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We sneck, then dump the nearly full beer into the trash Everyone watches and half of ," but they keep their mouths shut The shit I’one by the tieant at arms, it’s Dad’s job to call people into the boardroom It’s also his job to kick people out Wonder how this evening will end

I walk in and the chairs at the long any table are filled As president, Cyrus owns the head He’s got a long beard and ponytail to randfather but have enough healthy fear to keep my distance when he’s pissed

Cyrus’s son Eli sits on his right The way Eli exaun out of his holster, unload a clip into me, and will happily spend a few s in his ears and his gaze falls over to my father

Dad drops into his seat next to Oz’s dad There’s no seat forfired at "I didn’t engage"

But I would have and they know it

"You ood news is you didn’t actually co to call that one straight"

Interesting Last time I disobeyed a decree from the club’s bylaws, I was fined a hundred bucks and I had to clean bathrooms with the prospects for a month

Eli stands and motions to his empty chair "Take a seat"

My eyes find Dad’s and he nods to confir for a trapdoor to fly open beneathchair up to the other side of Cyrus and straddles it directly across from me

Cyrus may have been voted in by the members as president, but everyone knows that Eli is the chief of this tribe Not because that’s hoants it, it’s because every man ears a Terror cut respects the hell out of him But because of Eli’s stint in prison, he can’t hold an official office "What went doith you and the detective?"

I could do a play-by-play, but talking that much to anyone isn’tup the picture of Moave me a file to look at and said that Mom’s death wasn’t an accident"

There’s silence It’s a silence so loud I can hear my pulse beneath my skin, the squeak of Cyrus’s chair as he readjusts, the inhale and exhale of breaths What I loathe in this silence is how it doesn’t feel like shock or surprise It’s uilt

Dad balls his hands on the table and turns red--the same pissed-off reaction whenever we discuss Mom

Eli scratches at the stubble on his jaw "Did you take any more pictures?"

I remain mute and I don’t knohy The answer’s there with a swipe of his finger, it’s on the tip of ain He’s not lifted his head yet He hasn’t said a word