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Pierce.
“What are you doing here?” Miami asked, not totally rude but it was close. It was no secret that he didn’t care for the other singer much. Mostly because he’d jerked us around a lot on the collaboration. Fun while we were actually recordingDip and Grind, not so much when the business end of it came up. “I don’t think we’re up for any more partnerships here.”
Pierce smirked. “Come on, guys. That song did a lot for you and me. Who wouldn’t want more?” He held his hands up as if he was innocent.
I put my fist over my mouth and fake-coughed. “Bullshit.” Pierce glared at me and flipped me the bird, but all that got him was my wide smile.
Kay sipped on a bottle of water and sat on the couch in our common room, where we were all hanging out, before heading to the sound rooms. “I don’t know. Maybe Bramble Punk could do something with him.” He looked around, wide-eyed. “Hey. I want to play more guitar. I mean, I like being the front man, but I miss laying down some killer licks. And Pierce is all front man with that voice.” He gestured, open-handed, to Pierce.
Joe, the lead guitarist, scowled hard enough to break his face. “What about me?”
But I was liking the idea a lot. “I mean, like fucking Scorpions had two guitarists.” Back in the eighties, a lot of hard rock bands had multiple guitarists. If that sound was what you were going for, it could be a hard-punching track.
Everyone argued about it.
But it came down to Kay. “Hey, I don’t give a fuck what anyone else does or thinks. I play well with these two guys, so let’s just do it. Two leads, off and on, playing against each other, and a rhythm guitar providing depth. It could be cool as hell as long as we don’t get too muddy with it. Come on. Can we try it out and see what it sounds like?”
Jinx got that sly look on his face, which meant he had a plan. I knew it was a done deal because once Jinx pulled out that expression, he wasn’t backing down. “I agree, Kay. Let’s see if we can find something that would kick ass.” They were sold.
Jinx seemed to have a knack with them anyway. Maybe if he could keep Pierce’s big head reeled in, this could be something good. Jinx had put them together in the first place. He should probably manage them, too. The band all went into the sound booth, and I grabbed Jinx’s arm. “Hey, wait up.”
“What’s up?”
“You know, you should totally be Bramble’s manager. You have a lot of sway with them. Could be good to cut your teeth on that. I mean, let’s be real. Hunt isn’t going to last forever.” That was another thing I had to deal with in Rehab. It had been a big black worry that I could never voice in the back of my head. My back proved this wasn’t going to be forever. I had to deal with it, and before rehab, I couldn’t even face it.
Jinx kind of shrugged it off. “We have a few more years, yeah?”
But Miami came up behind us, the nosey fucker. “You should talk to the band about it. They don’t have a manager, and they’re not at the level Hunt is. I mean, we don’t have a manager. We have a Marci. Buttheyneed a manager. And a producer.” They started playing, and we heard Kay and Joe shredding against each other, circling around, and returning to the main rhythm. “They sound fucking good. Let’s get Cat in here.” He dashed off, presumably to call Cat.
Jinx stared at me hard.
“I’m thinking long-term, Jinx. I want to be prepared, and I want all of us to be prepared. When Hunt does end. Not now, in the future, who knows how long. Five years? Less?” I shrugged. “I want it to be on our terms.” I pointed to each of us, one by one. “Not in a fit of passion, no offense, but we do it right this time. And let’s not sit here and pretend that day will never come. You know it will.”
Wolf threw his arm over my shoulder. “Bro, you’ve gotten stoic.”
“I’ve gotten practical.”
“Okay.” Jinx gave me a nod. “Now, I’m going to take that call with Cat before Miami fucks it up. We’ll see when she can get here for these guys. Let’s find a song for them.”
It was my turn for the sly smile. “I think I have something.” I grabbed my folder off the coffee table. “Look at this.” It was time to share the song I’d been working on. At that moment, I couldn’t help but think Pierce would sound good singing it. It wasn’t a Midnight Hunt song, but it could work for this new version of Bramble Punk.
“Hmm…” Miami snagged the notebook since Jinx had taken the phone from him. “Yeah, not our style.”
Wolf took it from Miami. “No, but it could work for them. Let’s get in there and help them work it up.”
We showed Pierce and Bramble Punk the lyrics, and we all pitched in to get the music down. Cat couldn’t come until the next day, but we wanted something recorded before we left for the day, so Wolf got behind the consul. He’d produced others before. I wasn’t sure we needed Cat if Wolf could do it, but maybe they could collaborate on it as well.
“Okay, guys. From the top.” Wolf’s voice sounded husky coming from the speakers. The Midnight Hunt crew stood behind him, looking in on the sound room where Randy tapped out the intro toPine Box.
Pierce sang my words, “You threw my heart in a pine box…My love went deep, six feet. Can’t claw my way back—nowhere left to dance…”
It was a little surreal hearing my thoughts come out of his mouth, but I also recognized it was good. We were seeing something come together. History being made. With Pierce taking the mic, they might have a hit. I wasn’t sure how that would go over with his band, Surf Sons, but I had a feeling he’d already left them. The last time we saw them together, it was nothing but fighting.
We laid downPine Box, and it wasn’t bad. After that, we messed with a rework of one of their most popular songs they played on the tour. After a few hours, we were done, and I drove home. Well, home to Coleman’s place.
Coleman bought the house while I was in rehab. It felt more like home than my place did, for sure. I didn’t want to go back to mine at all. I felt like it was more about Coleman than anything, though. He was now home. Wherever he was.
I walked into the foyer and into the living room. “Coleman?” He wasn’t there or in the kitchen. The floor plan was open, so I could see all the main living areas. “Where are you?” I went to the sliders that spanned the dining room to the side of the kitchen. It led out to a monster patio with an outdoor kitchen. I wondered if Coleman even knew how to cook. I looked out, but he wasn’t there or in the pool beyond.
