“I will,” I say and if he senses what is coming, Adrian wraps his arm around me and asks the next question for me. “And Pri’s parents?”
“They do shady shit over there at your father’s firm, Pri,” he replies, “but for the most part, your father finds a way to keep it all legal. Barely, but legal.”
My brows knit. “But what about the claim that he was laundering money for Waters?”
“I can’t find proof,” Lucifer replies. “Do I think it happened? Yes. Do I think he was blackmailed? Yes. Do I think they have someone really fucking good covering their trails over there? Yes. I’ll keep digging if you really want me to. Just keep in mind that if I dig, I’ll eventually find the truth.”
The truth, I repeat in my head. Do I really want the truth? I’ve talked to my mother once since Waters was killed. She asked me to coffee. She had no idea I wasn’t in the country. She’d said she wanted to “mend fences,” whatever that means. My father had called a week later, right after I’d faxed my formal resignation to Ed. I hadn’t answered the call. He’d left a voicemail: You made a good decision leaving the DA’s office. Come home.
Come home doesn’t mean to Texas. He meant back to work for his firm, where I would be expected to be his compliant little daughter.
I blink Lucifer back into view. “Just leave it alone,” I say and I offer no other explanation. I’m not sure what to do about my family and it’s something I need to think about and talk to Adrian about when we’re alone.
“Message received,” Lucifer says, “but one last big thing. Your father fired Logan and Logan abruptly left the state.”
“Good,” I say, and in my mind, I can’t help but hope that Logan is the one who got my father involved in all of this and my father saw the light. But that’s a daughter’s hero complex. And my father is no hero.
About the time, I’m about to drag Adrian to a more private location to talk Savage sits down, a beer in hand. “A man walks into a bar,” he says, pointing at Adrian. “Give it to me, baby. One of those horrible jokes of yours.”
I laugh, my mood lighter already. “He told me a hundred bad jokes in Italy alone,” I say, eyeing him. “Come on. A man walks into a bar. Go.”
Adrian rubs his hands together. “A man walks into a bar owned by Eminem. He tells the bartender, ‘Give me two shots of—’ The bartender cuts him off saying, ‘You only get one shot.’”
We all groan at the reference to Eminem’s most popular song, “Lose Yourself” and already Adrian launches into another joke. “A man walks into a bar—”
I touch the necklace he gave me and warmth fills me. This is my family. He is my family. And I will never get tired of his jokes.
Chapter Forty-Four
PRI
We don’t talk about Deleon before we land in Texas, but I know there’s a reason, outside of friendship, that we’re surrounded by the Walker family. And apparently so is Rafael, I discover. His entire security team is part of Walker Security. In that way, I know Adrian has shown him his love. He’s not been with him, and yet, he has been looking after him.
We land in Texas and head straight for the concert. With backstage passes, Adrian and I are quickly united with his brother. The two of them come together with an embrace, and they hold that pose for a solid minute. “Damn, I missed you, brother,” Adrian murmurs.
“Me, too, man,” Rafael says, looking at Adrian. “I missed the hell out of you.”
They look so alike, and they share a similar energy. I can’t help but wonder if Alex favored them. I decide he couldn’t have. There’s no way he did the things Adrian described and was anything like these two brothers.
Adrian pulls me forward and introduces me properly to Rafael despite us having met by phone last week. “Hello, Pri,” Rafael greets. “Good to meet you. I guess he hasn’t told you his bad jokes yet since you’ve stuck around.”
I laugh. “You have no idea how many bad jokes I’ve heard.”
Someone calls out Rafael’s name and speaks to him in Spanish. “Gotta run now,” he says, shaking my hand. “We’ll talk after the show.”
He hugs Adrian again. “You finally made my show.”
“And I’m proud as a motherfucker, man.”
Rafael’s expression lights. He likes this compliment from his brother. He’s a superstar and the world loves him, but it’s family he needs. They need each other.
***
ADRIAN
The concert is amazing.
My little brother on that stage, in fancy outfits, owning his stardom, deserving it. He’s a better man than Alex or I ever were. Humble. Kind. Generous. And I don’t think about anything outside of the moment. Pri sings and dances, and so do we all. Savage is an absolute savage. The man is a huge fan of my brother’s. Who’d have believed it? When it’s all over, my brother doesn’t even consider some big party, not even on New Year’s Eve. He’s never been the party guy and stardom hasn’t changed that, apparently. Raf is back in his favorite jeans, boots, and a T-shirt in no time. And since he needs out of the limelight, with hordes of fans looking for him, me, Pri, and our team, follow his bus to a small town about an hour out of the city, and stop at a diner.