Chapter 28

Rose slammed her apartment door. The painting next to the door rattled and fell to the floor.

“Don’t break it. You’re just a renter.” The sarcastic comment came from a man slouched on the couch across the room. “So, your little scheme didn’t pan out, sis?” He took the channel changer and began surfing through the programs. “Nothing you do ever works out, does it? The Tools of God, right! More like the blunder of the century.”

“Shut up, you imbecile. It’s not over ’til it’s over.” She threw her purse against the floor and stomped into the small galley kitchen. “I don’t care what I have to do to bring back our family honor. This is only round one. And just what are you doing to get our family business back on its feet? Huh? You haven’t gotten off that couch for three days, and Zede has about had it with you.” She shot her brother a dirty look, then frowned at her kitchen. Dishes covered the counter and a half-eaten bowl of cereal sat in the sink. “Why don’t you get your lazy ass up and get a job? The guys that belong to the Tools of God do real work. They don’t sit around hoping something will happen, or depending on a woman to do the heavy work.”

She threw the cereal bowl at him and stomped into her bedroom.