Chapter 95

DRAKE “Have you tasted these? Phenomenal!” Dad passes us the latest in a long line of trays full of food, urging us to sample them. “They’re called tequeños. Go on, try one.” I do as I’m told, and like everything else he’s shared this evening, they are delicious. “They’re great, Dad, but is deep-fried pastry and cheese really the best diet for you?” “You mean because I’m ancient and I had a heart attack? You think I’m a frail old man, son?” I see Mason snigger behind his back and make a throat-slitting gesture, and Elijah backs him up by shooting an imaginary gun at his own forehead. Even the saintly Maddox gets in on the act, giving me a thumbs-down signal like he’s a fucking Roman emperor. “No, Dad, of course I don’t think you’re frail. But you did have a heart attack. That’s just a fact.” “Also a fact, Drake, is that because of that heart attack, my health is more closely monitored than Kim Kardashian’s ass.” I almost choke on my tequeño. Did he really just say that? A glance at my