Indecent (The Cage Sessions Book 1) Read Online Free

said.
    "Damien," says Jasmine in a warning tone.
    "Jaz, it's going to get out sometime. Why not
now?"
    "Damien!"
    He sits up and looks full at me.
    "Eon Sphinx is broken up," he says.
"Finished. Dead. Okay? I'm sick of trying to pretend that
everything is fine. I need to be honest. Not just with myself but
with the world. Eon Sphinx is no more."
    His eyes are full of pain. He folds his arms,
staring and frowning at something behind me.
    I resist the urge to throw myself on his
near-naked body to comfort him.
    "I'm sorry," says Jasmine as she stands up,
"this interview is over. Mr. Cage is not–"
    "Not what?" he says, his voice full of
irritation. "Not feeling well? Not in a right frame of mind? Jaz,
I'm sick of lying. This interview is not over. Sit the fuck
back down."
    Jasmine sits again.
    I just keep looking at Damien Cage, his hands
folded together. He looks up at me.
    "My mission is bigger than Eon Sphinx," he
says. "I have a higher calling. Eon Sphinx has gotten me where I
need to be to do what I was meant to do on this Earth."
    I don't know what to say. I just keep looking
at him.
    "My mission," he says, "is to help people.
Eon Sphinx's mission, on the other hand, is just to make money.
Which is great. Nothing against money. But I have enough now. More
than I ever need. It's time to give back. I just turned thirty and
I need to help the world."
    "So," I say, "you want to become a
philanthropist?"
    He shoots a devilish smile at me while
looking up at me. I think I might melt soon.
    "Sort of," he says.
    "Damien," says Jasmine. "You're going to ruin
yourself. Don't do this. Don't tell her. If this gets out, your
career is ruined."
    "I don't give a fuck about my career anymore!
I sing songs and pose. That's all I do. What am I contributing to
the world? Nothing! Not to mention sitting there telling kids on TV
that they can become stars when I know they can't. It's not about
talent. It's about drive and hard work, but they don't want to
teach that on American TV. They'd rather sell the bullshit dream.
Sing a song and you'll get rich. Tell me, Annika, who won America's Top Voice last season?"
    I know, but I can't think of it.
    "Ummm..." I say, "The guy with the big mop
top. I can't think of his name."
    "Nope," he says. "That was the previous
season. But while we're on the topic, do you know where he is now?"
    I nod no.
    "In rehab," he says. "Painkillers. Couldn't
take the pressure. Had to resort to drugs. Now, the winner this
season, who I helped to get there with my amazing judging skills,
is Lija Charry."
    "Right," I say. "She's amazing."
    "Yes, she's amazing. She's got the best voice
I think I've ever heard on any human being. But guess what? She
doesn't want it. She thinks she wants to be a pop star but she
doesn't have it in her. I looked into her eyes every day for
eighteen weeks and didn't see it. That drive. That passion. She's
going to go home and ride horses on her daddy's ranch. Marry the
ranch hand who's lusted after her for years and make babies. You
will never... and I mean never ... hear from her again."
    He turns and stares at the house. He squints,
like he's recalling something. Jasmine looks at me with a he's-off-and-running-and-there's-no-stopping-him look.
    "Do you know how I got this house?" he
says.
    Is this a trick question?
    I think I know where he's going here, so I
pick the smart answer.
    "Hard work," I say.
    His eyes light up and look at me. A new bolt
of lightning shoots downward into my crotch. He's definitely going
to need to get this chair cleaned.
    "Yes!" he says. "And that's what these kids
don't understand. I built Eon Sphinx by getting two lazy fucks up
out of bed every morning to play every fucking show I could get us
into when I was fifteen years old. Ace and Trent just wanted to
smoke weed and hang out, but I wanted to be famous. You know and I
know I'm not the best singer out there, but I wanted it. I
wanted it more than anything. And all I see around me now are kids
who are not being