Rock Prodigy

Chapter 37

“You were incredible tonight, Rose.”

“Thank you,” I said politely, his tone of voice somehow taking the compliment out of his words.

“The way you play is truly breathtaking and as a fan of music, I can honestly say, I’ve heard very few who can play the way you can.” His eyes met mine squarely and even though his words were entirely complimentary, I heard a ‘but’ in them. “I’m not an easy man to impress.”

I nodded, feeling a frown wrinkle my forehead.

“But that doesn’t mean you aren’t replaceable.” I gritted my teeth at his blunt words. “There are other musicians out there, talented ones, who would love to take your place now that you guys are starting to get famous.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression softening slightly but it was still hard, still uncompromising. “The truth is, I like you and I like Mac and right now, this whole ‘I love you’ thing is good for publicity but if it gets in the way of your playing, I will not hesitate to replace you. This is a business, it’s my business and I won’t stand by while your puppy love destroys it.”

My heart pounded hard in my ears, my mind instinctively rebelling at his words, wanting to rail at him for being unfair, to shout at him that he had no right to insult me like this but something stopped me.

Dom was not a man that people argued with. He was the owner and operator of a successful record company and you didn’t get there without making a few hard decisions. If I wanted to stay with Burn to Shine, I had to prove my worth.

So I would.

“Okay,” I said, my tone low and steady, my eyes meeting his straight on. “Threaten me all you want but I’m not backing down. You want good shows and amazing performances, then you’re going to get them.” I flashed him a grin, seeing his eyes light with surprise, “If you think I’ll mess up just because you’re putting a bit of pressure on me, you’re wrong. I’m going to prove to you just how irreplaceable I am.”

The corners of his lips twitched. “You do that, Rose.”

With a nod, I turned and opened the door, seeing Mac pacing in front of the tour bus. When I stepped onto the pavement, his head shot towards me and he altered his path to meet me halfway, frowning.

“What was that?” he asked when we were in front of each other, his hands resting on my shoulders and his eyes darkening in concern. “What did he want?”

“He was just giving me some advice,” I said, leaning closer to him helplessly, needing to feel him against me because he was Mac and I loved him.

My hands rested on his chest and his eyes jolted down, going a little unfocused before he resolutely met my gaze again. “Tell me what he said.”

“He said that I’m amazing.”

He frowned as I let my fingers drift up his chest, trailing over his neck and sifting in his hair. He blinked several times, his eyes darting down to my lips as his expression became distant. “What else?” he asked, his voice hoarse.