The Beginning

Tess

"You're not going anywhere." Nicky challenged.

"It's the last Friday before Winter break, Nicky. I won't see them again until New Years." I thought specifically of Javon, who'd be locked in with a stepdad who wished him gone and a mother who wasn't home enough to protect him. He came back from last year's break starved and covered in bruises. He'd already been coached to lie about the cause when we asked. "If you're busy, I bet I can get Silas to come with me." I offered.

Nicky snarled at the idea. He glanced at Silas, then Marcelo, who avoided his gaze by twisting his neck at an awkward angle.

"Today is the day Rico'd do the toy drive. Send 'em home with some food." Silas advised.

"See?" I threw a hand out toward him. "Everyone can be there."

Nicky folded his arms and stared silently at me.

"Please?" I pressed my palms together to match the tattoo on his chest. I opened my mouth to argue my point further when a loud pounding sounded off against the front door.

One after the other, metal clink-clink-clinked as each of the cousins chambered a round.

In an instant, I was five years old again. My feet planted on stained, crusty carpet. White lights streamed through the windows, accented by the flashes of blue and red. Hammers dropped on handheld weapons, the shotgun by the door racked next to my head. Even then, I couldn't find it in myself to fight or to run. I could only stand frozen in fear.

Nicky lifted a brow as if his point had been proven.

"Don't talk to me like that." I let my hands fall to my sides.

He didn't verbally reply. Rather, he pointed a commanding finger behind my head toward the bedroom door.

"Tess!" A familiar voice wailed on the other side of the sealed door. "It's me! Open the fucking door!"

"It's Lexi." I tried to move past Nicky toward the door.

He caught my upper arm and watched my eye with a hard stare. His hand bunched the back of my shirt to hold me in place like a child. "She's not allowed in my house." he informed his cousins. He turned the gun in his hand, flipping the safety bac into place and tucking it into his waistline.

Lexi burst through the door as soon as Marcelo opened it, expecting to see me or Nicky first. "Thank...God?" Instead, she was face to face with the other two. "Where's Tess?"

I broke away from Nicky to round the corner into the living room.

Lexi covered in bruises and sniveling, only broke down further when her blue eyes fell on me. Dirty and disheveled, she sought my comfort. Her arms wrapped around me but pinned mine to my sides.

Even if I wanted, I wasn't sure that I'd hug her back.

"What happened?" I pulled back to look her over. Her hair had been yanked out in patches, and she wore the same outfit that Nate had picked her up in. Clothing had been torn down the center of her chest, arms had been scraped and scratched as if she walked miles through the forest to get here.

"I was at Nate's when Hannibal showed up." Lexi sobbed. "He was in a cop uniform. He told Nate that you called in a welfare check on me. Nate let him in and..." Her words were stolen as her eyes widened. "He attacked us, Tess. I ran, but Nate—I don't—I don't—" She choked on her words.

"Bullshit." Nicky cut in.

"Nicky." I chastised. "Did you call the real cops?"

Silas snickered, while Marcelo came to her aid, albeit sarcastically. "Let her talk."