At Peace by Kristen Ashley Read Free Book Online

door?”
    My eyes moved to my brother. “What?”
    “Big guy next door with the blonde chick? She
your neighbor, is he or both?”
    “He is. Joe Callahan.”
    “Good neighbor to have,” Sam remarked.
    I felt my eyebrows inch together. “Why?”
    “Looks like he could crush a rock with his
fist.”
    “Why does that make him a good neighbor?”
    “Also looks like someone you do not want to
mess with.”
    Sam wasn’t wrong about that.
    “Again, why does that make him a good
neighbor?” I asked.
    “ People don’t let shit happen in their
‘hoods that shouldn’t happen. He’s your neighbor, that asshole
thinks to mess with you down here; I figure this Joe guy’d wade
in.”
    The thought of Joe Callahan getting involved
in my troubles sent a chill up my spine. “Let’s just hope that
asshole doesn’t think to mess with me down here.”
    “He does, you should have a word with this
Joe.”
    That was not going to happen.
    “Sam –”
    “Maybe I’ll have a word, explain things, ask
him to keep an eye out.”
    I leaned forward again and snapped, “Don’t do
that.”
    “Why not?”
    “Just don’t, okay? Seriously.”
    My brother watched me then asked, “You got a
problem with this guy?”
    “No,” I lied quickly. “He’s just not around
very often and I came down here to escape that whole mess. I don’t
want everyone in my business.”
    “Vi –”
    “I don’t, Sam. If something happens then I’ll
talk to Colt. He’s a cop, lives across the street. He’s a good guy,
a good cop. It’ll be fine.”
    “The dude who had that serial killer after
him?”
    “Yeah.”
    Sam shook his head. “Christ, he’ll just love
it if that asshole bleeds into his town after that mess went
down.”
    Sam wasn’t wrong about that either.
    “Can we just enjoy your visit and not talk
about this shit?” I suggested.
    “We can after you answer one question.”
    I sighed again then asked, “What?”
    “You need money?”
    Sometimes it was irritating how well my
brother knew me.
    I did need money. Things were tight, not to
the point where food wasn’t on the table but to the point where it
was a constant, nagging worry at the back of my head because I
could give my girls what they needed but not a whole helluva lot of
what they wanted and that sucked.
    “I’m good.”
    “Yeah?”
    My voice got soft when I lied, “Yeah, Sam.
I’m good.”
    “Okay, then you use that two grand I set on
your nightstand to make yourself a pretty garden.”
    I felt my eyes get wide and my mouth drop
open but I didn’t speak.
    “And you can’t refuse it,” Sam continued.
“It’s from Mel and me and Mel’ll go ballistic, I come back with
that money.”
    “Sam, I can’t take that.”
    “You don’t, I’m up shit’s creek with
Mel.”
    “Sam –”
    He leaned forward again. “How many times you
and Tim bail me out, hunh? How many?”
    “But –”
    “More than two grand’s worth, a fuckuva lot
more.”
    “I can’t –”
    “Payback, babe.”
    “Sam –”
    His hand came out, hooked me around the neck
and pulled me across the space between the kitty corner chairs so
my face was in his face.
    “Payback,” he whispered.
    I pressed my lips together to fight the sting
of tears in my eyes. Before Melissa, Sam had been a wild one,
always doing stupid shit, always coming to Tim and me to bail him
out and we always did. Even though it had been years and we never
expected anything in return, Sam would feel that weight pressing on
him. It would live with him, right under his skin. He needed to do
this, I knew it, so he could work that weight out from under his
skin and I needed to let him.
    I pulled in breath through my nose, nodded
and I watched my brother smile.
    * * * * *
    The next morning, Joe’s truck was still in
his drive but his house was quiet.
    The morning after that, the morning Sam left,
Joe’s truck was gone.
    * * * * *
    “ Shit, Vi, sorry, I got a
call out,” Colt said
after he flipped his phone shut and