Finding the Rhythm Read online

  Finding the Rhythm

  Keeping the Beat #1

  Leigh Louden

  Copyright © 2020 Leigh Louden

  All rights reserved.

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  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction, all names, characters, places, and events are the products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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  EDITING BY: Karen Sanders Editing

  PROOF READING BY: Proofreading By Mich

  FORMATTING BY: Irish Ink Publishing

  Contents

  Foreword

  1. Ally

  2. Ally

  3. Vinny

  4. Smith

  5. Ally

  6. Vinny

  7. Ally

  8. Ally

  9. Vinny

  10. Vinny

  11. Ally

  12. Smith

  13. Vinny

  14. Ally

  15. Vinny

  16. Smith

  17. Ally

  18. Vinny

  19. Ally

  20. Vinny

  21. Ally

  22. Vinny

  23. Ally

  24. Vinny

  25. Smith

  26. Ally

  27. Vinny

  28. Ally

  29. Smith

  30. Smith

  31. Vinny

  32. Ally

  33. Vinny

  34. Vinny

  35. Ally

  36. Vinny

  37. Ally

  38. Smith

  39. Vinny

  40. Ally

  41. Ally

  Epilogue

  Other Books by Leigh Louden

  Thank you

  About the Author

  To my soulmate,

  I love you, and I miss you xo

  Foreword

  Dear Reader,

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  Thank you for reading this book.

  A brief note before you begin. I am based in the UK, and as such you will see spelling and grammar that is in UK English.

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  Thank you,

  Leigh xx

  I closed the door behind him, slumped against it, and let the tears start to fall. I could finally let out the feelings I'd been bottling up since getting home from our latest tour and finding my boyfriend and one third of the band I was in balls deep in our manager's twenty-two-year-old daughter.

  Trust Devon Montgomery to take fucking up to a whole new level. The band was in tatters, our manager was bailing on us, and my relationship with the man I had loved since I was seventeen was over. The last nine years wiped out with one sordid little affair. I let the tears fall. I needed to let it out; my life as I knew it was over.

  Devon was as indignant as ever when confronted about what the hell he was thinking by shagging the girl he had been around since she was the tender age of thirteen.

  "Just because you don't look as hot as that anymore, Allison," he announced. "Why would I want to dip my wick in brass when I can be banging some platinum pussy?" He had the nerve to stand there silently like, he was waiting for me to answer him. Like I was about to turn around and tell him I agreed. What I don't think he was expecting was the answer he did get.

  "Well, this brass pussy would like to see your plasticine prick drop off while you move your shit out of my fucking house."

  His expression was priceless.

  "Plasticine, Ally?"

  "Soft and just makes a mess everywhere." I glared at him. "Get the fuck out, NOW! JUST... Just fuck off, Dev. We're done," I told him and walked away.

  "You can't dump me, Ally. Where will I go?” He grovelled in this pathetic way that just yesterday would have had me feeling sorry for him. Not anymore.

  I rolled my eyes at his level of selfishness. Only Devon could cheat on me, ruin my life, and then have the balls to ask why I was pissed at him, and try to make me feel sorry for him. Un-fucking-believable.

  I wiped my cheeks and tried to gather myself together. Devon Montgomery might have knocked me on my ass, ripped out my heart, and destroyed our band, but he couldn't break me. He had tried, but I refused to give in completely.

  My mobile rang in my pocket. 'Donovan Joseph' flashed on the screen. My ex manager. Well, shit. What the hell would this be about now?

  "Don?" I asked.

  "Listen. I know you said the band was done..."

  "I did."

  "And I know I went apeshit and said I wouldn't represent any of you again."

  "You did."

  "Well... maybe I was a bit hasty with that. I mean, you were a victim in this disaster too."

  Oh, Christ. Just the sound of that word made me feel sick. Is that what I was to people? A victim? Don's voice continuing made me snap out of my cringing. "I've had something come up that might work perfectly for you."

  A pregnant pause hung in the air while Donovan waited for my reply.

  "Go on," I prompted after a second or so.

  "Well, you have, of course, heard of the other band I represent, right? Dragon Zion?"

  Of course I had heard of Dragon Zion. They were the hottest things on the indie rock scene at the minute.

  "I have."

  "Well, their drummer has always been a bit of a flake, and the boys have collectively decided to finally let him go."

  A lightbulb went off over my head. It was no secret that the current drummer, Jason Adams, was a coked-up disaster. He'd missed recording sessions, got in fights with roadies in the middle of live concerts, he'd showed up for TV and radio interviews barely capable of stringing a sentence together, and had proved an embarrassment to the band's brand on more than one occasion. The man was a fucking mess, even by rock and roll standards, and there was a rumour going around that, after his last bender, he was facing prison time.

  "If you're asking..." I started.

  "If you'll be their new drummer," Don interrupted.

  "Have you spoken to the band, Don?"

  I knew Donovan well enough to know that this could very well be one of his schemes where he gets a hair-brained idea, and nothing shifts it out of his head.

  "They'll be fine with it," he answered.

  "Have they even heard of me?" I asked, pushing him to admit that this was a bad idea.

  "What do you want, Ally?"

  "A real audition for them. All three of the guys in the room. If they like me, well, then I'll think about joining them."

  "I'll sort it," he told me, and agreed to get back to me when he had sorted it before hanging up.

  I walked from the goods lift into the expansive converted warehouse space that was part of the studios that were, today, serving as practice space for the audition I was having for Dragon Zion.

  Donovan grinned when he saw me, pulled me in, and planted a showbiz-style kiss on each cheek. "Allison, thank you so much for being here!"

  I smiled politely. I felt the need to apologise for Dev's actions. "Don, I'm so sorry for everything," I started.

  "Do not dare apologise for that tosser. You did nothing to me, or to Stephanie. Enough. Let's get you in to see the boys," he snapped initially before pointing me in the direction of an enclosed sound stage.

  I had never met Dragon Zion, but they were all over the media at the minute, rising fast through the ranks to
the dizzy heights of stardom. Nothing would have prepared me for the sight of them in the flesh.

  Ethan Drake, the bass guitarist, was easily six feet two, and was muscular without being bulky. His jet-black hair was shoulder length in braids. His skin was a rich chestnut colour, and his eyes were shrouded in thick lashes and were a rich sienna brown with hazel flecks that sparkled mischievously.

  Vinny Richards, second guitarist, was about five feet ten, built like a tank, with long blonde poker straight hair which he was wearing in a long plait down his back. His eyes were piercing green, and his lips struck me as full and utterly kissable. When he caught me looking, he gave me a little wink. I glanced away; the man was pure sex appeal, and a girl could get burned looking at such a sight.

  Smith Bennett was Dragon Zion's lead singer and guitarist. He was in between the heights of his bandmates. His hair was short, spiked, and bright blue, matching his sparkling eyes. His grin hinted at a cheekiness that shone with sexuality. As I looked at the three men before me, I felt heat creeping over my face and spreading over my body, right down to my clit.

  Shit. This could get dangerous.

  "Boys," Don announced. "Let me introduce you to Allison Watts. She was the drummer of the recently split DA3. She knows about the issues you guys have been having with Jason. I think she'd be a great fit with the band."

  Ethan glared in my direction. "She's a woman," he stated, raising a laugh from Vinny. Smith rolled his eyes and held out an outstretched hand. "Hi, Allison. Ignore the goon behind me. You're very welcome."

  I took his hand and smiled. "Yeah, I'm Ally. Thanks for meeting with me." His hand was warm and soft and he radiated energy I could feel myself being drawn to.

  Vinny stepped forward, nudged Smith in the ribs, and grinned. "Stop hogging the hottie!" He laughed, and again, I felt the blush of heat creeping over my skin.

  "I'm Vinny, love. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, taking my hand and placing his lips against my knuckles.

  Ethan groaned. "Thanks for coming, Allison, but I don't know if this is going to work."

  Donovan stepped in to ease Ethan's concerns. "Now, Ethan, we talked about this. Ally is the best drummer around.; she will work well with Dragon Zion. I thought you trusted me," he added, almost blackmailing Ethan with guilt into accepting me.

  Ethan grumbled. "Whatever." He sighed and turned to the amp and started to mess with the controls like it was the most important thing in the world.

  Donovan rolled his eyes and nodded in the direction of the drum set behind the rest of the band. "Ally, if you want to get yourself settled in there, and I'll let you and the lads get on with it." He smiled and headed back towards the door, leaving me to feel like a lamb being left to the wolves.

  Well, well, well! I thought to myself when the petite, curvy little minx walked in with Donovan. I was very interested in her, regardless of what happened with her and the band. She was the perfect height, approximately five feet five. She wasn't fat, and she wasn't slender; she was just perfectly proportioned with a great rack.

  My eyes ran over her body, over her full lips, and my mind ran with the idea of how sweet her mouth would taste, and how good it would feel wrapped around my prick. When I looked at her face, I could see she was focused on my mouth as much as I focused on hers. I smiled and gave her a little wink, taking delight in the soft blush that crept across her skin as I did. I wondered if that was how she would look if she was under me.

  I was distracted from my illicit thoughts by Ethan's complaint about a woman joining our band. A laugh snorted out of me. Ethan always found it difficult to be around a woman, for such a good looking man he was always so shy and awkward round the fairer sex.

  Smith was his usual courteous self, shaking her hand and making her feel welcome after Ethan's outburst. I grinned and moved towards her, nudging Smithy in the ribs as I did, taking her hand from his.

  "Stop hogging the hottie." I smirked, looking her straight in the eyes to make sure she knew how attractive I thought she was. "I'm Vinny, love. It's a pleasure to meet you." I smiled and lifted her hand to my mouth. The second my lips made contact with her skin, I felt it everywhere. My cock stirred against my jeans. This is going to get very interesting.

  Don told Ally to head over to the drum kit and get herself settled. I glanced over at Smith and he gave me a look that told me he knew that I liked the look of our lovely potential new bandmate. Wasn't she a lucky lady? She already had Smith ready to punch me in the balls over her.

  Time to see what this little lady could do behind the kit. Honestly, anything would be better than what Jason was capable of lately, but I actually wanted it to work out with Ally. It would give us an edge, something different that other bands didn’t have. Female drummers were rare; good female drummers were almost unheard of.

  Ally got herself ready, adjusted her seat, and checked she was in the perfect spot to knock it out of the park. If she was at all nervous, it didn’t really show.

  “How about we start with a cover?” Smith suggested.

  “Sure. What did you have in mind?” Ally smiled.

  “What about The Who? You know My Generation, right?” Ethan asked.

  Fucker. We all knew the song, and there were plenty of people out there who would rank it up there in the top ten hardest tracks for a drummer. I knew what he was up to. He wanted her to fall flat on her pretty face. I was about to speak up when Ally smirked and responded to Ethan’s challenge.

  “Challenge accepted, big guy.” She grinned, and my cock stirred against my jeans. Well, fuck. Not only was she hot, she had balls of steel and had come armed to a fist fight. “Ready?” she asked. The guys nodded, and she started a count in. “1-2-3-4.”

  She kicked the song off into high gear instantly, leaving Ethan and me to follow in, and Smith tapping his foot, standing waiting for his cue to start. Within a minute of playing, I couldn’t help but grin. Ally came alive behind a drum set, and the look on Ethan’s face told me he knew his plan was not going to work, that she was in no way going to fail, or not be just what the band needed. It didn’t matter what we played after that, even some of our rarer album bonus tracks. Ally had done her homework and knew them all. She was a force to be reckoned with, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of how well she handled it, even if I didn’t really know her.

  When Donovan asked us to take a look at a new drummer, I had agreed. It was something we badly needed. Jason was a liability and I didn’t think we would make it as a band if we kept him on any longer. The man couldn’t see further than his next score, and like it or not, this was a business. We were lucky enough to be making money doing something we loved, but Jason was killing our brand. We were getting more fame and notoriety for his indiscretions and fuckups than we were for the music we were playing.

  Then he told me who it was that he had in mind. I did my best not to balk at the suggestion of Allison Watts. I knew she was a great drummer, but she had just been through her own bullshit with her boyfriend, Devon, and I worried that would just bring more baggage to the band instead of helping us ditch the shit we already had.

  “Smith,” Don started, sensing my unspoken reservations. “I know what you’re thinking, but she’s a great girl, and a fucking amazing drummer. Sure, this bullshit with that wanker Montgomery isn’t ideal, but you have nothing to worry about with her. I promise you that; I wouldn’t be recommending her if I didn’t think she was going to be a great fit for you and the rest of the fellas.” He gripped my shoulder as if to enforce his genuine appreciation of my concerns, and Ally’s ability to fit in with us.

  “Thanks, Don. I’m just worried about how we could look, ditching one load of drama to take on a different kind of drama. Is she definitely done with him and done with their band?” I asked.

  He nodded. “She’s kicked him out, and yes, the band is most definitely over. I’m not sure anyone wants Devon Montgomery around anymore.”

  My turn to nod. I knew Devon had been caught with his prick
in the boss’s daughter. She was a lovely girl; more than lovely, really, but like Ally and her band, we had all been around her since she was a young teen. The thought of seeing her as anything other than a younger sister was alien to all of us. Devon had managed to cheat on his long-term girlfriend by shagging that same ‘younger sister’ and make everyone feel generally creeped out by how it all happened. That was definitely not something our brand needed to be tainted with.

  I called Ethan and Vinny over to my place and told them what Donovan had suggested.

  “Well, Don thinks we should give her an audition,” I explained.

  “Why would we want a girl in the band?” Ethan asked. “It just complicates things even more.”

  Vinny grinned, as usual. “I think it’s a fucking great idea, mate. It would be something different, wouldn’t it? None of the greats had a chick in their crew.”

  Ever the optimist was Vincent Richards; it was one of the things we loved and loathed in him all at the same time. It could be a breath of fresh air sometimes, and others, it could leave you wanting to kick him in the balls.

  Ethan sighed. “You really don’t get it, do you? What if one of us fucks her, or worse, dates her?” he said, looking specifically at Vinny who grinned even more at Ethan’s implication. “Then she breaks up with whoever it was, and then what? She takes the band down with her like she did with DA3?”