Free Torn - Part Four (The Torn Series) by Ellen Callahan

day.

CHAPTER 9
     
    I don’t know why it’s so shocking that I knew a bit of basic cooking, but that’s how people reacted when they found out.
     
    That was exactly how Katherine reacted when Riley brought her inside. They found me in the kitchen rubbing down the roast. Katherine’s eyes went wide and she exclaimed, “You can cook?”
     
    I spanked the hunk of meat with a lascivious wink. “I can do lots of things.”
     
    Riley rolled her eyes and laughed.
     
    Surly sat out in the living room with Lockett. And with Jen. The tension in the air was thick, but the theme of the holidays seemed to be getting past our ugly pasts - especially when it came to family. And I considered Surly family. Which meant I’d have to start trying to get along with Jen.
     
    Riley seemed completely unfazed by it. “I have you and I have my sister,” she’d said when I ran it by her, “I’ll be fine.”
     
    Their greeting had been frosty, but Jen was keeping it low key from what I could tell. She sipped on a beer and chatted quietly with Surly and Lockett. She’d even brought cookies. I was willing to accept it as a peace offering.
     
    With Jen came Robin. She proclaimed herself a pro with a knife and set to chopping up the vegetables at record speed.
     
    I’d even invited Tony. I struggled over that decision for several long nights, driving Riley crazy over the phone with lists of reasons that I didn’t want to invite him. She’d listened patiently and let me vent. And then I’d invited him anyway.
     
    It should have been like a gas leak just waiting for a spark, but somehow it was working. Katherine stored her bag away in my room and got pulled into Lockett’s conversation. Tony lurked outside the kitchen, sipping a beer and watching Robin’s samurai chopping skills.
     
    And Riley was with me. “You’re running out of room in the fridge,” she said.
     
    “Maybe if you hadn’t made so many pies…”
     
    “Should I leave them on the fire escape? It’s cold enough out.”
     
    “And let the pigeons have them?”
     
    “Never!”
     
    I’d be so glad when the match was over. I could finally cut back on practice, just a little, and spend more time with her.
     
    I found myself sitting at the head of the table once all the food was out. We’d had to pick up cheap folding tables and chairs from the nearby junk stores but no one seemed to mind the rickety setup - or if they did, they were smart enough to keep their comments to themselves.
     
    “Are we supposed to say grace or something?” Tony asked, looking up and down the table at everyone. Lockett sat at the opposite end, “the other head of the table,” as he’d declared. He only shrugged at Tony.
     
    Performing some prayer or ritual over the food wasn’t my thing, but if someone else wanted to…
     
    “Why don’t we let Surly announce his big news, instead,” Jen said, nudging her brother with her shoulder.
     
    Surly’s eyes flickered toward me. “I got signed,” he said.
     
    I leaned forward, gaping. “For real?” Lockett’s and Tony’s jaws had dropped, too. “Tell me you’re not joking.”
     
    “I’m not joking.” And Surly smiled. Fucking Surly. With a name that described his personality, with an expression that perpetually wore shadows, he smiled.
     
    “When did this happen?” Lockett asked.
     
    “They tracked me down after that fight last month.” The last one we’d done, where the cops had picked us up. Recruiters had been there? I was suddenly even more pissed that my match had been interrupted.
     
    But I was thrilled for my friend. “Shit, man! That’s awesome!”
     
    “What happens now?” Lockett asked. “Do you get a real trainer?”
     
    “Hey,” I protested.
     
    “A real trainer, sorry Mal. Most of their events are down near Atlantic City but their guy is willing to work with me in Hoboken.” That was good - he wouldn’t need to move out of the city to commute there.
     
    “Will you be on