Page 104 of Bound to a Monster

He pulls a bottle of whiskey from a drawer along with two glasses. He pours out shots. We toast each other and the alcohol fills my throat and guts with a pleasant warmth.

This is what I’ve been missing. Family and friends. Power shouldn’t flow from hate and violence—although that helps.

Real strength is in the bonds we build together.

Alex and I were like brothers. Then he married my sister, and now wearebrothers.

This is only deepening a connection we’ve been fostering together for years.

“You’re the local liaison. I’ll make sure Valentin knows.”

“Whatever ourpakhanneeds, I’ll handle it.”

“And hey, don’t fuck things up for me too much here, okay?”

“If by that you mean run things so efficiently nobody is going to want you to come back home, then I’ll do my best.”

“Something like that.”

We lapse into comfortable silence until a customer enters the front shop and I get up to help out, not because I have to, but because it’s good to be useful sometimes. Especially when you’re home.

Chapter 42

Carmie

“How long have you been cooking that for?” I ask Luca as he stirs a pot of sauce on the stove. The pasta’s boiling away and the steam rises up to the ceiling, breaking against it like waves on stone.

“All afternoon in anticipation of my sister’s triumphant return.” Luca beams at me. Daniel’s sitting at the table, and he rolls his eyes.

“Let me guess, that one hasn’t helped at all.”

“I’ve been working,” Daniel says defensively.

“Lazy as hell,” Luca agrees.

We bicker happily like old times. When dinner’s finished cooking, Luca serves it out. Dad’s still back in his office and probably won’t emerge for a little while—he’s always busy doing some bullshit back there and usually doesn’t join us for family dinners these days—but that’s fine with me. It’s good to be back in the old house. Even though nobody lives here anymore, only poor old Dad, we still like to gather in the kitchen we grew up in.

I’m nervous as we chat about nothing much. Luca’s got a girlfriend he doesn’t want to talk about, and Daniel clearly doesn’t like her. And then there’s Daniel’s new business venture, something to do with crypto and e-cigarettes. “He’s elbow deep in that smokeless tobacco stuff, what’s it called, Zyn?”

“The kids love that shit,” Daniel says with a shrug. “And I’m pretty sure it’s fueling like half of UPenn right now.”

“Gross, but lucrative.” Luca slaps his brother on the shoulder and beams at me. “Always an entrepreneur, our boy.”

“Fuck off.” Daniel’s trying not to smile, but it’s hard for him sometimes. “The money really is good though.”

“I’m happy for you.” And I mean it: Daniel’s a hard-ass, but he takes his business seriously. It defines him in some ways, and I worry that he cares about it too much. “Just don’t fall in love with some stupid co-ed.”

“The ones buying from me aren’t exactly my type.”

Luca jokes about what Daniel’s type really is, and his characterization is far from flattering, which leads the two boys to argue again. I sit back and watch them, smiling to myself. These guys go at it, but they love each other, and I’m going to miss them while I’m in Canada.

“I need to tell you two something before I go,” I say as we’re finishing up the meal. Dad still hasn’t made an appearance, and I don’t feel like waiting any longer.

They exchange looks. Daniel clears his throat. “We know already,” he says.

“What do you mean, you know already?”

“He means we’re not fucking stupid,” Luca says.

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