now ran down her battered face. Breena’s own tears swelled as she choked back the bitter taste in her mouth.
“Jenny.” Her voice nearly broke.
“Try me.” Norma scowled.
Breena looked at her sister. A dark circle was already forming under Jenny’s right eye. Breena reached out for her, but Norma crouched over Jenny with fist clenched, ready to strike again. Jenny flinched.
Breena had wanted to kill Stan for attacking Jenny, and now she comforted herself with images of a slow death for Norma, with plenty of time for her to rot, wallowing in her own misery. She deserved pain. Breena just wished she could be the one to give it to her.
But this wasn’t the time for plotting revenge. She had to focus on damage control. Breena had to be strong now. She would get Jenny away from all this. Just not tonight.
Stomping down on her anger with well-worn emotional boots, Breena blinked several times to hold back tears. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she faced Jenny. “See ya later, terminator.”
Jenny swallowed her tears and squeaked out, “Nail file.”
Norma looked at them with a dumbfounded stare. She didn’t understand what their special language meant to them, the way it tied them together. She didn’t understand anything. How could she? She was heartless, cruel, scum-of-the-earth.
Breena turned on her heel and walked stiffly to the front door and out, starting at the sharp click of the lock. She counted her steps to the car, trying to hold herself together, but still only just managed to slump into the front seat before collapsing in tears. What had she done? She’d promised Jenny, promised her, that she’d look after her, keep her safe. She’d failed. Miserably. Not only had she not stopped Norma from hitting her, she’d been the reason for the beating. And then she’d just left her with them.
What else could I do?
She pictured the way Jenny’s poor little face had looked as she’d curled on the floor and struggled not to cry.
Screaming, Breena pounded on the steering wheel until her palms ached. She might’ve stayed there all day, unable to make herself leave, but when the curtain twitched in the porch window she forced herself to crank the VW. As she turned around in the driveway she let loose a string of profanity that made her feel guilty the instant the last word left her mouth.
At the end of the driveway she stopped again, at a loss. She couldn’t go back to her crackerjack apartment. No way could she handle being alone right now. Caught between sheer panic and guilt, Breena realized where she’d go.
Myles.
At his duplex a few minutes later, she scanned the parking lot for his black Camaro. It wasn’t in his usual space. She looked again. He had to be here. When the car didn’t magically appear, she laid her head on the steering wheel and fought back tears.
Dammit. Why is nobody ever around when I actually need someone?
Where could he be?
The only other place she’d ever known him to go was work so, with no other ideas, she headed to the pharmacy.
As Breena weaved into the lot, she saw Myles’s car and breathed a sigh of relief that caught in her throat when she spotted a white Honda Accord two cars over.
It couldn’t be…
She parked next to the Camaro and got out. Not paying attention, she raced up onto the sidewalk and slammed into a hard body.
“Shit.” She stumbled backward but someone caught her arm and steadied her. The touch sent a shock wave of familiarity down Breena’s spine. “Watch where you–” His pale-green gaze met hers and her words dried up.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Guess I’m used to stealth mode.” He smiled and released her arm.
“You always this…” Breena searched for the right word before settling on one of his, “…stealthy?”
His laugh was low and dark, which she found pretty damn hot. “For the most part.”
His tight gray t-shirt hugged his chest like a glove hugged a hand. He shifted his weight and a
“Jenny.” Her voice nearly broke.
“Try me.” Norma scowled.
Breena looked at her sister. A dark circle was already forming under Jenny’s right eye. Breena reached out for her, but Norma crouched over Jenny with fist clenched, ready to strike again. Jenny flinched.
Breena had wanted to kill Stan for attacking Jenny, and now she comforted herself with images of a slow death for Norma, with plenty of time for her to rot, wallowing in her own misery. She deserved pain. Breena just wished she could be the one to give it to her.
But this wasn’t the time for plotting revenge. She had to focus on damage control. Breena had to be strong now. She would get Jenny away from all this. Just not tonight.
Stomping down on her anger with well-worn emotional boots, Breena blinked several times to hold back tears. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she faced Jenny. “See ya later, terminator.”
Jenny swallowed her tears and squeaked out, “Nail file.”
Norma looked at them with a dumbfounded stare. She didn’t understand what their special language meant to them, the way it tied them together. She didn’t understand anything. How could she? She was heartless, cruel, scum-of-the-earth.
Breena turned on her heel and walked stiffly to the front door and out, starting at the sharp click of the lock. She counted her steps to the car, trying to hold herself together, but still only just managed to slump into the front seat before collapsing in tears. What had she done? She’d promised Jenny, promised her, that she’d look after her, keep her safe. She’d failed. Miserably. Not only had she not stopped Norma from hitting her, she’d been the reason for the beating. And then she’d just left her with them.
What else could I do?
She pictured the way Jenny’s poor little face had looked as she’d curled on the floor and struggled not to cry.
Screaming, Breena pounded on the steering wheel until her palms ached. She might’ve stayed there all day, unable to make herself leave, but when the curtain twitched in the porch window she forced herself to crank the VW. As she turned around in the driveway she let loose a string of profanity that made her feel guilty the instant the last word left her mouth.
At the end of the driveway she stopped again, at a loss. She couldn’t go back to her crackerjack apartment. No way could she handle being alone right now. Caught between sheer panic and guilt, Breena realized where she’d go.
Myles.
At his duplex a few minutes later, she scanned the parking lot for his black Camaro. It wasn’t in his usual space. She looked again. He had to be here. When the car didn’t magically appear, she laid her head on the steering wheel and fought back tears.
Dammit. Why is nobody ever around when I actually need someone?
Where could he be?
The only other place she’d ever known him to go was work so, with no other ideas, she headed to the pharmacy.
As Breena weaved into the lot, she saw Myles’s car and breathed a sigh of relief that caught in her throat when she spotted a white Honda Accord two cars over.
It couldn’t be…
She parked next to the Camaro and got out. Not paying attention, she raced up onto the sidewalk and slammed into a hard body.
“Shit.” She stumbled backward but someone caught her arm and steadied her. The touch sent a shock wave of familiarity down Breena’s spine. “Watch where you–” His pale-green gaze met hers and her words dried up.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Guess I’m used to stealth mode.” He smiled and released her arm.
“You always this…” Breena searched for the right word before settling on one of his, “…stealthy?”
His laugh was low and dark, which she found pretty damn hot. “For the most part.”
His tight gray t-shirt hugged his chest like a glove hugged a hand. He shifted his weight and a
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