Joel doesn’t react, just smirks at his reflection in the mirror and takes another drag of his cigarette.
“I told him you’d be able to fix this all for me,” Vick continues, turning back to me with a grin that used to work on me when I was a kid. “That you’re my lucky charm. You’ve never lost a card game for me.”
A pit opens up in my stomach. He took the money and got caught and now he’s trying to finagle a way to get out of it, promising Joel he could multiply the money. “So you did take that money from Delilah,” I say coldly. “And you want me toinvestit for you.”
His face twists, like I’ve insulted him. “I’mborrowingit. Shelet meborrow it,” he corrects, his voice tighter now. “You’ll give it back and win us even more, Lucky. You just gotta play. It’ll be just like old times.”
Something inside me cracks. I can’t believe this man is my father. I think about Damian’s mother, sitting at that table, watercolors spread around her, completely unaware of what was taken from her, of what her life is going to look like without being able to pay for memory care. A hard lump forms in my throat, and I blink fast, pressing the heel of my hand against my eyes to wipe away any trace of tears before anyone can see.
I don’t say anything for a second, trying to push down the rage and shame, the disgustcrawling under my skin. “I don’t want to be part of this, Dad,” I say finally. My voice is quieter now. Tired. Done.
Vick chuckles, shaking his head. “You got no choice now.”
“I’m not playing your games,” I say, my voice steady, even though my hands are shaking in my lap.
Joel meets my eyes in the rearview mirror, his smile slow and wicked. “Zero,” he says, tilting his head toward the guy next to me. “Talk her into it.”
Zero doesn’t hesitate.
His hand shoots out, wrapping around my throat.
Before I can react, he slams me against the car door, my skull knocking against the window so hard I see stars.
His grip tightens, cutting off my air.
I claw at his arms, nails digging intosolid muscle.He doesn’t budge. I try to kick out, to shove him off, but the front seat is too close, trapping me. My lungs burn, my vision goes hazy, my body weakens fast. Black spots burst in front of my eyes, and darkness creeps in at the edges. I scramble my feet and pound my fists at his outstretched arms.
I’m about to pass out when he finally lets go.
I gasp, sucking in air, choking on it, coughing as my body fights to recover. My fingers tremble against my throat, feeling the bruises already forming.
Joel flicks his cigarette out the window, his tone casual. “You’re playing.” He looks back at me again in the mirror, that same smug grin on his face. “Tonight.”
My pulse thunders through my ears, my lungs still struggling to catch up. Every inhale feels raw, sharp. I swallow against the ache and lift my head. “What happened to Damian and his family?” My voice comes out rough, but I get the words out.
Joel doesn’t even look at me. He taps his fingers against the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road ahead. “Don’t worry about them.”
The words sink into my skin, heavy and cold.
I force myself to sit up straighter, ignoring the throbbing in my neck. “Are they alive?”
Joel sighs like I’m annoying him.“The only person you should be worrying about right now is you,” he says, turning the wheel sharply. “If you don’t do what I say, you won’t be around long enough to care about anyone else.”
“I can’t play cards well if I’m worried about people,” I say, keeping my voice as even as I can.
Joel flicks his eyes to me in the mirror and smiles a toothy grin. “Those boys are like nephews to me. I wouldn’t hurt them.”
He’s lying.
“I just taught them a little lesson about who’s in charge,” he adds. “Feel better?”
I don’t answer. It wouldn’t matter if I did. Instead, I ask the next question that’s been eating at me. “Taylor was never in trouble, was she?”
Taylor giggles, twisting herself further into Joel’s side. “Nope,” she says, voice light, almost sing-song. “I’m the one who introduced Daddy to Joel.”
A slow, sick feeling crawls through me as she tilts her head up, her lips already parting before Joel even glances down at her. Then they start making out. Right there in the front seat, while he’s driving.
I stare straight ahead, pinching my lips together, trying to ignore the wet sounds of their mouths and the obscene way Taylor moans. I slide over slightly, my fingers moving toward the door handle. I don’t know how fast we’re going, and I don’t care. If I can get it open, I can throw myself out and run. I might not get far, but I’d rather take my chances than be forced into Vick’s stupid scheme.
