6
JAY
He didn’t fancy driving by the big houses with their pretty front lawns. Where he grew up, the houses were ramshackle, and the sidewalks were cracked and dirty—as they ought to be.
He parked his bike far enough from Chris’s house to not make it obvious where he was heading. The sun had started to set, painting the sky with a stunning golden glow. Back in Kansas, he used to watch the sky for hours with Stu, both because it got them away from their parents’ never-ending fighting, and because there wasn’t much else to do in their shithole of a town.
Jay used to talk about leaving and becoming an engineer, while Stu wanted them to work together in their own garage. Big brother got the final say on that one.
Jay took out his phone and checked the tracking app they had installed on Chris’s phone, making sure he was already home. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would put his faith in apps, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to have another way of knowing where Chris was during the day.
With his bag strapped around his back, he walked across the quiet street, scanning every house and bystander. A few gave him lingering looks, eyeing his leather jacket, loose jeans, and long hair. He didn’t fit in with the local scenery, and he couldn’t care less. He made sure to give an extra glance at parked cars, searching for people who were sitting inside. In a peaceful place like this, suspicious people were easy to spot. Once he was convinced no one was spying on Chris’s house, he walked to the front door and knocked.
Chris opened the door wearing a gray sweater and sweatpants, his dark blond hair a bit damp from a recent shower. “Hi.”
Jay entered and took off his jacket, noticing the strong scent of cooking meat. “What are you making?”
“You asked for steak.”
He had, but only to decrease the heaviness of their conversation. He followed Chris through the well-equipped kitchen and out to the backyard. The grill was on, with the table already set for two. Cold beers waited on the table from Jay’s favorite German brand. If this was a date, I’d totally put out.
It was very Chris-like to be so well organized, even under such circumstances.
Jay picked up one of the bottles and cracked it open. Close by, Chris flipped the two juicy steaks on the grill. They looked incredible. As always, he possessed an effortless ability to add class to the simplest activities, even to barbecuing.
“Need help?” Jay asked.
“You can bring the mashed potatoes and salad from the kitchen. I’m just about done.”
In the kitchen, awful paintings hung proudly on the fridge. Thank God those twins are cute, because they have zero talent.
Jay picked up the food and placed it outside on the garden table. A minute later, Chris brought the steaks over and placed the bigger one in front of Jay. The smell was so lush and raw, it made his mouth water. He put some of the mashed potatoes next to the steak, ignoring the salad’s existence. He took a hefty bite and moaned. “Damn, these mashed potatoes are sick.”
From the other side of the table, Chris said, “I added coconut milk.”
“You milked a coconut for me? That’s sweet.”
Chris smiled. “Melissa and I took a cooking class last year when the twins started to appreciate food.”
It once more struck Jay how different their lives were, and how they seemed to get further apart with each passing year. Yet here they were, sharing dinner, and it felt good.
Jay took another mouthful. The steak provided a perfect conclusion to his not-so-great day. Although he hadn’t gotten any more visitors from his prison days, he still jolted every time a new customer walked into the garage. Stu had noticed, of course, and asked the annoying questions one could expect. His big brother didn’t know anything about what went down in prison, and for both of their mental stability’s sake, Jay hoped he never would.
“How did it go with Mickey?” Jay asked.
Chris leaned back after barely touching his steak. “Good. He took it seriously.”
As he damn well should.
“He’ll take a look at the will and also get some other people involved.” Chris shifted in his chair. “He arranged for me to meet with Oscar tomorrow.”
“Oscar? For real?”
Chris shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. I’m meeting with him tomorrow at six.”
“At the club?”
“At the damn club, yes.” Chris sounded less than thrilled, and Jay couldn’t blame him.
“I’ll go with you, unless you think Oscar won’t like it.”
Chris seemed hesitant. “I don’t want to become too much of an inconvenience to you.”
“How about you stop worrying about my precious schedule and focus on what’s important?” It came out blunter than he’d planned, but this wasn’t the time for Chris’s issues with asking for help.
Chris nodded. “I don’t think Oscar would mind if you came. Thank you.” He took a swig of beer and looked around. “It’s weird having the house so quiet at this hour. It’s right before the twins’ bedtime, when they run around wreaking havoc.” Chris’s eyes turned glossy. He cleared his throat. “I’ll see them next week, and we’ll have video calls in the meantime. It’s fine.”
It wasn’t, and both of them knew it.
“How are you?” Chris asked.
“Me? I’m good.”
“Yeah?”
Jay wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What do you want me to say?”
“The truth.”
“All right. I was edgy all day. Every time a customer walked in, I thought they might be Ben or another asshole from prison.”
Chris seemed doubtful about how to respond, but his phone rang before he could decide. He reached for it and frowned. “It’s from an unknown number.”
“If it’s Trevor, say that you’re taking care of the will. Nothing for him to worry about.”
Chris answered on speaker. “Hello?”
“Hey there, little brother!”
Based on his voice alone, Trevor sounded like a douche. Chris turned a few degrees paler, but his voice remained steady. “Hi, Trevor.”
“It’s so weird picking up the phone and calling you, man. I missed our talks. How’s it going?”
“Fine. I’ve been busy.”
“With...?”
“I spoke with Benji. He’s trying to look for loopholes. I also have other lawyers who are looking into the will.”
“Wow, that’s nice of you. No pressure, though. If you can’t make it happen, it’s fine.”
“What?”
Trevor chuckled. “It’s just money, Danny. I mean, yeah, I’d love to get some, but no hard feelings if you can’t make it work.”
Chris frowned at Jay, who signaled him to keep talking.
“I... yeah, that’s great to hear.”
“No problem. Money shouldn’t come in the way of family. Anyway, Andy and I are going away for a while to clear our heads.”
“You’re going away? Where?”
“Down to Florida for a couple of weeks. Probably Miami. What? Oh, Andy says hi. He missed you like crazy!”
Chris visibly shivered.
“Keep doing what you’ve been doing, Danny. I have faith in you. We’ll talk soon.”
The call ended. Chris rubbed his face. “What the hell was that about?”
“Alibi. You could’ve been recording this call.”
“I was recording this call. I automatically record every call I make.”
“Then he would’ve been stupid to say anything incriminating on record. It’s likely that he also recorded that call, and now he has proof of him telling you that he’s driving to Florida, and that it’s fine if you end up keeping the money. If you go to the police and tell them you feel threatened, he’ll play them the conversation and end your case.” Jay leaned back, both impressed and worried. He had believed Chris when he said Trevor was dangerous, but now he’d gotten a live demonstration. One wrong move with that guy, and we’re fucked. “The bastard is preparing.”
Chris looked gray. “I don’t feel well.”
“I’ll get you some water.” By the time he got back with a glass, Chris was puking inside the salad bowl, thankfully leaving the mashed potatoes unharmed. Jay couldn’t blame his reaction since shit was getting real.
“Here.” He handed him the water and a napkin.
Chris drank slowly, not meeting Jay’s eyes.
“You should go lie down.”
“No, I just need air.” He leaned his face into his palms. “This is so fucked up!”
Jay kept quiet as he sat back down, allowing Chris to process.
After a few moments, the color began to creep back into his face. “I’m okay.”
“I doubt it, but you will be in a minute.” Jay pulled out a small silver box from his pocket.
Chris squinted. “Is this...?”
“A friend with weed, a friend indeed. I was close to smoking it last night when I couldn’t sleep, but I had a feeling we might need it today. Unless you don’t want to...”
“Shut up and roll.”
Jay snickered. “Good boy.”
Chris used the opportunity to throw away his puke. By the time he returned, Jay was about done rolling two beautiful and generous joints. He gave the bigger one to Chris and said, “Let’s go over there.” They sat on the two sun loungers at the heart of the well-tended, yet not flashy, garden.
They smoked in silence, but Chris radiated tension as he sucked hard on the joint.
Once there was nothing left to smoke, Jay said, “The call from Trevor was the best thing we could’ve hoped for.”
Chris eyed him. “You’ve smoked too much.”
“It proves that he’s planning something, moving his pieces on the board. But aren’t we doing the same?”
“I guess.”
“If he’s actively planning, it means that he’s willing to take his time. He knows that one mistake, and he can say goodbye to his hopes of getting that money. I know you’re terrified, but I need you to keep your shit together, or they’ve already won.”
“It’s not so simple.”
“I know, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.”
“Because I’m cold?”
“A cold fighter, yes. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.”
Chris gave a single nod but didn't look convinced. With his eyes watching the stars, he never seemed more lost.