Page 69 of Not Your Golden Boy

Harry’s jaw dropped. His wasn’t the only one.

The shock in the room was palpable, but shock wasn’t the only reaction people had. A lot of people didn’t look half as surprised Albion would hold someone’s career for ransom as they could have.

“Are you certain you want to discuss this so openly?” Albion asked, his face bright red now. He shot a scathing look at Harry, as if Harry had put Nikky up to speaking out. “I don’t think you realize how much harm you’re causing right now.”

“I’m sure,” Nikky said simply. “I know what I want, and it’s about time I fought for it, fought for myself, instead of letting the industry push me around.”

The burst of pride that exploded in Harry with those words was so unexpectedly strong that puffed out what could have been a laugh, or maybe just a sound of pure joy. He would fight for Nikky and defend him to the death, but he didn’t have to. He and Nikky could fight together.

“You’re making a huge mistake,” Albion said, lowering his voice even more. “You have no idea how powerful I am.”

“Powerful enough to blacklist someone and end her career because she wouldn’t sleep with you?” a thirty-something woman in a glittery dress who Harry didn’t recognize asked from just a few feet away. Harry supposed the fact that he didn’t recognize her was the point. She stood with her arms crossed and one of her eyebrows raised condemningly.

“I know this whole song and dance,” a guy in his twenties stepped forward to speak as well. Harry did recognize him. Ollie Sandbourne was the hot young star that no one could stop talking about five years before. Then he’d faded just as quickly as he’d made it big. Harry guessed he knew why now.

The whole room knew why.

“So what?” Albion shrugged, though the gesture was sharp and jerky. “I make people and I break them. It’s what I do. I’m always right about who should be famous and who just isn’t worth it.” He looked directly at Harry as he finished.

The rest of the room wasn’t impressed with his arrogance.

“You shut me out and stopped every other record company from working with me,” the woman who still had her arms crossed and her eyebrow raised said. “I recorded and released my music independently, and my first album just went gold.”

“So?” Albion snapped at her.

“So maybe you aren’t the star-maker and breaker that you think you are,” she went on. “Maybe you’re just an industry cliché who can be taken down the way you’ve brought others down in the past.”

Harry wasn’t sure who the woman was, but he could have kissed her. Which was saying something, since he’d never been interested in kissing women before.

“You think you’re something special because you sold a few copies of second-rate songs?” Albion smirked at the woman. He glanced past her to Ollie. “Your career was over before it started because you’re a drunk.”

“Were a drunk,” Ollie said, head held high. “I’m four years sober now. And who was it who made certain I always had a drink in hand back then?”

Harry couldn’t help but smirk. Karma was a bitch, and she always had the last laugh. He and Nikky didn’t have to fight the fight alone. Albion was his own worst enemy.

“I was clear from the start that my acting career was as important to me as my music career,” he told Albion. “And yes, I was running from some parts of it because I didn’t know how to handle them. But now I do.” He turned to Harry and smiled, lighting up like the sun. “I know what I want now, and I’m not going to let anything stand in the way of me getting it.”

Harry burst into a ridiculous smile. Partially because he wanted to reward Nikky with “Good boy.” That would be a fun game that the two of them would likely play a lot in the future, but the bigger reality of the moment was the strength they’d found together.

“Go ahead and release that recording,” he said, staring Albion down and daring him to so much as try to lash out at Nikky. He glanced around at the guests, many of whom had turned hostile and glared at Albion. “All we need to do is own up to it and identify you as the man who put it out into the world and it won’t be Nikky’s career that ends.”

Albion’s scowl darkened, but the bite had gone out of it. He took another look around the room, then focused on Harry again. “You haven’t heard the last of this,” he seethed, then turned and marched away toward the lift.

A few of the guests let out huffs or laughs as Albion retreated. A few actually applauded. The woman who had made such a convincing argument chased after him. Harry wanted to cheer for her. As personal as Albion’s threats to Nikky had felt, he was glad there were more people than just the two of them to join the fight.

Albion wasn’t worthy of his notice anymore. He would probably still continue on as a big name in the music industry, but he wouldn’t be able to hold anything over Nikky’s head anymore. Harry turned to Nikky with a broad smile that said they’d won.

“Wow,” Drew joined them, speaking before Harry could congratulate his lover or say what he really wanted to say, let’s get out of here. “That was something else.”

Nikky laughed like all the tension he’d been holding since coming to London had finally found a way out. He pushed a shaking hand through his hair and squeezed Harry’s hand tighter with his other. “I have no idea how I had the balls to say any of that.”

“Because you’re amazing,” Harry said. “And because it’s been a long time coming.”

“That was an epic takedown,” Drew said, throwing his arms around Nikky and pulling him into a hug. Harry let go of Nikky’s hand so the two friends could embrace. “I’m proud of you, man.”

“I’m proud of me, too,” Nikky said, like it was a revelation.

Harry just smiled. He’d show Nikky just how proud he was once they got home.