Wesley
Chapter thirty-five
I’m riding on the high of the newfound information when I pull into the driveway of my house. I never know when my dad is going to show up, so I need to get in and out of his office without him knowing.
Stepping inside, the house is dark, not even a lamp on, and I don’t hear a sound. Mom must be upstairs, passed out in her room, sleeping off whatever mixture of pills and alcohol she’s taken. Not needing to be distracted by trying to figure out where everyone is, I head straight to his office.
Cracking open his door, just to make sure he’s not there, I slip inside, shutting it behind me.
The room is dark. Turning on the light, I see my father’s immaculate desk.
His laptop is closed, sitting on top of it, and the desktop is turned off.
His jacket lies across the arm of the chair sitting in front of it.
Making my way across the room, I move behind his desk, taking a seat in his black leather captain's chair.
I know he keeps the cabinet locked. I’ve seen him do it. Opening the drawer to his desk, I move the contents around, knowing the key is in here somewhere.
Pens, paperclips, come on, where is it? Then, as if the Lord heard and answered my prayers, I see the silver metal sticking out from underneath some sticky notes. Picking it up, I quickly swivel the chair around to the cabinet.
The key fits and I begin flipping through his files, looking for one of his statements.
I find his bank card statements and pull them out, letting my finger trail down all the transactions until I come across it.
Tiger Tails, that has to be it. Stuffing the papers back into the folder, I go to close it when I see a manilla envelope stuck in between the files.
Curiosity gets the better of me and I pull it out.
Opening it up, I see more than a dozen flash drives, each with a sticker on it with different names.
Girl names. I look through them but one catches my eye, Sierra.
Fucking bitch. I pull the one with her name on it out, sticking it in my pocket to look at later, and close the envelope back up, placing it back where I found it.
I put the key back in the drawer, just like I found it, push the chair back under his desk, and go to leave, stopping just for a moment at his liquor cabinet, taking a bottle of whiskey. If he notices it’s gone, he’ll either blame our maid or my mother.
Opening the door slowly, I look both ways before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind me. I’d just made it to the end when I hear my dad’s booming voice talking, and duck into the closet.
The last thing I need is him questioning me why I’m home, even though he’ll see my car in the driveway, and why I’m coming from his office. His voice gets louder, and when I hear him talk and no one responds, I know he’s talking on the phone again.
“Ahh, Rico. That's amazing news,” my dad says, practically giddy.
“How long will I have to wait? I’m paying good money for Lilac.”
Who the hell is he talking to? I hear him stop right outside the closet I’m hiding in.
“A week. I won’t wait longer than that. I know I could have gone with someone else, but I want her. She’s special.”
That fucking stripper.
“Very well. I’ll send the money the day of, along with the address to have her come to. Call me back with your account information prior to that day.”
There’s silence, but he doesn’t move. I hear ringing and another voice answers.
“Malcolm, how are you, man?” I hear a voice say over speakerphone before my father changes it to a private call.
“Good now. She’s confirmed for a week's time. You will all get a taste of the sweet treat,” my dad tells him as if he’s speaking in code.
I hear my father’s footsteps as his voice fades. The faint sounds of a door opening and shutting echo down the hallway. My dad must have gone into his office and I take this as my time to escape to my room.
Once I’m inside, I pace, fuming. Between the bitch Sierra and now this cunt stripper named Lilac. I mean, what kind of fucking name is that? I want to punch something.
Opening the bottle of whiskey, I take a long swallow straight from the bottle.
I toss the flash drive on the dresser to look at later.
I take another swallow from the bottle. Tiger Tails; looks like I’m going to be making a visit there to see Lilac.
Bitch better get ready for me. But until then I need to do something.
My eyes jump back over to the flash drive. Sierra’s name calls out to me like the Batman signal to Bruce Wayne. I’ve waited long enough. She needs to learn a lesson and now is better than ever. Thanks to the information her aunt gave me, I know exactly what to do.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I pull up Google and find the number I need.
Time for the bitch to pay.
I’m going to fuck up her family just like she did mine.
Colton
Wes was going to talk with me at lunch, but he never showed. We’re both firmly on the ‘Sierra needs to learn a lesson’ train. I can’t believe I ever thought she could be a nice person. Even Jack wasn’t sure where he was, just that he got called out to my dad’s office right before lunch.
“Hey, bro,” Brax says, bumping into my shoulder before sitting down beside me. At the same time, Zan sits down across from me.
“What are the two of you doing here? Figured you’d be sitting with her.”
“If by her, you mean Sierra, we would be if she was here. She messaged me this morning saying she isn’t feeling well. Colt, man, what is your problem with her? You can’t believe the rumors and she wasn’t flirting with Dad,” Zan questions me before taking a bite of his chicken sandwich.
“You weren’t there, so you don’t know what I saw. I think it’s best if we just don’t talk about her. That way, we don’t end up fighting. It’s very clear we have a different opinion of her.” Picking up my fork, I stab some of my salad before putting it in my mouth and chewing angrily.
My phone goes off, and oddly at the same time, my brothers’ does too. It only happens whenever we message one another in a group chat or when Dad messages us. Looking at it, I see a message from Dad.
Dad: Come by my office at the end of the day. Since you all rode together, I need you to do something for me.
Me: okay
Identical Me: ok
Bro: ??
“Zan, man, you know he hates it when you give him the thumbs up.”
“I know, Colt, I just like fucking with him.” He shrugs and takes another bite of his sandwich.
“Wonder what Dad wants, that he needs all of us?” Brax asks as Zan types something on his phone. Whoever he’s messaging isn’t in the group chat. Bet it’s her. She’s already got them wrapped around her finger and she hasn’t even fucked them.
We spend the rest of lunch shooting the shit about the upcoming football game and the party happening afterward. When they bring up asking Sierra if she wants to go, it’s time for me to bail. I can’t sit there and listen to them fawn over her.
Once I’m away from the table, I pull out my phone and send a message to Wes.
Me: Hey man where did you go?
I wait but there’s no response so I go on to class.
The rest of the day goes by in a blur, and it’s about ten minutes before the end of class when I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. Slipping it out and holding it under my desk, I read the message.
Wes: Home. Your dad wanted me to take homework to the bitch so I faked being sick.
Wes: Turned out it benefited me, found out some information, and let's just say the bitch is about to pay for fucking with my family.
Me: Can’t wait to hear what you did. I’ll call when I get home so you can tell me.
Wes: Sounds good. We can meet at Petey’s Pizza and celebrate.
But I have a sneaking feeling I now know why Dad wants to see us. Seems like we’re going to be the ones delivering her the homework she’s going to be missing while she’s sick.
Looking up at the clock, I see we only have a couple of minutes before the bell, so I start packing up my shit. I want to get this done and over with.
The squealing sound of the bell goes off, and I drag myself out of my seat and make my way to Dad’s office. Zan is arriving at his door at the same time as me, with Brax following a few minutes behind.
We don’t even knock, just open the door and step inside. My dad looks up, frowning at us for not knocking first.
“What have I told you, boys? Knock first. I could be in a session with a student or a conference with a teacher or parent.”
“Sorry, Dad,” we all three say at once.
“Just knock next time, even if I do message you to meet me here. Sierra’s aunt called in today that she is home, sick, and wanted the teachers to get her assignments for the week. They all got them to me today and I need you boys to drop them off to her on your way home.”
“Really Dad, why can’t her aunt come and pick them up? Or even better, just have Zan or Brax drop them off?” I ask, pissed and not wanting to see her.
“One, the three of you rode together, and two because I said so, son,” he growls out in aggravation. “When I ask you to do something, you do it.” He gives me the look. The look that says I better shut my mouth.
“Yes, sir.”
“Dad, we know where she lives, but not what apartment. How are we going to get it to her?” my brilliant twin asks.
“I have that for you.” He picks up a stack of manilla folders and hands them out to Zan, who is standing beside his desk. “Then straight home. We’re having a family dinner tonight. John is cooking for us.”
“Okay, I hope it’s his shepherd's pie. He hasn’t made that in so long,” I say, before turning and heading out the door, wanting to get this shit over with. I already have my phone in hand, letting Wes know we’re having a family dinner tonight, so I can’t meet him at Petey’s.
We all make our way to the student parking lot and pile into the car. “What’s the address?” I look at Zan and he quickly rattles it off after complaining about how it would be easier if he drove. But there is no way I’m relinquishing control of the car to them.
Pulling out, I head straight to her place, hitting every fucking red light along the way, as I listen to them talk about her. God, I’m so over her. I can’t wait to hear what Wes found out and what he did.
Thankfully, there is a spot right out in front of her apartment opening up when we pull up and I quickly take it. “Come on, man.” Zan slaps me on the shoulder when I don’t turn the car off or attempt to get out.
“Why, the two of you can do it. It doesn’t take three people to deliver homework. Wait, on second thought, I’ll go to make sure you two don’t try to hang out any longer than needed. I’m ready to get home. I got shit to do.”
Shutting the car off, and locking the doors once I’m out, I follow in behind my brothers, who know exactly which apartment we’re going to.
Zan is the first to race to her door once we get off the elevator onto her floor. Lifting his hand, he knocks twice before the door opens to a man. A five foot eight, muscle-bound man, no shirt with dark hair and a questioning look on his face.
“Umm, we must have the wrong apartment,” Brax says, looking down at the address Dad gave us and back up to the door.
“Who are you looking for?” he asks.
“Sierra Jones,” Zan says, almost like he’s confused, and it makes me want to chuckle inside.
“You have the right place. What do you want with her?”
“We have her…” It’s then she steps into view and I see red. No matter how much I dislike someone, it’s obvious she’s been beaten up.
“Cyrus, who is…” She stops dead in her tracks, her eyes going wide, seeing the three of us here at her door.
“What the fuck happened to you, Sierra? Did you do this?” Zan asks before he shoves the guy at the door and begins throwing punches, Brax hot on his heels.
All I can do is stare at the girl in front of me. The girl who I want to hate but looks like a victim in a battered woman's commercial.
“Stop,” she screams out.
What the fuck! Is she protecting the person who did this to her?