Chapter 2
TWO
JULIE
Something is off, I can sense it. I’ve been texting Jimmy for hours now and nothing.
That’s not my little brother, no matter how much of an asshole he is, he never ignores me.
Especially since Mom got sick then died.
I mean, for Pete’s sake, we just buried her last week.
He knows how close I was to her. Since her burial he’s been trying to check in on me a couple of times a day and today?
Absolutely nothing. All I’ve gotten is crickets and when I call him it goes straight to voicemail.
I don’t get it, but whatever, I’ve got my own problems. I know Jimmy thinks I’m an idiot, but I’m not.
I know for sure he took a loan out from some sketchy guys, just don’t know who they are.
I’ve spent the last couple of days going through Mom’s stuff and was totally surprised at what I found. That’s why I need to speak to him now.
I’ve locked all the doors and have chairs jimmied under the knobs.
Windows are all latched, shades and drapes pulled closed, and I only have one light on in the small kitchenette.
My thought is if someone comes looking for either Jimmy or me, one look at the place and hopefully they’ll think it’s vacant.
This B these assholes don’t know who they are dealing with.
Leaning as far back as I can with my back snuggled against the wall, I see the thick hand reaching around the corner, so I move to my right just as it reaches out toward me and misses.
I hear the word “whore” right before the other thick fist comes right at my face, making contact.
I barely hang on to the lighter and hair spray as I feel the cartilage in my nose give and blood comes pouring down my face.
As the ugly pocked mug of one of the men comes into view, I raise the hair spray and light my lighter, aiming right next to his head.
When it sets the spray on fire, I’m so close I can see individual hairs start burning just as he bellows, stumbling back.
Leaning forward, I see him fall on his ass hard on the floor, grabbing the side of his head.
His partner is caught half under him and, without thinking, I jump off the toilet—landing on the top drawer of the chest—trying to balance so I don’t fall on my face.
Pushing the hair spray down, I flick the lighter while I aim it at the both of them on the linoleum flooring, hearing them scream like little girls, hands covering their ugly faces.
I step on the first dude’s obnoxiously huge gut while my foot lands hard on the second guys gonads, totally by accident.
The sound coming from him makes my stomach turn.
My sensei was right, hit them where it will hurt the most. Just as I go to push off of their bodies to try to get the hell away, something catches my eye by the door so I look up.