“Why have you gotta do me like this, Jackson?” he whines.
Wolf moves around me and swings for the beer bottles on the counter.
“Come on, man. There's no need for this!”
“Where’s my sister?”
“She’s upstairs,” a soft voice I would recognise anywhere tells me, and I turn around.
The bruise around her eye has me tightening my jaw. “What happened?”
Wolf comes over and stands far too close having a look. “Back off, brother.”
He holds his hands up and steps back.
“What happened?” I repeat.
“It’s none of your business, is it?” she spits out. “Rayna’s in the first bedroom, I'd go quick, or she’ll be making you an uncle.”
Shoving her out of my way, I run up the stairs and kick in the first door on the landing.
Rayna giggles as some punk nuzzles into her neck on the bed. All laughter is gone when I cross the room.
“Rome, no!” she hollers but like I fucking listen. “Wolf, don’t!”
Wolf jumps on the bed and before he can bring the bat down over the punk, I grab Rayna’s arm and haul her out of harm’s way. She fights me, but she’s nowhere near as strong as me. I stand on while Wolf beats the shit out of him and Rayna thrashes around in my hold.
“Stop!” she screams.
“How many times are we gonna have to do this?” I ask her gripping onto her chin. I force her to watch as Wolf beats the asshole. His blood sprays across the headboard and Rayna’s legs give out. I keep a hold on her and instruct, “Enough, brother.”
He swings the bat down one more time and jumps off the bed. He lands in front of us and leans in our sister’s face.
“Stop degrading yourself with trash.”
“Fuck you, Wolf!”
I lean down and throw her over my shoulder. No one bothers us on our way out, and when I reach my bike, I dump Rayna on her feet.
“You were out of order back there,” she cries.
“You weren’t where you were supposed to be.”
“You ain’t our dad. He said I could go out tonight.”
If I were anyone else, I’d believe her lie. The fact that she believes it makes her even more convincing. But I am me, and I don’t believe anything that comes out of her mouth. Haven't done for a long time.
I climb on my ride, and order her, “Get on.”
Crossing her arms across her chest, she says, “I’ll walk.”
She sets off and I sigh. She’s the reason I decided a long time ago I’ll never have kids. A sister is more than enough to cope with.
“Wolf, go back in and finish off Rayna’s friend.”
He jumps off his ride and she stops, keeping her back to me.
She doesn’t question if I'm bluffing. She knows I don’t lie.
