Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 179794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 179794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
“Like what?” Reaper passed the joint to Silas.
“Watching your youngest kid going to his first day of school, getting divorced, catching your woman cheating, killing the motherfucker she cheated on you with. Shit like that.”
Greer’s offbeat humor had him laughing as he took another drink of his beer. “Your wife doesn’t mind you going out?”
“Nah. Friday nights are the girls’ nights. Tate and Dustin watch the kids at my house, while the womenfolk go to Jesse’s house to sit around and watch those pussy movies and drink wine.”
“They go to your house with all the kids?” Reaper took another hit off the joint, then passed it back to Greer.
“Yep.”
“Pretty convenient, it’s the same night you wanted a boys’ night out with Silas and me.”
“Ain’t it?” Greer snickered.
Reaper looked over at Silas. “Every muscle in my body aches from building those sheds and moving that lumber. Aren’t you sore?”
“Nah, I’m good. You need to work out more.”
“I thought I was in good shape, but damn, you’re making me feel my age.”
Greer gave a sarcastic snort. “Tell him the fucking truth.”
“Shut up, Greer.”
“The boy has a brain. I reckon sooner or later, he’s going to figure it out.” Greer shrugged. Then he started laughing at Reaper’s confusion. “Ain’t quick on the uptake, are you?”
Stretching his legs out, Silas rested his head back on the chair. “Lot of stars out tonight.”
“Yep.” Greer opened himself another beer. “Bet a bunch of those stars wish they could switch places with us. Aren’t you glad Silas didn’t let you take a nosedive?”
Staring at the lit end of the joint, Reaper took a hit before handing it over to Greer. Letting his hand drop down to his side, he rubbed Suki’s fur. “Yes.”
“You could sound happier about it,” Greer groused.
“You don’t know what it’s like living with nightmares.”
Silas and Greer gave low laughs.
“Boy, you think you’re the only one with nightmares?”
Greer and Silas shared a bleak glance.
Silas stood up to get himself another beer. “Don’t answer, Reaper. The wrong answer will have Greer ripping that misconception away. Suffice to say, you aren’t.”
“Damn right. You put up with that fucker rotting away for what? Nine years? I put up with the meanest son of bitch in the state of Kentucky for seventeen. The only good thing he taught us was how to shoot. His idea of being a good father was to teach us boys to be tough enough to take any hit and to turn women into doormats. You say or do the wrong thing to piss him off … kapow!” Greer flashed his fist out.
Silas twisted the cap of his beer off. “When Greer says his dad was mean, he isn’t exaggerating. Everyone in town was terrified of him.”
“Shit. I hated that son of a bitch. Still do.” The tiny flame of the joint was visible between Greer’s fingers as he turned his head to spit on the ground. “One night, he gave Tate and me a beating bad enough it left Tate unconscious. He didn’t give a rat’s ass. Locked us in the barn without any heat in the dead of winter. It was no never mind that Tate was sick with the flu. Had to listen to my ma trying to dig us out while Pa was passed out, high as a fucking kite, for Lord knows how long before he caught her and dragged her back in the house to lock her and my baby sister in the bedroom so she wouldn’t let us out. Yeah … those were some good fucking times.” Greer’s voice was filled with sarcasm as he extinguished the tip of the joint with his fingers.
Squatting down by the fire, Silas stared in the crackling flames. “What we say while we’re on this mountain, around this fire, is forgotten when we walk away. Deal?” Silas turned to stare at them gravely. “Neither of you don’t have to share your own personal shit—that’s your prerogative—but it stays only between us.”
“Got my word.” Greer shrugged. “Probably won’t remember it no way.”
“You have mine.” Reaper had no intention of sharing. He would keep anything said to himself.
Silas threw some more wood on the fire. “You have my word, too, so I’ll be expecting you keeping yours.”
Rising to go back to his chair, Silas stared moodily into the twinkling sky. “Freddy didn’t always have custody of me. I lived with my mom until I was seven. Freddy would come and get me on the weekends and had to have me back by Sunday morning before church. She wanted my stepdad and me there to make sure we appeared to be one happy family in front of that sanctimonious hypocrite preacher we used to have in town before Pastor Dean.”
“Saul Cornett.” Reaper placed his empty bottle on the ground, patting Suki as he listened.
“Saul was a sadistic bastard. He used to get his kicks by spanking kids in front of the congregation. Makes me sick to my stomach to this day remembering the joy on his face when he would beat those kids. The parents would tell him what they’d done bad during the week, and Saul would beat the demon that had caused them to act that way. My mother and stepfather never told on me, not because they didn’t believe in the stupidity he was preaching. No, they didn’t tell because they didn’t trust Saul wouldn’t leave a mark on me. They knew if Freddy ever saw that a hand had been laid on me, they would be minus one preacher. Instead, they had their own way of handling my discipline.