Page 21 of A Reaper's Devotion
Cyrus looked at the piece of rust.If anyone was going to bring any vehicle back to life from the dead, it would be his dad.The thing looked like a rotting tin can.
“Mom said you’ve been out here a couple of days,” Cyrus said.
“I’ve got a challenge on my hands.You know how it is,” Charlie said, climbing out from under the hood of the car.
After talking with Willow, Cyrus couldn’t help but think about his brother.Ray had always been a pain, and now that he thought about it, Ray leaving town didn’t feel like a good idea.It didn’t make sense.
“Can I talk to you about something?”Cyrus asked.
“If it’s about Willow Evans, we already know,” Charlie said.“Your mother is delighted and it is all she can talk about.If you want a warning, she’s already got those wedding catalogues mounting up.”
Cyrus laughed.“So, I’ve got to keep Willow to myself.”
“Unless you want her to run away afraid of what your mother has planned.”Charlie frowned.“How is she?”
“She’s good.She’s working at the surveillance place.Taking over from Ray.”
“Yeah, I heard the news that she is already doing better than your brother.Already helped a girl, if I’m right.”
“Technically three girls.Yeah, fucking weirdo decided he wanted to make his own personal harem.He stole girls off the street.With Willow detecting the whole hand ‘help me’ signal, she helped save another two.”
“Right, right.Yeah, Billy stopped by.Gave me the update, but I’ve been working on this machine, and you know how it gets.”
“Dad, Willow and the shit that’s happened in town is not what I want to talk to you about,” Cyrus said.
“What do you want to talk about?”Charlie asked, going to what looked like a cold cup of coffee.
“Ray.”
Charlie paused while drinking his coffee.“What about him?”
“Dad, I know Lost Creek has a certain rule.I also know he betrayed the whole town as well as the Reapers.”
Charlie took a long sip of his coffee, clicked his tongue, and then turned to him.“What?”
“What did you do?”Cyrus asked.
“Ray is a disappointment,” Charlie said.“I should have killed him for what he did, son or not, and yes, I fucking love him, so don’t start any of that whining shit.I know what I should have done.He is my flesh and blood, and I know what I had to do, but ...I gave him some money, and I told him if he ever brought shit to Lost Creek, I’d fucking kill him myself.Your mother wouldn’t be able to live with herself if I did kill him, so he’s out probably fucking up his life somewhere.”Charlie shook his head.
Cyrus looked toward his dad but knew the man didn’t have any reason to lie to him.“There was nothing we could have done.”
“There is a shit ton we could have done, Cyrus.We all know that.He was so difficult.He just wanted everything handed to him on a plate.He wouldn’t work hard for it.When things got hard, he just quit.”Charlie shook his head.“I had him working for me before you got him the surveillance job.He didn’t fucking listen and decided he suddenly knew more about engines than I did, and completely destroyed it.”His dad shook his head.“I thought watching the town might make him realize what he needed to do, but that didn’t fucking work either.None if it worked.”
Cyrus nodded.
“You can hate me all you want, but I did what I had to do.”
“I don’t hate you, Pop.”He took a deep breath.“I just don’t know if Ray leaving town was a good idea.He always found trouble.”
“He won’t, Cyrus.He knows what’s good for him.”
Yeah, he knew Ray, but he also knew his brother always got it in his head that he was better than everyone else.Charlie giving him money and a warning would not be good.
“I better head out.”
“Are you and Willow coming for dinner Sunday?”Charlie asked.“Your mom is making pot roast.”
“I’ll talk to Willow,” Cyrus said.
