Page 71 of Wicked Sins

Brian catches my sleeve. I rip it out of his hand. “Josiah, stop! Listen to me!”

I’ll fucking kill them.Allof them. They were supposed to make sure she couldn’t hurt herself. Supposed to keep her safe. If she’s—

“Josiah, it’s your sister!”

“Cunt, I know!” I yell back at him.

A big guy, one of the men hired to subdue kids like me, emerges from the shade cast by the sick room’s tin roof. He catches me before I can get close enough to hear what the kids congregating outside that metal door are saying.

They look shocked. Pale. A few of the girls have red-rimmed eyes.

Jesus, fuck.

“Josiah, it’s Emma,” Brian calls out to me.

I laugh. Shake my head. “Candace, you dumb fuck,” I say, pushing the word through my teeth.

Brian slows down, stops. He’s a touch breathless when he speaks. “Your sister, Emma.” He licks his lips and glances at the guy holding me. “Something’s happened.”

I don’t think I’ve ever been this confused in my life. “What?” I glance behind me, and then back at Brian.

He shakes his head, waves at the goon who’s still hugging me from behind. I’m released, and I stagger before I can catch myself. “What?” I say again, my voice as breathless and high pitched as Brian’s.

Coming to my side, Brian loops an arm over my shoulder. “Candy’s fine,” he says. “But I have to talk to you about something.”

“Emma,” I say. “What—?”

“Josiah, I’m so sorry.” Brian’s voice catches. “We got a call this morning.”

I stop walking. He tries to urge me along, but I’ve grown roots. “What the fuck?” I say quietly.

“Language,” he murmurs absently, and then runs his hands through hair. “Your sister. Emma. She’s had an accident.”

I laugh. Brian stares. I laugh harder. Other people’s eyes are on me too. Brian’s stare turns into a frown.

“She pissed herself?”

Brian shakes his head. “She’s dead, Josiah. Emma…she drowned.”

I’m still laughing, because now I can’t stop. My legs give out, and I sit down in the dirt.

“Josiah…”

I fall onto my back. There’s only blue sky ahead and a single puffy little cloud that looks outright lost. Somewhere along the line, my laughter fades. Somehow, Brian helps me to my feet.

For some time after, I can’t hear anything but a low whine in my ears.

* * *

The lightin the room has changed. It’s like I’m waking up, but I wasn’t asleep. An indistinct drone clarifies into words. Sentences.

“…have him back in Indiana before the end of the day.”

“What about his sister?”

“She’s fine.”

“Didn’t look fine to—”

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