Hold (Gentry Boys, #5)(52)

Creed cursed. Cord let out a hiss and turned his back. And I stared as Benton slowly raised his hand to give the most inappropriate wave hello in the history of human greetings.

Gaps must have gotten a clue that there was about to be some ugliness. He ushered us back toward the police station and hailed a young officer standing in the parking lot.

“Do me a favor, Cruz, and drive that * back to the far side of town where he belongs.”

The officer grunted, glanced at Benton in distaste, but ducked into his squad car and swung it around to the other side of the street. He probably got something of an argument in return for the favor but maybe Benton was more malleable today given the fresh tragedy of his wife’s death.

I watched as the squad car drove away with Benton in the backseat and then exhaled with relief when it was out of sight.

Gaps couldn’t really hang around any longer without catching some grief from his superiors. He shook each of our hands. “In case I don’t run into you again before you leave town.”

“See ya, man,” I said, returning the handshake. “Deck is flying back today so I’m sure he’ll be around real soon.”

“Good,” Gaps nodded. “Missed that *. Emblem just isn’t as colorful without him.” He waved and then disappeared inside the police station.

“Guess that’s that,” said Creed, squinting down Main Street.

I wasn’t in any hurry to go though. Now that Benton was out of sight Emblem looked a lot less forbidding.

Cord shrugged, apparently thinking the same thing I was thinking. “I’m in no hurry.”

“We could take a ride over to check on the junior Gentrys,” I suggested.

Creed glanced at his watch. “Fine. But first I’m due for another feeding.”

It was still a little early for anyplace to be open for lunch and pickings in Emblem were slim to begin with. We made do with the Dino Gas convenience store, loading up on snacks and sodas. I was glad that the girl behind the counter wasn’t familiar because I still wasn’t feeling terribly social. We hung out on a long bench just outside, just munching chips and talking about random shit, everything but the subject of dead mothers or vile fathers, before heading over to The Hills, the neighborhood where we’d dropped the boys off the night they went all Fast and Furious.

“That it?” Creed asked, slowing down as we cruised down an orderly street.

“No.” I pointed. “That’s it.”

Creed stopped short right in front of the one story ranch-style house. The landscaping was unkempt and the house itself looked a little more disorderly than its neighbors.

“No car in the driveway,” Creed observed. “Hope that witchy mother of theirs isn’t around. From what I remember she’s not a real big people person.”

“And you are,” I snorted.

Creed ignored the comment. “What the hell’s her name again?”

“Stacy,” Cord answered.

“Tracy,” I corrected.

We stood there banging on the door and then waiting a full two minutes before starting to give up and turn away. Suddenly there was a click and the door opened, revealing a shirtless, tousled Stone Gentry.

“Oh hey, it’s you guys,” he said, keeping the door open a bare few inches and glancing behind him.

“It’s us,” I said. “Figured as long as we were in town we’d drop by and check on you guys.”

Stone’s mouth turned down and he stepped all the way outside onto the front stoop.

“I heard,” he said sheepishly. “About your mom. My loudmouthed mother was gossiping on the phone this morning. I never met your mom but I saw her around a few times.” He coughed. “Sorry.”

Cord was staring at the closed door. “Your mom in there?”

“Nope, she’s working at the pharmacy.”

“And Con?” I asked.

Stone jerked at the mention of Conway. It was weird. His eyes darted around and he ran a hand through his hair. I’d gotten a chance to really see the brothers interact and knew what a special fraternal bond looked like. Yet right then and there it seemed like Stone would rather listen to pigs squealing into a megaphone than hear his brother’s name.

“Not here,” he said vaguely. “Working down at the garage or something.”

“Carson’s Garage?”

“Yep.”

“You work there too?”

“No.”

An uncomfortable silence followed. I got the distinct impression Stone wasn’t in the mood to talk. I doubted it had anything to do with us though. When I looked over at my brothers Creed was staring at Stone suspiciously and Cord was idly kicking his toe into a loose brick.

Stone cleared his throat. “When’s the funeral?” he asked. “I mean, I’d like to pay my respects-“

“No funeral,” Cord said shortly.

“No funeral,” Creed agreed.

“Oh.” Stone looked embarrassed. “Well anyway, I’m still real sorry.”

“Thanks,” I told him. I raised my eyebrows at Cord and he gave me a nod. It was the kind of silent conversation we’d had ten thousand times. We knew how to ask each other a question and give an answer without saying a word.

“Listen, we were tossing around the idea of maybe hanging out in town for a few hours before we head back to Tempe. Closure and all that. You feel like passing a few hours with us old timers?”