by K. Webster
Pascale shakes his head. “You pricks are fuckin’ loco.”
Kush squats down on the ground and Pascale’s gaze follows him. “Pink toes? What kind of gangster has pink toes?”
Barc snorts with laughter. “They got you, man.”
“No…” Pascale utters. He’s no longer struggling in my brother’s arms. “No.”
“Yes,” Kush says firmly as he stands. “Now give us Kady back.”
She’s been sleeping ever since Pascale left her. Surprisingly, upon learning about what he really is, Pascale bailed. I’d wanted to draw Bones out and beg for him to finish Pascale off but Kady simply passed out. Barc surprised me when he followed Kush and I back to Kady’s house. He’d been oddly supportive. My brother actually helped when it came to Kady. Barclay didn’t hesitate or make fun of her—he simply chased after her. Once we’d settled her in her bed, the three of us openly discussed what had happened. Barc had some questions. Kush had some answers. I mostly just floated by wondering how the fuck to get the bad ones in her head to leave her alone.
Now that they’re gone, I’ve been curled up against her in her bed. While asleep, she looks like an innocent angel without a care in the world. I love to see her so carefree.
“Does Kady know you’re a fucking creeper, Kitty Muncher?”
My heart jolts to life in my chest and I gaze right into Bones’s sad eyes. “Where’ve you been, man?” I can’t help the accusatory tone in my voice. I know that Kush says that we’re trying to push them away and in the process draw her out, but I don’t think as clearly when it comes to Bones and Kady.
His lips twitch like he might smile but he doesn’t. Instead, he brings a shaky palm to my cheek. “Why do you have to look so goddamned good?”
I crack a smile and press a kiss to his soft lips. “Because I like driving you crazy.”
His fingers spear into my hair. He clutches me like I might vanish into thin air. “I’m already crazy, Yeo. Don’t need you stirring the pot and adding shit to make it extra fucked up.” His mouth opens to grant me access. I graze my tongue along his bottom lip before darting it between his lips. Our kiss is needy but not rushed. Desperate but not frantic. God, I’ve missed him.
“Where have you been?” I demand and pull back to glare at him, anger washing over me. “I’ve been wondering if you’re okay, asshole. You like playing hide-and-seek like Kady too? Do you two know how fucking much that hurts me?”
His eyes tear from mine. I grip his jaw and jerk him back to me. Our lips meet again. This time our kiss is angry. He nips at my lip and I devour him. I’ve just begun kissing along his cheek toward his throat when he let’s out a strangled sound.
I lift up and peer down at him.
“I’m not so strong anymore,” he admits, his voice cracking with emotion. “God, how I’ve wanted to see you. To let you fuck me. To just smell you, goddammit. But…” His eyes become bloodshot with unshed tears. “I can’t do that to her. She’s so fucking happy with you.”
I run my nose along his and pepper kisses all over his beautiful face. “But I miss you.”
He lets out a pained sounding chuckle. “I can’t take her away from you. I’m not selfish like that. Since you’ve been back, I can feel her growing stronger each day. You’re so fucking good for her, man. She needs you.”
I hug him to me and bury my face in his long hair. “She and I both need you, Bones. Hiding isn’t helping anyone except letting assholes like Pascale slip by.”
His body grows tense in my arms. I lift up to regard his expression. Dark brows are furled and his face is murderous. “He won’t be slipping by ever again.”
“Did you…”
I won’t allow myself to hope.
“I got rid of him. Just like I got rid of Kenneth.” His gaze is sad. This time he isn’t bragging of machine guns and bitches. He doesn’t regale me on how Guns N’ Roses played live background music to his epic showdown.
No…
A tear slips out.
And with it, my heart slides right out with it, crashing to the floor.
“This was the plan,” I whisper.
Bones likes whispers. He’s told me so.
“The plan is exhausting,” he admits. “The plan is taking its toll.”
I frown, unable to understand what he means. “All we have left is Norman. Get rid of him and Kady will be free.”
Bones swallows and looks off toward the window. “I don’t think I have the strength to do it again. Especially not with him…” His eyes close and he shudders. “I fucking hate him so goddamned much.”
“Shh,” I murmur and begin pressing more kisses to his flesh. “Don’t worry about that crap right now. We’ll get rid of him eventually. I swear.”
“He’s too strong,” he chokes out. “It’s not that easy.”
“But you’re stronger,” I growl, my voice a quiet roar.
Bones loves roars. He’s told me so.
I kiss him until it grows dark outside.
I touch him all over in an effort to memorize every surface of him.
I love his body through the night, every single thrust a display of my affection.
Kady doesn’t come back for the rest of the night.
And just this one time, I don’t beg her to.
* * *
Kady
I stare at my reflection in my dresser mirror. The white lacey dress I’m wearing fits my body well. Over the past couple of months, I’ve gained some weight and the color has returned to my cheeks.
Yeo nourishes me.
Body and soul.
But especially my emaciated mind.
It’s been a couple of weeks since Pascale disappeared for good. Just like when Kenneth had gone, I felt a loss inside me. Both of them would hurt me in their own ways and yet I still ached where they left a hole inside. I never verbalized this to Yeo or Kush. They’d only think I was more crazy than I already was.
Despite being happy that Yeo is by my side twenty-four-seven like old times, I still can’t help but feel sort of confused. It’s weird to go to Walmart. Normally Aunt Suzy does the shopping but now that Yeo’s here, he insists we do it together. And we do. With his hand gripping mine, I’m able to ignore people’s stares. I’m able to help him pick out food without any real meltdowns.
But Whiskers’s toys are left in the same place he discarded them weeks ago.
Presley hasn’t picked up her coloring books in I don’t know how long.
Officer Joe doesn’t bring by peanut butter and bread anymore.
The house is getting dusty. Agatha would have a fit. Except she doesn’t.
And Bones…
That big mouth is so quiet.
The pantry full of Cheetos remains full. No notes written on paper towels. No black T-shirts strung out all over the house. No whispers.
“Bones,” I murmur. “Are you mad at me?”
I close my eyes and seek out his warmth. Just when I think I may feel it wrapping around me from behind, it is instantly snuffed out with the sound of Yeo’s voice.
“You ready?” he questions, his deep voice rattling me to my core.
Our gazes meet in the mirror and his is hungry. A smile tugs at my lips. Yeo is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. “I hope they eat our food. It’s certainly nothing like Agatha’s.”
He flashes me a grin before kissing the top of my head. “They’ll eat it and they’ll be happy. Besides, I already snuck a bite. The pork chops are good, beautiful. Guess you may have been paying more attention to her cooking than you ever realized.”
I twist in his arms and kiss his lips tenderly. When I pull away, I regard him with a serious expression. “Do you miss Bones?”
His eyes darken and his jaw clenches. “Yeah.”
“Why are they all so quiet?”
“I don’t know. Maybe your sessions with Kush are helping,” he suggests. I don’t miss the sadness flickering in his eyes.
“Then why does it ache if it’s helping
. I feel empty and…” Tears prickle at my eyes but I blink them away. “Alone.”
His fingers clutch onto my chin and he tilts my head up. “You’ll never be alone as long as I have anything to do about it. Got it, Kadydid?”
I chuckle and nod. “How’d I get so lucky to have you?”
He smirks. “I pretty much forced my way into your life when we were kids, remember? You were too young to realize you’d befriended a stalker.”
I swat at him, causing him to laugh. “I’m not young now. Maybe I’m onto your stalker ways and maybe I like them …” Looking over my shoulder, I start to walk off. His eyes narrow and he drags his gaze down my backside. A shiver runs through me when he prowls after me.
“You’re definitely all grown up,” he agrees in a hot whisper against the back of my head. His erection pokes into me. If we weren’t having his parent’s and Kush over any moment now, I’d beg him to shove my dress up and fuck me really quick. “I’ll stalk you until the day I die.”
“I love you, Yeo,” I tell him with a sigh. He palms my ass and then pushes the dress up to my hips.
His teeth nip at my shoulder through my dress. “I love you too, beautiful.”
“These pork chops are amazing. Gyeong,” Fletcher says to his wife with a friendly smile, “you’ll have to get the recipe from Kady.”
I blush at his praise and Yeo squeezes my thigh under the table.
“I’m learning Kady’s a great cook,” Yeo tells his father, the pride in his voice warming me all the way to my toes.
Fletcher nods and gives me a wink. I’m still not used to him being nice to me. Now that he finally knows what I am, he seems to have accepted me.
All eyes are off me when Kush launches into some ideas he had to promote their practice. I take the moment to breathe. I’m sawing at my pork chop when I hear a voice I’ve not heard in ages.
Run.
I lift my gaze from my food. All eyes are on Kush. None of them notice the way my hand trembles violently.
Run.
Kush’s words from our session resound in my head. Just breathe, Kady. Remember, you’re in control.
Run.
But the whispers are guiding me to my feet. The whispers have me edging away from the table.
Run.
My legs wobble. Fear has immobilized me. I think it’s Bones’s voice but I can’t be sure.
Run.
Whispers chant the word over and over again inside my head until I want to claw them out.
Run.
I have nowhere to run to and the evil from my past yanks me back so fast I don’t even realize what’s hit me.
“There’s my little girl,” Daddy mutters in the dark.
I sit up in my bed and scramble backward until my back hits the wall. My eyes search the black shadows for him. Sometimes I have nightmares about him. Sometimes his voices seem so real. Bones tells me to ignore it.
“Kadence.” His large form emerges from the closet and I let out a squeak. It’s not a dream. Daddy is back!
“Mommy!” What I’d hoped was a roar is only a whisper.
“Shhh,” he growls. “We’re going to play a game.”
I hate Daddy’s games.
“N-No,” I tell him boldly.
He storms over to me and snatches my elbow. I’m yanked from the bed into his arms where he hugs me tight.
“Bones!”
Daddy slaps a hand over my mouth. “We’re leaving. Be quiet, baby.”
I squirm as tears roll out. I don’t want to go with Daddy!
He drags me out of my bedroom and down the hallway. When we pass Mommy’s doorway, Daddy stops. I attempt to scream despite his hold on my mouth. While not much sound comes out, I do manage to kick the door and it makes a loud thump.
“Kadence?” Mommy murmurs from her bed.
As soon as her lamp light floods her bedroom, her eyes widen in horror. “Norman, what are you doing?”
He stalks into the room toward her with me wiggling in his arms. Mommy lets out a whimper and retreats in the bed. I want her to grab onto me so he won’t take me with him. “I’m taking our daughter back home where she belongs.”
Mommy sits up on her knees and becomes angry. She hardly ever gets angry with Daddy. I think she’s scared of him like I am. “You’re not taking her anywhere. Momma!” she calls out for Grandma. “Momma, call the cops!”
His body tenses at her defiance and he throws me into the floor so hard I bonk my head. A pounding inside my brain begins thundering. Where is Bones?!
Crack!
The sound jolts me out of my stupor. When I look up, I see Daddy has his fist raised before he slams it against Mommy’s face.
“Nooo!” I scramble to my feet and charge for him. He manages to punch her again before I even get close. “Daddy stop!”
But he won’t stop. His hair is messy and he’s acting like some wild bear mauling my mother.
“Bones! Grandma!”
“K-Kadence,” Mommy stutters. “R-Run…”
Crack!
A sob escapes me but I remember how to work my legs. I run from the bedroom and down the hall to Grandma’s room. When I push through her door, she’s already tugging at her CPAP mask and has the light on.
“D-D-Daddy is here and he’s hurting Mommy!” I shriek.
Grandma climbs out of the bed and shuffles over to her closet. She pulls a shotgun from the closet. I’m fixated on the way she loads two red shells into the barrel before snapping it closed.
“Call 911 and hide under the bed, Kady,” Grandma hisses.
I can still hear Mommy hollering in the other room and I’m frozen in my spot.
“Now, Kadence!”
Jumping at her tone, I hurry to her bedside and dial the operator. I can hear shouts in the other room. My heart physically aches at the thought of Daddy hurting Grandma too.
“Just hurry!” I tell the operator after I prattle off the address. She blabs about staying on the line, but I can’t. “I need to help Grandma!”
I toss the phone receiver on the bed and run out of the room toward the screams. When I make it to the doorway, my stomach drops to the floor. Mommy is so bloody. He has her hair twisted in his grip and holds a knife to her throat.
Grandma is crying and the gun wobbles in her hands. She has it aimed at him but he holds Mommy in front of him. If Grandma shot the gun, it would hit Mommy first.
“All I want is my kid, Ruth. That’s all I’ve ever fuckin’ wanted. But your daughter stole her from me,” he snarls, digging the knife harder into Mommy’s skin. She sobs as a thick ribbon of blood trickles down below where he has the blade pressed against her.
“Leave my family alone and get the hell out of my house, Norman. The cops are on their way,” Grandma snaps at him.
“Give me Kadence and I’ll leave you two bitches alone.”
I don’t want to go with Daddy.
Betrayal seeps its way into my heart because Bones is hiding from me when I need him most. I know he’s still upset over what Daddy did to him last week but I need his help. Please come back, Bones.
“You’re going to leave, asshole.” Grandma’s voice reminds me of a tiger growling. I can’t believe she said a curse word! “You’re nothing but a good for nothing wife beating child molester.”
I don’t know what a child molester is but I think it has something to do with me since I’m the only child around. Please come back, Bones.
“You and I both know you’re not going to shoot, bitch,” Daddy taunts.
Grandma trembles and even I can sense she’s afraid to do it.
“Daddy,” I beg, “please don’t hurt my mommy.”
He opens his mouth to speak when we hear sirens in the distance. “Fuck!”
His roar startles me and I nearly pee myself.
“Come on, Kadence,” he growls. “Time to go.”
Time stops.
Like in a superhero movie. Everything freezes. I don’t want it to unfreeze either because I fe
el like something really bad is about to happen.
And just like that, Mommy’s cries become gargles.
Red and red and red surge from her throat. Daddy shoves her to the floor in front of him. A loud bang resounds in the bedroom. I know he lets out a grunt but it sounds like the wall took most of the bullet spray. I’m not focused on them though.
No.
I have to be the nurse for Mommy. Just like old times. Old times when I would help her get better. Her eyes are halfway shut and her face is pale. I use both of my small hands to hold her wound closed. The blood seeps between my fingers with every passing moment. Behind me, Grandma and Daddy are fighting. I can hear things slamming. Glass shatters. Furniture crashes. None of that matters.
Only Mommy.
“Mommy, I’m going to make you all better,” I tell her as tears roll down my cheeks.
Her lips twitch like she’s trying to say something to me but nothing comes out.
“Mommy,” I sob, “don’t go to sleep.”
Please come back, Bones. I need your help!
I’m still trying to help Mommy when I’m snatched away from her. The blood surges from her throat now that I’m not able to hold it closed anymore. I scream and thrash in the arms of whoever has me. It’s too soft to be Daddy. This should comfort me but this person is keeping me from helping my Mommy.
“Stop. Kadence, stop.”
Grandma’s words make me angry. I’m about to hit her—hit my own Grandma—when police and medical people come charging in. I don’t know where Daddy is but I’m thankful they’re here to take over. They’ll sew my mommy up and make her better. Then, they can take my daddy to jail. We’ll be happy again.
A policeman says something to Grandma and she releases me. They yammer about I don’t know what. I’m scared and sad. Drawing my knees to my chest, I hug them to me and watch them work frantically on Mommy.
I close my eyes.
Maybe this is a dream.
Maybe I can hide…