Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
I hated this scene. For the past two years, I’d sold drugs off and on at clubs, and I couldn’t separate partying from working. The first time I sold drugs for Marco, I was only fifteen years old. I met him through Joe. He used to come by the house when I was a kid. Sometimes he’d stay and party with my parents for days on end. Other times, he was there to collect money. They’d run up their tab until he tracked them down.
Unfortunately, he was only one of several numbers on their speed dial. It was how I figured out he was one of their dealers. After you had a few threatening people pound on your front door a couple of times, shoving demands in your parents’ faces, you’d want to know who you were dealing with, too. It was safer that way.
I’d take Kraven into my bedroom, lock the door, and throw headphones on him. One of the most traumatic memories returned in a rush, triggering a shiver down my spine.
“You worthless piece of shi—”
“Kraven, guess what?” I distracted him from what was happening in our living room.
“What?” He smiled.
His front tooth was missing. He’d lost it that morning. I made a mental note to leave the cookie I stashed from the lunchroom in my backpack under his pillow from the tooth fairy tonight.
My parents were about to haul ass, leaving us to fend for ourselves. They’d have to go into hiding for a few days. If they owed this guy money, they had others who’d come barreling through our lives soon. CPS wasn’t far behind.
Our parents were in active addiction right now. We didn’t stand a chance against that. We never did.
“The tooth fairy is coming tonight,” I lied to Kraven, making him roll his eyes at me.
“She’s not real.”
“She is.”
“No, she’s not. I’m not dumb.”
“Kraven,” I said with a stern tone. “I’ve seen her.”
He eyed me skeptically as Dad shouted, “Get the fuck out of my house!”
A man yelled, “You pay me what you owe me, or I’m going to break your fucking legs!”
I hadn’t seen this guy before. Ignoring the rambling and thrashing through the thin walls, I spent the next minute trying to distract Kraven as best as I could, but it didn’t matter this time.
Someone must have called the cops.
One second, I’m silently praying this wouldn’t escalate, and the next, I ordered, “Kraven, run!”
My bedroom door kicked open, and all hell broke loose.
The cop announced, “They’re in here! We got two of them!”
“Kraven! Go! Run!” I charged the officer, wanting him to get a head start.
We couldn’t be split up again. We just got our family back together.
What a joke…
Kraven didn’t move an inch, his feet glued to the floor beneath him. Watching the scene unfold in front of his fearful eyes, we witnessed yet another one of our worst nightmares happen all over again.
“Julius!” Kraven screamed bloody murder as the officer held me back.
My body turned inside out, waiting for the man who’d appear next.
I tried to fight off the cop, but it was no use. Once I caught sight of the black SUV through my window, I knew it was over.
I hated that car.
Except it wasn’t just one this time.
It was two.
Which only meant one thing.
We’d immediately be split up.
“NO!” I yelled with everything inside me. “You can’t do this again! Please!”
I instantly thrashed my body back and forth and all around. Faster and faster. I felt like I was about to snap in half.
“It’s okay. We’re here to help you,” the officer restraining me reasoned.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My chest is caving in on me. The expression on Kraven’s face was one I’d never forget. My eyes slowly moved toward the door, seeing not one but two large men enter my bedroom, along with two caseworkers I’d never seen following close behind. I recognized their demeanor. They were all the same.
Kraven and I locked eyes, and he knew exactly what was happening.
“NO!” he shouted, skidding to his knees to throw his arms around my waist.
“Grab him!” the woman ordered, and the men went right to work.
Kraven kicked.
He fought.
He fell apart.
“Don’t take me away from my brother! Please don’t take me away from him again! I’ll be a good boy! I promise I’ll be the best boy! I won’t get in trouble anymore!”
Tears filled my eyes as I watched him get taken away.
“Julius, please! You promised! You promised me this wouldn’t happen again! I can’t go back there! I hate that place! I hate those people! The bed sucks, and the food does too!”
He was referring to the group home, which was where they’d take us first. We weren’t babies. We were older. It’d be harder to place us and definitely not together.
I had no control over my emotions and was hitting, punching, and pushing the officer. My body throbbed, my heart pounded, and my head started getting dizzy the more I put up a fight.