thank you."
"Anytime, Gorgeous."
She smiled and looked back at Lacey. "He got that the night of his nineteenth birthday… the same night I got this…" she flipped her lower lip down and showed off the matching ink.
Lacey's eyes narrowed. "His says Addie."
Addison held out her hand. "Addison Donnelly… pleasure to meet you."
"You're fucking lying…" Lacey said again, only quieter as if she were trying to convince herself.
"Oh, I promise I am telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…" she stepped even closer to Lacey, dropping her voice to a whisper. "You know what I really love? When he takes control. How he possesses me completely. The way I belong to him and he to me...it's a kind of power that makes you beautifully vulnerable in ways that show your true self… He's my safe place, and I am his… because I love him and he loves me. Together we can be ourselves in every way that no one else could ever see… That's the way it has always been between us, and that's the way it will always be."
Lacey shook her head, still in disbelief. "...Zed doesn't do relationships."
"You're right…" he said. "Because I only ever wanted Adds. Every other woman was just a desperate attempt at distraction."
Lacey let out a scream of frustration. "I don't believe any of this!"
"Believe it," Tracey said with a shrug.
Lacey shook her head and steadied her resolve. "You know what… I don't need this… I don't need ANY of you," she said as a smile spread across her face. "I was ditching you all after the show tonight anyway!" A maniacal laugh fell from her lips. "Mega Records wants me, not the band. Just. Me. All I had to do was give them what they wanted."
As if on cue, the doors opened again.
Lacey looked up and smiled, "You can ask him yourself."
They all turned to see Jacey walking in with someone.
"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me," Addison whispered.
Zed was already off the stage and charging towards Jacey, tackling him to the ground and starting to throw punches.
"Stop him!" Lacey screamed.
Everyone ignored her as they focused on the other man that had walked in.
"Pierce, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Pierce?" Lacey scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You idiot, his name is James… he's the rep from Mega Records."
Addison rolled her eyes. "Bonzo, Mase, can you go break them up before an ambulance needs to be called?"
"And why the hell is Zed beating up Jacey!" Lacey demanded.
Pierce let out a soft laugh. "Glad it's not me this time."
"You're next, asshole!" Zed called out as Bonzo held him back.
Addison turned to Lacey and shrugged. "Trust me… he deserves it. Jacey gave them some stuff on us."
Lacey's head whipped over to Jacey who was trying to stand up. "You were supposed to be spying on them and reporting back to ME!" she screamed.
"We paid better," Pierce said with a shrug of his own as he walked up to them.
"Looks like you were keeping secrets too, Lacey," Bucky said, crossing his arms.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I hired a PI. Big deal! Stacey leaving the tour gave me the perfect opportunity to get him onto the bus!"
"Fucking told you so," Zed laughed, as he walked back over to Addison and kissed her cheek.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up, Z…" she smiled and kissed him back before turning to Pierce. "Start talking Pierce or he's going to start swinging again. We've both knocked you on your ass before, and we'll do it again."
"Hold on…" Lacey demanded, stomping her foot. "I sacrificed everything to get you those songs, and her notebook. I want my record deal!"
Pierce looked at her with a look of confusion. "You still think I'm with Mega Records?"
"He wasn't really even with Bamm!" Addison laughed.
"I don't care what label you're with! I was promised a deal!"
Addison let out an annoyed sigh. "He can't get you one. He's just a marginally talented actor."
"Of course I can," he said with a cocky smile. "I'm on Bamm!'s executive board… I can get you a deal… If Addison gives up her seats."
Lacey turned to Addison. "What is he saying? Are you on the fucking Bamm! Board too? How the fuck..."
"I technically own the label," Addison clarified. "And there isn't a chance in hell I'm giving up my seats on the board."
"YOU OWN THE FUCKING LABEL?!" Lacey screamed. "And we've been struggling and clawing our way through just trying to get a shot to play for one?!"
"Can you shut the fuck up? I'm trying to have a conversation with my ex-boyfriend turned mother's new husband here."
"Aww, you called me your step-dad… that's so sweet."
"Fuck you, Pierce…" she stopped and shuddered. "Scrap that, I totally dodged a bullet in high school by not fucking you… point remains, you are not my fucking step-dad."
"Technically I am…" he said with a shrug.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Lacey screamed again.
Everyone continued to ignore her as Pierce went on.
"You know, your mom and I really hoped it wouldn't come down to this. She gave you so many chances to back down… but you just had to go and play last night… Give up your seats on the board or we go public with who you really are."
Addison rolled her eyes in frustration. "I thought we resolved this last night."
"He was with me last night!" Lacey snapped.
Addison and Zed both grimaced.
"That was a visual I didn't need…"
Addison shook her head. "That would explain your absence at the awards… I'm guessing my mother didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"That she was kicked off the board for attempted blackmail…" Bucky chimed in.
"Wait, what?" Pierce yelled, clearly out of the loop.
Addison nodded as Zed stepped up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "And so were you."
"But I… I didn't do anything?"
Zed's grip tightened on his shoulder. "Didn't do anything?" he asked in a dangerously low tone. "You had psycho right there steal Adds notebook with all the notes and music for her dad's tribute. You hired that piece of shit to spy on us, steal our sex tape and our flash drive so Missy could use it to blackmail Adds…"
"Whoa… back up," Pierce said, trying to get out of Zed's grasp. "What sex tape?"
"The one she threatened to release if I played the Hall of Fame show last night!" Addison exclaimed.
"YOU PLAYED THE FUCKING ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME SHOW, TOO?!" Lacey screamed.
"Will you relax, Lacey… we all did," Tracey called out. "God do I wish I had some popcorn right now… This is almost as good as that tape… almost."
"I swear, I had no idea about that!" Pierce said, holding up his hands.
"Like we're going to fucking believe you,' Zed sneered.
"He's telling the truth…"
They all looked over to see Jacey hobbling over towards them.
Zed started to go after him again, but Addison grabbed his hand to stop him.
"I can only hold him off so long, Jacey…" she warned over Zed's growling. "I'd start talking."
"Pierce approached me after one of our shows back in February. I was across the street from the venue taking pictures of you two on the roof…"
"You son of a bitch!"
"Easy, baby…" Addison whispered, holding Zed back a little more forcefully.
Jacey took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. "He told me who he was and who you really are," he said to Addison. "Not that it would have been hard to figure out after I peeped that prom pic of you and Gus that day in Green Bay… but it certainly made things easier for me…" he winced and rubbed at one of his already swelling eyes. "He also said that your mom could double the amount Lacey was paying me if I got some real dirt on you."
"And you settled for that amount?" she asked in disbelief. "My mom is worth millions, you could have made some serious bank."
"I'm a PI from New York who needs to pay rent and overhead expenses… I saw more zeros and jumped at the opportunity. I already had the proof Lacey was looking for and then some. I figured getting something more would be easy... You two weren't exactly subtle."
"You sleazy, two-timing…" Lacey sneered.
"I got the video off of Zed's phone and contacted Pierce, telling him I had something I thought they would be interested in."
"I was on location and couldn't make it…" Pierce practically whispered to himself.
Jacey nodded. "Missy met me in Seattle."
Pierce shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe she'd go that low…"
"Oh like you didn't know how heartless she really is," Addison said angrily. "Blackmailing me with the threat of releasing a sex tape doesn't even scratch the surface!"
"Covering up rape, drugging me to stage me cheating, hauling her own daughter off to a sanatorium, sending us both letters breaking up with the other…" Zed ticked off on his fingers. "Really, I could go on and on… the woman is pure evil."
Pierce's eyes widened even more. "I swear, I didn't know. The plan was always just to sabotage your tour and keep you from being back on stage so you'd give up your seats on the board."
"And how is that any better?!" Zed sneered. "You're just as fucking guilty as Missy!"
"Wait… Missy Donnelly?!" Lacey shrieked. "You're Missy Donnelly's fucking daughter?!"
"I can't believe she'd do that to her own kid…" Pierce mumbled, shaking his head. "Addison… I'm sorry." He took a step back. "I…" he shook his head again. "I need to go talk to Missy…" without another word he turned and walked towards the exit.
Addison closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.
Jacey cleared his throat. "For what it's worth… I really did love playing on stage with you, Addison."
Tracey tapped him on the shoulder. "Get the fuck out before I help Zed beat your ass more."
Jacey nodded and looked over to Lacey.
"I am soooo not paying you."
He sighed and nodded again before walking off.
Tracey hopped up onto the stage. "Lacey…"
She looked over to him, with sad eyes. "Yeah?"
"You're fired."
The sad look in her eyes instantly turned to rage. "You can't do that."
"Like hell I can't."
"The Acey's are mine!"
"The Acey's are just as much mine as they are yours!" he snapped back. "But go ahead, keep the fucking name!"
"Think about what you're giving up, Tracey. The brand recognition, the songs… you'll be starting from scratch. You'll have nothing," Lacey said with a devious smile.
"That's not really true..." Addison said with a nonchalant shrug. "You see, everything that I've written, and everything that Tracey has written since I joined the tour, is copyrighted… You would have known that if you had bothered to actually read through all of my notebook instead of just copying the first few songs out."
Tracey spun towards her. "You did that?"
"Of course," she said with a smile. "You're family."
Tracey charged at her with a hug that nearly knocked her over.
"YOU TRAITOROUS BACKSTABBING…."
The doors opened again, cutting off Lacey's tirade.
"Oh thank God!" she exclaimed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she jumped off the stage and ran towards Salvador Santos. She flung herself into his arms and began to sob.
Sal pushed her away with a look of disgust, his eyes immediately searching out Addison, only to find her wrapped in Zed's arms. "What is going on, here."
"You have to do something," Lacey cried. "They're being awful to me! I know you'd never let anyone hurt me like this! I've saved all of your notes from the bouquets you've sent me. I love you too! Please make this better!"
He glared back at Lacey and then again up at Addison. "I think there may have been some mistake… Those flowers and notes were for Miss Jacobs."
Lacey's eyes watered again. "But… but…"
"I wasn't lying when I said she had a boyfriend," Zed practically growled through bared teeth.
"Casey?" Sal asked, still trying to push Lacey away.
Addison sighed and picked up the guitar again as she stepped up to the microphone.
"You've probably never been shot down before
I'll try and make it easier….
I'm in love with somebody
Found someone who completes me
I'm in love with somebody
Oh yeah….
And it's not you."
She blew out a breath and looked over towards him. "I'm sorry you had to be wrapped up in all of our band drama, but I really tried to tell you, over and over again that first night back in Chicago… I'm in love with Zed. I always have been."
He nodded, trying to hide the hurt in his eyes. "I see…" He straightened his tie and turned to Bucky. "I'm sorry… but I no longer think supporting this tour is in the best interest of La Meurta Tequila.
"Mr. Santos…" he started, only to be cut off.
"I expect the tour bus we so generously provided as well as any promotional materials bearing our logo to be returned at once." He stole a longing glance at Addison. "I hope he's worth it."
"Always," she said, grabbing Zed's hand and smiling up at him.
"Well… then I believe we are done here," he said, sharply turning on his heels and walking out of the room.
"I...I… YOU RUIN EVERYTHING!" Lacey screamed at Addison before covering her face with her hands and running out. "Sal! Wait!"
Addison and Zed both let out a heavy sigh.
"Well… that was a whole lot more than I expected," she said as she sat down on the edge of the stage next to Tracey.
Bonzo raised his hand. "Um… just want to clarify something… did we really just lose our sponsorship?"
"Yup," Bucky nodded.
Bonzo nodded as well. "Great…"
"And there's no rep from Mega coming tonight?" Eliza asked.
Bucky nodded again, still in shock.
"….Super…" she said. "At least we still get to play the Troubadour."
Tracey snorted. "At least you guys do."
Addison hugged his shoulder. "You okay?"
He shook his head. "I was fine with firing Lacey… but I expected to have Jacey for tonight's show…"
"Still wish I could have landed a few more punches," Zed mumbled.
"I didn't think we'd lose them both at the same time… or that the promise of playing for a major label wouldn't be real, or that we'd lose the tour sponsorship. We don't even have a band to play tonight." He dropped his head into his hands and let out a ragged breath. "I knew the Troubadour was too big of a dream."
Addison sighed and hugged him tighter.
"We could just go home right now
Or maybe we could stick around
For just one more drink, oh yeah…"
"We don't even have drinks," Tracey mumbled, still covering his face.
"I'm on it," Mason called out, heading towards the bar. He quickly grabbed a bottle of Jack and brought it up to them.
"Get another bottle out
Let's shoot the shit
Sit back down
For just one more drink, oh yeah…"
"Can I have ice," Tracey asked, looking up at Mason.
"You got, babe," he answered with a smile, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.
Addison smiled and shook her head as she held up the bottle. "Here's to us, here's to love
All the times that we fucked up
Here's to you, fill the glass
'Cause the last few days have kicked my ass
So let's give 'em hell
Wish everybody well, here's to us, here's to us…"
Zed picked up one of Wyatt's guitars and began to play along as Eliza made herself at home behind Wynter's drum kit and Bonzo grabbed Willa's bass to join in.
"Stuck it out this far together
Put our dreams through the shredder
Let's toast 'cause things got better…"
"That remains to be seen…" Tracey smirked, leaning against Addison's shoulder.
"And everything could change like that
And all these years go by so fast
But nothing lasts forever
Here's to us, here's to love
All the times that we messed up
Here's to you, fill the glass
'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass
If they give ya hell
Tell em to go fuck themselves, here's to us, he's to us…"
She pulled Tracey up to his feet and dragged him to the center of the stage.
"Here's to all that we kissed
And to all that we missed
To the biggest mistakes
That we just wouldn't trade
To us breaking up
Without us breaking down
To whatever's comin our way
Here's to us, here's to love
All the times that we fucked up
Here's to you, fill the glass
'Cause the last few days have kicked my ass
So let's give 'em hell
And tell em to go fuck themselves, here's to us
Here's to us, here's to us
Here's to us, Here's to us."
Tracey threw his arms around her. "I love you, Dollface…"
"I love you, too… we're going to be just fine. It might take a little longer, but we'll make it."
Zed cleared his throat. "I may have an idea…" he turned towards Eliza and Bonzo, "You guys can tell me to fuck off if you disagree, but… what if we have Adds and Trace join us tonight? One last epic show together before we have to regroup and find a way to save the tour?"
"Oh, we couldn't, Zeddikins," Tracey started, only to have Zed cover his mouth with his hand.
"What do you say?" Zed asked his bandmates.
"Are you kidding me?" Bonzo laughed. "That would be awesome!"
"It's a yes from me," Eliza nodded.
Zed smiled and looked back at Addison and Tracey. "Well?"
Before either of them could answer, the doors opened up again and The Pack walked in. "So... what'd we miss?"
Bucky practically ran into the dressing room, slamming the door behind him. "I have news…"
Willa laughed at the look on his face. "You alright, Boss-man? You're whiter than Pom-Poms hair right now."
"Oh, I'm fine… really… it's just…"
"Just what?" Addison said, standing up.
"We just sold out the Troubadour."
The room was silent.
"Um… repeat that?" Tracey asked.
"We. Just. SOLD OUT THE TROUBADOUR!" Bucky exclaimed, practically jumping up and down with excitement.
Eliza looked up at him in disbelief. "How the…"
Zoey gasped and held up her phone. "I'm guessing this may have something to do with it!"
They all looked at her phone where a picture of Dave Grohl and Slash was displayed.
"Catching a sure to be epic show at the Trou tonight," Bree read out loud. She shook her head slowly. "Well… that would certainly go a long way in explaining it…"
"D...D… Dave Grohl is here…. He's at one of my shows…" Eliza stuttered out in shock.
Addison grabbed onto Zed's arm. "We're going to play a sold-out show at the Troubadour," she practically whispered.
"Fucking right we are!" He exclaimed picking her up and pinning her against the nearest wall as he kissed her senseless.
"Gross, big bro," Zoey shook her head and looked around to see all the other various couples in the room celebrating similarly. She looked at Wynter and let out a sigh. "Are they always like this?"
Wynter barked out a laugh. "I for one am super glad to see everyone finally able to be open about who they are and who they love… even if it does kind of make me want to vomit."
"Knock. Knock…"
Everyone in the room turned as the dressing room door opened again.
"Uncle Jamie! What are you doing here?" Addison said as she wiggled out of Zed's embrace.
He laughed and pretended to cover his eyes. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he teased.
She rolled her eyes and grabbed one of the throw pillows from the sofa, chunking it at his head. "Ha. ha. ha."
He opened the door the rest of the way and walked in with Harrison and Bob behind him.
"Harrison, Bob..." Addison greeted with a tight smile. "So I'm guessing this is more of an exec board thing than a social visit," she said looking back at Jamie.
He held his hands up in surrender. "You got me…"
She plopped down onto the sofa between Zoey and Wynter. "Fine… how much trouble am I in for changing the setlist last night?"
"None," Bob said, making her do a double-take.
"Excuse me...What?"
"You're not in trouble, Addison," Harrison said with a smile. "In fact… that show last was one of the best damn performances I… we… have ever seen."
Bob nodded. "We should have trusted you more, Addison… I know I'm never going to underestimate you again." He walked over to her and extended his hand. "Your father would have loved last night."
She shook his outstretched hand. "Thank you… I'd like to think I finally did him proud."
"Speaking of your father…" Jamie said as he leaned against the vanity. "I think it's time we made him proud as well."
Addison's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "What are you going on about?"
Jamie looked down at his hands. "Addison, it's no secret to any of us that you went through hell after your dad died… we should have been there for you more... Been more supportive"
"It wasn't your place to look after me."
"Yes. It was. Bamm!…" he looked up and sighed. "It's your family legacy. The board should have stepped up and not listened to your mother when she told us you didn't want any part of it."
"Uncle Jamie… If you're trying to give me back control of everything… I don't want it. Not now anyway."
"But…"
She stood up and shook her head. "You're doing an amazing job. You have the heart for it. My heart… it's in playing music. Not running a label. I fought my way back from my darkest to be able to stand on a stage again."
He smiled and pulled her in for a hug.
"You know, I still have your old contract buried somewhere in my office," Harrison said. "I could dust it off and give you Bamm!'s full backing if you wanted to finally let that album you recorded see the light of day."
She shook her head again. "That album isn't me anymore and I am not the same person I was when it was recorded. That girl is dead and buried… and, I'm finally happy with who I am now."
"You could always record a new one," he suggested with a hopeful smile. "After what I saw last night, if I don't label you up soon, someone else is going to try and snag you…" he held up a CD and smirked, "Especially since this demo has been making the rounds. I was already planning on coming to tonight's show before I knew it was yours."
Jamie stifled a laugh. "If Harrison was better at listening to his interns, it wouldn't have taken him so long to realize it was you in the first place."
Addison crossed her arms. "Is that what this is about? You want to make sure no one else offers me a deal?"
"Not just you," he said looking over to Zed, Eliza, Bonzo, and Tracey. "The five of you were…" he shook his head and smiled. "There aren't words. Even if Addison wasn't involved with the label, I'd be begging to have you sign with Bamm!"
"Holy shit…" Eliza whispered, grabbing onto Bucky.
"But… we're not even a band," Tracey said quietly.
Bonzo smacked him upside the head. "Don't be an idiot, Trace. You think we'd actually ask you to play with us tonight and not plan on extending the offer permanently? You were there last night. We fucking rock together! Think of the sick flows we could make with three guitarists and singers!"
"He's not wrong," Mason said. "I've never seen a band play together the way you guys can," he turned to Willa, Wyatt, and Wynter. "No offense guys. Y'all are amazing, but…" he motioned towards the rest of them.
Wyatt chuckled. "No offense taken. We are perfectly happy riding coattails on this one."
Zed laughed and punched Wyatt's shoulder playfully before grabbing Addison's hand. He got down on one knee and looked up at her as everyone else in the room gasped.
"Addison Megan Donnelly… would you make me the happiest man alive and join my band?"
She giggled and nodded her head. "Yes!"
He jumped up to his feet and pulled her in for a kiss.
"Totally not what I was expecting," Bucky said, the relief clear in his voice.
"Tell me about it," Zoey pouted.
"Do I get a proposal?" Tracey asked with a pout of his own.
Zed and Addison laughed as they pulled him in for a hug.
"Tracey, do you want to be a zombie with me?" Addison asked.
He pretended to ponder for a moment. "On one condition…"
"What's that?" Zed asked.
"I don't have to dye my hair green."
They all laughed.
"I'm serious! I don't want to damage this coif!" he said through giggles of his own.
"Fair enough," Bonzo said, pulling him into another hug.
"So… is that a yes?" Harrison asked hopefully.
Addison pulled away from Zed and glared at him. "We were having a moment!"
Harrison held up his hands and took a step back.
"Could you guys maybe give us a minute?" Bucky said, standing up and pointing towards the door.
The three board members walked out, as Bucky closed the door behind them. "Oh. My. God…." he said quietly. He looked up at Addison. "Well?"
"I'm processing… give me a minute…" she whispered.
Zed wrapped his arms around her and kissed the spot just below her ear. "We're with you… however you want to handle this, Gorgeous."
She nodded and closed her eyes as she melted into his embrace. "We literally became a band five seconds ago…"
"You guys became a band last night," Willa corrected. "That show was fucking magic and you know it."
Addison opened her eyes and smiled. "Well then… let's see if we can recapture that same magic. If we do, we sign. If not…" she shrugged, "It wasn't meant to be."
"Baby, it's magic anytime I'm on stage with you," Zed whispered, kissing her again.
Bree bit back a laugh. "Sold out show at the Troubadour, label waiting with bated breath for your decision, two of Rock's biggest names in the audience… you never have done things small, Adds."
"Why start now?" she answered with a wink.
The stage was dark as Addison adjusted the height of the microphone. She could sense fans moving below her, the buzz of anticipation coursing through her veins and flowing deep into her bones. She readjusted the strap of her guitar and looked to her left where Tracey was adding pics to the holder on his microphone stand, and then behind her to where Eliza and Bonzo were making their final adjustments. A smile spread across her face as a pair of familiar warm arms wrapped around her waist.
"It's a disaster how much I love you," Zed whispered into her ear.
"Mutual destruction, Handsome… I love you just as much."
"Alpha and Omega."
"Forever and after," she answered, carefully moving her guitar so she could turn around in his arms and kiss him.
"You ready for this?" he asked, resting his forehead against hers.
"Abso-fucking-lutely," she smiled.
Zed kissed her once more. "Let's fucking do this!"
They all took their positions as Eliza cracked out a four-count.
"I'm back from the dead!" Addison screamed into the microphone as the lights came on, illuminating them and making the crowd at their feet go wild.
"Out of the black
Breaking free of the wasteland
Out of the mud
Crawling up through the quicksand
Leaving the dark, coming into the light
Don't lay me down, save your last rites
'Cause I'm still standing above ground…"
She grabbed the microphone and threw her head back as they ripped into the chorus.
"Back from the dead alive!
Hell couldn't hold me
Back from the other side!
Up from the dirt, I rise
Save your prayers, don't bless my bones
Erase my name from my headstone
Back from the dead alive!
Hell couldn't hold me down!"
The five of them worked seamlessly, making the intricate melodies flow effortlessly between them.
"On the edge of the world getting lost in oblivion
To the devils who tried to keep me living like a prisoner
Couldn't chain me down, couldn't cage me in
So keep your savior, give me back my sins
'Cause I'm still standing above ground!"
Addison and Zed locked eyes, the electricity between them charging for everyone to see as they gravitated towards one another.
"Back from the dead alive!
Hell couldn't hold me
Back from the other side!
Up from the dirt, I rise
Save your prayers, don't bless my bones
Erase my name from my headstone
Back from the dead alive!
Hell couldn't hold me down!
Back from the dead alive
Back from the other side
I'm back!"
When the final chord of their last song was struck, Zed swung his guitar behind him and grabbed Addison, pulling her in for the kiss he had desperately wanted to give her since they took the stage. The already raucous audience cheered louder as they watched, chanting their names.
Willa nudged Bucky as they stood watching in the wings. "Like I said… Fucking magic."
The sound of champagne corks popping was barely audible as the two bands excitedly met with fans backstage.
Dave and Slash were right there with them, snapping pictures and handing out shots.
Bucky, Mason, and Bree stood back, letting them have their moment.
"They really fucking did that," Mason said with a touch of pride.
"Was there really any doubt?" Bree asked.
"Not one bit," Bucky answered with a smile.
Several hours later, as the last of the fans were escorted from the dressing room, Jamie, Harrison, and Bob walked back in.
"Hope we're not disturbing another 'moment'," Harrison teased.
Addison looked up from her position on Zed's lap and smiled. "You caught us in-between moments."
Jamie covered up his laugh as he watched Bucky pretend to dry heave in the corner.
"Good to know," Harrison said as he took a seat on one of the sofas lining the walls. "I have to say… I didn't think you guys could top last night. But…" he shook his head in disbelief. "You did." He turned to Bucky. "You've really got two of the best bands I have ever seen. As good as that demo was, it's nothing compared to them live."
"Wait… us too?" Wynter asked, pointing to herself, Willa, and Wyatt.
"Yes. You as well. We would be idiots not to sign The Pack."
"Jesus, fucking Mary and Joseph…" Will whispered as she looked at Wyatt with wide eyes.
"We're getting signed!" He shouted as he jumped to his feet, pulling Willa up with him to kiss her.
"I'm gonna… we're gonna…" Wynter stuttered as her bandmates pulled her in for a hug.
Harrison laughed and looked to Addison. "Well…"
"Well what?" she asked innocently.
Bob shook his head. "Addison…"
She took a moment and looked at everyone in the room. This was her family. They were crazy and loud and unpredictable, and she had never been happier in her life. She squeezed Zed's hand. "Well… this tour is a bust anyway… What do you say, guys? Wanna sign a record deal and move this party into a studio so we can really start making some music?"
Tracey's hand shot up into the air. "Ooh, me. Yup. Totally on board."
Addison laughed as Bonzo joined in, followed immediately by Eliza. She looked into Zed's eyes. "What about you?"
"You know I'll follow you anywhere."
She smiled and pulled him in for a quick kiss before turning back to her fellow board members. "Looks like you've got yourself a deal."
The look of relief that crossed their faces was almost comical.
"I'll have legal draw up the papers," Harrison said with a large smile. "Welcome to Bamm!"
Eliza jumped onto Addison's lap and grabbed her face, planting a loud kiss on her lips. "I told you I had a good feeling about you joining this tour… and about the show yesterday!"
Addison threw her head back and laughed. "I'll never doubt one of your feelings. Ever!" She grabbed her glass of champagne from the table next to her and held it high in the air as she looked around the room once more. "Here's to us!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know this chapter was a lot! I tried my best to wrap up the loose ends and trailing plot points before moving on, hopefully I succeeded! There's still a lot of story left to tell. Thank you so much for sticking with me so far!
MUSIC USED IN THIS CHAPTER:
Beautiful Dangerous, Slash ft. Fergie
Beautiful With You, Halestorm
The Silence, Halestorm
It's Not You, Halestorm
Here's To Us, Halestorm
Back From The Dead, Halestorm