DEATH (The Justice Cycle Book 1) by J Kiefer (best classic books to read TXT) 📗

Jared sometimes wished he could be more like his younger brother and not so uptight, but no matter how hard he tried, his conscience always got the better of him. It had been that way even when they were children, Steve never showing that his parents’ disappointment bothered him and Jared never able to let the sun go down before he’d confessed all his transgressions.

The two distinctly different personalities were also apparent in the types of careers that they had chosen. Steve was drawn to the risqué lifestyle of a rock star, while Jared had gravitated to law enforcement. But despite all their differences, Jared and Steve were the closest of friends and had been since childhood.

His mother brought the remaining plates of food out and set them on the table. The aroma caused Jared’s stomach to grumble. He hadn’t eaten all day and only then realized how hungry he was.

His mother sat down across the table from his father who always sat at the head, and the three of them patiently waited for Steve to return from the restroom. He didn’t come of course, and Jared’s dad sighed. They waited a few minutes longer, but his dad’s patience had run out, and he was ready to eat.

He grunted. “If we wait any longer for that boy to get down here, the entire meal will be cold. Let’s just bless the food and start without him. If he wants to eat a cold meal, he can. But I am not.”

They all held hands as his father blessed the food, and as usual just as the prayer was coming to an end, Steve came barreling down the stairs.

“Sorry, everyone,” he said with a smirk as he popped down in the chair next to Jared. He gave him a playful nudge, and Jared returned the favor by kicking him hard in the leg under the table. “Did I miss anything?”

His dad grumbled something under his breath as he reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes. He scooped out a heaping spoonful and plopped it on his plate.

It seemed to Jared that since his brother had grown up and gone out on his own, all the meals that they shared together as a family started out this way. Why his brother was so set on irritating their father was a mystery to him. He knew that they did not always see eye to eye, but Steve’s constant testing seemed a bit much. After all, Steve was twenty-seven years old. It was time for him to grow up.

“So Steve, how long are you going to be in the area?” his mother asked cheerfully, attempting to diffuse the situation. “It’s not often that you get up this way anymore. Judy will be sad if she misses the opportunity to see you.”

Their younger sister, Judy, was nineteen and in her first year of college. She had opted to go to a nearby Christian university, following in her parents’ footsteps. This, of course, was a matter of great contention with the two boys, especially Steve. They both loved their sister dearly but disliked the fact that she’d always been their parents’ perfect little angel.

“Sorry, Mom,” Steve said, taking the corn from Jared. “Just till tomorrow. The band and I were returning from a gig down south, and I thought I’d make a quick stop up here to say hi to everyone. But I’ve got to be back in the city by Monday to work on our new project.”

“What’s the name of your band again?” their dad asked curiously between mouthfuls.

“Richard Cranium,” Steve mumbled through his roast beef.

Jared tried to suppress a burst of laughter but managed to spew some food out onto his plate, anyway. He covered up the outburst with an ambiguous fit of coughing.

Concerned, his mother asked, “Are you okay, honey?”

“I’m fine,” Jared said gruffly. He drained his glass. “Just went down the wrong tube.”

His dad glared at him, unconvinced, then turned his piercing gaze on Steve. His eyes bored intensely into him as if they would burn right through him.

“Do you think that I am stupid?” he asked evenly, his voice not betraying the obvious anger that he felt. “You may think that I am too old or Christian to get the joke, but I have news for you, I do.”

The room went silent, Jared and his mother not daring to interfere with the running conflict between Steve and his father. Steve shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“It’s just a name, Dad,” he finally said. “What does it matter anyway?”

“What does it matter? Don’t you think that you are talented enough not to have to resort to such vulgar and obviously childish antics?”

“Dad, it’s just a name!” Steve snapped. “I’m sorry that you don’t approve of it, but we are not a Christian band, you know, and Richard Cranium is just as good a name as any other!”

His dad huffed, rolling his eyes. “That’s not what I am saying, Steve! Why do you always react to everything I say as if I am judging you?”

“Because you always are,” Steve growled back. “Nothing I ever do is good enough for you. When I was a kid and I grew my hair long, you didn’t approve. I was a heathen when I moved to the city and started singing in bars, and now the name of my band is offensive to you. So, tell me, Dad, why would I think you are judging me? Huh? Why?”

His father fell silent and the reticence only added to the tension in the room. Jared and his mother picked at their food, occasionally glancing up at each other, hoping the fight would end soon.

Neither of them had seen the two go this far before. Steve usually did an adequate job of holding his tongue and his father tried to avoid any deep confrontations. Tonight, however, the strain that had been brewing over the last few years finally exploded.

“It’s not that I think you are a heathen, Steve.