Page 22 of Viper

“They sound like they didn’t deserve you or Jackie. I’m sorry they turned out like that.”

“Me too.”

“Tell me about Jackie?”

I knew Bailey was emotional. “How about you walk back to Bailey’s with us, and she can freshen up. We’ve been stuck in a tree while two big bucks tore into each other. Spike chased them off when he ran to where we were.”

“What? You should have said something. I wondered why the two of you looked so worn out.”

I heard a giggle come from Bailey and held back a laugh. We picked up the food by the swimming hole and walked to the cabin together.

“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Bailey said as we arrived at the cabin.

9

Viper

I knew as soon as Bailey went to take a shower, Steel would say something, and I was right.

“What the hell is going on, Viper? Are you screwing with my cousin because I’ll tell you right now I will…”

“You’ll what? Don’t say anything about Bailey. She isn’t like that, and I don’t want you to say anything to her. She wants to kill this guy herself. She says she taught herself self-defense, but when we first met, she mistook me as someone who was going to attack her, and she kicked me. That’s her idea of self-defense. She’s armed and intends to kill Donnie Turner.”

“So, what do we need to do? She can’t stay here with you?”

“Yes, she can. She needs me

“Until you start feeling claustrophobic and run away, breaking her heart.”

“Shut the fuck up. You know nothing about me. I spent four years locked up in that fucking prison. I am not the same person I was. Bailey knows I will never fall in love and says she won’t either. Her heart is breaking because Jackie was murdered. She is still grieving her sister's death. And what this guy is doing is bringing it all back to the surface. Jackie was the only person Bailey had, the only person she loved. I’m going to tell you something, Steel: if you or any of your family harm Bailey in any way, I will kill every one of you.”

“And I will kill you if you hurt her.”

“I want you to know something; Bailey has never had a serious relationship.”

“Why did you tell him that?” Bailey asked, her hands on her hips.

“I told him because I don’t want him or your relatives to assume anything about you.”

“Did you tell him I’m old enough to decide if and when I want to have sex, and I chose you to be my first time? Did you tell him that too?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, now he knows.”

I glanced at Steel, and he looked like he would smile; instead, he hugged her. “Let’s sit down, sweetie. Tell me some things about yourself growing up. Do you remember your dad at all?”

“I remember he had the same eye color as yours; Jackie’s eyes were the same color. He was always taking care of Jackie and me. I felt that my father loved me. But I was wrong. He ran off and left us. I was three, and Jackie was two.”

“I am so surprised he would just leave you. I asked my parents about him, and they said it was so out of character for Jonah to do that. My Mom thought he must have died.”

“Don’t you think my mother would have known if he was dead? She said he never came back when he went for groceries.”

“Did she call the police and report him missing?”

“I don’t know if she did; I’m sure she must have. Surely she would have reported him missing to the police. She was normal back then; that’s what I remember. I used to cry myself to sleep because my Dad never came home. I remember my mother used to cry because we didn’t have enough money to live on. So, we moved to the trailer park. We lived in an old trailer that someone from church gave her.”

“Did she work?”

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