Veil of Lies: A High Stakes Affair

n's

a situation as informal as passing out drunk. I woke up with a splitting headache and a crick in

and see who was there with me. I didn't remember picking up anyone from the bar,

arly thirty should never be called by his full name, and only two people had ever done so in my life as far as I could recall. One was my moth

." She waved her cleaning rag through the air and then turned to wipe down the family clock that hadn't had the

r. "Shouldn't you be somewhere spending the insane re

The crack of the dishtowel popped about two inches from my ass before she turned around and went right back to wiping down the things a

rough my thick beard, giving it a scratch. "I don't u

air and beard to look like you haven't got two pennies to rub together, but this home needs attention, whethe

the gardener his payoff, he left and

roll over in their graves, the ground would be shaking just knowing how you're handling things around here. Your mother would take a razor to t

died fourteen months ago in a tragic plane crash along with my sister, Ally,

't have to stick around and hear it."

I patted down my pockets until I fou

hen already, though I'm going to work on throwing out those science experiments you've

jingled in my hand as I opened my

t. I'm boiling some chickens now. I'm going to fix up some

ttie." I stared into her dark

'll be thanking me when you've got a full stomac

t myself since. Going to the gym hadn't been en route to my destructive life's path, but I certainly hadn't with

o do anything, mu

d there's a hot meal to get you through a day or two. You can a

. I glared down the line of my parents' cars as I cranked my engine. I wondered if any of them wou

e drove to and from work to compete with Layne's, and the family classic white Rolls, which he kept for Easte

They could sit there until they rusted. I couldn't bear to think of anyone else driving any of them. I thought back to my little sister and the

f with the memories of my sister t

uilt for talking to her so harshly, but I'd asked the staff to move on and leave me be. So far, she was the only one who still reached out. I didn't think her an