Page 74 of Death Match

A pleased grin split Ed’s lips. “Well, well, well. Looks like it’s just you and me. Again.”

His grumbly voice caused the horrifying memories of him sneaking into my bedroom at night and always finding a way to get me alone—touching, grabbing, hurting, to surge—to the surface. The secrets. The nightmares. The pain. The ongoing and mounting abuse, sexually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

In that moment, I realized that I was, in fact, standing face-to-face with death, and it was dressed in a stained guinea tee and ripped jeans.

During the previous puzzle pieces to this last memory, I’d been surprised. I hadn’t exactly expected my life to consist of poverty, gangs, drugs, and exotic dancing. But fighting for someone I loved and dying because of it? That sounded like something I would do. Defending the weak? Defending my family?

That had Jade Blackwell written all over it.

“We had a deal,” Jade continued. The strength in her tone was wavering, but she tried desperately to hold on to it. “I don’t tell the cops…” She paused; the rest of the words too painful for her to say. But I knew what she was implying.I don’t tell the cops about what you do to me.“…and you leave Tina alone.”

“I’m sorry,” he mocked, holding a hand up to his ear as if he had trouble hearing her. “You want me to do what?”

A muscle in her jaw twitched. “You can do whatever you want to me, but don’t you ever lay a hand on Tina.”

“Or what?” he snarled, taking a threatening step toward her. She flinched back instinctually. “Or what? Tell me. What are you going to do?”

My hands itched at my sides, and when I glanced down, my power glowed around my them. I wanted to sock this guy in the mouth so bad, it hurt.

Not saying anything more, Jade’s shoulders curled in.

“That’s what I thought,” Ed sneered. “Now, come here.”

She took a quick step back, knowing exactly what he’d meant by that.

He snatched her by the wrist and yanked her toward him. When she collided with his chest, she pushed against him, but he wrapped his thick arms around her and held her there.

She struggled but couldn’t escape. Terror flashed across her face.

“That damn girl burnt my dinner,” he said, peering down at Jade. She moved her face to keep her mouth away from his as he spoke. “You know how I feel about burnt food. I hate that shit.”

“I thought you were a grown man and could make your own dinner,” she snapped back.

The slap came so fast, I almost missed it. He hit her so hard, her knees buckled, and she landed on the floor, clutching the side of her face.

Rubbing the spot, she glared up at him.

“Bitch.” He spit at her, and thankfully the wad of mucus landed on the floor beside her. “You better watch your mouth.”

My feet moved by themselves, ready to pounce on him, but then remembered I wasn’t really here. I was an observer.

Jade stood on wobbly legs and dropped her hand, revealing a very red, stinging cheek. Tears shined in her eyes, but she stared at him with as much hatred and determination as before.

“You called Tina home,” she said. “You knew where she was, and you called her home.”

“I ain’t stupid,” he said. “You think I don’t know where you run off to all the time? Who you hang out with, like that cholo kid? I keep tabs on you. And I know you send Tina away because you don’t like her here alone. Why, I wonder?” He chuckled at his own sick joke.

“Leave Tina alone,” Jade said again, even more forceful than the last time, despite the ache in her cheek.

“I never understood why you hate me so much,” he said. “I take care of you, don’t I? I give you all you need.” His one brow arched at the double meaning to his words again, and my gut clenched painfully at the fragments of memories continuing to stir awake in my head. I tried desperately to stuff them back into the black hole. Those memories I’d rather not keep.

When he threw his arm out, gesturing to the space around them, he grunted, “Who do you think pays for all this shit? Me. Everything you and your sister has is because of me.”

Jade scoffed at that.

“You owe me, little lady.” Ed reach down and began fumbling with the buckle of his belt. “And I think it’s about time you pay up.”

Fear gripped me. It flashed across living-Jade’s face, too, and she quickly spun around and hurried out of the room.

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