Page 102 of Witches Be Damned

“Tor’s a cowboy and always will be,” Raze backed him up, lowering my edge of success.

“Tor doesn’t know how to be good.” Pascal finalized the six-to-two count.

That settled that then. Villains had more fun anyway. I was happy to be a bad boy so long as I didn’t hurt anyone.

“I love you all, too.” I poked out my tongue at them, and my niece and nephew giggled. “Don’t listen to them, Molly and Jack. They’re jealous of how cool I am.” They squealed when I tickled them.

Everyone laughed or snorted out a, “Yeah, right.”

Mom took my hand and squeezed it. “You’ve always been naughty, Victor. But you try to do what’s right, and it’s the sentiment that counts, right?”

I hmphed and laughed, patting her shoulder, appreciating that she acknowledged my efforts despite them not always working out. “Shh, Mom, don’t ruin my bad boy image, or I’ll have to go and commit some villainy to impress my girlfriend.”

The kids pretended to puke again. The rest of us shared a hearty laugh.

Joy and contentment I hadn’t felt in such a long time took hold of me, warming me all over. Life was looking up for me for once and not cloaked in darkness. I had a girlfriend I adored, who adored me back. Three remarkable brothers who never gave up on me despite me dragging the team morale down with my unscrupulous ways. A family well cared for, happy, healthy, and thriving. With everyone settled, I could focus on myself for once, which I rarely did, and that was a strange sensation for me.

Taking that as my cue to leave and fire up the outdoor grill, I grabbed two aluminum pans full of barbeque meat from the kitchen bench. “This won’t cook itself. Excuse me.”

Knoxe came out to join me on the patio, carrying a bottle of olive oil and plate of sliced onions. “You’re trouble with a capital T, Tor, but I love you. You know that?”

Nice of him to say when he hadn’t had many kind words for me the past three years.

I turned the gas bottle on and the grill burner, warming it up. “Getting sentimental and soft now that you’re out of the prison, huh, babe?”

Knoxe poured oil onto the frying plate for the onions. “I was hard on you at times. I blamed you for what happened to Jaz, when I shouldn’t have. That wasn’t fair, and I’m sorry.”

He took a breath as if his next words depended on it.

“Jaz chose to sell secrets to the snakes to pay for his dad’s medical bills.” A fact Knoxe conveniently overlooked because of rose-colored glass syndrome. “That’s on him. None of us are to blame for his death.”

Fuck, I didn’t know what to say. Tor, stunned in silence with no sarcastic quip? Call the police!

Knoxe swallowed like his pride took a hit for admitting it. “I understand why you sold the contraband to help your family. I was an asshole for not supporting you all. An asshole for going hard on all the team. I was too angry to see through my bullshit of having double standards for Jaz’s situation versus yours.”

Yep, Hell came to Earth, brimstone rained down, burning everything for Knoxe to admit he was wrong.

“You tell the others you’re sorry?” I loaded the sausages on the grill, loving the sizzle.

“I will.” Knoxe sprinkled onions on the oil, moving them around with the tongs, coating them.

I clapped my brother on the back and shook him. “It means a lot to hear you say that.”

Knoxe nodded and got back to browning the onions, while I added burger patties, steaks, and meat skewers. An admission and apology were all I needed. I didn’t want any hard feelings to exist between us when I loved him like a brother and friend.

With that over with, we chatted about more mundane topics. Plans for our mid-year vacation. Extending the cabin at Raze’s commune to fit all of us, and building more cottages as a thank you for taking in our brother. Dates and vacations to spoil our girl. And most importantly, the special surprise I arranged at the end of lunch.

Molly wandered out onto the patio with a begging puppy face. “I’m hungry, Uncle Tor.”

I turned the meat one last time, admiring the charred edges. I loved the sound of spitting sausages, sizzling meat, and frying onions when it reminded me of my dad grilling all summer long.

I bent down to her level. “Meat is a few minutes away. Tell everyone for me and save me a seat. You’re my hero.”

She threw her arms around me for a quick hug and then raced back inside, shouting at everyone to get seated.

“This is the life, isn’t it?” I asked Knoxe, piling the sausages in the aluminum tray. Friends, family, and food. A triple F combination.

“It sure is.” Knoxe set the steaks on a plate lined with absorbent towels to mop up the excess moisture.

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