Page 49 of Between Brothers

“Power? What fucking power? Are you guys smoking meth or something? Is that what this is? When's the last time you slept?”

“I wish I knew the last time I slept. It was probably the night you busted my balls. The night that I came home. And, no. I don’t do meth.”

“Call my brother.”

“What?”

“Call my brother. If Kingston and Birdman are out to do something to him, then you need to warn him. It’s the only way my dad doesn’t kill you right along with those two clowns when he finds out about this.”

The way she spoke almost made it sound like I was her hostage. Not that she was mine, I wasn’t holding her hostage…

Was I?

I had kind of abducted her.

Shit.

I couldn’t let her go. She’d go to the cops, or worse, her father.

How did I end up the bad guy in this bullshit?

“I just need you to sit still while I figure this shit out, okay? I need you not to react, because if you do, someone is going to get hurt. I can’t handle this many dumpster fires at once.” I pulled my phone out, popped the sticky keys out of the ignition and started toward the house.

“Wait,” she called, hurrying after me.

I ignored her, each unanswered ring made it a little easier to do.

“Come on, Paxton,” I huffed under my breath.

“Give me my keys!” she screeched, before barreling the last few steps toward me and launching herself onto my back.

She caught me with a series of poorly-thrown punches, or maybe she meant to beat me with the side of her hand.

I whirled in a circle trying to shake her off or at least get her to stop drumming my eye socket and nose.

“What in the world is going on? Roy?” my mother screeched, having frantically made her way to the porch.

“Yeah.” Kennedy huffed, catching my upper lip with a knuckle, “Fucking tell her what’s going on, Roy. Tell her how you kidnapped me. How you meant to kill me. Tell her! Fucking tell her.”

She was hysterical, and my throat burned beneath the trail of her fingers. Everything was going on at once, and I just needed it to stop.

“Please,” I warned, but she just kept on fighting.

I slung her off of me, and the ground caught her with a thud. The sick sound of her gasping for air instantly made me regret it.

“Fuck. Kennedy!” I collapsed beside her and hefted her up into a sitting position.

She was pale, her respirations deep and wheezy.

I’d had the wind knocked out of me a few times, so I knew the hell she was in.

“You’re okay. You’re okay, just breathe in through the nose…” I coached.

“What is going on?” my mother roared, finally making it down the stairs.

“It’s fine. We’re fine” I reassured everyone.

Kennedy closed her eyes tight, but the tears still leaked out.