The Ties That Bind 1 by D. A. Young

Author:D. A. Young [Young, D. A.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: The Ties That Bind, Book One
Publisher: D.A. Young
Published: 2017-06-24T16:00:00+00:00

Claudia squeezed the aloe stem she’d cut from her garden onto a wet washcloth. Tenderly, she applied the salve to Harley’s battered face. Her heart was forever breaking for her oldest child. The beating at his younger brother’s hands must have been a detrimental blow, not just to his pride, but his spirit as well. That pendejo Pitch had dropped him off here to recuperate with a terse explanation.

“Little bro beat his ass.”

“Wake up, mijo. I brought you some soup and chamomile tea.”

She saw his left eye flicker. It was the only one he could see out of, but just barely. He closed it again and mumbled through his swollen mouth, “Not hungry. Go away.”

“Like hell, I will! You’re going to eat; otherwise, you’ll never get back on your feet! No son of mine is going to sit in the dark and hide like a coward, Harley!”

Claudia pulled up the chair she’d brought in from Slade’s study, next to the old bunk beds. She picked up the bowl, spooned some chicken noodle soup and held it to his lips expectantly. “I can do this shit all day. Remember when you and Ransom sat at the dining room table until one in the morning because you refused to eat my Tia Monica’s cooking?”

“Ma, those were beef tongue tacos!” Harley protested. “No iba a comerme esa!”

“And I bet they were muy delicioso, all cold and congealed! I don’t care if you didn’t want to eat them! You were going to or she would’ve been offended. Why do you think I told you boys to put extra red chile sauce all over them?” Claudia pointed out reasonably, secretly pleased that he’d spoken Spanish. She’d made sure that he and Ransom both could, fluently, yet Slade preferred English. Per usual, Harley preferred pleasing his father.

“But, as usual, the two of you were too stubborn to listen to your wise and wonderful mamacita.”

Harley tried to crack a smile, but with his split lip, it hurt too much. He settled for patting her hand instead. Claudia leaned over and kissed his bruised forehead affectionately, and Harley inhaled the comforting fragrance of his childhood, her signature Bob Mackey perfume. The gesture was one she’d done a thousand times, but he’d never needed it more than in this moment. It confirmed that he was still worthy of kindness.

For now.

Ma was a ballbuster who didn’t hesitate to pull punches. She’d babied them as much as they’d allowed but built them up at the same time before shoving their asses out of the nest and into the real world. Harley could always count on Ma to be honest with him.

“I did a terrible thing, and Ransom hates me, Ma.” To say it aloud hurt more than the ass beating he’d taken. Harley cringed then hissed his pain at the sudden movement. Thinking of the terrible look in his brother’s eyes as he loomed over him, his anxiety increased tenfold. “He’ll never forgive me. I fucked up big time!” Harley blubbered.

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