Page 54 of Dirty Lyrics
Then he adds, “I’ll be in touch.”
And he keeps his word.
That man—Balor Cruz—he gets in touch with me a few weeks later.
Right after my manager’s body turns up dead in a fire in some abandoned building.
Do I mourn Matheson?
Not for one bloody second.
Because with Balor Cruz looking into my contract with Voce Records—and my lawyer working alongside him—for the first time in years, my hopes for the future feel real.
chapter 22-maya
I still can’t believe it.
As of thirteen hours ago, Rico is free.
Free from Voce Records.
Free from that snake Matheson.
Free from every chain that’s been dragging him down since before I even knew him.
And I am so fucking glad.
Because now? Now it’s just us.
We’ve been working nonstop, writing feverishly ever since that day Balor Cruz stormed into the studio like some avenging angel.
That man? He’s a total psycho for his wife—absolutely unhinged—but I get it.
I respect it.
I live it—because Rico? Yeah, pretty sure he feels the same way about me.
Did I mention he got a tattoo with the word Songbird above his heart and a series of notes I thought were decoration but are actually the opening bars of Fuego Lento.
No, I don’t hate the song even though it was part of why I ran. Truth is, I wrote that song for him. Because loving him built inside me like a slow fire, and I am just so glad we finally got our shit worked out.
But back to scary ass Balor Cruz. Hell, he’s the inspiration for the song Rico and I just finished.
Call it a kind of apology—our way of reclaiming the mess Matheson made with Fuego Lento and the one after that, plus all the garbage he tried to force on Rico when I wasn’t around.
But this new song?
This one is different.
It’s hot, yeah—but not in the “I wanna drag you into bed right now” kind of way.
It’s deeper. More primal. It’s about a couple—Lucy (who I’ve met and adore) and Balor (who’s just as feral for her as Rico is for me).
So this song? It’s about obsession dressed up as reverence. Desire sharpened into worship.
And I don’t think anyone’s done anything like it before.
The melody is all Rico—slow, heavy bass, drums that mimic your heartbeat, strings that ache, horns that sting like heat against your skin.
