Page 16 of Break

As I head back inside, Max calls out, “I really appreciate you helping with this shit show.”

“Of course. I’m glad that I’m in town. Otherwise, you’d be paying someone to do this with something other than pizza and beer.” I flash my teeth at him, trying to keep the mood light. It’s been a long three years for him, and I’m relieved that he’s finally able to get some closure on the mess his father left him in.

After that bastard was arrested for killing his mom three years ago, he went to trial a year and a half later. Then Max had to get a lawyer involved to transfer the deed of the home over to him. His father fought him every step of the way, but eventually it got done. Now we’ve got to get this place ready to put up for sale. First step is emptying it of the junk his parents packed into this place for the last thirty years.

After bringing another half dozen boxes out, I take a break to rehydrate and stretch my muscles. “Where the fuck is Danny? I thought he was going to come help with all of this.”

“I shouldn’t have even called him. It’s been a few weeks since the last time we spoke, and that was nothing but him complaining about his wife and all the things going wrong in his life. Did you know he got arrested two weeks ago?” Max asks me, taking a long pull from his bottle of water.

My eyebrows raise at that piece of information. “Umm, no? What the hell for?”

I’ve been a cop for the past two years, but not in our hometown. After I went to college on a full-ride scholarship to play football, I tore my ACL in my second year mid-season. There was no coming back from that, so I went in a different direction career wise. I dropped out of college and went to the police academy, then was hired closer to home. I’ve never regretted my decision, and it works really well with Max’s business.

He didn’t share with us what was really happening in his home while we were younger. It turns out his dad was a piece of shit who liked to beat the hell out of his mom on the regular. Once Max left home, his mom decided she had enough and ran. That man hunted her down and went into a demon-possessed rage. The beating she received was so severe that she didn’t pull through and passed away the next day in the hospital. Ever since, Max has been filled with an immense amount of guilt that he didn’t do more to help her. So now he helps women in similar situations, and their families, relocate. He’ll also set up protection details if needed to ensure they stay safe until everything has been filed and processed legally.

“According to him, he and Mina got into an argument outside. He said they were just yelling back and forth and she was making some sort of scene. It went on long enough that the neighbors called in a noise complaint. They arrested him because, according to him, ‘they always arrest the man first and ask questions later’. He spent the night there to cool off, and then they let him go. I think nothing came of it, though. I did text asking him to come help with this and he said he’d be here.”

“I’ll text him and get his ass moving because this is going to take forever with only me hauling out boxes,” I say, tossing my empty bottle into the dumpster. Pulling out my phone, I quickly type one out.

Me: Hey fucker, where you at? Max and I are working on cleaning his folks’ place out, and we could really use an extra set of hands.

Danny: Nah man, I can’t come out today. Got some shit going on at home.

Me: Seriously?

Danny: Yeah, seriously.

I release a noisy growl of frustration. We’ve been friends for years, since before I even remember. The fact we’restillfriends is something I’ve been questioning a lot over the past few years. In all honesty, he’s a selfish prick. “This asshole.” I complain, showing my phone to Max. “He’s not planning on coming.”

Max reads the messages quickly, pressing his lips together in irritation at Danny’s nonchalance over bailing on us. “Christ, he’s an asshole.”

“Truth. I’m going to piss him off. Do you care?”

“Nope. You do you.” Max snorts, then turns back around to keep working his way through the never-ending piles of boxes.

Me: So, you’re too busy getting arrested for fighting with the ol’ lady instead of helping a friend?

Danny: Man… you don’t know what I’m dealing with over here. She’s been causing me problems from day one and I’m trying to sort shit out with her. It’s been nothing but a goddamn headache for real.

Me: I still don’t understand why the hell you two even got married. You’ve been complaining since your bachelor’s party about her. Just divorce already and save both of yourselves future problems.

Danny: hahaha… like she could survive without me. I promised her dad I’d look after her. I’ll be honest, it’s been a full-time job on its own. She doesn’t do anything to help herself and she’s too fucking stupid to get a damn job.

Me: She’s not working at all? I thought she had a job.

Danny: Fuck no. Working isn’t really a thing she’s good at.

Me: Can she not work or just doesn’t want to?

Danny: It’s not that. Not really. She’s asked before if she can work, but there’s enough shit to do around the house that she shouldn’t. We agreed I make enough to support us, so I provide as long as she takes care of the house. She sucked ass at the last job she had anyway, so I had her quit.

Me: How’s that working out for ya?

Danny: Fuck off, you don’t need to be a dick about it.

Me: Pretty sure it’s not me who’s the dick…

Darkening the screen on my phone, I pocket it. It takes another hour of fast-paced heavy-lifting for me to work off my frustration with Danny and his self-absorption, let alone the way he speaks about people, including his wife. Growing up, I never heard my parents disrespect each other in front of other people. They rarely used words they would later regret with each other during the few arguments I remember. My parents are pretty badass like that. Not perfect, but healthy.

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