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“She’s probably just annoyed with being locked up in here all the time,” I told him. “Do you have any idea how long this lockdown is going to last?”
“I’m not sure. That will all depend on if we can narrow down who’s responsible for all this shit.”
“We’re trying.”
“I know you are. It’s just frustrating. The kids are bored, the men want to resume their normal activities, and my wife wants to be far away from the women who still try to sink their hooks into me.”
“Is there anyone I need to talk to?”
“She dealt with it.” He chuckled. “The bitch won’t be coming back anytime soon.”
Served her right. Ana might look small, but she packs a punch.
“If she can’t respect your old lady, then she doesn’t need to be here.”
“Glad you agree.”
“You know I do and I’ve had to deal with a couple myself for some of the other guys.”
“Not all of them care, you know.”
“I know,” I responded. “I also don’t waste my time on those guys. Unless the women cause problems.” If they didn’t want to be faithful to their significant others, that was up to them.
“Where did you guys go tonight?”
“Bowling,” I responded.
“Bowling?”
“Yeah, you know with the pins and the balls.”
“Is that a euphemism for something?”
“Nope. It’s exactly what it is. Bowling.”
“What possessed you to do that?”
I smiled, my chest suddenly feeling full, “It was Dimitri’s idea.”
ChapterThirty-Five
HARLEIGH
I begrudgingly gotup with the sun the next morning, the anticipation of the day's events palpable.
Brandt was finally being released from the hospital.
Kujo went to retrieve him while the rest of us busied ourselves with setting up a surprise welcome home celebration. Two days before, we had managed to get all the people we could into the clubhouse. Even though people were still a little on edge, the building was filled with the cheerful laughter of children and the sound of parents enjoying their time together, making it hard to imagine the transformation to an evening bar, complete with music and drinks.
We carefully closed the bar for the week so that everyone could take their time to adjust. The families occupied the main floor, while those of us who were single were all tucked away in the rooms upstairs. The younger children ran up and down the hallways as if it were their own personal racetrack, their feet thundering on the floor. The pool tables were occupied by anyone tall enough to lean over the edge and hit the balls with a cue.
It wasn’t long before both of them returned to the clubhouse, where everyone had been waiting to welcome him home. We heard Brandt was being released and rushed to piece together a special surprise for his arrival. The kids were eager to join in, so we decided on a kid friendly afternoon, but the evening was reserved for the adults. When it was time for them to leave the bar, they would find a surprise waiting for them.
When Brandt walked in the door, I had no idea what it would look like. I had visited him every day in the hospital and he’d looked better every single time I saw him. However, from what everyone was saying, his recovery would be difficult. So although I had fully expected him to be wheeled in here, Brandt came in on his own two feet.
According to the doctors, his healing could take anywhere between six months and a year. He might not even be able to lift Karsen for a couple months. We’d talked about getting him a nanny, but he refused, so it looked like we would all be pitching in while he was here. After he did his rounds, we had a corner booth set up where he could spend however long he wanted to hang out, being waited on.
“Don’t get used to the special treatment,” I told him, as I set down his drink.
