Jaden shuts the door behind her with a loud thud. She’d been crying, sobbing. What am I supposed to do? Go after her? I turn to go after her, but stop. I don’t know what to say to her. She doesn’t tell me anything when I ask. Growling, I roll my neck and grab my keys. I have to be at the garage in fifteen minutes. I don't have time to babysit some eighteen-year-old spoiled brat.
Locking the door, I take the steps two at a time. My pickup is parked at the other end. It looks ridiculous with all of the expensive cars surrounding it. It’s rusted, beat-up, and old. But it's mine and she's been through it all with me. I bought it with my first job mowing grass when I was fifteen, and I worked hard to get her running. Those are the best vehicles, the old ones that purr when you start the engine, and take time to warm up. The ones that you have to fix with your own hands.
I race toward her, sliding against the gravel, sling the door open, and burn rubber out of the parking lot.
The gate guard gives me a go to hell look as I leave. I raise my hand out of the window and wave at him. He secretly loves it. Digging through my shirt pocket, I pull out a cigarette and light it. I take a slow, much-needed drag. Old habits die hard.
The drive to work only takes about ten minutes. It’s just up the road from our complex. I pull in with a few minutes to spare. Standing outside, I take one last drag and stomp the butt out.
Dan is on the phone when I walk in. He has that annoyed scowl on his face. You can barely see it from underneath his handlebar mustache. It doesn't take much to put Dan in a mood, so I don't pay much mind to it.Two young girls stand at the counter. One, the brunette, keeps tapping her cell, checking it every time a notification comes in. I imagine it's TikTok or one of those other ridiculous time wasting apps. The redhead is staring Dan down as if she hopes he bursts into flames. It seems as if it’s the year of the rich Barbie's—they’re everywhere.
The brunette twirls her finger around her hair and lets out an annoyed sigh. Dan gives me a help me stare and jabs his finger over his shoulder toward the girls. Sighing, I open the swinging door and walk up to the counter. “What can I help you two ladies with?”
“Finally,” the redhead says.
The brunette lifts her finger to the other girl and turns back to me with a smile. “Yes, I need my oil changed. It’s the silver Lexus outside.”
Of course it is.
“Okay, I’ll have someone pull the car around. It should be,” I check the list, “about thirty minutes. Is that okay, kid?”
She pops her gum loudly and flutters her eyelashes. “Thank you, sir,” she purrs. She twitches off toward a seat in the lobby. They turn toward each other and start whispering in one another’s ears. Until their phones draw their attention, and all I hear is the sound of nails clicking.
“Those telemarketers won’t stop calling. If they’d give me a break, I might could get caught up on these books,” Dan grumbles, slamming his clipboard down before pulling out his glasses and looking down.
I roll my eyes. Having more time would only give Dan more time to screw up the books. He can’t keep track of anything.
“What we got?” he asks.
He scans the list with squinted eyes.
“Oil change,” I say.
Turning, he runs his fingers through his graying hair. He’s an old guy, but the best one in the world. He gave me this job even after looking at my rap sheet. I haven’t been … picture perfect my entire life. I’m not even there now.
“You want to get started on it for me? Johnny is late.”
“Again?”
He shrugs. “Just go, Cade. Don’t start.”
I shoo him away and gather my things.
“Did you see her cry?” the redhead says. “She ran out of class so fast, I don't even feel sorry for her. She's eighteen and needs to stop crying about everything."
“I know. She’s been like that forever. Such a crybaby,” the brunette says, acid lacing her voice.
“The only good thing about her is her hot brother. Adam. I don't understand how they're related to be honest. You know Adam slept with my sister last year, she said it was better than she imagined. Maybe, I'll try to make it to one of their parties, I hear they host a few a semester."
"Ewe, isn't that gross? Sleeping with the same guy your sister slept with?"
The brunette rolled her eyes. "It's not like he's putting it in at the time that was an entire year ago." The red-head shrugs but makes a disgusted face. When she looks up, she catches me staring at her. "I think he’s looking at us,” she whispers.
I turn before she gets the idea I’d actually consider her. Adam? They’re talking about Jaden.
I grab a wrench and try to listen, but they’re already talking about my tattoos. She ran out of her class today? Did they make her cry?
“Cade,” Dan yells.
“Coming.”
***I clock out at eight. I worked John’s shift for him today and spent my break at the gas station next-door, scarfing down a burnt corndog and fries. My muscles ache, I smell like oil, and my hands are so dark I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get this grease completely off me.“See you later, kid,” Dan yells from the opened lobby door.
I give him a nod and shut the driver’s side door of my truck. My baby purrs when I turn her on, and my fingers lace around her leather steering wheel.
The clock on the dash flashes eight fifteen. I need to get home, eat something, do my homework, and go to bed. But I don’t.
I put the car into reverse and head out of the parking lot. I stop and get some groceries on the way home and start to my mother’s house. My mother’s house—my childhood home—is located in a bad part of town, past the railroad tracks and stuck behind two abandoned houses. I don't even think it was anything to look at when it was first built. It's small, with 1960's tile flooring and faded off-white walls.
With Dad bailing when I was six, Mom couldn’t afford anything better. And when she started doing crack, she couldn’t even afford this. No bills were paid unless I paid them, which I did with stolen cash from school, until I was old enough to work. Then I earned it.
My mom’s old rusted firebird sits in the gravel driveway. Stray weeds grow around the tires. It doesn’t look like it’s been touched in a week.
All the lights are off, but she never has them on. Saves electricity she says, but it’s really, because it hurts her eyes when she’s blowed. And she’s always blowed.
Getting out, I grab the groceries I bought and lock my doors. The porch squeaks under my feet, and a stray cat scurries toward the dead bushes in front of the house. Opening the door, the smell almost knocks me over. She hasn’t cleaned in weeks—months. Who am I kidding? Probably years. Anger rushes through me, but I push it back. Getting angry with her doesn’t help; she closes up and recoils into her shell.
I push all the garbage lying on the floor out of the way with my boot so I don’t fall, like last time. “Mom?” I yell.
Nothing.
“Mom!”
Nothing.
I drop the groceries and flip on each light as I make my way through the house. The only reason the lights work is because I pay the bill each month. When I get to her bedroom, I flip on the light and see her on the bed. She holds her hand up to block the light and narrows her gaze.
“Turn that light off, Cade,” she hisses through her teeth, which look like she hasn’t brushed them in weeks.
I glance around the room. Her TV is playing lightly. Tissues, clothes, and a needle lie on her bed. She catches my gaze and throws the covers over the needle. “Can you turn the light off?” she snaps again. I walk toward her and stop abruptly in front of her bed.
“No, I won’t. Stop smoking crack, or shooting up whatever, and it won’t bother you. Do you need anything? Besides a bath? A trip to rehab, maybe?"
She jerks her head like she’s been slapped. Her thin fingers run into her faded blond hair. It leaves a grease mark against her face. God, when is the last time she’s looked at herself?
“Don’t talk to me like that. I’m your mother, Cade.”
“Could have fooled me,” I say, picking up her dirty clothes and putting them into the hamper. I’ll wash them because I know she won’t. She watches me, and tears burst from her eyes.
Dang it. I drop her clothes and take her in my arms. “I’m sorry, Momma. Look, if you would just go to the rehab center you could—”
“No,” she says, pushing away. She crawls to the headboard and watches me through hooded eyes. “I’m not going to that effing place. I’m fine, Cade. I just need a couple more weeks, and I’ll be all better.” She twitches, scratching at her scalp. “Just give me a few weeks,” she mumbles, lying against her pillow. “Just a few more weeks.”
***“Just a few more weeks, Damien !” my mother screamed at my dad. She was hunched down in the middle of her bed, cradling her head in her hands. She looked like a scared child. Not like the other moms. They looked nice. Smelled nice. Mom cried a lot more, too.My hands were wrapped around a Ninja Turtle headband, while I stood at the doorway of my room. I watched as my dad walked back and forth between the door and their bed. “I’ve heard it before, Stephanie. I’ve heard it, and I’m sick of it. It’s always ‘a few more weeks,’ or ‘I promise I’ll get clean,’ but it never happens.”
Dad looked like a giant compared to Mom. I always wanted to grow up to be like him. Then it all vanished just as quickly as it started.
“I swear, Damien. I’m serious this time, please! I can’t take care of Cade by myself. I can’t afford it.”
Dad gripped his hair and pulled. “Because you spend it all on drugs, Stephanie. That’s why you can’t. It’s your own fault. I’m sick of living like this. Look at yourself! When is the last time you took a bath, huh?”
Mom sobbed louder and fell onto the bed, cradling the pillow to her face. Her sobs turned even louder as my dad grabbed his bag sitting by the door and slung it over his shoulder. “I loved you, Stephanie. I truly did, but I can’t take this anymore. I can’t take the torment of not knowing if you’ll live another day. I’m sorry … I have to leave.”
My mother shot up out of the bed, slamming her fists against his chest, and he let her. He watched as she beat him with her balled-up hands. After a few minutes, she dropped to the ground, holding her head.
Dad didn’t say anything as he passed by me, or when he stopped at the door. He just stood and stared, and then he turned and left.
***Anger runs through me, and I fight the urge to throw something. Instead, I grab her clothes. “Eat something tonight. I brought you chili. I’ll be back in a couple of days with fresh clothes. I love you, Momma.”She sniffles, looking at me like a scared Chihuahua. Shaking, hunched over, and crying. “Thank you, Cade. I love you, baby. Everything is going to be okay.”
Everything is going to be okay? I can’t even remember how many times I’ve heard her say that. I see red. Everything is blood red. Why is this happening? God, I just want to slap some sense into her. I begged for days, weeks, for her to go to rehab. She does the same thing each time and it breaks my heart more and more every minute.
If I can just get her back to normal. Bring her back to life; I may have a chance at saving our family.I pull into Smiley’s and park my car at one of the front parking spaces. The lot is dead since it’s the middle of the week.
My forehead hits the steering wheel, and I screw my eyes shut. I know I need to go straight home. Straight into my bed, with a good night’s sleep. But just one drink won’t hurt, right?
Yeah, just one drink.
I’m wasted. My vision is blurry, my feet won’t stay still. Am I even moving them? I’m laughing hysterically at something, but I have no idea what it is. I had one too many beers tonight and my body feels numb. A great pain-free numb. It's a relief from the weight I carry around normally. My phone keeps vibrating in my pocket, but I press the ignore button. Or at least I think I do. Whoever it is can wait. My keys drop from my hand, and I stoop down to scoop them up. The bouncer yells something at me, but I wave as I get into my pickup and start the engine. I just need to get back to my apartment and go to sleep. I’m going to feel this tomorrow. I maybe young, but I'm not eighteen fresh out of college young anymore. Plus I can't remember the last time I drank like this. So this is what it feels like to get another year older. I take the back road toward the apartment building and drive ten miles per hour. I don’t have a death wish. I concentr
“Can I please just switch to another class?” God, I’m groveling like a child. My advisor is glaring at her computer over her coke-bottle glasses. Her mousy hair pulled back with a bright purple ’90s hairband. “Ms. Baker, there isn’t anything I can do. You need Intro to Journalism as an elective, and it is offered at another time but not one that fits your schedule. Unless you want to rearrange your entire schedule. But I advise against that.” She blows her bangs up, placing her interlaced fingers on the desk. I have to get out of that class. It may just be a semester, but I’d do anything to avoid Satan for a semester. I hate myself for even considering it, but I say it anyway. “What if I change my major?” Mrs. Kate’s does little to hide the shock on her face. Shame hits me like a hammer to the chest and I drop my eyes down to my lap. How pathetic am I? I would change my entire life's plan to avoid Selena. The fear she’s created inside of me w
“I can’t come get you today. Eric is having surgery on his collarbone. Darn boy went and broke it in football. I wish I had girls,” Nancy sighs. Hearing her voice almost sends me into a fit of tears. “It’s okay, Nancy. I’ll get someone to take me.” “How are things?” “Okay,” I lie. “Did you forget who you were talking to, girlie?” I smile into the phone and sit on the edge of my bed, watching my feet sway over the carpet. I know she knows me better than anyone. I've never been a good liar anyway. “I love my room,” I change the subject. “I knew you would. It took me five stores to find that Paris picture.” I glance above my desk at the huge Eiffel tower. “It’s gorgeous. I can’t wait to go. I’ve almost saved enough from taking out tiny portions from my allowance from Dad. I’m thinking summer in Paris.” Alone. All alone. Alone in Paris. Those words do not fit together, and make me feel even more alone than before. She laugh
There are at least fifty people crammed into our apartment. Probably more. Will wraps his arm around my waist, guiding me toward the kitchen. My brother is standing in front of the keg, helping hold a guy upside down. They’re all shouting Chug! Chug! Chug! When Adam drops him, he stumbles against the cabinet and laughs hysterically. It's straight out of some lame college movie. “Hey! There’s my sister! My sister is here!” Adam screams, running toward me and pulling me to his side. “You having fun?” he screams over the music, leaning down to my ear. The smell of alcohol on his breath hits me hard, and I push against his chest. “Get your nasty beer breath off of me.” Will laughs and wraps his arm around my shoulder, pushing Adam out of the way. Adam doesn’t even think twice before jumping back over to the keg. I know he’s drunk if he’s letting Will put his arm around me. But I don’t think about it. My second drink is starting to make
Something feels off. I’m in a bed, but not my bed. The white sheets are bunched around my waist, and someone is pressed tightly against me. A tight, round ass from what I can tell. Opening one eye, I see Paris and London … and definitely not my room. Suddenly I’m awake, sitting up, and staring down at Jaden. She’s pressed against me, one tanned leg sticking out of the covers and one arm hanging over the side of her bed. Everything from last night swarms back. Will got her drunk and was carrying her to bed. Like some kind of knight in shining armor. But I know better. It took some talking, but I got him to leave. Then she asked for him, and I could have thrown him out the window. Jesus, did I really kiss her thigh? Seeing him touch her made me mad. We can’t touch Adam’s little sister like that. And that’s the only thing I think about when I’m around her. I know I’m on thin ice with her but I want her. I tell Will to back off, b
My palms sweat against the kitchen table. The breakfast I made is now on all three roommates’ plates, but my own hasn’t been touched. “You not going to eat?” Will asks from across the table. He gives me his best bedroom smile. Placing his fork into his mouth, he pulls it out slowly, keeping his eyes on me. It makes me want to barf. “Not very hungry,” I say. A snort comes from the kitchen. Cade smiles as he leans against the cabinet, ankles crossed while shoveling food into his mouth. It would disgust me if he didn’t have that tight shirt on, which grips his biceps. “Or because you may throw it up like last week.” Adam lifts his head and furrows his dark brow. “You threw up?” I give Cade my best go to hell look. “I was just nervous.” Adam leans closer to me. “Have you had any more symptoms? The medication. Ya know—” “No,” I say, standing and grabbing my plate. I feel Will and Cade staring at me. “I haven’
The old man gave the girl a job. She could have gotten a job anywhere and it just had to be at Dan’s. Like I need anymore temptation. I roll the sleeves of my shirt to my elbows and tuck the hem deep into my pants. The sound of her blow dryer is loud from the next room over, but not as loud as her screams from last night. I didn’t know what was going on, but before I could rush to her room to see if someone had broken in, I realized it was a nightmare. Just to be sure, I looked through the slit in her door. She thrased around in her sheets, swinging her arms wildly like someone chased her. My fingers wrapped around the knob, and I thought about going inside, but I wasn't sure how she'd react to having someone wake her. A few seconds later, she sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes and wiping away stray tears. My heart thumped at the sight of her so vunerable. It wasn't that she didn't wear her feelings on her sleeves already, but th
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t stoked about my job. It’s easy, and it’s going to get me a car. My own car. It’s all I’ve been able to think about all day. I pull open my laptop and flop down on my bed, sending my feet into my dresser drawer. Ooof. I grab my toe and squeeze. My gaze drops to what I hit, and my pill bottle is lying on the floor. I have an appointment tomorrow but I don’t think I’m going to mention it. It’s not that I think I’m better because I’m not. But I take my pills religiously and I know that sitting in that room isn’t helping me. I wouldn’t be surprised if sitting in that room didn’t worsen my depression. Before I change my mind, I crawl back onto my bed and pull up F******k. A loud thud sounds from Cade’s room and a stream of cuss words fill the house. I try not to laugh too loud. That’s what he gets! The way he sounded disgusted that his mother thought we were dating. It hurt worse than I wanted to admit. I st
Jaden hops down from the cabinet and scoops her finger into the cake icing and licks it. I'm immeditely ready to bend her over the sink and have my way with her. She screams when I pick her up and carry her toward our bedroom. But I stop when someone knocks on the front door. "Someone is looking out for you," I mumble. She giggles and waits for me to answer the door. Adam is standing on the other side. He looks good, like a different person from the last time I saw him. It's only been a few months, but it feels like years. "Hey. Can I come in?" he asks. I open the door wider and let him inside. Jaden comes running out a few minutes later, and stops cold. Her gaze moves from his to mine. I can't read her face. "Jaden," Adam says. "I wanted to come over and talk to you about ... everything." She plays with a string on the end of her cutoff jean shorts. "Okay, yeah." Adam sits down on the edg
Cade has been asleep for over ten hours. He's beaten down and tired. His knuckles are bloody and he looks like a corpse. I had no idea of Cade's plans to catch Dan. But I was glad he came out alive, and it was over. Although, by the look on his face the night before, I wasn't sure it was over. He looked haunted. The tears on his face surprised me. What all had he kept inside of himself for all these years? I cook us breakfast, and bring it to him in bed the next morning. He stirs for a moment before sitting up and rubbing the palm of his hand against his eyes. His dark gaze meets mine and I swallow my anxiety. "Good morning," I say. "I made us breakfast." "Do you need a ride to school?" "I wrote my teachers and told them I was sick. I'll be out this week." He scoots up and brings the tray onto his lap. "You don't have to watch me like I'm a kid, Jaden. I'll be fine." I shrug. "I want to be here w
Johnny shuts his office door and gestures for me to take a seat. It's been one hell of a week to say the least. After everything Jaden dropped on me the day before, I couldn't drag her into this anymore. She's been through enough, so I decided to drop her off at school and talk to Johnny alone. He sits down across from me. "It was a good idea to leave Jaden behind. She's a great girl, but I would hate myself if something happened to her." "Me too. I'm already beating myself up because she was kidnapped by my own dad. She's been through a lot ... and she doesn't need anything else on her." Johnny leans forward. "Are you sure you want to do this, Cade? Dan is going to be cornered and I don't know how he will respond." I run my palm down my face and then pick at a random string on my jeans. "I'm sure. I need to find out why he is doing this." "I had to pull some major strings to get you approved to do this. You're really okay
I don't want to do this, but Cade is on a mission, and I'm beginning to think it's a suicidal one. I've never seen someone so determined to find a person that could kill them. Johnny follows behind us in an undercover SUV, while I'm led blindly into the lion's den. Cade's fingers tighten around the steering wheel, and I trace his tattoos with my gaze. How I would love to just have some alone time with him, without all our problems looming over us. "What are you going to do when we get there, Cade?" I ask, trying to keep my irritation out of my voice. I don't want to be mad at him, because I know it's important, but I want to be finished with this. Cade glances over at me. "I'm going to walk in, ask for Henry, and make him tell me." "Okay," I say. "What about after that? Are you going to chase down some criminal?" He reaches over and runs his fingers against my thigh. "What's the matter, Jaden?" I hold back my emotions and my b
I press my mouth against Jaden's forehead, and close my eyes. And to think, I thought she had drama when we first got together. This has taken us both down a rabbit hole that is slowly sucking the life out of me. I want this to be finished, but it can't until I take down Dan. To think I've been working for my uncle this entire time, and for him to wear a mask every day, and me not ever see him slip? It feels unreal to me. Jaden shoves against my chest with her palms, and looks at me. The crap I've put this girl through makes my stomach sick. My own dad took her for ransom, which tells me that Dan and Dad are into more than just pimping out women, they sell drugs. And I know who I need to talk to—Adam. That's if I can get to him. Someone bangs on the door thirty minutes after we get home. Jaden gets up, and gives me a look over her shoulder when she looks through the peep hole. "It's my dad." I gesture for her to open the door.
The warehouse is set back from the main road, hidden underneath shrubbery and years of overgrowth. The wind rattles the doors against the side of the building, and it sends chills up my spine. The windows are far gone with ripped plastic swaying from where someone tried to patch them up. It looks like an abandoned packaging plant with rusted equipment and aged boxes littering the concrete floor. Damien forces me into the threshold and ushers me toward a chilled metal chair. I sit down, watching as he makes himself comfortable on top of a conveyor belt, and takes out his cell phone. After several silent minutes, he glances up at me. "I’m calling your Dad. I'll ask for my money, and you'll confirm I have you with me, and if you try anything, I'll not only kill you, but I'll knock off that goofy brother of yours. He should be here, not you, but that's not how it happened." Speaking of brothers. I wanted to choke Adam. He caused all of this. Doing drugs? Going in
I've never felt fear like this. My body feels numb, I don't know what to think—what to do—and my head is spinning. When Johnny rolls up with three other officers, I don't feel relieved, because we have nothing to go on. I've texted her twice, and I do it again when Johnny pulls up. He eyes my cell phone. "Are you texting her?" I nod. He takes my phone and curses while he scrolls through them. "Don't text her again. Whoever has her can intercept the messages, Cade. Now they know we're onto them." I'm so stupid. But I'm not thinking clearly. My Jaden is in trouble. I hate myself for getting her into this mess. Angry tears threaten my eyes, and I turn and hit the side of the building until I see blood smeared against the siding. Johnny grabs my shoulders and turns me around. "Calm down. We traced the signal of her cell phone to the garage, but it went dead. I'm sure they left it. That means whoever it is knows thei
The sound of crickets wake me. It's too loud for it to be from outside, and it shakes me to the bone. A door or window must be open, and I can't imagine why Cade would do that in the middle of the night. I reach over to feel for him, but he isn't there. I swallow my insecurities and sit up on my elbows, giving my eyes time to adjust to the room. Nothing stands out at first, and I feel myself relax. I slide my feet from the covers, and tiptoe toward the light. I flip the switch and walk to the kitchen. "Cade?" I say. No one answers. I swallow my nerves, and walk back to the bedroom to check in the bathroom. He isn't in there either. I walk back into our room, searching for my phone in the covers, and catch a glimpse of movement in the mirror beside our bed. A sound I've never made releases from me, and I turn around in time for something to cover my face. Survival kicks in, and I swing my arms wildly, kicking and screaming, but my voice is muffled.
I trace Jaden's perfect form from underneath the thin sheet in our bed. I haven't been able to close my eyes since we crawled under the covers an hour ago. My mind races with scenarios. Is Dan really behind this? Johnny? I don't want to believe he could do something like this. Why? What does he get out of it? He lives in an average house with an average truck. I can't image it being money, unless he stashes it away for a rainy day. I groan, throw the covers off me, and walk to the kitchen. The clock reads eleven pm, and I listen as I sip my water at the thin hand counting down the seconds. The idea of going back to bed fades from my grasp, and I find myself getting dressed and putting on a pair of boots. I leave Jaden asleep in the bed where she needs to be. I feel safe knowing she doesn't have a way to leave the house in case she does wake up, which she probably won't, since she sleeps like the dead. I drive toward Dan's house, drummin