Swear (Landry Family 4)

g ol’ titties?” Nate leans against the bar so he’s eye to eye with Lincoln. He’s challenging him, there’s no doubt about it, and becomes very clear he knows who we are. And who Camilla is.

Lincoln grins, but I can see his jaw pulsing. Instead of replying right away, he pours us all another drink. I down mine. I see Graham pushing his away out of the corner of my eye.

Nate shoves away. “I see a lot of whores in this place. Hard to tell them apart after a while.”

“Why ya gotta be a dick, Nate?” Lincoln asks, shaking his head.

“Why ya gotta come in here causing trouble, Landry?”

Just like that, all cards are on the table. Not that we had cover, but if we had anything going for us at all, it’s now blown into the abyss.

“We aren’t here to cause trouble,” Graham cuts in. “We’re just looking for our sister.”

“She ain’t here,” Nate says, spreading his arms to his sides. “Do you see her?”

Barrett leans forward, giving Nate his best campaign-esque smile. “We don’t want trouble. We’re just concerned.”

“Why?” Nate snorts. “Because you think maybe your little sister has fallen to the dark side?”

“We didn’t say that,” Graham says calmly.

“Maybe,” Nate says, keeping a few feet back, “your little sister just likes a little real cock laid to her.”

“Easy . . .” I warn.

Nate laughs. “I’d venture to say there’s nothing easy about it.”

“You motherfucker,” I say, lunging across the bar. Troy is at my side, Lincoln on the other, before I know it.

“It’s time to go,” Troy says, jerking me backwards. I shake off his grip and give him a look letting him know I’m fine.

Nate grins. “Do you boys need anything else?”

Lincoln slams a couple of bills down and sits his glass on top of it. Without taking my eyes off him, I pour another shot and down it. Slamming my glass against the bar, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “If you fuck with her, you fuck with all of us. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” he winks. “Now listen to your minder there and get the hell out of here before word gets out the Governor is sitting in the Gold Room. I don’t think you want that, do you?”

Nate flashes Barrett a look, letting him know with a few well-placed calls, he can turn this visit into a PR nightmare.

“Let’s go,” Barrett says.

I wait for them all to file ahead of me before I turn back around. Nate is looking at me.

“You know, not everything you see is what you get.” He raises his brows. “Your sister is a big girl, Landry. She can take care of herself.”

My hands plant on the bar and I look him dead in the eye. “She can. And if she can’t, she has me. I’m not the Governor and I don’t give a fuck what is written about me in the papers.” I turn to go, but wheel back around. “If you allow her in here, I want you to know that I personally hold you responsible for her safety and well-being. You got that?”

Something changes in Nate’ eyes. I see it happen. He nods subtly before I turn and walk out to a much-relieved look on Troy’s face.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Barrett says, climbing into the backseat.

With a last look at the Gold Room, I pile into the SUV and we speed off towards the Farm.

Ford

HODA TAKES A FEW FINAL notes before closing the notepad. “I think I have it, Mr. Landry. I’ll send the estimate over now.” She stands, smoothing out her dress, grinning.

“What?”