Page 64 of The Dirty Saint

“Little brother, are you aware of your stupidity?” Manni Odeh, Joey’s oldest brother, asks as he cuts up his son David’s grapes. “I mean, seriously, how did youthinkyour girlfriend was going to react?”

“I thought I was being helpful. Hey, what would you do?”

Manni looks at his pregnant wife, Eva, and smiles before brushing a soft kiss against her lips.

“I would say she’s beautiful and leave it at that.”

“Whatever.” Santi crosses his arms and slumps in his chair.

Suddenly, David jumps out of his seat mid-chew.

“Davi—”

“Hey, Noah, I just got the new Minecraft game. Wanna play?”

Noah’s eyes light up, and he looks at me for approval.

“Please, Mom. I ate my food. See?”

He shows me his empty plate.

“You have to thank Mrs. Odeh first. Then you can go off with David,” I say.

Noah smiles and gives Nadia a big hug. She kisses him on the top of his head.

“It was delicious, Mrs. Odeh. Thank you so much for having me over.”

Nadia grins, “You are very welcome, Noah. And please, call me Nana.”

The two little boys run off, squealing and giggling.

“You have quite a lovely son, Ezra,” Eva says.

“Thank you. That means a lot. ”

She smiles. “I’m glad you two came into our family. Even if the circumstances weren’t exactly ideal.”

Manni Odeh shoots me a look.

“Looks like little brother did well.”

* * *

“Hey, bud, why don’t you go wash up, and then I’ll read you a story?”

Noah nods and makes a beeline for his bathroom.

I smile and then begin rummaging through stacks of mail before a voice rips through me. I immediately retrieve my gun, pointing it at my—

Mother.

“Jesus, Mom, what the hell are you doing,” I snap. “I could have shot you!”

Giselle Maya crosses her arms over her chest and crosses her ankles, left over right. “You wanna tell me why you didn’t show up for family dinner?”

“I forgot,” I answer, setting my gun down, my hands still shaking. “Noah and I were invited to the Odehs and—”

“Oh, you mean the family of the man whoabductedyou?”

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