From my leather lounge chair I hear the front door open and close. "Hey Nick" Ellis says walking in and leaning against the back of my chair.
"Hey Overalls" I say wondering if he had brought Vic home already.
"Hey Dad" Well that answers that question.
"Hey Kid"
"Pa said you weren't gonna be home tonight" Vic says. I glance at El, who's giving me the same inquisitive look as Vic, I smile at the similarity between the two most important people in my life, though they'd never hear me call them that.
"I wasn't" I grinned "I am though" The boys smiled at me, the same smiles they always gave me when I told them I was staying home for the night. "Why don't you go get some stuff ready for dinner Kid" I tell Vic, turning to Ellis as soon as he was out of the room.
"How come you's stayin' home t'night?" El asks curiously as I wrap my arms around him, pulling him close.
I lean down and kiss him gently "I have to spend some time with you boys" I say "I can't spend all my time gambling"
Ellis grins up at me "ah never thought ah'd hear you say that"
I pull away and smirk at him and as I walk towards the door call back "Don't worry, you'll never hear me say it again Killer"
….
We finish dinner and Pa goes to bed, apparently having to get up early tomorrow. I start to rise from my chair but a hand on my arm stops me.
"I thought you wanted me to teach you to play poker" Dad says.
I grin "Is that why you stayed home tonight" I say sitting back down.
"One of the reasons" I'm not sure I want to know the other reason, so I stay silent as Dad pulls a pack of cards from his pristine white suit pocket.
Dad starts dealing the cards in a way I didn't understand "Ok first" he starts.
"Wha're you doin'?" we hear Pa's voice.
"Shit" Dad mutters.
I sit still not sure what to do, I've never seen Dad and Pa argue before.
"Why don't you go up to bed kid" Dad says calmly, getting up to face Pa. I get up and leave the room. I think about standing outside and listening but when I think about last time Pa raised his voice I reconsider, going up to my bedroom and getting ready for bed, unable to make out the dull murmurs drifting up to my room.
….
"Wha're you doin'?" El says, his voice eerily calm, the kind of calm that came just before the storm.
"Just, you know, spending time with the kid" I say looking at the ground.
"Wha's with the cards?" El asks looking at the table "You was teaching him wasn't you?"
I look up at him, but refuse to look him in the eye, I'm so screwed "He ask for a lesson"
"How'd he even know you played? You told him you's a conman di'n't you? Wha'd you do that for?" His voice getting louder as he gets more annoyed.
"Look El, he just got curious and wanted to know. Why keep him in the dark his whole life?" I say starting to get annoyed myself, what's the big deal it's just a card game?
"Tha' his dad's a criminal? You tell 'im 'bout the street fights too?" he yells.
"Of course not" I say, annoyed at being accused "Just the gambling. Why would I tell him about that shit?"
"Nick, he's only a kid, tellin' 'im's bad enough" he shouts "but teachin' 'im too? What the 'ells wrong wit' you?"
"Look, I was just teaching him a game, it's about time I did something with the kid" I say, thinking of the disappointed look Vic gives me every time I say I wont be home for another night.
El must have heard it in my voice because he's suddenly calm. "Ah know you feel guilty fer not being around all the time" he says "but he's too young fer this kinda stuff"
I can't deal with this "whatever Overalls" I say turning toward the door, "I'll stay out of your hair for a bit" I call waking out the door. I walk past El's pick up and climb in my Lamborghini and drive to the closest Casino.