Page 93 of Sugar and Skulls

I stand there. Ready to take the bullet he shoots my way if it means Katie doesn’t get hit. “Oh, if you’re into killing pedos then maybe you should start with yourself,” I sneer. He’s no better than the man that hurt Katie.

He shakes his head and points his cigarette at me. “Boy do I wish my brother was here to see this.” He motions over my body, whistling. “You know your mom used to let us tag team her.”

Red. All I fucking see is red. I charge at him. My fist connects with his jaw sending his cigarette flying out of his filthy mouth.

I grab my hand, pulling it to my chest. Jesus, that fucking hurt. He grabs me by my hair and shoves me over the seat of his bike, my stomach pressing hard into the leather seat. My head hangs over the other side. I stare at the sidewalk, tears blurring my vision.

He leans over me pressing himself into my backside. He tugs my hair pulling me so that his face is next to mine. “If you ever hit me again. You. Will. Regret. It,” he spits in my face.

Crow grinds himself against my ass. My anger quickly veers to fear. He won’t rape me here, I remind myself. Not in broad daylight.

He pulls me back harshly, tossing me to the ground. My elbows scrape the pavement as I brace myself from the impact. Crow crouches down in front of me. I wrap my arms around myself, hiding my face from him. “This is more like it,” he says, happy with the fact he put me in my place.

He grabs my arm, pulling a pen from his pocket. He bites the cap off and scribbles a phone number on my skin. He stands, pushing the cap back on and shoving it in his jeans.

Crow takes hold of my hand and pulls me to my feet. “Call me tonight and I’ll give you directions on where to go.”

“I’m not going to be able to get away from the warehouse.”

He tosses his leg over his bike. “You’re a smart girl, Jesse. You’ll figure it out.” His leg shoots down and his bike roars to life. I don’t move until he is completely out of sight. And then I still don’t move. I don’t move until Katie comes running out with Teddy.

“Jesse, oh Jesse. Did he hurt you?” she cries hugging me around the waist.

“It’s okay, Katie. I’m fine. You ready to go home?”

She nods wiping tears from her eyes. “I was so scared.”

“It’s…it’s okay. Hey, how bout we pick up that pizza we were talking about.”

On the ways home I glance over at her. She is sharing a piece of pizza with Teddy. I know. I know. But, after the day I’ve had I need to pick my battles. Her sharing with her new best friend is the least of my problems.

“Hey, we don’t need to tell Bill about that guy today. Okay?”

She wipes her mouth and her arm. She nods and turns away from me.

“I mean it Katie. I handled it. We don’t want to worry Bill do we?”

She shakes her head still not looking at me.

I sigh and we finish the rest of the short trip in silence. I hope she doesn’t tell Bill. I can’t risk the adoption not going through.

Once we are home Katie runs off with Teddy. I set the pizzas in the dining room and head to my room to shower. My elbows hurt like a bitch. I can tell they were bleeding, but I didn’t want to draw Katie’s attention to them.

When I get to my room any strength I thought I had vanishes. I collapse on my bed, shaking. Everything was going so well. I should have known.

Oh god. I told Katie to lie…well not lie but same thing.

Knowing that I need to make this right as soon as possible I hop up and head back downstairs. Goddammit what was I thinking asking her to keep quiet. That’s the lasts thing she should do.

Katie and I bump right into each other as she comes around the corner from my father’s office.

She glances up at me nervously.

I drop to my knees in front of her. “Katie, I owe you an apology. I’m so sorry I asked you not to tell Bill about today. That was wrong of me.”

She raises her eyes to me while twirling her shirt in her hands.

I brush the hair out of her face, cupping her cute little cheeks in my hands. “I’m used to handling my problems on my own I guess, and I didn’t think about what I was asking of you. You should never lie or keep scary things to yourself. I’m so sorry, Katie.” I drop my head in shame.

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