Page 220 of The Locker Room

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When he"d done that, he called Mandy, and told her and Audrey,

and had them go in and take care of Penny when she fell completely the

fuck apart. While Mandy comforted her, he gave Audrey instructions to

have her packed, and then the number for the town car, and instructions

190 Amy Lane

for it to go and get Andi and Jed first. Then he hung up, glad as he"d

never been for his little “harem” of women to take care of Chris"s little

sister for him when he couldn"t.

Then he called Chris"s number, the same number Chris had when

they were kids, and the same old yellow wall phone, with a cord and

everything, as well.

He told his family that Chris was in the hospital, and that they had

tickets waiting at the airport, and that he"d be there, because nothing

could keep him away from their angel, his shining magic boy, and they

put their faith in him as no one had in his life.

Xander had grown up with nothing. Food, clothes, a place to

sleep—they"d all been iffy propositions for a lot of years. His profession

had brought him wealth, and he had appreciated it—he loved his house

and his dogs. He enjoyed his television, the basketball court, the fact that

he could pay Lucia to make him food he was not good at making

himself. But never in his life had he appreciated his money as much as

when he walked up to the counter at the airline and plonked down a

useless piece of plastic, and that thing took him to see Chris, and brought

their family too.

WHEN he got to Denver, Cliff was waiting at the airport for him, with a

hospital name and an update, and a grim, pursed mouth. His wife was in

the front of the car when Xander got outside into the chill, thin Colorado

air, but she stood up without a word and moved to the back of the Lexus

when Xander got there.

“You"ve got longer legs,” she said quietly, her full mouth turned

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