Page 18 of I Am Sin

“No, that’s his name. You’ll probably be hearing more about him. He’s a member of a rock band that’s on its way to making it big, I think.”

“What’s the name of the band?”

“Dragonlock.”

“No, the name of the band.”

I laugh. “They actually named the band after him. Dragonlock. All one word with noeon the end. But his name is Dragon, first name. Locke, last name.”

She types on her computer. “If you say so.” She laughs.

“He’s the drummer. My brother-in-law, Jesse Pike, is one of the lead singers.”

“Yeah, congratulations. I heard you just came back from a triple wedding.”

“Quadruple, actually. My sister, Bree, and three of my cousins married four siblings from a neighboring ranch. It was a big affair.”

“I’ll bet.” Ronnie shoves two keycards in her reader, digitally embedding them. Then she hands them to me. “These should get him everywhere he needs to go.”

“Thank you.” I grab the cards. “I’ll tell him to come down as soon as he can to give you his ID.”

“Great.” She smiles wide. “Thanks, Diana. Enjoy your weekend.”

“I will. It’ll be my last free time for a while.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I start a new job, my first as an associate architect, on Monday. I’m hoping to get assigned to a really big project, so I’ll be working at least sixty hours a week. Maybe more.”

“Don’t forget to take some time for you, okay?”

“Thanks, I’ll try.” I give her a wave as I leave.

ChapterEight

Dragon

This last stint in rehab put me through a high-speed wash cycle and hung me out to dry.

I don’t like to think about my past. I don’t talk about it to anyone. Even Jesse doesn’t know everything, and there are a few things that are such a blur, I’m not even sure exactly what happened.

But for the most part, it’s out on the table now.

All starting with Griffin’s birth. That pretty baby my parents brought home.

Everyone doted on her. Within two months, she had morphed into the most beautiful thing any of us had ever seen. Bright-blue eyes, a fuzzy bald head that was starting to sprout cotton-candy blond hair. Chubby red cheeks, full pink lips, and a toothless smile that melted my heart.

She smiled the most for me.

Even my mother noticed that. “Look at that, Felix. I’m the one who carried that child inside me for nine months, had terrible morning sickness and high blood pressure, and she only smiles for him.”

“It’s not a reflection on you, Stevie,” Dad would say. “She just loves her big brother, and he loves her. Is that such a bad thing?”

Mom would sulk for a few minutes, but then it would be time to nurse Griffin, and she’d get the alone time she wanted with her daughter.

That was when Dad and I had our time. It was my father who gave me my first drum. The memory collides into my mind, and though I try to stop it, it unfolds in technicolor inside my head.

“Son, I got a bonus at work the other day. I brought you a present.”

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