Page 80 of Hard Rock Deceit

Damon stared him down. August met his gaze head on, notblinking.

"So you're going to keep taking drugs?" Damon asked. "You're not goingtostop?"

"No."

"Thenyou'reout."

Augustfroze.

"What—!" Cameron exploded, jumping from the sofa, cushions falling to thefloor.

"I'm not going to sit here and watch you do this to yourself," Damon spoke to August alone. "Someday you're going to kill yourself or push yourself too hard, ruin your shoulder and never be able to playagain."

August's blank expression turned almost confused, before the corner of his lipstwitchedup.

"You can't kick me out," he said. "I createdDarkestDays."

"Says who?" Damon challenged. "We all had a hand in making this band what it is. If we say you're out,you'reout."

August's eyes narroweddarkly.

"Damon, wait." Cameron held his hand out. "Let's not do somethingstupid."

"The only one doing something stupid is this idiot over here," Damon retorted. He looked to Ian and Noah. "You guys want to back me uponthis?"

Noah noddedreluctantly.

Ian looked even more hesitant. He didn't nod yesorno.

"Are we sure this is the best way to deal with this?" Cameron asked, looking at each of the guys. "We can't just kick August out oftheband."

"What if he keeps on using and ends up hurting himself even worse?" Damon argued. "What if he gets so high he overworks himself and injures his shoulder permanently? What if he takes too much again and has anotheroverdose?"

"I won't," Augustinterrupted.

Damon glaredathim.

"You almost fuckingdied. You think any of us want to watch that happenagain?"

August opened his mouth tospeak.

"No. I'll ask one more time," Damon cut him off. "Are you going to stop with thedrugs?"

August's eyes werepained.

"I can't," he said softly. "If I stop…" He swallowed hard. "Damon, Ican't…"

"Then you don't leave us anychoice."

I could tell Damon was trying to keep his tone level and reasonable, but it still shook slightly. His fingers trembled. He clenched his fist to cover it. Even he wasn't unaffected by all the emotions flying throughtheroom.

"If you think you need to take drugs to keep playing, then there's only one solution." Damon looked around the room. "I'm calling a vote. Is August inorout?"

"Damon, you can't—" Cameronprotested.

"In.Or.Out?"

Cameron clamped his mouth shut,lookingaway.