Page 2 of Stay Dangerous

This time, I walked to him with sure steps. I didn’t know if he would ever use his gun on my mother or aunt, or even me.

I just knew my father, the man I looked like, wanted me to come to him, so I did.

“Hold it down for me,” he crooned, squeezing my shoulder with affection. “I’ll be back for you and Fred next weekend.”

I nodded, and his lips twitched.

He turned to walk away, keeping the gun pointed at them. His honeybee was out of the door first, but he stopped to turn to my mother.

“The only way you’ll be rid of me is if you go through with it, cariña. And we both know you won’t. When you’re done having your little tantrum, maybe I’ll come back for you, too.”

As soon as he slammed the door, she broke apart again. Aree comforted her, swearing she’d kill him. Nan pulled out her third cigarette since I walked in.

I just turned around, got Fredo and Ty-Ty out of the closet, and went back to sleep.

Wynter Shaw

HowmanytimeshaveI heard the story of how I came to be?

Too many to fucking count.

It all started with my older sister. Summer Dae Shaw. She got cancer when she was six. The type where you basically are gonna die no matter what, but with a bone marrow transplant, maybe you won’t die so soon.

My parents weren’t matches. Neither were their parents. And being only children from only children, that meant there were no options.

Then, my mom wins the fucking lottery.

And my dad won some jackpot at Tomahawk Casino in East Kenton.

So they find this doctor, pay beaucoup cash, and get inseminated with three fertilized embryos with specialized DNA. Guaranteed matches.

Two of them took. Me, and my sister, Autumn.

I guess, “guaranteed matches” could mean multiple things.

I was a carbon copy of my sister, without the cancer, but I wasn’t a viable bone marrow match.

My sister Autumn was.

So right away, our relationship with our parents was… wonky. Autumn was poked and prodded at the hospital with Mom and Summer.

I was left with Dad. On his lap at the high roller table.

But it didn’t matter, Summer kept getting sicker. She lived in the hospital, with Mom praying she could hold on until Autumn was old enough to give the good stuff.

Pieces of liver.

A kidney.

Shit like that.

Except… we were kids. Human beings with our own thoughts. And even though Autumn was just spare parts, and I was just… here… Summer saw us as her little sisters.

She talked to us. Encouraged us. Gave us a choice.

The last time I saw her, we were eight. Dad dropped me off in her room to go argue with her new doctor.

Autumn was finally big enough for a big surgery. But Summer’s new doctor thought like Summer.