Above the Law

Chapter Two

Eden came home close to one in the morning; her heels were caked with blood and vomit, her legs were wobbly, her body numb, and her stomach churning. She peeled off the ruined shoes and threw them in the trash, then walked upstairs to her room. The only thing she wanted to do was remove the last hour from her brain, shower, and sleep.

Not unsurprisingly she smelt cigarette smoke and heard her older brother laughing down the hall as she passed Lily's dark room, Eden peeked inside, the door was wide open and her bed was empty. Eden flicked on the light and looked around frantically. She was at her brother's door in seconds. "Where is she, Justin?" she yelled. Her eyes landed on the weed Justin was leaning over and rolling, then his friend Drew, who was leaning against the wall with a smirk and a cigarette.

"You look and smell like dog shit," Justin said. "Had one to many customers tonight?"

Drew plucked the cigarette from his thin lips and crushed it against the wood floors, his eyes roaming over her body longingly. "Have stamina for one more? 'Course all you've gotta do is open your pretty little mouth, Princess."

Eden's jaw clenched tightly as the fury built in her chest. As if she hadn't already felt like vomiting again.

Eden had been enduring Drew's taunts since she'd developed boobs. He was a sleazy kid with chaotic black hair and oily skin, who hung around her house more often than not. Always drinking or smoking, and more recently, more desperately, to get into her pants with pickup lines as greasy as his hair.

"Where's Lily sleeping?" Eden asked sharply.

Drew stood up, his eyes still drifting over her body wistfully. Justin looked up briefly before continuing to roll another joint. Drew smiled tauntingly and licked his lips while the back of his hand caressed her tightened jaw. "Your bed. You can share mine if you'd like, though I'm not sure I'd let you get any sleep."

"Yeah, I'd be too busy hiding your body," she growled.

He smiled wickedly, and slapped her cheek twice in a mocking manor. "Eden, baby, why are we always fighting?"

She didn't have the energy to put up with him or come up with a snide remark. Instead, she turned on her heels, intending to leave, when Drew grabbed her hand and yanked her back, his mouth opening.

"Drew," Justin warned mildly, not looking up at the two of them. "Let her go."

Drew closed his mouth, his grip lingering for a moment before releasing her. "Whatever."

Eden turned, and as she was walking out, Drew slapped her ass. She ignored the stinging pain and whatever sleazy thing that came from his mouth as she strode down the hall to her room.

Lily was sitting up in Eden's bed, her hair wild and the whites of her eyes shining in the dark lighting. "Eden?"

"Yeah?" Eden answered quietly as she locked the door behind her and moved around the dark room.

"You okay?"

Eden swallowed and nodded, but realized Lily probably hadn't seen in the dark. "Yeah. Go back to sleep." Her throat burned as the words came up. There were a lot of things Eden would never do in front of Lily, and crying was on the top of that list.

"Eden?" Lily's voice was small and comforting, but it made everything worse.

"I need a shower." She forced the words out of her mouth and headed into the small bathroom, striping off the reeking clothes and throwing them away. It had almost happened again tonight, and even though she was grateful she'd been saved, she was scared. Terrified. She couldn't defend herself at all, let alone Lily if it ever came to that.