Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“Where’s Benny?” His voice is deep and gravelly and I instantly search for the leader. A shudder goes up my spine. I’d know that voice anywhere. After all, its haunted me for two years.
“Or better yet, where’s Paul?” I can’t place that voice.
I glance around for poor Santiago. I don’t see him, but there are a lot of big bikers in my small trailer.
“My father needs his oxygen,” I plead.
“Where’s your junkie brother? You want oxygen for your old man, you better talk fast.”
I search the room for that voice.
I shake my head. “I don’t know.” It’s the truth, but they’ll never believe that.
Then I see him, like a fucking immortal. He’s almost too beautiful to be real. I take a step back, tilt my head up, and realize that I’m fucked. There will be no negotiating. There will be no mercy. It’s all right there in his pretty green eyes.
Unless my brother, the junkie, miraculously walks through this door, I’m not going to live to be a day over eighteen. Happy Fucking Birthday to me.
EVE
Two years earlier
“Just let me handle this, all right?” I look over at my brother’s current girlfriend Marina and make a necessary decision. “Actually, wait here. I’m only running in for a couple things.”
Her carrot-red hair that always reminds me of Pippi Longstocking, bounces back and forth. It’s one of the few books I’ve read, so whenever I see her, I almost look around for the pet monkey. Marina is like the adult version of Pippi, meaning she has the bright orange hair, lots of freckles, and big boobs. I guess that’s why men like her. Because her personality and face are lacking. But hey, that’s my opinion.
We’re parked in a Walmart parking lot. Her stocky, freckled legs are on display in her ratty denim miniskirt. Of course, she sports a wife beater with no bra. At first, I thought I could use her as a decoy but her nonstop bitching about my brother and their sex life or lack of one is making me want to gag and reconsider.
She opens her door to my dad’s piece of shit Ford pickup. “No way. I’m supposed to babysit you.” She squirms as she tries to wiggle her skirt down.
I roll my eyes as I exit the truck too. “What do you want in here? And nothing fancy. We’re running late.”
The sun is out and I lift my face to its wonderful soothing warmth. With my eyes closed, I chant in my head for her to say nothing.
Instead I hear, “I need mascara and some lipstick. Red and maybe some nail polish to go with the lipstick.”
I eye her and smile. “Absolutely. You know what to do.”
She snorts as we enter the large store, a blast of cold air making my skin pebble. I rub my hands up and down my tan thighs, ignoring all the leering looks we get. Men are gross. All they do is stare and maybe because they think I’m trash, they think they can disrespect me with their disgusting mouths.
I sigh as I hear a catcall and a “hey baby come sit on my face.” This is why I hate growing up. It was so much easier to steal as a dirty-blond-haired girl than as a pretty blond woman. And as much as I try not to be, I am. I look like my dead mother. Tall, blond, and thin. Blue eyes, long legs, such a fucking drag.
Marina swishes her ass so much she actually bumps into me.
“Jesus Christ. Pull it together,” I snap. “I’m going to go get my shit. You just… I don’t know… browse.” I wave my hand at the magazine section.
“Don’t forget my stuff.” She’s not even looking at me, her eyes glued on a creep sitting at a table stuffing his face with a Subway sandwich.
I take off down the aisle quickly taking in the cameras located inside the store. I have my large purse and I don’t like to brag, but I’m kind of a master at this shoplifting thing. In a flash, I have all my stuff. Balloons, tampons, Neosporin for my dad’s elbow. I throw in a couple CoverGirl LashBlast Volume mascaras and some hideous red lipstick. If I was nice, I would tell her she should never wear red lipstick. But I’m not and Marina’s a stupid slut so whatever. My handsome brother is way too good for her—or at least he used to be. Benny looks a lot like me but taller. Although lately he’s been losing weight and his pretty skin is breaking out.
As I walk over to the electronics section, my skin pebbles again with excitement. I stand and watch a couple kids argue about which is better X box or PlayStation. Rolling my neck, I notice two blue-colored shirts behind a white counter. And halleluiah, they have girls in them. Both are engrossed in their phones, not caring at all what people are doing. The store is enormous, but this section always has more traffic. I glance at the smartphone section and sure enough, a small guard is looking at me. This is why I wanted Marina. Even with her homely face, her tits could have been useful. I smile at him and he immediately looks away.