hurling them at the front door. Books, toys, small pieces of furniture, whatever she could throw.
Talia stepped over a mound of things, accidentally breaking something with her foot. “Mom, stop!”
An old radio sailed past her head, missing her by inches. It crashed against the wall and broke into pieces. Her mother was screaming obscenities, her face bright red, eyes wild with rage and desperation. Talia threw out a hand to block her, but she barreled past her to lunge at the landlord, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and yanking. “You get out! Get out of my house!”
The landlord shouted and shoved her off him.
Talia caught her around the waist as she staggered backward, dragging her back inside. Her heart raced wildly. “Don’t do this, Mom. Please don’t do this.”
Her mother fought her with everything she had. Jesus, she was hysterical, her anger giving her petite body an almost superhuman strength. Talia’s muscles strained, trying to hold her back, but her pleas to calm down went unheeded.
“Get her out of here before the police do it for you,” the landlord snarled angrily, shoving through the front door. His hair was mussed, red welts marking the side of his face where her mother had scratched him. He pulled out his cell phone and there was no doubt he was calling 911.
Talia tightened her hold on her mother when she lunged at him, still throwing whatever she could find despite Talia’s attempt to pin her arms. A heavy crystal ashtray flew past and caught the landlord square in the chest. The impact doubled him over.
“You crazy psycho!” he yelled, still holding the cell phone to his ear. “She’s crazy!” he told whoever was on the other end. “She’s attacking me and her own daughter, for Christ’s sake. She needs to be locked up.”
“Cowardly bastard!” her mother snarled through clenched teeth, bucking against Talia.
Talia locked her arms around her mother’s body, immobilizing her, and gave her a hard shake. She had to get through to her. Her heart pounded so hard she felt sick. “Mom. Mom! Stop it, calm down. You have to calm down.” Dear God, were they going to have to call the paramedics in to tranquilize her?
Her mother only screamed in outrage and fought harder when the cleanup men came in and started shoving trash into their bags, casting cautious glances at them both. “It’s my stuff! Get your hands off my stuff! It’s mine …” Her voice cracked on the last word, and Talia felt tears sting her eyes. Christ, she sounded insane. Like she truly believed having all this junk around was more important than anything else, including having a roof over her head.
Including me.
The thought tore her up inside. She’d suspected it for a long time, but having it thrown in her face this way was almost more than she could bear. The strength in the slender body she held shocked her. Her mother was shorter by a few inches, but even with her military training it was like trying to hold back an enraged pit bull. She gritted her teeth while her mother thrashed in her hold, every muscle straining to contain her.
The struggles turned frenzied. “Get your goddamn hands off my stuff!” she shrieked, twisting and arching in Talia’s constraining arms. Enraged, she threw her head back and smashed the back of her skull into Talia’s chin.
Bright lights exploded before her eyes as the shock of pain radiated through her body. Talia could hear one of the men yelling something, trying to pull her mother off, but the smaller woman twisted sharply and knocked them off balance.
They hit the ground and fell into a pile of junk. Talia battled to maintain her hold. She tasted blood and knew she’d cut her lip open but couldn’t let go. If she did there was no telling what her mother might do.
The faint sound of sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second. If she let go her mother would attack someone and be hauled off to jail for sure.
Sharp nails raked down her forearms despite
Talia stepped over a mound of things, accidentally breaking something with her foot. “Mom, stop!”
An old radio sailed past her head, missing her by inches. It crashed against the wall and broke into pieces. Her mother was screaming obscenities, her face bright red, eyes wild with rage and desperation. Talia threw out a hand to block her, but she barreled past her to lunge at the landlord, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and yanking. “You get out! Get out of my house!”
The landlord shouted and shoved her off him.
Talia caught her around the waist as she staggered backward, dragging her back inside. Her heart raced wildly. “Don’t do this, Mom. Please don’t do this.”
Her mother fought her with everything she had. Jesus, she was hysterical, her anger giving her petite body an almost superhuman strength. Talia’s muscles strained, trying to hold her back, but her pleas to calm down went unheeded.
“Get her out of here before the police do it for you,” the landlord snarled angrily, shoving through the front door. His hair was mussed, red welts marking the side of his face where her mother had scratched him. He pulled out his cell phone and there was no doubt he was calling 911.
Talia tightened her hold on her mother when she lunged at him, still throwing whatever she could find despite Talia’s attempt to pin her arms. A heavy crystal ashtray flew past and caught the landlord square in the chest. The impact doubled him over.
“You crazy psycho!” he yelled, still holding the cell phone to his ear. “She’s crazy!” he told whoever was on the other end. “She’s attacking me and her own daughter, for Christ’s sake. She needs to be locked up.”
“Cowardly bastard!” her mother snarled through clenched teeth, bucking against Talia.
Talia locked her arms around her mother’s body, immobilizing her, and gave her a hard shake. She had to get through to her. Her heart pounded so hard she felt sick. “Mom. Mom! Stop it, calm down. You have to calm down.” Dear God, were they going to have to call the paramedics in to tranquilize her?
Her mother only screamed in outrage and fought harder when the cleanup men came in and started shoving trash into their bags, casting cautious glances at them both. “It’s my stuff! Get your hands off my stuff! It’s mine …” Her voice cracked on the last word, and Talia felt tears sting her eyes. Christ, she sounded insane. Like she truly believed having all this junk around was more important than anything else, including having a roof over her head.
Including me.
The thought tore her up inside. She’d suspected it for a long time, but having it thrown in her face this way was almost more than she could bear. The strength in the slender body she held shocked her. Her mother was shorter by a few inches, but even with her military training it was like trying to hold back an enraged pit bull. She gritted her teeth while her mother thrashed in her hold, every muscle straining to contain her.
The struggles turned frenzied. “Get your goddamn hands off my stuff!” she shrieked, twisting and arching in Talia’s constraining arms. Enraged, she threw her head back and smashed the back of her skull into Talia’s chin.
Bright lights exploded before her eyes as the shock of pain radiated through her body. Talia could hear one of the men yelling something, trying to pull her mother off, but the smaller woman twisted sharply and knocked them off balance.
They hit the ground and fell into a pile of junk. Talia battled to maintain her hold. She tasted blood and knew she’d cut her lip open but couldn’t let go. If she did there was no telling what her mother might do.
The faint sound of sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second. If she let go her mother would attack someone and be hauled off to jail for sure.
Sharp nails raked down her forearms despite
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