Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
A year? Hammer gave it at least a year? The smile blooming on Dex’s mouth was so wide it made his jaw hurt. He threw some bacon into a sizzling hot pan next to the pot, because, yes, he could multitask.
Frank grumbled. “You know who this guy is and you want him around?”
Shane sighed. “We all have a part to play in the disposal business.”
“Only that he creates the trash!”
Dex rolled his eyes. “It just means he’s good at his job.” And it wasn’t as if Hammer went around killing people willy-nilly. He did what needed to be done. Just like Dex. Would Frank think of him badly if he found out what he’d done? He’d killed in self-defense after all. At least at Cora’s. Or was it only bad because a part of him had enjoyed it? He might be able to cook noodles and bacon at the same time, but adding philosophy to the mix was a stretch.
Hammer smirked. “It seems to me that you’re pretending to be someone you’re not. I get it that thinking of yourself as the good guy helps you sleep at night, but there are no good guys in this business. Just people with different talents.”
“I don’t kill!” Frank snapped.
Hammer shrugged. “You still work with the likes of me, so get off that high horse. And don’t act as if I’m corrupting Dex when you were the one who taught him how to dispose of bodies.”
For once, even Shane didn’t have the guts to crack a joke.
Frank sighed in exasperation, and when Dex glanced into the glass embedded in one of the cabinets, he saw his uncle raise his head high in the reflection.
“The kid dropped out of school. And I didn’t entice him into any of this. He followed me and spied on me, because he won’t ever listen. I know who I am, but I do what I can to protect my family. So yeah, excuse me for thinking you’re bad news.”
Dex chewed on his lip, because Frank's words were directed at him as much as at Hammer. The constant back and forth behind him made focusing on the food tough so it was a relief that he was almost done with that. “You can’t control everything, Frank. You know what they say. You taught me how to fish, but now you gotta let me put that worm on the hook.”
Shane raised his eyebrows. “Who says that?”
Dex groaned, flipping the bacon. “People.”
“Pretty accurate, if you ask me,” Hammer said and winked at Dex with a smile that made his dimples stand out.
Dex stilled. It was nice to feel appreciated for a change, instead of being constantly berated and treated as if he wasn’t capable of making his own choices.
“Of course you’d say that,” Frank snarked before stuffing his mouth with food. “If you make him feel like he’s making all the decisions himself, he’ll be easier to manipulate.”
“I didn’t push him to do anything beyond specifically taking him hostage.”
Dex shrugged. “To be fair, that was also kinda my fault.” Because yeah, he could own up to his mistakes. Even if, or especially when, in the end those revealed themselves to be fantastic life choices.
He split the noodles into four bowls, because while Frank had said he didn’t want any, he did love Dex’s special ramen, so there was a chance the meal could soften his attitude.
Dex sprinkled grated cheese on top and put two crispy strips of bacon in the middle of each portion, like chefs did on TV.
“You what?” Frank barked, but Hammer cut in.
“Doesn’t matter anymore. Let’s just eat. I’m starving,” he said and rose, approaching Dex. He grabbed two of the bowls and carried them to the table, then returned for another one, which he placed in front of the empty chair.
Dex smiled and put the final portion next to Frank, as a peace offering.
Shane smelled the vapor coming up from his bowl and smiled as Dex sat at Hammer’s side “Smells fucking delicious. It’s been two years since I left prison, and I still can’t get over how good the food is out here.”
Hammer grinned. “Unbelievably so. The simplest things can still at times feel like delicacies.”
Shane blew air on his first spoonful. “Oh yeah?”
“Been in juvie, and in the county jail. Can’t recommend either of those. One-star experiences, both of them. Since then, I learned how to avoid getting caught,” Hammer said and winked at Dex while his boot gently pressed the tips of Dex’s sneakers.
Dex’s insides might have melted like the cheese he’d sprinkled on the noodles. “See, Frank? He’ll teach me all about staying safe. You wouldn’t believe the things we did while we were away. I can’t go into details, but I was serious when I said he saved me from a tiger.”
“Did he also save you from a burning building?” Shane teased, but Dex could recognize it was good natured this time.