17. Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Lilli
The following week, I went through the motions of class glumly. Mama was on a tear all weekend after I disappeared from the booth, and nothing I said could calm her down. I managed to keep her wrath from Rachel and Mercy, but I have a few new bruises to show for it.
Despite Wolf’s growly proclamation and insinuation, I have zero intention of telling him what happened. Not that I have much opportunity for that anyway. He doesn’t exactly want me around.
Other than questioning me about the sheriff, why did he come? Why kiss me if he doesn’t care? I’ve been pondering it since he walked away but I have no answers. Wolf does what he wants when he wants, a refreshing notion that I know nothing about, so can hardly figure it out myself.
Rachel, after the altercation with Maddox, has been even more distant. Although I’m saddened by it, I’m not surprised. She’s always been the hardest to connect with and I hope despite her anger, that she’s not planning to tell Mama about my insurrection.
On Friday, before school, I find myself at the back of the property, sitting on a bench and staring at the river that runs behind it.
I’ve had nothing but nightmares recently and my own parents star in many of them.
It’s hard to reconcile the two people I trusted to keep me safe with the man and woman who argued about killing an unborn life. I’m ashamed to admit at this point that I believed in their wicked fairy tales because how stupid does that make me?
“Hey.”
Spinning on the bench, to my surprise, I find Darcy holding out a “joint” like what I smoked for the first time just a few weeks ago.
“Darcy!”
“Yep, it’s me,” she says with a sigh before dropping to the bench.
I’m so happy that she’s free but on the wings of that, I feel shame for my relief because it’s born out of guilt and I’m not thinking about how this affected her.
Eyeing the circles beneath her eyes and her pinched lips as she exhales, I say, “I’m sorry about your mom…”
I hope Mrs. McCray was released too but since she did partake in prostitution, I doubt it would have been that easy.
Darcy drops her head and rubs her neck. A lump forms in my throat at her silence and I open my mouth to say something soothing although I don’t know what when she says, “She was into bad shit. It was only a matter of time.”
“What kind of bad shit?” I ask.
Darcy whips around, her eyes wide and shifting on the hard bench, I finally say, “What?”
“Did you just say…shit?”
“Did I?” I ask before she chuckles and shakes her head.
After a moment she relaxes into the seat and says, “She’s fine. She’s weathered worse than this.”
“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say and turn back to the water, sitting with her while she finishes her joint.
When the bell rings, she rises, drops it to the ground and says, “Stay away from the sheriff. That fucker’s on a rampage.”
With a wince, I watch her go. I hope her part in this saga is over, but I have a feeling the sheriff plans to use us all to fulfill his vendetta. I just wish I knew why…
As if my week couldn’t get any worse, the following day when I meet Rachel to walk home, I find Darcy pacing in the lot.
She rushes forward as soon as she sees me and with a groan, I grab my sister’s arm and say, “Go straight home.”
She glances beyond me at her and frowns before tugging away. “What?”
“Rae, please—“
“What did you tell the fucking sheriff, Lilli?” Darcy barks.
A couple of students eye us warily while Rachel sucks in a breath. When Rachel shifts behind me, I whisper, “I didn’t have a choice.”
With a snarl, Darcy gets right in my face and Rachel’s mouth parts in an ‘O’ as I shudder and say, “Please, I—“
“You stupid cunt! Do you know what you did?”
Her eyes blaze at me until Rachel slams her hand on her hip and sneers, “Back off.”
Shit. What is she doing? I go to touch her arm, but Darcy’s laugh makes me pause. Her lips curl into a moue of distaste as she looks me up and down before shaking her head. “Fuck this. I’m not going down for this shit. You wanna play, I’ll play.”
What the heck does that mean?
She glances at Rachel who’s glaring at her, and I widen my eyes in warning but she’s not looking at me. I know she’s stubborn but apparently, she has no self-preservation—a deadly combination.
“I hope you like jail, bitch,” she sneers. “Because we’re about to be cellmates. Oh, and better grease between those thighs because you and me, we’re gonna be the good ol’ sheriff’s fuck toys until he gets through with us.”
Oh my god. Is she saying what I think she’s saying?
She spins and stalks off before I can comment, and I watch her go with my heart in my throat. Is the sheriff going to arrest me? When?
What will my parents do? Who cares? If Darcy is right, I’m going to be behind bars and at the mercy of the damn sheriff.
This is so not good.
After she peels from the lot, I grab Rachel’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“What are you going to do?” she asks.
Sighing, I stare at the cracks in the sidewalk and mumble, “I don’t know.”
“Why is she so mad?”
Rubbing my forehead, I mutter, “Because the sheriff arrested her and her mom to get to me.”
That has to be why he did it. It’s not like he cared about Mrs. McCray’s actions before he saw me in that car. What I don’t understand but hope I’m wrong about is what the sheriff did to Darcy while she was incarcerated.
The thought burns my chest, and I shake my head. Now what?
“What about your friend? Can you ask him?” Rachel asks.
When she cocks her head, I meet her concerned stare before saying weakly, “How? I don’t have his number and the last time I went looking I got beat up by some chick and Mama.”
She snorts at that, and I shove her with my shoulder as she says, softly, “Maybe you should just go.”
“I haven't saved up enough money.”
“Mama has a stash,” she says, and I gape at her.
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
Shaking my head, I ponder what else I don’t know about my sister before saying on a sigh, “I can't take her money.”
“Why? It’s not like you’re coming back.”
“It’s not right.”
“No? Neither is a beating for wanting to be normal. You don’t have a choice, Lilli.”
No, I guess I don’t but the thought of stealing from my parents doesn’t sit well. I don’t want their help, regardless, if they’re not freely giving it.
When we get home, Mama is rushing out the door. Wearing her nicest dress and with a hat covering her hair, she barely spares us a glance beyond mumbling about dinner and Mercy.
Once she’s gone, Rachel and I share a look before I head straight to my room. I’m pulling my stuff from drawers and shoving it into a backpack when Mercy appears. I pause when I look up and spy her expression.
Her blue eyes glitter with tears and my heart stops as she whispers, “Lil.”
Immediately, I push my bag to the floor. It hurts to leave her behind and I wish I could give her a proper goodbye but the less she knows the better.
“Yeah,” I say, mustering a smile.
“It’s gone,” Rachel says, waving her arm in the air.
I shoot her a warning look and she glances at Mercy before dropping her hand.
“What’s up Mercy Lou?” I ask, sitting on the bed and patting the mattress.
“I heard something bad,” she says, before joining me.
“Okay. At school?”
She shakes her head, her shoulders stiff and I touch her pretty hair, pulled back in intricate braids. When she shudders beneath my touch, I ask, “Where?”
Covering her mouth, she whispers between her fingers, “Mama.”
My stomach sinks and I meet Rachel’s frown from where she’s sitting on Miriam’s bed.
“What Mercy?” she asks.
“It’s okay,” I say softly, and she looks up, her lower lip quivering.
“She was on the phone. It was about Mir.”
No, no, no! What now? Can’t they just let it go? Miriam has stayed away just like they asked and she’s hardly hanging around Mama’s friends, embarrassing her with her bastard baby bump.
“What did she say?” I ask and Mercy glances at Rachel sideways.
Rachel rolls her eyes and goes to stand but I shake my head. “No, it’s okay Mercy.”
I need Mercy to trust Rachel because she’s the only one left to protect my baby sister. We have to stick together.
Mercy frowns and I squeeze her shoulders before she bows her head and whispers, “She said she had the money. She said she wanted her gone. She said she would bring it but only when Mir is dead.”
My heart jumps into my throat and I stand, pacing around the room. Now what? I’ve got the sheriff and now Darcy on my butt and my own mother is plotting to kill my sister. How the heck did my life get here?
I know I complained about being locked in a cage but surely there’s more than just violence and mayhem beyond these doors.
“Can you get a hold of her?” Rachel asks and I rub my aching temples.
“No, she didn’t give me a number,” I say miserably and Rachel nods, gazing over my shoulder. After a moment, she seems to shake herself out of it and says, “You have to go back. To that guy you know.”
The notion sends a tingle down my spine before I mentally shake my head. Really? He as good as said he’s a man whore, and I’m still all fluttery at the thought. Either way, I guess it doesn’t matter. If Miriam is in danger, I have to get a message to her before I skip town. I can’t leave without knowing she’s safe, or as safe as she can be with Mama plotting her death.
“Maybe we should tell Daddy,” Mercy whispers, and I grab her hand. I’d like to be able to turn to the man who should be our hero, but in all reality, he’s nothing more than a hypocrite coated in sin. Besides, he doesn’t seem all that keen on defying Mama.
“We can’t, Mercy Lou,” I say, clearing my throat. “But I’ll find Miriam and tell her. I promise.”
Mercy raises her brilliant blue eyes to mine and my heart shatters at the knowledge staring back at me. She doesn’t say it, but she knows I’m leaving, not only this place but her. Tears clog my throat, and I reach for her hand, but she pulls away and walks toward the door.
“Mercy,” I whisper, and she pauses. “I love you.”
She doesn’t respond, and with my stomach aching, I watch her leave.
“She’ll understand,” Rachel says, and I shake my head. Will she? “Someday…”