Page 1 of Holidays and Handcuffs

Prologue

Emily

You know how some cars come with a spare tire, only used when the real one goes flat? That’s me.

The backup. The one no one pays attention to unless something goes wrong with the favorite. That’s how it’s always been with Billy and me. He’s the star, the one my parents built their world around. And me? I’m just the insurance policy, the one they keep on hand for when Billy needs saving.

After Billy was born, my parents decided they loved him too much and couldn’t bear anything happening to him, so they decided to have another child through IVF. Me. I had no choice in the matter of course, and still don’t to this day.

I pull my coat tighter around me as the wind picks up, pushing my hair into my face. It’s getting dark, but I’m not ready to go home yet. Not after the phone call I got earlier. Billy’s in trouble—again. I don’t know the kind of trouble that he’s in this time, but I know it involves the police, and my parents haven’t asked me to do anything to save him this time like they always do.

I’ve been “saving” Billy my whole life. Always stepping in, taking the fall for his silly actions, and cleaning up his messes. I’m only twelve, but I carry the weight of making sure my elder brother gets through whatever disaster he gets himself into. At least not this time, because my parents won’t even tell me what it is.

Billy has always lived knowing he has spare organs, blood, tissue…all things that belong to me, though I don’t have rights toany of it. He lives in the fast lane because he knows I’ll be there to fix the damage. He’d get into fights, and now, of course, he’s started hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Last night, I heard Mom whispering to Dad about how they can’t let their precious boy be sent to prison. Dad even said he wishes there was a way to make me take the fall.

Tears pool in my eyes as I think of the fact that my parents won’t hesitate to put me in prison for a crime I didn’t commit just so they can save their golden boy.

Blinking the tears away, I sigh and glance around the street. I should have taken the bus home after my book club, but I couldn’t bring myself to. The longer I stay out, the longer I can avoid the inevitable drama waiting for me at home.

My cell buzzes in my pocket, and I glance at it. It’s my mom again. I already know what she’s going to say, so I ignore the call and keep walking. My feet drag as I head down a narrow alley, my mind spinning with all the things I’m going to face when I get home.

That’s when I hear it. Laughter, rough, loud, and not the good kind. I freeze, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. A group of boys step into view at the other end of the alley. They’re older than me, maybe high schoolers, but it’s hard to tell in the dim light.

“Hey, girl!” one of them calls out, grinning. His friends snicker, and they all start walking toward me.

Panic tightens in my chest. I don’t know what to do. Run? Scream? My feet are glued to the ground, and my heart is pounding in my ears as they close in.

“Where you headed all alone?” another boy asks, his voice low and mocking. They’re close now. Too close.

That’s when I recognize them. William and Richard. They’re seniors at school, friends of Billy’s, and they’ve always found ways to make my life a living hell. They taunt me every chance they get. But the look in their eyes now is something different. Darker. Predatory.

My body finally kicks into action. I turn on my heel, ready to bolt, but I slam straight into something hard, solid, and unmovable. It knocks the breath out of me, and before I can hit the ground, a pair of strong arms catches me, steadying me before I fall.

I’m frozen in fear. It wasn’t a wall. They’ve caught me.

“Please don’t hurt me,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I squeeze my eyes shut. All I can do is beg; my mind is too foggy to think of a better plan.

I hear a grunt from the person holding me, and the hands gripping my shoulders tighten just slightly before loosening, as if to reassure me—but doesn’t make sense. They’re being gentle. Too gentle.

“Hey, we don’t want any trouble with you, man. Just step away,” William’s voice cuts through the air, filled with an unsettling mix of fear and aggression. “Or… you could join in the fun. The more, the merrier.” Richard’s laugh follows, low and dangerous.

It’s then I finally open my eyes, blinking against the sudden rush of adrenaline. My gaze shoots upward, and my breath catches in my throat.

I know him.

Jack Donovan. He’s a senior in my school.

He stands there, towering over me, his broad shoulders casting a shadow over the alley. His grip on my arms is firm butprotective. His deep blue eyes cold, calculating flick from me to the boys who’ve surrounded us.

“Walk away,” Jack’s voice is low, threatening. It’s a command, not a suggestion.

William snickers, though I can hear the unease in his laugh. “Look, man, we don’t want any trouble. We’re just having some fun with her.”

“Fun?” Jack’s voice drops even lower, a warning in every syllable. “You think harassing a girl is fun?”

Without warning, he lunges at William with a speed that takes my breath away, a gasp escaping my lips. His fist connects with William’s jaw in a sickening thud, sending him sprawling to the ground.

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