“Of course not. We’re not about to throw our brother to the wolves.”
I heard a big commotion coming from around the corner. Beyond a long line of slot machines, I spotted Bob speaking angrily to someone on the phone. While I couldn’t make out what he was saying at this distance, the feeling in my gut told me he was up to no good.
“I have to go,” I told my family.
“We’ll have a proper talk when you get home,” Boone said. The way he said it made it sound like I didn’t have much of an option.
“Be safe,” Irene reminded. “We love you, Dylan.”
“Yeah, love you guys too.”
I hung up and pocketed my phone, moving quickly to get the drop on Bob. As I got closer, I saw how red his cheeks were. The man spat when he talked, not a hint of consideration for any casino guests nearby.
“I’m telling you I saw her,” he said loudly. “Julia Thatcher. Yes, the Three-Way Thot. Yes, she just ran into the bathroom. Bring as many of your crew as you can.”
Rage unlike anything I had ever experienced before threatened to erupt. How dare he speak about her that way! Who the hell was he talking to? What sort of trouble was he trying to stir up?
My first instinct was to beat the shit out of him. I couldn’t protect Julia from the headlines and salacious gossip, but Icouldmash the man’s face into a pulp.
Instead, I did the smart thing and texted Red and Cash. It wasn’t like I needed backup or anything, but I was sure that when it came to Bob, they would want the opportunity to take their pound of flesh.
Found Julia. Bob’s here. Something’s going down.
I charged forward just in time to see Julia exiting the women’s bathroom, blinded by the flashing lights and startled by all of the yelling paparazzi. She was wide-eyed and caught totally off guard.
“Leave me alone!” she pleaded with them.
Cash raced in like a bolt of lightning, shoving and elbowing sleazy photographers to get to her. Red wasn’t too far behind. I joined them, not the slightest bit sorry when I knocked someone’s camera straight out of their hands.
“Get away from her!” I hissed.
“Back the fuck up,” Red ordered.
“Leave her the hell alone!” Cash snapped.
“What are you guys doing here?” Julia rasped. She looked pale and clammy.
That was when I noticed Bob was hanging back wearing a self-satisfied smirk that only pissed me off more.
“That son of a bitch,” Cash grumbled, having noticed him, too. “He’s a fucking dead man!” He lunged at his former coach, grabbing him roughly by the collar. “The fuck are you playing at, huh? This is all your doing, isn’t it?”
“Get your fucking hands off of me!”
“You were the one who called the photographers,” I hissed. “What’s your game, Bob? Why can’t you leave Julia alone?”
He smirked, glancing at her with a look I most definitely didn’t appreciate. Red stood in front of her like a shield, doing his best to block her from view.
“You screwed me out of a million-dollar contract with McConnell. I gotta pay my bills somehow. I got a couple of buddies who work at gossip magazines. They cut me a huge chunk every time I hook them up with a photo opportunity.”
Something in the back of my brain suddenly clicked. “The pictures at the restaurant… The video of us from that night. It was you.”
Bob chuckled. “I knew there was something weird about the four of you. When I showed up that day in Sunville, I could practicallysmellsex in the air.”
“Why are you so hell bent on ruining our lives?” Red growled.
Bob shrugged his shoulders, not a hint of remorse to be found. “I thought I was betting on losing ponies. I had to think fast and come up with a way to earn a living. When I did a little digging and realized that your little plaything had beef with LHL, I knew it wouldn’t be long before a big scandal broke out. I did what I had to do to ride that wave.”
Julia was trembling, not out of fear, but rage. “I hope you rot in hell,” she snapped.