My eyes locked onto the Zippo Humphrey was fidgeting with, and my vision went red.
That lighter was a gift Beverly had hunted down across every corner of the internet for our fifth anniversary.
"What's the matter, Thaddeus? Eyes all bloodshot. Can't handle losing?" Joe Whitney, sitting to my left, tossed out a tile with a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.
I drew a long breath and forced the murderous rage back down into my gut.
You bastards. You eat my food, drink my liquor, and I treated you like real brothers. And this whole time you've been laughing behind my back?
And Beverly. I handed over every paycheck, every single month. Had to beg for permission just to buy a pack of cigarettes. She claimed she was a germaphobe, barely let me touch her. Meanwhile she'd been sleeping around with God knows how many men?
"Steady, boy!" Great-Grandfather's voice cut through. "Two of these lowlifes just landed major construction contracts, and the third hit a lottery jackpot. Their luck is at its absolute peak right now."
"You can always find another wife. But fortune like this? If you don't siphon it off tonight, the chance is gone forever!"