Page 128 of No Way Home
Mom finished, “—menopausal woman. And right now? I’mpissed at the world. That’s what happens when you watch your son bury his wife at the age of twenty-five.”
It was silent for a few seconds. Then Billy sputtered, “Wh-what’re you doing? Put your phone away. Lemon, Lem?—”
“Hey, Mindy,” Mom said solemnly. “Oh, thank you, friend. Yes, we’re trying.” Short pause. “Look, I'm down here at?—”
“Fine,” Billy said, almost a squeal. “I’ll pass Maggie. Just hang up. Right now! Hang up!”
“What was that?” Mom asked, a smile in her voice. “Oh, sorry. No, that’s just the TV playing in the background. Sophie is watching some over-the-top K-pop drama.”
Dad chuckled.
“You don’t have to do that,” Mom said, softer. “I can’t believe you remember that? Yes, that is still James’s favorite. I’m sure he would love chicken and dumplings.” Mom sounded on the verge of tears. “Oh, right. I was just saying thatI’m down here at the Downward Dog and I wanted to let you know we restarted that Yin Yoga class you love so much.” Mom giggled. “I know, girl. Trust me. You need all the stress relief you can get, being married to Billy.”
“Seriously?” Billy muttered.
“Yes, ma’am,” Mom said. “Mhmm. Peyton is the instructor. Right? She’s so good. I’ll let her know. Tuesdays and Thursdays at seven p.m. See you then. Buh-bye.”
A moment later, the door flew open, and Mom strutted toward us, a smug smile overtaking her face.
Dad pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Proud of you.”
“Thanks, baby,” she murmured, eyes sparkling.
Then she turned and looked at Billy with complete composure. “Sorry we can’t stay longer. We have to get home to drive Griffin andhis wifeto the airport.” She gave him a sweet smile. “He married Juliette Serrant, in case you hadn’t heard.”
Billy scratched the back of his neck. “I hadn’t heard that he got married to Juliette Sorrant.”
“Serrant,” Mom corrected. “It’s okay. Ask Mindy. She’ll know exactly who she is.” Then she threaded her fingers through my dad’s and sauntered to the exit.
Billy looked at me and Holden, eyes wild, like he’d just witnessed his own exorcism. “You’re leaving too, right?”
Holden slapped the folder against his hand, expression hard. “We sure are.”
“What was plan B?” Billy asked hesitantly, eyeing the folder like he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“Oh,” I started. “Just a list of potential assault charges Maggie could file against Topher if need be.”
I heard Topher whimper in the closet.
“No worries.” Holden clicked his tongue. “I’ll keep it somewhere safe in case you change your mind about passing Maggie.”
Then we turned and followed Mom and Dad.
Billy jogged after us. “You can toss those papers. Just delete the file from your hard drive. I won’t change my mind.”
“I dunno,” Holden said, stepping out into the sunshine. “I think Silas has proved that it’s better to keep some ammo in our back pocket just in case.” He folded his arms, staring Billy down. “But you might want to have a sit-down with your weasel of a boy before he does something that lands him behind bars. And don’t fool yourself into thinking your kid would never do something like that. He already has.” His jaw pulsed. “I heard abouteverythinghe did to Maggie, and if he keeps this behavior up, it’s inevitable.”
Billy’s expression turned murderous, but he kept his mouth closed.
“For once in your life, let down your pride and listen to what I’m telling you,” Holden said, voice full of concern. “Your kid needs a shift in trajectory before it’s too late.” He lifted his brows, making sure Billy knew he was sincere.
Billy didn’t nod, but the desire to kill Holden faded, a sick expression taking its place. Then he hoofed it back inside and slammed the door. Well, he tried. The pneumatic door closer stopped the door before it closed all the way.
“Did you actually type up a list?” I asked Holden as we walked across the parking lot.
He opened the folder to show me nothing but air. “I mean, I could’ve if y’all hadn’t called me last minute.” He shrugged. “But I was confident your mom had it.”
When we slipped into the back seat, Dad was talking to someone on speakerphone. “You have to keep Mom away from James. She means well, but she’s just making things worse.”
