Page 31 of Deceit

If he wants to do the brotherly bonding thing with me and see how screwed up I grew up to be, so be it. At least he won’t have to feel sorry for not sending me a Christmas card this year.

I set up a perimeter around the double-wide. Anything that trips the alarms or steps into its boundary will shoot to my phone. Hardy takes my bedroom while I take the lumpy and cheap couch that practically stabs me no matter what position I lie or sit in.

With my Glock on my chest, I stare up at the yellow and brown stains on the ceiling. The buzz of my cell goes off for the third time tonight in its annoying feat to get me to answer it.

Giving in, I power the screen to find the only person I’ll talk to that doesn’t drive me up a wall.

KYSON: How’s it going, bro? Did you handle it?

BISHOP: You’re joking, right? I’ve been waiting over two decades for Bubba’s ass to show back up.

KYSON: Atta boy. Took you, what three weeks?

BISHOP: Try three hours since I got back into Shitty Grove.

KYSON: But you’re not back yet, what’s up?

BISHOP: Hardy’s little girl got into a car accident. Mom died.

KYSON: Oh fuck…

KYSON: He good?

BISHOP: Seems to be. I guess he wasn’t with the mom. They broke up years ago.

KYSON: Spending family time then?

BISHOP: I guess so.

KYSON: That’s good, you need it.

BISHOP: And you need to get off my phone, but here you are.

KYSON: You can be a dickhead somewhere else. Your vague text messages weren’t warm and mind-easing of where you went.

BISHOP: Was busy.

KYSON: Yeah, thanks for that. I’ve been keeping the secret of the century over here with everyone. The least you could do is text them back, dickhead.

BISHOP: You got it.

KYSON: You’d be surprised.

BISHOP: I gotta handle some more things and get them settled in. I’ll be back soon. It’s not rocket science.

KYSON: I dunno. Let me carve you up into a thoughtful human being, so I don’t have to keep your dumbass reason for being out there a secret anymore.

KYSON: Because I know damn well it has something more to do with Bubba and Hardy’s daughter. He in trouble?

BISHOP: No, Scarlett. Apparently, she’s here running from an ex-boyfriend.

KYSON: I’m coming up.

BISHOP: No need, brother. I got it. He’s bound to grow some balls and show up again.

KYSON: She shouldn’t be there. That place is a fucking hole in the Earth that should’ve been blown up years ago.

BISHOP: No, shit. I was going to take pictures for you and everything to show you how scenic it is. She’s staying up at the house with my niece.

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