As for the guys who suffered through that nightmare alongside me…
Well, it’s not like making friends at summer camp where you all want to keep in touch.
I want nothing to do with anyone linked to that place.
One evening roughly a year ago I was in the middle of a business dinner when I heard my name, looked up and saw a man waving from the bar. He was already at Tavington when I arrived and after faking friendly overtures, he and three other guys ambushed me in the middle of the night. I’ve always been a scrappy fighter but four against one will never be good odds and the beating was ugly. They were looking for shit to steal but I wasn’t allowed to pack any shit so the joke was on them. I didn’t let much time go by before I cornered them one by one to extract my revenge and came away with the lesson that friendship doesn’t exist there.
It wasn’t the worst thing that happened to me, not even close, but I wasn’t about to have a drink with anyone who carried the stink of Tavington. I tossed some cash on the table and left without acknowledging him.
Gretchen was startled by my scars and for once I wished they weren’t there. Being with Gretchen is a new feeling. I can almost believe that it’s a better idea to chase away the bitterness I’ve been holding.
I’d much rather hold her.
The sight of Lake Stuart is a welcome one. When I first returned after eight long years away, I didn’t have that calming sense of coming home.
Now I do.
I make a stop at a small bakery on Mill Street, run into a woman who used to be a friend of my mother’s and buy a dozen sugar cookies shaped like Easter bunnies. It’s a little early for Easter but the girls will love the cookies.
I think I can be that kind of man, a man who goes out of his way to buy bunny cookies in the hopes of making two little girls smile.
It’s a short drive back to my street and I was planning to go straight to Gretch’s house. However I’ve been slacking on putting out a few fires on the Miami front so I need to take an hour or two to deal with business.
I’m not expecting to turn a corner and find a red Porsche squatting in the driveway.
A blizzard of F-bombs rolls through my mind as I brake beside the curb. I take a cautious look around for the shadow of my evil sibling but there’s only that damn car.
Feeling like I ought to be wearing a bullet proof vest instead of being armed with only a paper bag of bunny cookies, I approach my own house with caution. When I reach the front door I flash back to the day I was taken through it in handcuffs while that bastard who calls himself my brother stood by grinning like a comic book villain.
The door is locked, just how I left it. I meant to install a security system with cameras but haven’t found the time yet. If Liam’s inside then he’s trespassing.
Fuck him.
This is my house now.
I push the door open and Liam waves at me from the kitchen. His mouth is full and he’s helped himself to the salami and cheese in the fridge.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I don’t feel the need to be polite.
He picks up a salami slice, rolls it into a tube and pops it in his mouth.
“I’ve been waiting for your call. I knew you wouldn’t mind if I hung out here and waited so we could have a one on one brotherly talk.” He takes another salami slice. “Everything looks the same. I guess the last two owners didn’t touch a thing.”
“How the fuck did you get in?”
He chews and swallows. “You left the back door open.”
“I’m sure I didn’t.”
He sweeps some crumbs onto the floor. “You’re still careless. You did leave the back door unlocked. And you didn’t cover your tracks as well as you thought.”
I won’t give him the satisfaction of showing any surprise. I set the bag of cookies on the counter and say nothing.
Liam sighs. “If you wanted to buy your way into the business you could have just asked. I would have sold you a little piece, even let you have a desk at the office if it means that much to you.” He snaps his fingers. “Like when you were a kid and Dad would take you to work and let you play with the stapler. Hell, I’ve got an extra stapler you could have, Trent.”
“I don’t want a fucking thing of yours.”
He smiles and the sight is hideous. “Could have fooled me. Seems like you want to take something of mine badly enough to turn your own life upside down on a mission to get it.”
“Fuck you. I don’t take guidance from a lying, two-faced, thieving sack of shit.”
He wags a finger. “There’s that temper of yours. If memory serves, it’s gotten you in trouble before. Good thing I was around to stop you from taking your anger out on a helpless old man who couldn’t even remember what year it was.”
I could strangle him. I really could. All that old rage and injustice threatens to explode into violence.
I clench my fists at my sides and breathe.
I think of Gretchen.
No, Liam won’t get what he wants today.
“How did you think this was going to go?” I ask him. “You know, you’re not very smart. You never were. This is my house you broke into. And now I’m telling you to fucking leave.”
Liam is unimpressed. “Pipe down, junior. We’re just two brothers reminiscing. There’s no chance you’re going to make any legal trouble stick simply because I walked in and ate your lunch. As for the brewery, you’re wasting your time and your cash. I would take it apart and burn the pieces before you get your trashy hands on it.”
“Then I guess you’ve got nothing to worry about. Might as well take your fat ass out of my house.”
He cackles and then gestures to the huge front window. “He loved to sit there. You remember? No, I guess you don’t. That was after you left. But yeah, he would sit there and say your name over and over again. He didn’t give a shit that I was here. He just cared that you weren’t.”
In another second I won’t be able to stop myself from tackling him. I return to the door and throw it open. “Get the fuck out.”
He takes two more slices of salami on his way out the door. “Your mother had too much input designing this place. It’s boring as hell.”
I cross my arms and rage in silence.
He whistles as he strolls to his car and I keep watch to make sure he leaves.
It’s unfortunate that Gretchen and the twins are passing the house right at this moment. The girls are pedaling their tricycles while Gretch follows, looking as exquisite as ever in black boots, leggings and a green sweater. She waves at me with a brilliant smile.
“Good timing! We were just coming back from the park.”
“Hi Trentcassini!” shouts Caitlin as she hops off her tricycle and runs in my direction.
Gretchen, however, has now noticed Liam and she’s no longer smiling.
Mara climbs off her tricycle and follows her sister.
Liam pauses beside his car and watches the scene with interest.
“We went to the park.” Caitlin twirls around at my feet. “Aunt Gretch pushed us on the swings and I was high!”
Mara smiles up at me. “Can we go in your house?”
Gretchen comes up the walkway with one suspicious eye on my brother. When she turns my way I can see the worry on her face. She doesn’t notice the way Liam looks her up and down, plainly having gross thoughts. He then laughs to himself, which is even worse.