Page 15 of A Million To Fall

He bends forward, cocking his head to make eye contact with me. “When I’m done with you, I’ll make sure your mom pays up. My boys are going to have a great fucking time tonight.”

Ice floods my veins. “No—”

His fist cracks against my jaw, eliciting a loud pop followed by a high-pitched ringing in my ears.

Eddie doesn’t even look winded. “Still running your mouth, Boston?”

He nods to the guys holding me. They grip my arms tighter, their fingers digging into my biceps until they burn. Eddie knees me in the stomach.

He goes on like this, kicking and punching me with no end in sight.

I can’t tell how much time passes—if I’m standing or floating.

My body isn’t mine anymore. I’m just something they’re holding up like a ragdoll.

Blood runs down my face, drips from my nose and mouth onto the carpet.

I try to keep my eyes open, to stay conscious. I’m afraid of what’ll happen if I pass out. What they’ll do to my mom. My siblings.

Eddie grabs my hair and jerks my head up. My left eye won’t open.

“What do you say, Boston?” He studies my face, chuckling. “Had enough for tonight?”

He swings again.

And everything goes black.

nine

Boston

“Boss?”

Cassie’s voice seeps through the dark like a whisper.

I try to open my eyes.

But I can’t.

I’m sinking.

Heavy-limbed yet weightless, floating in black.

Her voice fades.

And the silence swallows me whole.

“Boston, please open your eyes.”

My mom. She’s far away.

My body feels poured from concrete. Too heavy to move.

“God, what did you do?” she sobs.

Warmth brushes my cheek. Her hand, maybe. My skin there is stretched too tight. Raw. Everything hurts.

I try to speak, to tell her something. Anything.