Love for hire

a

arch

Nox i

s that we all suspected when we heard, several minutes ag

g the icy cold of winter's lag run throu

the big cedar clock about to go off and strike the famous cu-cu-cu for six o'clock in the evening. For a brief moment, I am almost

, as he bows his head to everyone in the common room of the mansion. Youn

they bow their heads to us and prof

ow my grandfather is no more. Suddenly I am startled by Nathaniel tugging on my trousers; the youngest of all my nephews at only three years old, I

smile and squat down as high

litt

I let out a smile that

Grandpa

jugs and tries to keep his posture upright until he s

back to where he went. -I'm on

ghtly on the shoulder with his little hand a

ply to the air

sure that if there is a heaven, the old man is there,

epeat to myse

he courage to give my all for the one I love, let alone fight beyond a corner or four hands with the odd idiot and my brother. The old man had been married only once and for more than 50 years, suffering the loss of two children and having to raise six unruly gr

because of some illness, it is b

ched man kept

ime when a group of bandits entered the Nox fort outside Montive when he was only sixteen years old and he himself had to take up arms in order to defend his parents and sisters from the looting groups that had formed after the internal war that originated when my great-grandfather came to invade the land and obtain the town's valuable gems. That invasion, according to him, had lasted several days, and he

his that is now so small for me. All my fondest memories are in

the old man's

d narrowing my eyes, and realising that it is indeed him, I rise hastily to face him. But, seeing my intention, Ariatna, one of my younger sisters, steps in my way, placing her hand on my chest to calm me down. On the other side of the room, my twin brother

selves, just for the hel

n one of them you could see more than arrogance this time: the pain

ore respect," I

d and we're not. Someone alive should take

ly no

ed one in the family. You ca

next to him, "is the daily bread. You take after your father, doing the same to your wife as

dictate things. -She takes a moment to study those of us i

ng a silver bowl of food with her. The grandmother looks at Nico with disappointment a

of her dead love. I am amazed at the endurance she has. Losing first her only two children an

w for certain that I am not her favourite. How can people be so contrary? While for my grandfather I was his adoration from the first second of my birth, my grandmother for years couldn't

ico spea

between her six grandchildren. Me (Maxwell Nox), Nicolas, Ariatna, Lisa, Michael and Ronda. Ronda is out of reach because she's eighteen, Michael and Lisa live too far away from home most of the time to be candidates, and Ariatna, well, being a singl

ten and everyone would make amends properly. If one of you two wants the whole of the Nox agency, you have to turn you

g down and shaking hard, for a moment I fear she may fall apart at that instant, but, to my surp

s, I'm sick of seeing Molly suffer like that, she's fabulous. You know that, you must respect her once and for all or let

nowadays for a guy like Nicolas. None of us can understand why she put up with him so much when we were dating and now when we are married

th, Max. I like her a lot for you and I'm

hat Molly and Nico were already together, even though their p

seeing the damage my brot

and committed not only to work, but to life. Therefore, you should find a wife with your visions and qualities, who is aware of the family she will enter and get married next month. I would lo

d, I'm too young and too smart for that. Besides,

dma smiles coaxingly as she winks at me and reaches into

date your friends' g

ll ge

snapped h

intimidating pace. And they're not granddaughters of friends, they're more hard-workin

I did when I was little and fought with

who on this list will be the lucky one

es, I quickly shake my head in

and I speak at

giving us any more time to reply, she w

blood boiling and my desire to smash som

would have happened, why can't you find someone to marry or at least pretend to be in a r

e you except slightly physically and that's already a blessing. On the other hand, you should listen to grandma, Molly is a great woman

amily weakness to throw yourself out

left eye and then in the nose. He does the same after a few seconds with a closed fist on my cheek and then on both sides of my ribs, but not so hard or the adrenaline doesn't let me feel them, which is better for me because I can continue without any problem. It's been a long time since I've been in a fight with anyone, and the build-up of energy now exploding through my body sh

swollen eye, a bleeding mouth and dif

hear Ariatna scr

ody idio

e ones chanti

ight, fig

o continue throwing punches in the air until one or two manage to connect wit

eals once more, afraid to get between t

floor and decide to throw one of the old ashtrays Grandpa used to use at him, not to hit him directly, but just to scare him. Nico stands up startled by how close I came to hitting him, reaching for anyth

t coming until Ariatna's choked voi

hi

ere the grandfather's painting had fallen, had a poker embedded right in the ar

ng them up to my face, r

Asshole. Fuc

that," Ni

o the fireplace and lean over to pull out the painting, not caring abou

out of the house -I say wit

oody barbarians -Grandma

been there, has sh

ore and makes me feel like when I was a

ar Ariatna telling her children to hurry to get out of that place and I see Nico pull grandma out even with the kicks and blows she

Get everyone out of the h

seeing my impassive face, he deci

pocket, with its broken screen and low

or the other end

alf an hour, ask for the keys to my fla

ed, he sent a message to my two

at my flat in