Page 22 of Marx

“Adam, that’s your brother-”

“No brother of mine would join the men who killed our sister. I know who my real brothers are, and they are all here in this house.”

“Marx?” Lovely’s voice cuts through and I give her a tight smile. I’m pretty sure I’ve smiled more today at Lovely than I ever have in my life.

“Let’s roll out,” I say lamely. I can only hope the Love Pres has some advice for me because this version of me is not only messing shit up, but he’s also pretty fucking dweeby.

We head out, joining the rest of the Tombs family as we all walk the path to the main house. I’d rather get Church over and done with, but I told them we’d make a decision after dinner, and Mama Debs has been cooking up a storm, so the least we can do is enjoy her food and each other’s company first. It isn’t going to be as easy as I had hoped, but if we don’t get this shit under control they’ll just keep coming for us.

“Bout time you lot arrived, I’m starving,” Pops grumbles from the head of the table.

Looking around, Pops is at one end, Mad Dog at the other, and somehow, it feels so fitting. We all fall in line, squishing around the large, wooden table. A table that is as scarred and as battered as some of the people around it.

“I know that we have heavy thoughts on our minds, but for tonight, let’s just enjoy each other’s company. Eat, drink, laugh and then we’ll get to the heavy shit,ne?”Mama Debs says, each of us huffing out a laugh,

“Here, here!” I yell, thumping the table a little. The brothers join in stomping their feet and we all get into the food, passing dishes, ribbing each other, the meal a welcome stress relief to the shit we’re dealing with.

I help Lovely by cutting up her food, and at some stage Bee ends up on my lap and she eats from my plate and Lovely’s. Lovely’s eyes have been wide the whole time, and I’m sure mychange in behaviour has to have her head spinning. I really need to sit down with her and lay out my intentions, but I want to do that when we’re in a more settled time. Not when I’m juggling revenge. I want her to be my full priority, and until that point comes I’ll just have to show her how I feel with these little gestures. And maybe keeping my mouth shut.

“Pops! There’s some police mens coming up the drive!” Cove yells from her seat at the kids table near the window.

Chair legs scrape the floor as we all stand in unison, cutlery clattering, the women herding the kids further into the middle of the house.

“Don’t worry, there’s a panic room in the basement,” Lovely murmurs, reading my thoughts exactly.

I lean down, place Bee in her lap and stare at her as Mira wheels her away. “TumTum, Chef and Flack, you follow the women and children, keep them safe.”

“Yes, Pres.” My men do as I ask, the rest of us head out to welcome our guests.

I lead the way, VP and SAA following behind along with Chewy, Pops and Gus, then the rest of my men, the Landrys bringing up the rear. All together there are close to twenty of us, so I know the Sheriff must be shitting his pants right about now.

“Sheriff,” I nod as his eyes narrow, taking in the backup I’ve brought with me.

“John. Just checking in to see how you’re getting on. I’ve had calls that your compound has been abandoned.”

“Not abandoned, just undergoing renovation.” My grin has him taking a step back.

“Really, huh.” He runs a hand nervously down his face, glancing at Moss who is leaning on the front of his cruiser, a smirk on his face. “I must have heard wrong.”

“Perhaps,” I shrug.

Silence hangs in the air while Sheriff Kelson sweats it out. I’m not sure what his play is, whether he’s come to see whether I took the bullet aimed at me or not. As law enforcement he should have known that I wasn’t hospitalized as all gunshot wounds are reported immediately. Goes to show how shitty a Sheriff he really is. He chances a glance behind me, his eyes stopping on each one of my men, probably doing a head count or some shit.

“I heard you had a man at the hospital, terrible business with a gun, perhaps? I was out of town at the time, so I’m only going through reports as we speak.” He clears his throat.

“Yeah, like you said, terrible business.” I don’t give him anything else. Fuck him.

If he’s here on some type of recon mission, then he can do his own work. Clearly the hit he led did nothing except paint a target on his fat, pasty back.

“Well, I’ll leave you all to it. What is this? Family dinner or something?”

“Or something.”

“Right.” He hesitates for a moment, then waddles his ass back to his vehicle, slamming the door behind him. He stares at me through the windscreen with pure hate in his eyes before peeling out, kicking up dust, three other cruisers following behind.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Moss says, watching his boss and colleagues leave like a bat outta hell.

“Wanna join us for dinner?”

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