“You don’t have to protect my feelings, son.”
“I’m not. It’s—”
“I have a confession to make. That night, when we got back from Falcon Records. After you declined the recording contract. I came up to your room to talk to you, and I heard you talking with Tessa and Mason.” His dad took a painful breath. “You said you were tired of always living in my shadow. Never living up to the great Tommy Blade. That everyone would expect you to be like me on stage. And that you wanted to be your own person.” His dad leaned forward and placed his hands on Lucas’ shoulders. “Of course, you’re your own person. Did I ever make you think that you weren’t good enough? I never wanted you to be exactly like me. You’re so much better than I am, Lucas.”
Lucas felt as if a cannon ball hit him in the gut. He never wanted to hurt his father. He had nothing but love and respect for the man. “I’m proud to be like you, Dad. You made me who I am. It’s all because of you. You’ve given me everything, not just monetary gifts. You’ve given me your time and love.”
“You have no idea how proud I am of you, Lucas. I want you to know that you’ve exceeded my hopes and dreams. My father pushed me hard. Too hard. And I tried not to make that same mistake with you. You see, I was never good enough for my father, and I don’t ever want you to feel that way. Growing up, my brother, your Uncle Robert, was a rising football star while I was just chasing a dream. Robert went on to play pro football, and I know that means more to my father than me being an international rock star. I know what it feels like to live in someone’s shadow. Even though Robert was my kid brother and he looked up to me, I always struggled to get recognized for my accomplishments in my father’s eyes.” He swallowed and grimaced, water clouding his bright blue eyes, looking sadder than he did when he first entered the room. “I don’t want you to go through life feeling the same way. Not for one second. You inherited my talent, but you outshine me.”
Emotion made Lucas’ mouth quiver. He swallowed and tried to steady his voice. “I don’t outshine you, Dad. You’re an icon in the industry. A pioneer. A trendsetter. You defined a whole new genre of music. I aspire to be like you.”
A tiny smile appeared on his dad’s face. “Thank you. But I never played the way you do at your age. You were covering Metallica at two and writing music at five. You know more today than I did at your age. I want you to know I’m gonna back off. I’m not going to tell you what to do. It’s all on you. If you want my advice, I’m always here for you. For your sister. For Mason. Even if Sindy needs anything, I’m here. But BGW Records is your business. Your venture.”
“I want your advice,” Lucas pleaded. “I value your advice. I need it.” Lucas had been an idiot in the past for getting pissed off that he was always being compared to Tommy Blade. It was an honor. He needed to make his father understand how proud he was to be the man’s son. “What if we come on stage and play together? Like old times.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re doing a show at Madison Square Garden next week, right?”
“Yeah.”
“How about I come on stage and we play a song together? And then Prodigy can play a song.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” A blond brow quirked skeptically at Lucas. “Don’t say that just to make your old man happy.”
“I’m not. This is different. We wouldn’t be opening for Immortal Angel. We’d come out as a surprise guest. Give the audience a little taste of Prodigy. But first, me and you will play together.”
His father smiled, light returning to his eyes. “I’d love that. The happiest times of my life have been when you shared the stage with me. You and Tessa.” A tear glistened in the corner of his father’s eye. “You made your dad a happy man again. I came in here feeling like shit, and now I’m on top of the world. I love you, Lucas.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
They shared a big bear hug, and then his dad left. Lucas felt as if he was about to collapse. He wiped his hands over his face and exhaled loudly. He forgot his dad was such a sensitive guy, and he felt inconsiderate and cold-hearted for not being more mindful. He also forgot Sindy was in the next room until his bedroom door opened.
The corners of her mouth were pulled downward, and tears streamed down her cheeks while her hands clutched her chest. “That was so beautiful. He loves you so much. And you were so sweet to him.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and presented a teary-eyed smile. “You’re a good person. With a good heart. I’m totally enamored by you, Lucas Blade. No wonder I care about you so much.”
Finally, she admitted she cared! Lucas’ chest ballooned, and his cheeks pulled back to display a huge smile. He lifted her off the floor and kissed her.
When he set her down, she pushed away from him, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Did I just hear you make plans for Prodigy to play a show with Immortal Angel next week?”
He loved when she got so worked up and excited by things he took for granted. “Not a show. Usually my Dad calls me on stage. I play with him. Tessa sings with my papi. And then Mason comes on and does a dueling drum bit with Jimmy which will blow your fucking head off, by the way. That’s something you’re not going to believe until you see it.”
She blinked rapidly as she took in everything he was saying. Then her mouth clamped shut for a second. “What about me?”
She thought she was being left out, and it was adorable. The appearance with Immortal Angel wasn’t just because of how much he knew it meant to his dad, it meant a lot to him, too. But it was also to introduce Sindy to the audience. “After my dad calls me on stage, I’ll call you on stage and the three of us can play together. Then we’ll play our first song for an audience.”
“Oh my God, Lucas, this is so wonderful! I need to practice more so I’m ready.” She picked up the laptop and clutched it to her chest. “I’m going to listen to all the songs, like you said, and practice. Thank you!”
She kissed him hard and every part of his body tingled. He loved seeing her so excited. “Call me if you need me.”
Sindy started down the hall to Tessa’s suite, but her rumbling tummy reminded her that she hadn’t eaten all day. Going out to get something to eat would take too much time and ordering in seemed rude. She blew the hair off her forehead and decided she needed to work up the nerve to get something from the kitchen. She knew that no one minded, not in this household where gourmet meals and snacks were offered at every opportunity, but Sindy felt as if she was overstepping a boundary.
Luckily, she didn’t run into anyone on the way downstairs and the kitchen was empty. The refrigerator contained so much food, no one would probably notice that she ate something. The first container she opened housed chicken and rice. She made a small plate, nuked it in the microwave, and ate it quickly. As she washed the dish in the sink, she gazed out the large window that faced the back of the house and saw Tommy Blade, Jessi Blade, and Angel Garcia sitting by the enormous guitar-shaped pool. She’d only seen the pool a few times, and the grandeur of it was almost too much to take in. Her gaze drifted to Angel, Tommy and Jessi, and the pool took a back seat to greatness. Watching the three of them together was mesmerizing. Never had Sindy seen three people exude such sensuality.
Tommy sat in a chaise lounge with Jessi and Angel on either side of him. They looked as if they were comforting him, and Sindy wondered if he was still upset or simply relaying the conversation he had with Lucas upstairs. She had no idea the man had such a sensitive heart, and she knew that Lucas shared the incredible caliber of this man.
Laughter from the trio at the pool made Sindy smile. Tommy had his arms around Jessi, and he was tickling her waist, which made her flail in his arms. He suddenly picked her up, as if she was as light as a feather, causing the muscles in his shoulders and across his back to flex and broaden. He ran toward the pool and jumped in with Jessi still in his arms.
“Hey. I see Lucas gave you the laptop.” Mason’s voice startled Sindy, and she turned away from the window. Mason was standing at the center island wiping his face with a hand towel.
