Page 19 of Rhet

My phone buzzes in my pocket, I take it out and I see a message.

Unknown:1:30 am. Your package will be delivered. The house will be marked and ready. There is dino juice in your trunk.

I stick my phone back in my pocket. I’m turning twenty-two this year, my life has been planned but carefree because Trent shouldered the family responsibilities with my dad. Now that is all over.

Two things have happened since Trent’s death. First, my dad is constantly in my ear, telling me about our history, dragging me to meetings and introducing me to people I knew existed, but only in the shadows.

Secondly, I’m numb. If I was playing bastard before, now I’m a budding psycho. Nonetheless, I don’t care. When I need the numbness to go away, I have my methods. I’m into small bouts of dopamine, be it meaningless sex, a cigarette, or a pill with a dash of alcohol.

My mother’s screams drag me out of my thoughts. My father wraps his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Great storm clouds gather, and fat drops of rain fall against my head. The umbrellas open below, making all the attendants look headless from this distance.

I have no roadmap to the rest of my life, but I do know when I find Trent’s killer, his death will be slow and painful. That I can guarantee.

ZEETA

In all the rooms in my home, my living room has always been the comfiest room in the house. I don’t know if it’s the sofa with its old yet velvety pillows, or the old chandelier that hangs from the ceiling. The living room is the best place to sit in the house.

“Dante where are you going?” my mom shouts from her recliner as my brother dashes to the door.

He stops and turns. “I’m going to practice, Ma.”

I know he’s lying. He doesn’t have his football gear with him, but I don’t even bother to tell Ma. I shake my head and continue to read my vampire romance novel as I lounge on the couch. God. I would love to have a dominant vampire as a boyfriend. The sex would be amazing. I moan softly at the thought of it

“Zeeta?”

The vampire in the book had genital beading, I wonder what that feels like?

“Zeeta Mitchell,” my mother screeches.

I blink away the book fog. “Yes, Ma.”

“Wouldn’t you like to get out of the house and go with your brother?”

Dante slowly shakes his head no at me. Now I’m intrigued, I should say yes. However,KT Adler’s Dragmorevampire series has me in a chokehold.

“No, I’m good, Ma,” I reply.

My brother exhales. I know he’s up to no good. This town is known for three things—money, college football, and college parties.

My mother is a church going, tambourine shaking, bible thumping Christian. In fact, if she knew this book had sex in it, especially sex before marriage, she would flip.

It’s Friday night, so that means Dante’s going to a party. He’s two years older than I am but we’re actually thick as thieves. However, as we’ve gotten older, we have new friends and we’re growing apart. I love my brother, but our crowd isn’t the same. His new crew is rich, mean, and selfish.

Ma pulls at her housedress and looks back at Dante. “I want you home by eleven.”

She doesn’t bother to wait for a response, she turns back to the T.V.

“Ma, come on, I’m nineteen going on twenty,” he pleads.

You’d think he would get with the program by now. Ma turns her head so fast the curlers shift under her black hair net.

“I can make it nine or better yet, you can stay home. What do you wanna do?” She tightens her lips and waits for my brother’s response.

“Eleven is great. Thank you, Ma,” he replies, his eyebrows touching, forming a frown.

“Be careful, Dante. I don’t like some of those lil rich boys.” She starts shaking her legs, that means she’s about to erupt with reasons why Dante should stay home.

“Mom, are we baking for the church next Sunday?” I say to distract her and glance at Dante.

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