Loyal Vengeance ✔️

Part 3

"I need money for the casino!" Dad yelled, his voice practically shaking the walls as he threw an empty beer bottle onto the ground.

I looked over at Anthony sat on the couch beside me, staring wide eyed at the sudden scene unfolding in the kitchen. He shouldn't be seeing any of this, but dad didn't care who was around to see him angry and violent.

"I think it's time for bed." I told him quietly, giving him our usual cue to escape dad's tantrums.

He nodded once and tried to sneak away unnoticed, but caught dad's eye in the process.

"Hey kid, come clean this up." He slurred, pointing at the broken glass on the ground.

Anthony knew better than to argue so he quickly rushed over to the mess and started scooping the shards up with his bare hands. The poor kid knew dad would freak out if he got a broom instead of going straight to cleaning.

Anger swelled up inside of me as I saw mom cower in the corner of the kitchen when dad turned his attention back to her, screaming profanities in her face. I hated that he treated her like that, and that Anthony was witnessing it.

I didn't want my brother to get cut on the glass so I rushed over to the closet by the front door to retrieve the broom and dustpan while dad wasn't watching.

As I was walking into the kitchen another beer bottle was smashed on the ground and Anthony cried out in pain.

I dropped what I was holding and bent down in front of him to see if he was okay and when he looked up at me blood was running down his left cheek from a cut just below his eye. Glass must've bounced off the ground and cut him when dad smashed the second bottle, but luckily that seemed to be the only injury.

"Dammit." I cursed under my breath as I reached into my pocket, taking out the money I made this week.

"Leave." I spat, shoving the money into dad's chest with more force than needed.

Thankfully he left pretty quickly, without a fight, and once the door was closed behind him I turned my attention back to my brother. He was bleeding pretty badly, causing a mess on the floor, so I grabbed the towel hanging on the oven handle and handed it to him to put pressure on the wound.

"I think he might need stitches, can you take him to the emergency room?" I asked, turning to mom who was still frozen in the corner of the kitchen.

My question snapped her into action and she nodded, walking over to the dining table to retrieve her cellphone so she could call a cab.

It was a good thing I kept some money for myself when I gave dad money for the casino, otherwise mom wouldn't have been able to pay for the ride to the hospital.

I scooped up her wallet from the kitchen counter and slid the rest of my cash into it before handing it to her, sending a comforting smile to both her and Anthony. I was always the one they looked to when something crazy happened, and as long as I stayed calm they would too. Even though my blood was boiling on the inside, my face stayed impassive.

Eventually the cab showed up and once it turned off of our street I went back into the house and headed for my bedroom. I was filled with so much rage that my body was shaking and I needed some way to relieve the angry pressure. It felt like I was going to explode.

I slammed my door shut behind me when I entered my room but it didn't make me feel any better so started throwing everything I could get my hands on. I smashed the empty piggy bank I'd had since I was a kid, and screamed at the top of my lungs as I shoved my dresser over, but the anger still pulsed through my body.