1006 Alamo Way (Rojo 2nd Generation: Lonestar Terrace #5)

PROLOGUE

A FEW YEARS AGO

CROW

When the phone rang, I groaned as I rolled over to answer it, perking up when I heard it was my youngest sister’s ring tone.

“World traveler! How are things?”

“Everything is great. We just got off stage and had two encores. The crowd was fantastic!”

“You’re fantastic. That’s why they love y’all.” Raven was quiet instead of deflecting the praise like she usually would, so I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Did I wake you?”

“So what if you did. I’m awake now, and that’s what matters.”

“I need a favor.”

“Is this something we should talk about now, or should we wait until . . .”

“Nothing like that! It’s Becca.” I closed my eyes and sighed as Raven hurried to say, “She’s in trouble, Crow, and I’m not there to help her.”

“What kind of trouble?” I asked.

“She got kicked out of the dorm when she failed one . . . well, all of her classes. So now she doesn’t have a place to stay, and she doesn’t have a job.

I tried to tell her to go to the diner or even Grazie’s and put in an application, but she insists that she’d make more money working for you at The Glass Slipper. ”

“I don’t know if that’s the case, Ray. She may do better at . . .”

“She insists that she will only work for you, and I know how y’all feel when I loan her —”

My laugh interrupted Raven, so I asked, “You mean give her money, right?”

“It’s my money to give,” Raven snapped. In a calmer tone, she added, “And I told her that I wasn’t going to give her a dime, but I would put down a deposit at those apartments across from the Slipper.”

“The apartment won’t be in your name, will it?”

“No! I’m not going that far. You may be surprised to find out that I actually listen to you guys sometimes.”

“It would shock the hell out of me, but I’d be proud.”

“Will you help her out?”

“I’ll hire her on a probationary period, Ray. I know she can be sweet as pie when she wants to be, but most of the time, she’s a raging bitch. That usually doesn’t go over well as far as a server’s tips.”

“I know, but she’s been doing really well lately.”

“And that’s why she flunked out of college?”

“You and I both know that college isn’t for everybody.”

“Tell her to come up to The Slipper tomorrow at eight, and I’ll find something for her to do.”

“You’re my favorite brother, Crow.”

“I bet if I told Phoenix you said that, he’d argue with me.”

“Probably not,” Raven muttered.

“You called him first, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Now I’m offended.”

“Love you.”

“I love you, too, Ray. Be safe out there, and slap the guys around for me. I saw them doing an interview the other day, and it seems like they might be getting a little cocky.”

“I will take any excuse to knock them around,” Raven said with a laugh. “I’ll talk to you later!”

“Bye, sweetie.”

Once the call ended, I laid back down, knowing I wouldn’t be getting any more sleep.

I was going to give Raven’s old friend a chance like I’d promised, but I knew without a doubt that trouble was on the horizon.

Considering all the turmoil going on in my family lately, that was the last thing we needed.