by Kim Fox
“Hello, Jordy,” the Governor answered. “How is Keaton?”
Jordy raised his chin a little higher. The Governor might be willing to bully a lone one-armed lion shifter, but he wasn’t about to go against the powerful firehouse crew. Especially with the alpha Keaton, a ferocious polar bear shifter who would take Jordy’s side.
“You know, the usual,” Jordy said as he glared at him. “Vicious. Angry. Hates bullies.”
Reyes got the message loud and clear. “Nice to see you again. We were just leaving.”
“That’s too bad,” Jordy said, taking a step forward as Reyes took a step back. “I’m assuming you won’t come back.”
The Governor turned and locked eyes on Logan. “Not until October first when this land becomes mine.”
Logan was taking deep heavy breaths as he watched him return to his car. The rest of Reyes’ team quickly returned to their cars and within seconds, they were pulling onto the main road.
“What the hell was that guy?” Dane asked, looking shaken. He took a gulp of air as he watched the departing cars with wide eyes. “My lion was terrified.”
“The Black Death,” Jordy answered in a low voice.
“The what?” Dane asked, whipping his head around. “That sounds worse than I thought.”
“He’s a shifter,” Jordy clarified. “Cape Buffalo. A big one too. Probably about twenty-five hundred pounds.”
“Why is my lion scared of a Cape Buffalo?” Dane asked, looking confused. “Don’t lions eat buffalo?”
Jordy chuckled. “Sometimes they try. And sometimes they get stabbed in the throat with their deadly horns. Your lion is afraid of him because Cape Buffalos are one of the most dangerous animals in all of Africa. And in a giant like William Reyes? Well, that there is a true monster. Cash saw him in animal form once and he said he was at least eight feet long and massive. It’s like a tank with horns on the tip. Hard black horns as long as Logan is tall. That’s why your lion is cowering in fear. Years of his ancestors getting stabbed to death on the plains of Africa has hardwired a natural sense of dread deep into his DNA.”
“Your bear didn’t seem to be afraid,” Logan said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
“Yeah,” Jordy laughed, “because he didn’t know any better. If my grizzly saw that thing in the flesh, he wouldn’t have been so brave. Do you know what it feels like to get one of those watermelon-sized horns in your thigh and then get whipped around like a yellow towel at a Pittsburgh Steeler’s game? It ain’t pretty.”
Logan gulped as he looked over at the empty road. How the hell was he supposed to protect the ranch if that monster ever came back?
“The only thing that protects a lion from a beast like that,” Jordy continued, “is speed and being surrounded by a vicious pride. Otherwise, a lion is a sitting duck compared to a Cape Buffalo.”
Logan began to sweat and his heart was pounding in his chest as Jordy abruptly changed the subject. “Who’s ready to practice?”
He had a big smile on his face as they walked back to the van, leaving Logan trembling in his bathing suit as Jordy’s words replayed in his head.
The only thing that protects a lion from a beast like that is speed and being surrounded by a vicious pride.
The two things that his solo three-legged lion didn’t have.
Chapter Ten
Elodie
Elodie couldn’t believe that she was more nervous than Logan. It was the night of their big performance and five record producers had shown up for the show.
She had spent the last half hour biting her nails down to a stub as she waited in the hall, pacing from one end to the next. The boys were going on soon and they were backstage, pumping themselves up.
“How can you not be nervous?” Elodie had asked Logan when she saw how calm he was.
He shrugged with a sexy smirk on his face. “I’ll be singing to you the entire time,” he said as he leaned in, his hot breath tickling her cheek. “I’ll be singing from the heart.”
His strong arm wrapped around her as she leaned against the wall, looking up into his mesmerizing eyes. She loved how he could make her feel like the most special girl in the world.
“Wish me luck,” he said as his lips hovered a breath away from hers.
She raised her chin and kissed him on the lips, moaning as he held her even tighter.
“Logan!” Jordy had called out from somewhere in the distance. “It’s time.”
He took his time to pull away, and Elodie cherished every second of his tongue sliding against hers until he finally did.
“Good luck,” she whispered with her head spinning.
He gave her a sexy smile and then walked away, leaving her with a heat swirling through her that was settling between her legs.
“Mon dieu,” she moaned as she covered her eyes with her hand, trying to compose herself. Now wasn’t the time to get all worked up. There would be time for that later.
It had been on her mind a lot lately. It had been about three years since she last had sex, but she was ready to break her cold streak with Logan.
“Elodie,” her mother said when she found her pacing in the hallway. “You can’t see the show from here.”
“You’re right,” Elodie said, hooking her arm around her mother’s. “Let’s go get some drinks.”
They ordered two beers from the cute bartender and looked around at the packed bar. It seemed like everyone in Redemption Creek had come out to The Slurry Rabbit tonight.
“How many of these guys do you think are shifters?” her mother whispered.
“Looks like most of them,” Elodie whispered back. “If you come up to their shoulders, they’re probably a shifter.”
She looked around and spotted one person who looked abnormally short. He was of regular size, but in this crowd, he practically looked like an elf. He was also dressed like a city boy with his slacks and expensive-looking shirt.
“That’s Brian Jones from Sandstone Records,” she said to her mom as she tried to subtly point him out. “And over there with the phone is Matt Carter from Suncaste Productions. They’re both here to check out Logan’s band. If it goes well, we’re hoping they’ll get signed for a contract.”
“Go schmooze them,” her mother said, elbowing her away.
“I can’t do that,” Elodie said, biting her lip. Can I do that?
“You got them here,” her mother said. “Go close the deal.”
Elodie took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, and nodded. “I’ll be back.”
She took a gulp of her beer and strutted over like she owned the place. If Logan can have the courage to go up there, be vulnerable, and sing, then I can talk to a couple of suits.
Brian Jones looked up from his phone when she arrived. “Hello Mr. Jones,” she said, thrusting her hand in his direction. “I’m Elodie Fournier. Manager of Predatone.”
Every inch of Elodie’s skin had goosebumps as Caleb played the opening chords of their new song. Her pulse was racing and her adrenaline surging as Logan stepped up to the mic. He looked like a Rock God as he took the mic in his hand and sang the soft lyrics in his beautiful voice.
“The sun kisses the mountains for all eternity. That’s how I want us to be.”
The crowd was silent. Everyone was as captivated as she was.
He sang the rest of the verse, hypnotizing everyone with his killer voice and enchanting lyrics. Then like thunder on the horizon, Dane began hammering the drums as Caleb picked up the pace on his guitar. Jordy jumped in like a freight train, rapping over the catchy beat and everyone cheered.
The guy next to Elodie spilled his beer on her shoulder as he jerked his glass up, but she didn’t care. They were killing it!
She glanced over at the recording producers and let out a wide grin when she saw them smiling and bobbing their heads up and down. It was going better than she imagined it would, and they were just getting started.
They still had six more new songs to go through. El
odie wondered if there would still be a roof on this place when they were done.
“I’m going to hate myself for saying this,” Tito from The Grisly Grizzlies said as he shook his head, “but I actually really liked that.”
Caleb’s face dropped. “Did he just say that he liked it?”
Tito looked like he couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth. He was one of the twins who lived next door.
Ronin, the other twin, was just as flabbergasted. “It feels like everything I’ve ever known has just come crumbling down. I can’t believe it, but I agree with Tito.”
Caleb closed his eyes, savoring the moment. “Please tell me someone videotaped that.”
Logan smiled as he leaned in to whisper to Elodie. “Those two twins are always shit-talking our band. If they like it, we’re onto something big.”
They were onto something big all right. They had killed their set. The place was cheering for ten whole minutes when they had finished. It was like Beatlemania with shifters, Shiftermania.
“It was incredible, honey,” Abigail said as she stood on her toes and kissed Caleb’s cheek. They looked so in love and it made Elodie smile as she stepped a little closer to Logan.
“Beers on the house for the rockstars!” the waitress Jessie said as she pushed her way into their circle. The boys cheered as she lowered four jumbo mugs onto the table. “Great set, guys! Your best yet.”
“What about us?” Tito asked, looking hopeful. “Free beers for us too?”
“Let me check,” Jessie answered with a smirk as she looked around, over and under her empty tray. “Nope. Looks like you have to pay.” She stuck her tongue out at them and disappeared back into the crowd.
“Brian Jones is coming over,” Elodie said quickly as she noticed him approaching. She had been keeping her eye on the different producers all night, but Brian Jones was the one that she was really interested in. Sandstone Records had the biggest stars and the deepest pockets.
The boys all stiffened nervously when he arrived so Elodie stepped forward, loosening the tension with a warm smile.
“Hi, Mr. Jones. Did you enjoy the show?”
He nodded emphatically as he looked from Caleb to Dane to Jordy and then to Logan. “I did. I did. I’m sorry to interrupt your party here, but would you be available for a chat?”
“Of course,” Elodie said with a nod. “I think I saw an empty booth in the back.”
Jordy led the way and the rest of the boys followed. Elodie hung back and turned to the table of grizzly bear shifters. Her mother was sitting between the twins, drinking. Maybe a little too much.
“I’ll be back in a bit, Maman.”
“Take your time,” she said with a drunken smile as she rocked from side to side in her chair. The Slurry Rabbit had some strong beer and it was starting to hit her mother. Her mother let out a toothy grin as she looked from twin to twin. “I like my spot here just fine.”
“We’ll take care of her,” Tito said with a grin as he put his arm around her.
Elodie shook her head and laughed. “Switch her to water, please. I don’t want to have to drag her out of here.”
She smiled at her mother and then hurried to meet the guys in the back booth. She was glad that her mother was having a good time and letting loose, but she had more important things to focus on right now. It was time to get her man paid.
Matt Carter, the producer from Suncaste Productions grabbed her arm as she passed. “I’d love to meet with the band,” he said when she stopped. “I think you’ll like to hear what I have to say.”
“Can you wait ten minutes?” she asked with a smile.
He nodded. “Definitely.”
This was going better than she had imagined it would. There were a couple of other producers hovering nearby as well, waiting for their turn.
I’ll probably be able to get these guys in a bidding war.
The guys were all huddled together in the back booth that was shaped like a giant horseshoe. Elodie had to stifle her giggle when she saw the four giant men squeezed together with Brian Jones on the end.
They were waiting for her to start the meeting, and Brian Jones turned to her when she sat down on the opposite end. They were facing each other when he began speaking.
“I like the band,” he said with a firm nod. “I think you have radio potential, and a couple of mainstream hits already.”
Excited energy began to charge the air around her as the boys shifted in their seats, getting big smiles on their faces. These four shifters dreams were coming true in this moment. Elodie was feeling the excitement too, but she pushed it back down. She wanted to stay calm and give nothing away. Not until she helped negotiate them the best deal. She wasn’t going to celebrate until the ink was signed and the money was in their accounts.
“I’ll cut to the chase,” Brian Jones said. “I would like to set you up with legendary audio engineer Lucas Ellis.”
“You could get Lucas Ellis?!?” Jordy asked with a gasp. He leaned forward so fast that he nearly knocked over his beer. Dane caught it before it fell all over the table.
“Get him?” Brian Jones said with a satisfied grin. “His office is two doors down from mine. I’m the one who hired him.”
Jordy slowly returned back to an upright position. He was staring at Mr. Jones with wide unblinking eyes.
“I’d like to bring Predatone into the Sandstone family,” he continued. “I’m willing to offer you a three-record recording contract.”
There was a collective gasp among the boys, but Elodie kept her business face on. They couldn’t appear too eager or they would lose all of their bargaining power.
She cleared her throat to get Jones’ attention off of the guys. They looked like they were ready to sign their rights away for a free round of beers. Actually, they looked like they would even be willing to pay for the beers.
“You’re not the only one to express interest,” Elodie said as she glanced over at Matt Carter. He was watching the whole exchange from across the room. “And of course, we would like to hear from all interested parties.”
“Of course,” Jones said, raising his head. “But please remember that signing with Sandstone Records comes with some perks.”
“Such as?”
“Well, working with Lucas Ellis for one,” Jones said, looking over at Jordy. This time Jordy was able to control himself a little better. “We are also willing to invest a considerable sum to get the band started. How would you like to promote your first album with a nineteen city tour?”
The boys were practically salivating at the thought. Elodie furrowed her brow as she listened.
“And what monetary perks is Sandstone prepared to offer?” she asked in a firm voice.
Jones leaned back and took a deep breath. He pulled out a pen and wrote a number on his napkin. Before handing it over, he glanced at Matt Carter then crossed it out and wrote another number.
“Miss Fournier is your manager?” he asked the band, confirming with them.
All four of them nodded.
“Yes she is,” Jordy said proudly.
Her heart swelled with pride as Jones handed the napkin over.
The original crossed-out number was one point five million, and the second number, the real offer, was for two million dollars.
Elodie nearly had a heart attack when she saw it, but she hid it well and remained calm.
“Is that your final offer?” she asked calmly as she folded the napkin.
Jones gave her a long hard stare and she stared right back.
He was the first to break when he swallowed nervously.
“Any more than that and I’ll have to get final approval from the execs,” he answered. “This is the most that I have the authority to offer.”
“Great,” Elodie said as she stood up and held out her hand. “Then we look forward to hearing your final offer after you speak with the executives.”
Jones looked sick as he reluctantly stood up and shook her hand
.
“It was nice meeting you, Mr. Jones,” she said cordially. “If you’ll excuse us, Matt Carter from Suncaste Productions is waiting to speak to us.”
Jones tightened his grip on her hand and leaned in close. “Don’t sign with anyone else,” he said in a low voice. “Especially with Suncaste Productions. Whatever they’re offering you, we’ll beat it. We’d really like to add Predatone to the Sandstone family.”
Elodie nodded, promising nothing. “We look forward to hearing your final offer, tomorrow.”
Jones said goodbye to the band and left, looking like he just got outmaneuvered by a chess master.
“What was the offer?” Jordy asked once they were alone.
Elodie grinned as she pulled out the napkin and tossed it on the table.
“Wow,” Dane said, staring at it in disbelief. “That’s a lot of zeroes.”
“Not enough,” Elodie answered as she sat back down. “We can get more. Let’s see what Mr. Carter has to say.”
“With you negotiating for us,” Caleb said, shaking his head. “We’re going to be rich.”
“We’re already rich,” Dane said, staring at the napkin.
“You’re amazing at this,” Caleb said. “Will you be our manager? Officially?”
A warmth began to creep into Elodie’s cheeks as she looked around the booth at their eager faces. They actually wanted her to be a part of Predatone. Her body tingled as she smiled, thrilled to have found a place in the band.
“We’ll offer you five percent,” Jordy said.
The other three glared at him. “Ten percent,” Caleb corrected.
“Ten percent,” Dane said with a nod. “She deserves it.”
“Okay, fine,” Jordy reluctantly said. “I’m in with ten.”
Everybody turned to Logan. Elodie felt a quiver in her stomach as he stared at her.
“I’m in too,” he said, smiling at her.
Elodie shook each of their hands, making it official. Logan didn’t want to let go of her hand, but she yanked it away with a laugh when Matt Carter began to approach the booth.
