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“And your dad.What sort of dragon is he?”He told her that he was a great and powerful vampire.“I suppose if there are going to be dragons, there are going to be all kinds of things that I’ve never thought of before, correct?”

“There really are unicorns too.And if you’d allow me to take you back, I’ll show you all kinds ofcreatures that you’ve probably never thought were real.”She told him that she really wanted to see a unicorn but nothing else this trip.“There will be other creatures around.I’m sorry about that.But they want to meet the newest bride for their dragons.It’s a special day for the people and animals here to see one of their dragons find their other halves.”

He took her back where he’d shifted the first time, and she was more relaxed this time.Punch was with her, and when Edgar’s parents welcomed her to the family, she felt special.Someday, she’d like to come back here when she wasn’t so stressed out.But when she sat down at the little table and chairs that just appeared, she thought that she really was relaxed, as relaxed as she’d ever been.She thought that she could get used to being in a place like this.If she wasn’t dead or dying.Those were things that she considered when petting a unicorn while a bunch of faeries brought her tea and cookies.

Chapter 3

Tommy liked his new position at the warehouses.His dad told him that he was off the hook for any trouble that he might have caused.And he, being the asshole that he was, took it to mean that he was off the hook for anything he might do in the future too.And boy, did he have plans for the future.

One thing did bother him a bit, Tabby wasn’t allowing him to be in the office without her being there.She would just turn up every time he was ready to open the safe.He knew how much was in petty cash.His dad had told him that it was off-limits to him.So did his brother at his plant.No one was very trustworthy nowadays, he thought with a laugh.

He didn’t need all of it, just enough for him to flash around.He would end up taking it all, but not all at once.In fact, he didn’t want to take it at all, but they were forcing him to.Without them paying him, he didn’t have any recourse but to take what was right there for him to use.

Tommy didn’t like the rule that his dad had made.No work, no pay.Also, he was taking too much out of his check, too.Who were FICA and SS?Taxes shouldn’t be taken from someone like him.Didn’t they realize that he had plans for the money they collected each week?What were they even going to do with it but put it in a bank someplace and let it grow with interest?No, he didn’t like the fact that him, of all people, had to pay taxes on money that he needed.No, indeed.

“What are you up to?”Earl was another pain in his ass.Forever asking him what he was doing.If he wanted him to know, he would take out an advertisement telling him not just what he was doing hourly but what he planned during the twilight hours as well.He had his entire day mapped out, and it was no one’s business.“I asked you what you were doing, Tommy?I’ve also told you not to be in my office when I’m not around.I know you took the petty cash already, and you need to pay it back.”

“Why?Why should I have to pay it back when the sole purpose of it is to be there when you’re short of funds?I suppose you’ve never had to have any of it, have you?”He told him that he was good with his checks and didn’t run short.“Jolly good for you.I suppose you have some stashed away for a rainy day, too.I know that Tabby does.She told me that she was going to buy her a house with her money.”

“She did.A lovely home that is big enough for us to stay in when we go to visit.However, I’m betting that she’s going to ignore your requests until you put the money back.When I told her what you’d done, she was pretty pissed off about it.”Tommy ignored him for a moment.“Nothing to say, little brother?That’s all right.You’ll pay back the ten grand, or I’ll have to have you arrested.It is against the law to take something that doesn’t belong to you.”

“You do know that my name is on the door here and in Ohio, too.Or did you forget that I’m your brother?I have needs, too, dumb ass, and I don’t appreciate you telling on me like I’m five years old.”Earl told him not to act like he was five then.“Dad told me that I’m forgiven of my past sins.He wants me to go out and find my own path.”

“So you figure that means you can continue to steal from the hand that feeds you?Not likely.Besides, you should know that the locks have been changed on the safes, and you’ll not find them easy to open again.”He changed the locks?Damn it all to hell and back.That did make it more difficult for him to get cash.“Also, I’ve taken you off the accounts here.Dad said I was in charge, and I’ve made sure that every banking account knows that you’re not to be able to cash any checks, nor can you withdraw any money.You don’t even have a bank card that will get you money.They’ve all been taken care of.”

“You bastard.”Tommy moved towards the safe that held the checkbook and the petty cash.“I suppose you told Tabby to do the same.”

“Tabby is the one that told me to do it.I think her new husband told her that would be the best way to keep someone like you out of money.”Tommy asked if she was really married.“I don’t knowthat they’ve really done the deed, but she’s telling me that they’re going to do it soon so that she can get into his accounts and him into hers.They’re sharing their money.”

“I suppose the next thing you’re going to tell me is that this person is going to be telling her how to run Reader Fresh.Sounds like she has herself a winner there.She’ll be broke within a month, I’m betting.”He laughed.“She’ll let a near stranger into her money but not her big brother, who has been around for a lot longer.Who is this supposed husband anyway?”

“Edgar Walsh.”The name sounded familiar but not one that he could remember off the top of his head.He had better things to do than to learn and remember some jerk’s name that was probably going to be sucking the business dry when it was his to do with what he wanted.“You know him, Tommy.He’s with the Walsh family from Ohio.The richest people in the world, we’ve come to find out.”

“So he’s sniffing around our sister to get her money, is he?No one is that wealthy that they can’t use a bit more.I no more believe that she’d marry him than I am that you’re going to allow me to have some cash from the safe.You’re not, are you?”He told him simply that he wasn’t going to open the safe if he was in the same room with him, no.And he wasn’t going to give him any cash either.“You’re not very friendly, are you?You do remember that I’m related to you, and you should want to see me have the things that I want and need.Just a few thousand, Earl.No one has to know.I need to get some things taken care of.Three thousand should do it for today.You can put it back when the next check comes in.”

“No.”Earl sat at his desk and glared at him.“You’re pathetic.You can have a job and work for your money like the rest of us do.By showing up, too.I won’t pay you unless you put in a day’s worth of work either.”

“What are you going to be doing all day while I work hard for the money that should be mine in the first place?Playing on your computer?How many games do you have on that fucker anyway?Just give me the fucking cash, Earl.”He just smiled at him.“What the fuck is wrong with me taking a bit of money from petty cash?”

“Because you don’t have any intentions of paying it back, do you?”Tommy scoffed.Like he would ever think of paying back money from his family business.Like he’d been telling him, it was his name on the stationary, too, damn it.“Give it up.I’m not going to give you anything that you don’t earn.”

“I earned it all by being a Reader, Earl.You should be happy to turn over the money to me.Do you know why?Because I’m not forcing you to do it at gunpoint.”He asked him if he really would stoop so far.“If that’s what it takes, then yes, I will.Give me the money, Earl, before I have to get nasty with you.”

“Get out of here.”He asked him what he said.“I said for you to get out of here, and you’re not to come back either.I’m going to tell Dad what you said and Tabby, too, so that she knows not to fuck around with you when you come around.Christ, I don’t believe you.You’re my brother, for Christ’s sake.Why would you say that about threatening me?Get out of here before I call the police.”

“You’re regret this, Earl.I promise you you’re going to regret this.”He started out of the office and decided he’d give him one more chance to give over the money.“Either give it to me, or you’ll be watching your back for the rest of your life.I’m not kidding you right now.Hand it over.”

“Get out.”Tommy left the office, but he’d be back.And when he was, he was going to kill his brother.Maybe even his sister.And that nosey kid of hers.They weren’t in charge of the business.Dad was.And he was going to see eye to eye, too.”

Tommy wanted to do some serious damage to the lot when he left, but there were too many truckers there picking up their loads.Leaving the lot, he decided that he was going to tell Dad what had just happened but thought that was a bad move without backing power.He needed to find himself a gun that would show them.Getting a gun that couldn’t be traced back to him or the family would be the way to go.With all the truckers around all the time, they’d surely look at them before looking at the family.His family was with the wrong sort of people, and that was what was going to get them killed.

Thinking along those lines, he decided that he also needed to find him an alibi.He’d have to think hard on it before he killed his family so that he’d not be looked at.Someplace far away.He thought about Ohio and the Walsh family.They’d be the perfect patsy’s to keep him out of trouble.Maybe, he thought to himself, he’d find a way to blame it all on the newest family member.

“What was his name?”He’d remember it in time.And it would all go down just the way he wanted.No one would blame him.No one would see it coming, either.He’d come up with the perfect plan that would have him laughing for decades after it was finished.

As soon as he entered the house, he knew that Earl hadn’t wasted any time in calling his parents.Dad was pissed off.Mom would be, too, if she’d been home.Dad asked him if he’d gotten his gun yet, and Tommy had laughed.

“I was joking with him, Dad.He just can’t take a joke anymore.”It occurred to him that he’d just given some vital information away that could be used against him when Earl turned up dead.“What did he tell you?That I threatened him?Christ, he’s my brother.I’d never do that.”