"Anybody hurt? " "Just some pride and a pair of pants. " Danny wrote it up as a domestic disturbance, no charges filed since I'd fired into the ground on my own property, and nobody had been threatened with bodily damage, technically. The legal system has a funny way of defining threats. "Nick," Danny said as he was leaving, "maybe next time try a conversation first. " I did. It lasted about 30 seconds. After he left, I sat in my empty house and took inventory.
The refrigerator hummed, the clock ticked. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. These were the sounds of my new life. Quiet, hollow, and utterly alone. The first few days passed in a blur of bitter coffee and bad decisions.
I gave away most of Amber's clothes to Goodwill, keeping only a few items that I threw into Riverside Pond like offerings to whatever god handles failed marriages. Her makeup collection went in the trash. Her books, mostly self-help garbage about finding your authentic self, went to the library. It was therapeutic in a way, erasing the physical evidence of 20 years. But it also felt like performing surgery on myself with a butter knife.
On Thursday, three motorcycles roared into my driveway. The lead rider pulled off his helmet, revealing a familiar face covered in tattoos and bad decisions. "Uncle Nick! " Tyler grinned, showing off a gold tooth I was pretty sure hadn't been there at Christmas. "Heard you had some excitement. " Tyler was my brother's kid, 25 years old and professionally unemployed. He ran with a motorcycle club that called themselves the Iron Ravens, though they were more like iron pigeons, loud, messy, and constantly looking for scraps.
"What do you want, Tyler? " "Curtis Brennan hired us to come have a talk with you. Paid us 500 bucks to explain how things are going to be. " I looked at the other two bikers, both wearing leather vests covered in patches and attitude. "And how are things going to be? " Tyler's grin widened. "Well, that's the funny thing. See, Curtis didn't know you were family when he hired us, and family trumps cash every time.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a roll of bills. We're returning his money with interest. Told him if he wanted to hire muscle, he should probably check the family tree first. You didn't have to do that. Sure I did.
Besides, any man who makes another man piss himself in his own driveway deserves respect. Tyler laughed, a sound like gravel in a blender. We heard about that all over town. Curtis has been laying low ever since. The other bikers, Tank and Razor, names that probably looked great on their parole paperwork, nodded approvingly.
So, what's the plan, Uncle Nick? You want us to pay Curtis a visit? Maybe explain some things to him? I was tempted. God knows I was tempted, but I had something better in mind.
Not yet, but stick around town for a while. I might need some witnesses. That weekend I drove past the Riverside Motel, a dive that rented rooms by the hour and asked no questions about marital status. Curtis's BMW was parked outside room 12, right next to Amber's Honda. I called Tyler.