The grumblings continued as the game went on.He was racking up a substantial amount when the subject inevitably turned to the night of contention.
“We should go fuck up the Bone Breakers for dealing us dirty,” Cas remarked.He got many nods of agreement.“In fact, we should obliterate them.Then we can take over Laramie and have this whole stretch of Wyoming under the Sons’ control.”
Sinn studied each man as they all added their two cents.Every man at the table thought Cas’s plan made sense.It put into perspective the mindset that anyone could’ve been behind the theft.
“So, all of you are in favor of that?”Sinn asked.
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Jade replied.
“We can crush those assholes until they’re obliterated from the face of the Earth,” Cas said, smiling.Apparently, he was the voice of them all.“Saint can make someone president.Warden, or hell, me.”
The men raised their beer and their cheers.
“You should tell Saint this,” Jade piped up.
“Yeah,” Sinn said, nodding as if he agreed with them.“I’ll definitely let him know what all of you came up with.”
“Where is he, by the way?”Snow asked.“Haven’t seen him around lately.”
“Personal things he’d been pushing off doing.Decided he needed to deal with all of it.”
Sinn shot another speculative glance at Cas.Something wasn’t adding up.
****
Saint grabbed a cigaretteand stuck it between his lips, then walked down the hallway and peeked his head into the spare bedroom.No Kira.He knocked on the bathroom door and opened it when she didn’t respond, just in case.No Kira.She wasn’t in the laundry room or the family room.He started to worry he and Sinn had been gone too long, when he saw her toes on the deck’s lounger.Sliding the door open, he stepped onto the deck and sat in a chair next to her.They both stared at the beautiful scenery, which was the reason he and Sinn bought the house.A huge barbeque island took up a lot of real estate.Pavers led to the outdoor grilling station.Rustic, but with all the modern amenities.Stainless steel grills.Enough seating for the entire club.A pizza station in the corner.Above, cedar beams kept the hot sun at bay.About twenty-feet away was a circular firepit with comfortable chairs around it.All of it was designed with the idea of hosting holiday parties for the club.Many didn’t have families to go home to, so he and Sinn always invited them, and truthfully, they were some of the best times of his life.
Kira didn’t talk to him, and he was fine with that.For a while they sat enjoying the cool breeze while the sun kissed their skin.It was rare he was able to sit back, relax, and do nothing.
“You probably think I’m crazy,” she suddenly said.He turned his head, staying silent so she’d continue talking.“I know I would be thinking that if I were you.”
“Aren’t we all a little crazy?”
She looked over and their gazes locked.A ghost of a smile played on her lips.“Maybe.”
Her brown locks gleamed in the sunlight, revealing hidden depths of red and gold.The gentle wind made the strands dance to its quiet melody.
“When I saw my apartment complex on fire, when I realized I’d just lost everything, it was the icing on the cake,” she explained.“I don’t have a bank, so all my money from the past two years just went up in a puff of smoke.”
Holy fuck.“Oh, shit.”
“Precisely.”She closed her eyes for a moment.He wanted to tell her it was going to be okay, but he had no right to promise something so placating.“Starting over once more is going to be a bitch.I ...just lost my head for a moment.So, you don’t have to babysit me.”
“I think that’s the classic way to get me to leave you alone and then I’ll find you in my bathtub with your wrists slit wide open.”
“What if I said I’d use Sinn’s bathtub?”
“I still think that’s a deal breaker.”
She turned back to stare at his small slice of paradise.“Why is there an unlit cigarette between your lips?”
Saint took it away and looked at the small, white stick.“Because I can’t smoke it.Doctor’s orders.”
“Doesn’t having it there give you temptation?”
His brother had asked the same question.“The opposite.It’s a challenge to see if I can resist it.”
“Hm,” she hummed.“I like your backyard.”
