Page 98 of Wicked Ends
“Long time no see, Arianna.” His voice was ripped straight from my worst memories.
It was a shock to see my brother after months. The time apart hadn’t been kind to him. He appeared haggard, his face red and mottled, his eyes bloodshot. I’d seen Dale drink more and more over the years growing up, but it seemed like it was really catching up with him now. He looked haunted, and hunted, and most of all, pissed off.
Of course he was.
After all, I’d beat him at his own game… and now, I supposed, he was here to even that score.
I took a step back, but there was nowhere to go. I opened my mouth to scream, but it never left me. Dale sank a hand into my hair and jerked my head to the side, banging my head off the car roof. Stars exploded behind my eyes.
“You left me for dead, Arianna. Time for me to return the favor.”
We were alone in the parking lot. There was no one to ask for help, no one to stand up to the worst bully and abuser I’d ever met.
He grabbed my bag from my hand and rummaged through it, searching for my key. Gripping it, he took my arm so hard I had no chance to pull it back, and dragged me across the lot to the rooms. Mine was right ahead of us.
I should scream, but every time I tried, he shook me so hard I bit my tongue and my teeth rattled.
“Don’t get any ideas, sis. Just do what you always do—what you’re told.”
Dale got the door open fast somehow, pushing me inside and then following, breathing hard. He locked the door behind him and turned, shoving his hands through his greasy hair.
“All this fucking bother because of you.”
I backed up, hands pressing into the rough carpet, casting about for my phone. Would he let me make a call? Of course not, but I had to try. I’d spent my life letting this guy order me around, and I was tired of not fighting.
“Where is the money, Arianna?” Dale asked.
I spied my phone. I lunged for it as he strode toward me. The tip of his boot raced toward my face, and then the lights went out.
“Auntie Arianna,” the whispered voice of my niece reached me through the phone.
I sat up, blinking in the darkness of my room. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Mommy. She had a fight with Daddy… she’s—she won’t get up.”
“I’m coming. I’m on my way.” Fear coated my mouth, clogging my throat.
I flew out of bed and dragged clothes on. My brother and his family lived a few streets over. I was there in less than five minutes, running down the street and up the porch and rushing through the front doors.
It was too soon. We were almost all ready to go. The inheritance money that I’d found out was coming to me wasn’t in my account yet… it would be by tomorrow morning. We’d planned to go tomorrow evening, when Dale went to the bar with his friends. This was too soon.
“Hello?” I tensed in fear that my brother might still be home.
“Auntie Arianna?” a lone, small voice called from the top of the stairs.
I bounded up them, fear forgotten. I gathered Lulu into a tight hug and then pulled back to look at her. Her eye was darkening, bruised.
“What happened?”
“I spilled my water glass. I should have drunk it faster. Daddy’s always telling me to just drink it, but I didn’t, and it went on Daddy’s newspaper…”
Tears ran down her little round cheeks. I could just imagine what had happened next. Why they’d been sitting and eating dinner after ten p.m. with a seven-year-old kid, I had no idea,except that Dale liked the family to wait for him to get home to eat. The bastard got off on starving his daughter for hours until he decided to show up at home.
“Where’s your mom?”
“In her room.”
I hugged her tight. “Wait here, I’ll go and get her.”
