Sway (Landry Family 1)

“Not really. It’s not anything you need to worry about, okay?”

“You don’t have anyone else to worry about you. When I’m sick or sad, you take care of me. Who takes care of you?”

His words nearly bring fresh tears to my eyes. I fight them back, but it takes everything I have.

“I’m fine, Hux.”

“Is this about the man with the camera? Because if it is, I’m fine, Mom.”

Luckily, my phone ringing distracts the conversation. But when I pull it out of my pocket, I see Lincoln’s name.

I only have a few percent left on my phone, so I answer it, figuring I can’t get trapped into anything big. But I want to know if something has happened over the girl at Luxor, so I answer.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” Linc asks.

“Driving. Is everything okay?”

“Where are you though? Specifically?”

“I don’t know,” I say, looking around. “Why? What’s happening?”

He sighs. “For one, I’m standing on your porch and you aren’t here.”

“I already told you that.”

“For two, Graham just got a call that you were involved in some altercation at work tonight. We wanted to make sure you were okay before we tell Barrett because he’s going to go ape-shit when he finds out.”

My spirits sink and I want to close my eyes and rest them, quiet the pounding in my skull, but I can’t.

Huxley watches me from the other seat, not missing a thing. I have to choose my words carefully so I don’t panic him.

“There was a little thing,” I admit carefully. “I hope it’s not causing you any issues.”

“Is Huxley right there? Is that why you aren’t answering me?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re okay? You aren’t physically harmed or anything, right?”

“No.”

“Did you fill out a police report?”

“No. I called Barrett to tell him, but . . .”

“But what?” he asks ominously.

“Nolan answered.”

He exhales harshly and I know he too is choosing his words. “Did he fuck with you? I hate that son of a bitch.”

I don’t answer him. I can’t say it out loud in front of Huxley, and I don’t really want to hear the words ringing in the air myself again anyway.

“Ali?”

“He had things to say, yes, that I didn’t expect.”