Page 55 of Behind the Bars

“Want me to grab some hot dogs from Dat Dog and joinyou?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Even if I say no, are you going tocome?”

“Yep, prettymuch.”

“Then I’ll take an alligator sausage and Coca-Cola,please.”

“On it! I’ll meet you back there in a few.” She hurried off to the restaurant, and I wandered toward thealley.

Sitting on top of the dumpster behind the bars was a way for me to unplug from the world. Listening to the music playing was more than enough peace. During my time spent back there, I imagined what it would be like to see Jasmine again, what it would be like to holdher.

Jasmine Greene was the girl I was never supposed to get, and if I ever had the chance to see her again, I knew I wouldn’t let hergo.

I heard a voice as I was staring up at the darkened sky, but it wasn’tKatie’s.

“You know what happens tosnitches?”

Todd and his guys walked down the alleyway toward me. I tensed up, jumping off the dumpster to run, but one of them grabbed me by myarm.

“Where are you off to so fast?” Todd barked. “We’ve been asking for weeks now, and I think it’s time you answered us, Boney Bones. What happens to snitches?” he hissed as two guys pinned me with my back against the dumpster. Todd slammed his fist into my gut, pushing all the air out of my lungs. “Snitches get stitches and buried inditches.”

“N-no, p-please,” I begged, but they didn’t care. They were obviously drunk or high—orboth.

“I saw you talking to your sister on the street. Is she meeting you back here?” Todd asked as I kept moving, trying to get out of theirhold.

“No,” I lied, swallowinghard.

“Well maybe I should call her real fast and tell her to hurry back over. Grab his cell phone,” Toddordered.

“Leave her alone!” I shouted. The guys slammed me against the dumpster, making me groan inpain.

They snatched my phone, and Todd flipped it open. He tried to get into the phone and he grimaced. “What’s your passcode, freak?” I kept my mouth shut. He huffed as he walked over to me and locked his eyes with mine. “I said”—he slammed his fist into my gut—“what’s…”Fist.“Your…”Fist.“Passcode?”

Vomit began to rise from my stomach, but I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. I had to protect my sister. He could beat me as long as he wanted to, as long as she wassafe.

“What the hell are you doing?” a voice shouted at the end of the alley. I turned to see my sister dropping the food to theground.

Oh no,Katie…

“Well, aren’t you a liar?” Todd scolded me, slapping myface.

“No, Katie! Run!” I hollered, but she didn’t listen to me at all. She started running toward us. “No!”

“Goddammit, shut him up, will you?” Todd groaned. “Toss him into the dumpster while I deal with this bitch.” He flipped open the lid, and the guys started to lift me. One grabbed me by the ankles, and the other wrapped his hands tight around my wrists. They lifted me into the air and then swung me in. As I tried to hurry to my feet to leap out, they shut the lid and jumped on top ofit.

I pressed my hands against the lid, trying to push it up, but Icouldn’t.

I’m not strongenough.

I’m not strongenough.

I listened to them snicker and laugh. The smell of the rotting foods made me want to gag, but I did my best to keep it down. My first and only concern was making sure Katie wasokay.

“Well if it isn’t the biggest whore in town,” Toddhuffed.

“Let him go, Todd,” Katie said stern. “Stop being anasshole.”

Katie, no…leave.

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