“That’s what big brothers are for.” Dana clicked his teeth dramatically.
Dana was his big brother, regardless of DNA. They’d all grown up in the same hood on the rough side of Adamsville, him and his twin brother Stanton. When Stanton had died during his second year in college, it had been barely survivable for them both, but Dana had stepped up and helped comfort Sway through the pain and depression while battling his own. Dana had sworn to Sway’s brother that’d he’d keep him and protect him, forever. And Dana hadn’t failed on that promise and Sway knew he never would.
“Are you sure he hasn’t mentioned… or maybe said anything about wanting to…” Sway felt silly, knowing he was about to hear something slick from Dana.
Dana pretended to think on it for moment. “Hmmm.” He drew out. “No, he hasn’t. But I can pass him a note in between classes.”
“I hate you so much,” Sway griped, shoving Dana as hard as he could, only to end up making himself stumble. “You big cinderblock.”
“See what you get for using your hands instead of your words,” Dana teased.
“Let me go, I’m dead on my feet,” Sway said, climbing into his car.
“Stop working so hard. You work more tortuous hours than Trump’s press secretary.”
“You need a new line and something else to worry about.” Sway buckled his seat belt and lowered the window. “I’m good. Thinking of making some important moves, I think. You won’t believe I literally ran into Dr. Chauncey today and he starts chatting me up to the Chief and everything, talking about me joining his department again.” Sway narrowed his eyes. “You or that boss of yours wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”
“Of course not. Quick would never try to score favors on his man and Cayson wouldn’t compromise his department. If he’s asking for you to join his team it’s because you’ve earned it, Squirt. You know you’re the man at that hospital. Congratulations! That’s amazing! Cayson Chauncey is big shit. Working for him is like going to community college dude, from there you can go anywhere.”
Sway laughed, feeling so much lighter. His friend always had that effect on him. “Okay, okay. I believe you then,” Sway said, blushing. He wouldn’t tell him—because Dana’s head was big enough—but Sway also worked so hard because he wanted… no he needed the only brother he had left to be proud of him. “But, I better not hear otherwise. You know I don’t like special favors.”
“I know. Are you gonna take the job?”
“I don’t know. I have to think about it,” Sway hummed.
“You have more to think about than a Nobel scholar,” Dana growled. “I got an idea. Just do it, man. Don’t think at all. Explore. Be adventurous. Take a risk. Jump without a chute.”
“Okay, um, all those ideas literally just made my stomach cramp and I’m pretty sure your last suggestion would lead to my bone-crushing death, sooooo, thanks a lot for your help, D.”
“Anytime, man.” Dana stepped back from the car and took his key fob and remote started his Chevy.
“And don’t say anything to Brian right now either. Let me think ab… I mean… I’ll decide soon. So, just keep your mouth shut since you can’t say anything helpful right now.”
Dana held up his hand to his brow in a three-finger salute. “Promise. I won’t say a word to—”
“Put your damn hand down, you were never a fuckin’ Boy Scout. They had morals, discipline and drive to help others.” Sway laughed.
“Hey. I have… drive,” Dana grumbled. He leaned in, kissed Sway on his forehead and tapped the hood of the car. “All right Squirt. You know what to do.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll text you when I get home.” Sway pulled away, grumbling to himself. “He still acts like I’m ten years old and getting bullied on the way home.”
Brian stood at the back of the courtroom waiting for the recovery contract from a bondsman who had made the huge mistake of bailing out two big wig executives who’d been arrested for multiple white-collar crimes. Both men were partners in a money management firm that had been investigated and eventually shut down for money laundering, embezzlement, and investment fraud. One of them had shown up for his preliminary hearing but the other—Robert Clarkson—has been missing for nineteen days, and with a five hundred-thousand-dollar bond leaning on the bondsman, Brian could understand why he was going batshit. He needed Duke to catch this guy, fast. Brian had been researching the jumper’s file and trusted contacts for the past week and he felt he had a good lead. The charges were all nonviolent and therefore the jumper wasn’t considered a threat, so Duke wanted Brian to collect him at will. It’d be a big, easy check for them.
He stood listening to a general district judge rain down punishments like there was no tomorrow: fines, sentences, suspended sentences, probation and more. Brian tried to stay aware of his surroundings, but his mind wandered to his session yesterday with Colton. Brian hadn’t had any more flashbacks, but he admitted to still feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety that another one was right around the corner, and then another and another until he was back where he’d started. There was nothing scarier than being stuck in a traumatic past and having to relive it at any time without a second’s notice. Even with his doctor’s reassurances, he was still convinced his isolation, his silence, would no longer be a life preservation tactic. It’d reversed roles. Being voiceless could now be his undoing.