2. Jenna
JENNA
“Jones just puked in the hallway. Go clean it up.”
“Take this here.”
“Go there.”
“Clean up this shithole.”
“Go out there and show Benny a good time.”
I’d heard it all before. Done it all before. So, I wasn’t surprised when Steven appeared in my doorway and demanded, “Take this over to Jimmy’s first thing in the morning.”
He tossed a large duffle bag onto the bedroom floor. I didn’t have to ask. I knew what was inside, and I also knew I didn’t want to deliver it—not to Jimmy or anyone else. “What? I have to work. You know that.”
“So? Do it on your way.”
“What about Luna?”
Steven was two years younger than me, and there was a time when we were thick as thieves.
There wasn’t anything my brother wouldn’t do for me and I for him, but everything changed when he joined the Assassins, a vicious gang who wreaked havoc on the city.
Now, he was covered in tattoos, and all muscled up like he was on steroids, and the only thing he cared about was himself and them.
He certainly didn’t care about me or his niece, so I wasn’t surprised when he spat, “What about her?”
“You know I have to take her to daycare?”
“So?” Aggravation marked his face as he sassed, “Drop it off on your way.”
“I’m not taking that in the car with Luna.”
“You like having a roof over your head?”
It was a common threat. He used it anytime he wanted me to do something for him. I wanted no part of it. I was a mother, and I was doing everything I could to raise my daughter right. I hoped that I could worm my way out of it, so I started, “You know I do, but...”
“I don’t wanna hear your bullshit, Jenna.” He turned and stormed out of the room as he shouted, “Either take the fucking bag or get the fuck out.”
I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I didn’t have that luxury. I was basically homeless and was at the mercy of my brother’s hospitality. Unfortunately, that mercy came at a cost. I had to do things for his stupid gang, or he’d put me and Luna out on the street.
I hated it.
I knew what he was doing was illegal, and I wanted nothing to do with it.
But I had no choice. We needed a place to live. It was either here or on the streets, and I couldn’t do that to Luna.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if the house wasn’t such a dump.
The paint was peeling, revealing the weathered, crumpling wood beneath.
The front porch was falling apart and creaked with every step.
Several windows were broken and boarded up like the house was already condemned, and the worn-out sofas and mismatched chairs looked like he’d picked them up off the street.
And our little room wasn’t much better. It accommodated a twin bed and a rickety wooden dresser. The wallpaper was dull and peeling at the edges, and it was a far cry from the pretty pink bedroom she’d once had.
I’d done what I could to arrange our few possessions in a way that made the small room feel like home, but it did little to help.
Thankfully, Luna was only three and wasn’t old enough to realize that we were in such a bad spot.
I glanced over at Luna lying next to me, and she was sleeping soundly, all sweet dreams and innocence.
Just looking at her made my heart smile.
That little girl meant everything to me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her. Every little smile, every giggle, every hug gave me the strength to keep going. She was the reason I did the things I did, and I would keep doing them if it meant keeping her safe.
I ran the tips of my fingers through her curly hair, brushing it away from her sweet, angelic face, and guilt washed over me when her big brown eyes flickered open. In barely a whisper, she muttered, “Momma?”
“It’s okay, sweetie.” I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Go back to sleep.”
She didn’t need much encouragement. She was exhausted and fell right back to sleep. I reached over and turned out the light, then curled up next to her. I wanted to put the day behind me and drift off myself, but the second I closed my eyes, I saw his face—Officer Simon Reynolds.