“Okay, I’m sorry,” he said as he tossed his phone onto the couch between us. “I will eat anything on my pizza with the exception of pickles and anchovies. Anything else, please.”
While she ordered us enough food to feed an army, I grabbed my phone. I’d sent Barrick a message when we’d landed, along with one to my mom and another to my dad.
I still hadn’t gotten a reply from Barrick about my earlier message assuring him we’d landed and were on our way to the hotel. I hadn’t heard from Daddy either, but Momma had replied almost immediately, telling me to have a good time with Nevaeh.
I felt a little bad about this trip since Daddy was in Georgetown with the other Demons to promote their new album that was about to come out, but he’d told me not to worry about it. Which made me wonder if I was going to see him soon anyway with my birthday coming up.
Momma was back in California with Jagger, who was doing some young celebrity cameo on a popular kids’ show. He was really eating up his new fame from his and Cannon Cage’s music career. Not that I could blame him. I’d eaten up my own fame in the dance world when I was at the top. I hadn’t let it go to my head, though. Momma would have thrown a fit if I’d done that.
Me: Hope your meeting went well. About to eat my weight in room service food. Brax is being weird with Nev. Just FYI…I might punch him in the balls if he doesn’t start acting like himself. Miss you. xo
The message went unread, and I tossed my phone aside, disgusted with myself for caring that he wasn’t watching his phone as anxiously as I was just to have some kind of contact with him.
Hanging up the phone, Nevaeh walked over to the minifridge and grabbed us each a drink since it was already stocked. As she sat down beside me, her phone rang and she made a face, but her eyes lit up with love. “It’s Daddy,” she muttered. “He can’t go ten minutes without checking in.”
I snatched the phone out of her hand and answered it with a grin. “Hey!” I greeted Uncle Drake. “I kinda miss you.”
His deep chuckle was music to my ears. “I kinda miss you too, kid. How was your flight?”
“Cole snored the whole way from Virginia. I told him he should see a doctor about it, but he said his snoring helps keep his voice hoarse.” I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, Angel says the same thing whenever he falls asleep on our couch. What’s my girl doing? You two getting into trouble?”
“Not yet. Figured we would hold off until tomorrow on that kind of fun. Right now, we’re about to pig out on room service food. What about you? Causing trouble with my
dad? Uncle Shane climbing the walls yet because Harper isn’t there?”
“Getting there,” he said tiredly. “I’m ready for this weekend to be over, myself.”
I heard voices in the background, and my heart ached from missing my family. They were low, but I could pick out Uncle Jesse’s voice, then Uncle Shane’s laugh. Daddy’s followed…
Then one more.
One that had the small hairs on my body standing to attention because I knew that laugh. It was one I would recognize anywhere.
But it didn’t make sense. Why would Barrick be with my dad and uncles?
Breathing in slowly, I asked my uncle to hold on a second. Before he could comment, I hit the mute button and looked straight at Braxton. “Who is Barrick’s meeting with?”
He shrugged. “No clue.”
“Liar,” I whispered and jumped to my feet so I could glare down at him. “What the fuck is going on?”
A vein began to pulse in his neck, but other than that, he gave no outward sign that he was upset. That vein, though, that was plenty enough for me to know that something was definitely going on.
“Mia, I don’t know. He didn’t tell me anything about his meeting.”
“Yeah, right,” I said with a roll of my eyes. But I wasn’t in the mood to be lied to. Unmuting the call, I hit the speakerphone. “Uncle Drake?” I greeted in a sugary-sweet voice.
“Everything all right?” he asked, sounding concerned. “Nev okay?”
“I’m good, Daddy,” she assured her father from where she was still sitting on the couch, but she was watching me with trepidation in her blue-gray eyes and a frown puckering her brow.
“I texted my dad earlier. Could you tell him we made it okay? We have to go now, but Nev will call you tomorrow.” I already had my own phone in hand once again, pulling up my mother’s contact information.
“O-kay,” he said, his tone never changing. “Love you, girls.”
“Love you, Daddy,” Neveah called.