Page 72 of Risking it All

Dad laughed. I wasn’t joking.

“Eric’s loaning it to me. He wants to make sure I have reliable transportation.”

What was this going to cost us? “Could you have bartered down the amount you owe Eric instead?”

“Eric’s trying to help, Relic,” Dad said like he was tired of me and my attitude. Like he had any right to be. But I’d been tired of Dad since I was in fourth grade, so as far as I was concerned, my attitude had nothing but time. “He said you and Lyra could drive it, too. He even put a booster seat in the back for Camila.”

That was Eric, concerned about the safety of minors and upholding state laws. Seeing me unmoved, Dad turned off the car, got out, and stood in front of me. “What does Eric have to do for you to see he wants nothing more than to help this family? To help you?”

Help us? He wanted to own us. As I opened my mouth to argue, a glint of light caught my attention, Dad’s too, and as I took in the car rolling toward us with the windows powering down, Dad yelled out, “Get down!”

Camila.Her name was the painful beat of my heart, and as I went to run for her, Dad tackled me to the ground, covering his body with mine. I fought to get out from underneath him, screaming my sister’s name. Two gunshots, both deafening, bothcreating an agonizing fear that tore my soul apart, and then the squeal of tires as the car peeled out and sped away. The ice cream truck took off right behind.

I kicked Dad off me, scrambled across the yard, falling twice as I moved too quickly for my legs to keep up with my brain and watched as Marsh pulled himself off of Camila. He had shielded her with his body, and at the sight of me, she burst into tears.

Gathering her into my arms, I hugged her close, possibly pressing the air out of her, but I had to make sure she was safe, alive. She shook as she strangled my neck, as she held me tight, her tears hot against my skin.

“Are you okay?” I asked, and when she didn’t respond beyond more tears, I forced her back and tried to look at her entire body at once. No blood. Not believing what I was seeing, I checked her over again and again and again.

“Are you okay?” I pushed, but she only cried harder.

“She’s scared,” Marsh said. “But I got her covered.”

Camila forced herself back into my arms and buried her face in the crook of my neck. I cupped the back of her head and kissed her temple. “It’s okay. We’re okay. Everything’s okay.”

But we weren’t and she knew it.

“Warning shots,” Dad said. “They shot straight into the air.” He and Marsh shared a heavy look that pissed me off. I stood, Camila’s tears slid down my neck, and I fought the urge to punch Dad and Marsh in the jaw.

“Which one of you were they shooting at?” I demanded.

“Warning shots,” Dad repeated.

“Fuck that,” I snapped. “Which one?”

Neither of them said anything, and I had my answer—it could be either or both.

“Relic, we’ll tell Eric. He’ll protect us—” Dad started, but I didn’t want his bullshit.

I rounded so quickly on him that he stumbled back. “You stay the fuck away from me, Camila, and Lyra. Don’t you dare come to our apartment again, and don’t you dare go crying to Eric about it either.”

I glanced over at Marsh, and he couldn’t even meet my eyes. “I’m getting you out.” Then I stalked away.

Dad called out, “Where are you going?”

Nowhere. Nowhere but dead if we stayed here.

***

By candlelight and the flashlight on my cell, I gave Camila a bath, sitting by the tub allowing her to play as long as she wanted with her rubber ducks and the plastic mermaids I found at the dollar store for her for Christmas. It was two million degrees in the apartment, so it didn’t matter if her water went cold. Afterwards, I read her as many stories as she wanted, all books we had received for free thanks to her preschool and our local library. I attempted to put her to bed, but she wasn’t having it, and I didn’t blame her. To be honest, my heart couldn’t stand to be separated from her either.

So, I moved the couch near the open windows to help draw in the night air. I lay awake, sweating while she slept on my chest, staring at the ceiling, my mind replaying each and every awful second. She could have died. Camila could have died on bullshit we had nothing to do with.

From the apartment door came the familiar sound of a key sliding into its lock, followed by a distinct click, and I calmly watched as Lyra crept in. Her eyes immediately met mine, and the absolute sadness in them caused a sharp ache in my chest. She knew. How did Lyra already know what happened tonight?

She widened the door, and I wrapped my arms around Camila and sat up as Eric walked in behind her. I didn’t want him in thesame state as my sisters, let alone breathing the same air. Lyra crossed the room, gathered Camila in her arms, and our younger sister stirred just enough to confirm someone she trusted had her before falling back asleep.

“I’ll take her,” Lyra whispered, and she searched my face. “Please, listen and don’t do anything stupid.”

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