“It was good, but does it taste better than a lawyer?” Ryder shoots back, cocky bastard. When I find out—and I intend to—I’ll let him know. Last night was just a start. I’ve had a taste, and now I want the whole package. Savannah at my mercy; me finding every way to make her scream.
My phone goes off, and I grab it. Small miracles. Ryder’s too good at getting secrets out of me.
Unknown Number. I’ll take it. At this point, I would even talk to telemarketers in order to get out of this conversation with Ryder.
“Hello?”
“You’re not getting out of it that easy,” Ryder says.
“Cassius, darling, don’t hang up, please.”
My thumb hovers over the red button, but I can’t—it’s the sound of her voice. The strain that she doesn’t let show except when something’s bad, or she needs something.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah, Mom,” I say eyeing Ryder. He raises an eyebrow. Just because I’ve never mentioned my family doesn’t mean I don’t have one. If I were smart, I would hang up and block the number, because this phone call will suck me back into the world I’ve tried so hard to leave behind. But she’s my mother, and as much as I want to ignore her, sometimes I just can’t.
“Your father’s had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital. We don’t…they don’t know…Please come. We’re at Piedmont Hospital. He’s coming out of surgery soon, I’ll let the nurses know to direct you to his room when you get here.” There’s a level of panic in her voice that crosses the phone line and infects me.
“Sure thing,” I reply. No matter our differences, Emmett Gardner is still my father. Even if he is a swindling bastard.
I end the call, already sliding out from behind the bar, my pulse speeding. I grab my jacket from the counter and head for the door. It’ll be just a quick in and out. I’ll go see my father and be back in time to sling drinks tonight.
I make it about four steps before I remember: keys. And when I turn back, I’m face to face with my friend.
“I gotta go,” I say. There’s not much more I can tell him.
Keys. Keys. I pat my pockets and then backtrack to the bar to grab them.
“Your mom okay?” Ryder asks.
Mentioning my mother was a mistake. Ryder may not have the school bought pedigree of Jackson or Parker, but the man connects the dots faster than anyone. Not to mention he hates liars, and lying’s all I seem to be doing about my family.
“It’s nothing,” I say, trying to get past him. “I mean it’s serious — I gotta go.” There isn’t time to explain what’s happening or going on, because it’ll raise more questions. And more questions about my past is the last thing I need right now.
“I’ll grab the car. You’re about as able to drive as a drunk at last call.” He gets up and grabs for his keys, finding them instantly.
“No.” The last thing I need is for my friend to get involved with my parents. I’d have to explain everything, and I can’t stomach that. “I mean thanks, I just…”
“Cash, man, whatever it is,” Ryder says, taking a seat again. He’s a better friend than I deserve right now. “You don’t have to go it alone.”
If I stick around it’s not going to end well. I’ll spill everything, and then they’ll hate me when they find who I am and where I come from.
Ryder’s confused by my fast exit, but doesn’t chase after me. When I get to the door, I know why. Jackson’s just come in.
“Where’s the fire?” he asks.
“Another girl,” I say, brushing past him. “You know the drill,” I lie.
My parents poison everything good in my life. Now they have me keeping secrets from the guys who are supposed to be my family. We all worked our way up to something, and now, just like they always have, my parents show up to destroy it.
“I’ll be back later,” I tell them, ignoring the concern on their face. “Don’t worry.”
*
Peidmont is close to the bar, and it doesn’t take me long to get there. I hate hospitals, and even with all the money my family has it still isn’t enough to mask the smell of disinfectant and death. Mentally, I start to prepare myself for the one thing I’ve wanted and now can’t face: my father’s demise.
He deserves it. As head of the investment company that screwed thousands of people out of their life savings, his karmic payback should be a good one. I was in college when it all went down: the collapse of my whole life, everything I took for granted my whole childhood: the fancy house, the cars, the vacations. One minute he was respected, a stock market genius, they said. The next, the company went under. Risky investments, bad loans, whatever you want to call it, one minute the money was there, the next, it disappeared into thin air.