Page 65 of Stand and Defend

“Dad, quick question for you.”

I sweep my foot over the artificial turf under me.

“Yeah?”

“I need you to loan out one of the cars in your fleet.”

“That’s not a question.”

I roll my eyes.

“You want to borrow one of the cars,” he repeats. “Is this for Safehouse?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I should refer Jordan to my foundation and let them handle it.

“Kinda, yeah.”

“How come they aren’t giving you a referral for a vehicle?”

I pause, unsure how to answer, because there’s no reason I shouldn’t be following Safehouse protocol. Jordan isn’t mine to take care of. My stepdad is a good man, but if I told him the car was for Jordana Landry, it would only raise suspicion, and I’m already clueless regarding my behavior toward her.

“I’m handling this one differently.”

“Alright... Everything okay?” There’s a twinge of concern in his voice.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine. Just need a car temporarily,” I answer as casually as possible.

“Okay. I’ll get something couriered over tonight. Which center do you want it dropped off at?”

“You can drop it off at my house. I’ll be there to sign for it.”

“Uh-huh.” He’s quiet, hoping I’ll fill the air with more details. He’s not getting any. Not today at least.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. I gotta get going, tell Mom I love her. Talk to you later.”

I hang up and drop against the cold concrete wall.

“What am I doing!?” I shout, angry with myself.

“Getting in the fucking way,” Rhys answers, turning the corner. “I need to sprint.”

Rhys is finally coming out of his shell, and it’s a good thing too. After how quiet he was his rookie year, I was wondering if he didn’t possess a sense of humor. Now that he knows he’s got a solid spot with us, he’s loosened up a bit.

I’m glad he’s working on his sprints; it’s an area that needs improvement.

“Who says I’m not using it?” I ask.

“Give me a break, you’re too old to sprint.”

“A break?” I smirk. “If I gave a shit, I wouldn’t give it to you.”

He laughs. “Well, if I gave a fuck, I’d give it to your mom.”

It takes me a second to register his chirp.

“Unfortunately, my mom would probably love that. She’s a freak.”

“Must be where you get it from. Now, may I?”