“You’re not here.”
“I told you that I was out of the country.” Shit, this lying crap was becoming second nature. That one flew out of his mouth like he’d launched a grenade.
“I collected your mail.”
“Most of it’s junk, but thanks for that.”
“You have an invitation to some fancy shindig at The Prestige which I believe is a private club.”
“Okay?” He scratched his head, wondering where his mother was going with this.
“I’m sure it cost a small fortune to belong to this club.”
She had no idea. But it was a smart business move and the contacts he’d made since joining, more than made up for the initial investment.
“The postmark on this invitation was from late May.”
“Mom—”
“You haven’t been home in months. You don’t call that much and when you do you keep them short and avoid answering questions. Like you’re putting in time. I know you’re hiding something. Are you going to tell me what it is, or do I go downtown and find Dozer and make him tell me? He’s a big guy but his balls are small, and he’ll crumple faster than a junkie wanting a hit.”
Mother.Fucker. He was going to kill Harry when he saw him.
“And while we’re on the subject, I know your sister was here because she left clothes on the floor in your guest bedroom. That girl has never learned to pick up after herself. Do want to explain that as well? Because according to our family group chat, she’s in Boston.”
Gus closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. As a SEAL, he’d seen and done things . . . dealt with the kind of monsters who would make most men shake in their boots. He’d carried out those missions with calm assuredness and brutal intent. Yethis mother could penetrate his defenses with the kind of ease those criminals would have paid big bucks for.
“I’ll fly out at the end of the week.”
“I’m in DC now.”
“Stay at my place and I’ll see you on Saturday.”
Silence greeted his words, and for a moment, he thought she’d hung up. “You’re okay, right?” She’d always done her best to be strong. To not show fear to her children. But this time she made no attempt to hide her concern, and it made him feel even more like a shit.
“I’m good, Mom. Hang tight I’ll text you the flight details as soon as I have them.”
“And your sister?” She spoke so softly that he barely heard her.
He couldn’t lie anymore. “She’s with me.”
“Okay. Good. I love you.”
“I know. Me too.”
Gus pocketed his phone and slowly pulled on his shorts. His boxers were still damp, but he had a list of shit to get to, including arranging a trip to DC. What the hell was he going to tell his mother?
He decided to take the coward’s way out and push it to the back of his mind. He’d deal with it later. In the meantime, he had to head to town and pick up lunch for the guys and then work on the last kitchen in cottage four.
It was Tuesday, which meant half-price chicken wings at The Dock and the Mets game on the big screen. It also meant Faith. He’d focus on the good stuff coming his way and take the next day to figure out the rest. It seemed as if he was going to have to deal with his family sooner rather than later, and with the cottage renos ahead of schedule, his mission was about to end.
And he had no idea what that would look like.
His cell phone pinged. He glanced down at the text from Walker.
Add a couple more burgers to the order. The guys have worked up an appetite.
Gus drove to town and parked in front of the diner. He knew their business dipped during the summer months, and he’d been calling in lunch orders since he’d hired his crew. There were a few tables inside, but other than that, the place was empty. Tully smiled when he walked in.
