I thought our last phone call would tide her over for a while, but now my other brother, Samson, is calling. Again.
Not a good sign.
I grudgingly take the call and snap, “What?”
“Easy, bro,” says Samson. “I’m just the messenger.”
“Yeah, well I’m getting sick of all your messages.”
“What would you rather I do? Not call you? Let Drew go down on his own?”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “No.”
“That’s what I thought. Drew’s in deep trouble this time, I can feel it. And Mom’s losing her shit. I need you out here.”
A year older than Drew and a year younger than me, Samson is the middle child, and the most laid-back. It takes a lot to stress him out, so the fact that he’s been at my ear these past few days is a red flag in and of itself.
But as the oldest brother—and the only real male authority in my family—it’s my job to keep everyone calm, cool, and collected. A task that’s growing more difficult by the phone call.
“Not happening.” I shake my head even though he can’t see me. “I left for a reason, Samson. I’m not coming back.”
His voice is strained like he’s gritting his teeth. “And just what the hell am I supposed to do without you? You know I don’t have the pull or the power that you do.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Have Drew give me a call. I’ll straighten him out.”
“That’s just the thing, man. Drew’s missing.”
My heart stops for a moment. “Mom didn’t mention that.”
“That’s because she’s in denial and refuses to accept that her baby boy is caught up in a mess. She thinks he’s out roaming, but you and I know better.”
Fuck.
I rub a hand over my mouth, trying not to panic. Or growl. This is exactly the shit I was trying to stay away from when I moved away from Little Vail, Louisiana, and toward Tempe, Arizona. And now here I am, getting dragged right back into it.
“Fine,” I say, my decision made. “I’ll come out there this week. Tell Mom to calm down, would you? Her freaking out will only make things worse.”
“Got it. I’ll see you later then.”
“Yeah.” I hang up and run a finger over my cold mug.
Drew is missing.
I knew something like this would happen, eventually. You can’t play around with drug dealers and not get jacked down the road.
“You all right, dude?” Ethan asks as Cody sets his drink down.
“What? Yeah.” I rub my mouth again. “I’m fine. Just family shit.”
He takes a drink. “How come you never talk about your family?”
I stretch my neck. “Because there’s nothing to say.”
Actually there’s a ton to say, but no one would want to hear it. And frankly, I like the life I’ve made for myself out here in Arizona. No baggage to weigh me down. No expectations lingering around me.
I pull up airfares on my phone and scroll through the prices with a grimace. Damn, it’s expensive to fly. My eyes snap up as a thought hits me. Jenna’s heading to New Orleans and I need to go to Little Vail, which is only two hours north and right on her way.
A slow smile spread across my face.
I might just have to tag along on Jenna’s road trip.
3
Jenna
A gaggle of girls meets me the moment I step foot inside my small apartment.
“Your mom called,” Alyssa says, talking a mile a minute. “She said you’re driving out to see Grams all by yourself because you think flying is too expensive but you really aren’t, are you? Please tell me Aunt Sherry was just joking because you driving all alone across the states would be crazy.”
“Crazy,” Becca repeats, bobbing her head as they block me from walking any farther into the room. “There are like killers out there disguised as truckers and they will hunt you down on the road and like kidnap you and use your skin for like lampshades and stuff.”
I crinkle up my face. “What—”
“It’s true,” Callie adds with a curt nod. “I always see these specials on TV about young girls who go on road trips by themselves and never make it back alive because some psycho roasted them like a turkey.”
My cousins stare at me with their oversized eyes, waiting for me to ease their irrational fears and tell them that of course I’m not going to drive by myself across the country. Not without a suitor and a chaperone, and maybe a hoopskirt to match my corset. Because oh, the horror!
I roll my eyes and squeeze past them into the small living room. “You guys need to relax. No one is going to kill me. Or eat me.”
“How can you be so sure?” Alyssa’s eyes manage to grow even wider.