“I hope you enjoy that money. By the looks of it you will. That money will buy you a new pair of boots and a new suit with cufflinks. To me that would have fed me and my mother,” Levi snapped.
“I’m not sorry, he wanted to play, he knew the stakes and still he played. Best you get on home and take care of your Ma and Pa,” Randall said putting his attention back on the game.
“I hate you,” Levi said then marched off.
Watching him go, Randall laughed. “That boy has moxy.”
***
Levi couldn’t let go of his anger. All the way home he stewed over witnessing his father lose all their money and in no time. Never before had he told his father that he hated him. It was an emotion he now felt and one he feared would be with him for life.
He cleared the corner towards his house to hear his mother screaming. “How could you? We needed that.”
“To hell with you!” Lacey screamed.
Levi knew what typically followed their verbal spats so he raced to the house and through the door just in time to catch his father rearing back to hit his mother. “No,” he said grabbing Lacey’s arm.
“Boy you’re been a pain in my ass all night. In fact it’s your fault I lost, you jinxed me,” Lacey said.
“Lacey how could you lose that money, we’ll starve, we’ll die,” she groaned her anger turned to sorrow. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Both of you shut up, I was supposed to win, I had a dream about it,” Lacey declared.
“A dream? You had a dream?” she asked mocking him.
“Don’t you dare ridicule me, you need to show me respect,” he fired back at her.
“Respect? I’m to show you respect? You’re a drunk, a man who can’t provide for his family. You’re worthless and now we could starve to death all because of you,” she yelled.
Lacey’s face went blank. He walked into the bedroom then reappeared with a pistol in his hands. “I’m your husband, I’m the man of this house. You’re to respect me!”
“Pa, what are you doing?” Levi asked.
“Does that gun make you feel like a man? You’re going to need more than that cause you ain’t one. You can’t provide for us, and what you did tonight will put us in the grave,” she spat.
“You’re right, what I do tonight will,” he said cocking the pistol and pointing it at her chest.
“No Pa,” Levi hollered and ran at him.
It was too late, he pulled the trigger. The forty-four caliber bullet blasted from the pistol and struck her in the chest. She reeled backwards, hitting the wall and sliding down. When she rolled onto the floor she was dead.
Levi cried out.
Lacey cocked the pistol again, pivoted towards Levi and shot him in the upper chest.
Levi toppled to the floor.
One last time he cocked it. Without hesitating or thinking twice he placed the smoking muzzle against his throbbing temple and pulled the trigger.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
G. Michael Hopf is the best-selling author of fourteen post-apocalyptic novels. He is a veteran of the Marine Corps, former Executive Protection agent and whiskey aficionado. He lives with his family in San Diego, CA
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NOTE TO READERS
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BOOKS BY G. MICHAEL HOPF
THE NEW WORLD SERIES
THE END
THE LONG ROAD
SANCTUARY
THE LINE OF DEPARTURE
BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS
THE RAZOR'S EDGE
THOSE WHO REMAIN
THE WANDERER SERIES
VENGEANCE ROAD
BLOOD GOLD
TORN ALLEGIANCE
SERIES BOX SET
THE VAN ZANDT CHRONICLES
EXIT
NEMESIS
NEMESIS: INCEPTION
THE BOUNTY HUNTER SERIES
LAST RIDE
THE LOST ONES
PRAIRIE JUSTICE
SERIES BOX SET
OTHER BOOKS
HOPE with A. American
DETOUR
DRIVER 8
DAY OF RECKONING
THE DEATH TRILOGY with John W. Vance
The Lawman Page 19
