Page 37 of Volatile

One arm free, one arm fucking not.

Guilt swarms me at the sight of the little cuts. I promised her I’d be there, and I’ve even let her sit in on some of the fights when her mind is drowning. I push the donuts back towards her, hand her the coffee she lives on, and soften my voice.

“Eat up, kid, need you to grow big and strong so I have a good lawyer one day.”

It’s half a joke, considering the life I’m in I might actually need her to save my ass in the future.I’d trust the little shit at seventeen more than I would some pompous prick in a suit. She has more reason to fight, and I don’t grab her arm as much as I want to inspect it. If I make her feel ashamed, she’ll start her downward spiral and then she’ll never come to me.

Kristi opens the box of donuts and I swipe the caramel custard before she can put her sticky fingers on it. I take a bite that demolishes half of it in one go then hold it out to her as Stasi comes to my side.They both grimace but Kristi loses her bitchy attitude as she stares between Stasi and me as though we’re an equation. She fixes on my girl, I know she can act like a grade-A bitch, it’s why I’m friends with a teenager, but I straighten my shoulders as though Stasi needs me to protect her. Kristi sticks to words instead of violence as the asshole insults me when I bought her breakfast.

“Why are you withhim? Do you have low self-esteem?”

Stasi is beautiful but I’m not a pile of dog shit that it’s impossible to see us together. Checking our reflection in the mirror above the sofa, I can’t lie to myself, we look fucking amazing together. The image is only better when we’re naked, which isn’t appropriate for the dickhead teenager.

Both of them are assholes and Stasi shrugs. “I was thinking about getting a puppy, I thought I’d test it out for the day.”

I’m buying her a gag in the shape of a bone for her stupid comment.

“Have you potty trained him or does he shit inside?” Kristi asks while picking up the box to stop me taking it away from her.

They go back and forth, trading any insult they can come up with for me like I’m not here, both of them are pricks. I’m not buying Kristi another one of her shitty coffees, Stasi’s punishment will be harder and hurt us both when she’s a writhing mess.

I pull Stasi to my side to sit on the armrest and she’s so adorable, trying to get away from me. Her nipping doesn’t do shit and I load the photo I’m 70% sure is Becca. I’m stalling, not wanting to get the kid’s hopes up that I’ll bring her sister home, but I can’t keep it to myself. Whatever the price is will be worth it as long as the little shit doesn’t try acting older than her years.

Once Kristi has finished eating, she sits back, gesturing for me to begin and I slowly turn the screen. I wouldn’t have survived my childhood without my brothers and at seventeen I was still lost. The first sign of any gentleness comes over her face at the image on my phone and right now Stasi is more equipped at speaking than me.

“Do you know that girl, sweetheart?”

The endearment has the opposite effect and Kristi screws her face up, acting like a hardass.

“She’s my sister, we have the same tattoo.”

My girl finally understands why we’re here when she pulls the edge of her T-shirt away from her shoulder, showing the butterfly inked on her skin. It’s a generic butterfly, and it could have been on anyone’s shoulder with the placement being common. I’ve only met Becca once so the confirmation is necessary, and I formulate my plan to get her back.

Handing Stasi her laptop, I kiss her cheek while Kristi fake gags. I hold my middle finger up, stretching my arm so it’s in her face, and noisily kiss my girl’s cheek.

“Go wait in the car, I’m going to kick her ass.”

She rolls her eyes, knowing the kid is safe and points at the donuts before leaving.

“Don’t let him eat them all, he’ll be too excited.”

As soon as the door clicks closed, the bitchy teenager gives way to a scared kid. Softening my voice so she knows I’m not going to hurt her takes more effort than I’m used to as I ask, “Is Pete coming around?”

She shakes her head and lets out a sigh that’s older than her before giving her confession.

“I was pissed, I wanted the world to burn, and then I just wanted me to burn.”

She doesn’t look at me or say anything more, soI lightly tap my foot against hers to get her attention. I dip my head so she can see my sincerity as I remind her, “You don’t do that shit again, remember? If you need something, you call me and you have my brothers’ personal numbers in case it’s an emergency and you can’t get me.”

They can suck a dick when they find out.

She nods to herself, picks at her fingers, then turns back into being an asshole and asks, “Did you have to pay her to be your girlfriend? Or is it blackmail?”

I stand, holding my middle finger up to her face, so my knuckle is brushing her nose and say, “I’m not like you who would need to do that shit for anyone to spend time around you.”

“Yeah, right,” she scoffs as I do a sweep to make sure there are no blades. “When I’m older I’m going to be one of those women who has a boy toy doing everything for me.”

I pause in the kitchen and look at her. “How much older?”

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