Chapter 9
Vincent da Silva
When I saw Dash headed down the path toward Violetta and Tyler on the swing in the backyard, I tensed, the cigarette hovering near my mouth.
My muscles tightened and my breath ceased.
The last few days, he had been so uptight because of my edging, he was now a walking time bomb.
The last thing I needed was for him to go off on the bitch because he was looking for an outlet.
Swirling the mouse to tap on that particular camera, I tapped a button on the keyboard to activate the sound.
You always believed in us more than I did, because you never cared about the whispers, she said, her voice sad.
A finger tucked under her chin to lift. Because I saw what no one else could.
What’s that?
The most beautiful woman in the world, he replied just as quietly.
Her features scrunched as if she’d cry. You were always so much stronger than I was, Ty-Ty. Had I been stronger, things would be different now.
And you wouldn’t have those two amazing kids up there.
A brow arched. Good answer. There was one of my concerns squashed. He had no resentment towards my niece or nephew because of who their father was.
She sighed and tilted her head toward the house. Yeah, that’s true. They are so damn incredible.
Every time they were near one another, he touched her, whether it was to caress her cheek, tuck her hair behind an ear, or something as simple as grazing her fingers on the table.
Now was no different as he slowly stroked her jawline.
They really are. Look, we were just kids back then.
We ain’t so dumb no more. We got a chance to make things right, let’s just forget what happened and focus on that.
I don’t know what to do. We can’t hide out here forever, but we can’t go home. She paused to stare at him somberly. He will kill us.
I cringed and finally took that drag, my insides heavy with the burden of betrayals from the one person I never thought would do anything to harm me or my sister. Jackyl had fooled us all.
So, I’ve been thinking about that. We could always go to the cops—
White hot rage zapped through my soul so severely, my teeth grated and sweat beaded my brow. Motherfucker!
And tell them what? she snorted with a shriek.
I dunno. Be an evidence witness, or something, to their gang activity. Don’t they do that witness relocation shit?
First of all, I don’t think they would do that for a local, Mobile, Alabama gang.
Secondly, the Serpents are my family, Ty.
I would never rat them out. No matter where I go in this world with you when we leave here, I will always be a Serpent, and anything that may or may not incriminate my brothers and sisters will go to my grave with me.
I will never betray them, not even for you.
That is one good fucking answer, Tiny, Dash’s angry, baritone voice broke through a moment before he emerged from the bottom of the screen.
“Oh, shit,” I muttered in unison with Violetta. This wasn’t good. Why did he have to hear that?
His features scrunched with rage, evil flickered in his darkening gems that were deadlocked on Tyler. And frankly, it seriously pisses me the fuck off you would even suggest that, you worthless piece of shit.
The timid pussy of a little boy I met ten years ago didn’t back off, matching his animosity right off the bat. Excuse the fuck outta me for trying to save the woman I love and her kids. Tell me you wouldn’t do the same.
Unfortunately for him, Dash wasn’t one to back down, either. Turn on my brothers? Fuck, no, I wouldn’t, but someone like you wouldn’t know nothing about loyalty, huh?
Man, fuck you. You don’t know shit about me.
“Oh, shit, here we go.”
Abruptly hopping to my feet while smashing out the cigarette, I darted from the room and down the stairs, jogging for the back door.
“Where you going, Uncle Vinny?”
“Outside real quick.”
“Can we come?” Eddie asked with excitement.
“Not right now. Stay here and finish the cartoon. I’ll be right back.”
“Aw, man.”
“Stop it,” Edwina snapped. “Mommy promised us ice cream with caramel if we’re good. Don’t be bad.”
As they argued, I rushed outside, slamming the door behind me. Bounding down the several different layers of porch built into the side of the mountain, I made my way down to the path and followed it into the woods.
“Look, this is really getting us nowhere,” her voice echoed through the trees.
Dash fired back with, “Alls I know is everything was fine. You and Jackyl were happy and everything was fine until this motherfucker popped back up.”
“That’s not entirely true, Dash.”
My footsteps slowed, warning bells ringing at the hollowness of her tone. My muscles tensing, I approached apprehensively, almost afraid to continue forward.
Dash picking up the same vibes shouted, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Tiny?”
“Jack…he…had two personalities, Dash. When we were alone, sometimes…He wasn’t so nice.”
“What do you mean?” he asked again, his tone strained.
“We don’t need to go into details—”
“The fuck we don’t, Tiny. I put my life on the line for you, don’t make me go in blind. Right now, I’m still on the fence what to do. You want me all the way in your corner, you gotta let me know what’s going on.”
Just above a whisper, she reluctantly replied with, “A few weeks ago, he…drugged me and…roughed me up in front of the kids.”
My feet stumbled over themselves, my stomach bottoming out as I ogled them through the trees in horror.
My jaw gaping, I suddenly couldn’t breathe, my brain all too eagerly painting those disgusting images.
Memories swirling like a flip book, the pages suddenly stopped on one individual, one of my sister sporting a slight bruise on her face covered by makeup.
When asked about it, she’d told us she’d slipped on some water outside by the pool and fell.
We had no reason not to believe her, why would we suspect she’d been lying?
“Jesus,” Tyler croaked, his elbows on his knees, his face in his palms.
“What do you mean…roughed you up?”
“You asked me where the bruise came from,” was all she said.
“He did that?” he wheezed.
Those alarms ringing louder, I replayed that memory, now seeing everything she’d try to conceal.
A voice in my ear whispering, I was seconds from vomiting at the possibilities my imagination was creating.
“What else are you not telling us?” I seethed, rounding the last tree to step out into the small clearing surrounding the covered swing.
She gasped, her spine snapping straight as she looked at me and blanched. Gawking, thick tears spilled down her cheeks to stain her tee shirt. A hand clapping over her mouth, she adamantly shook her head, her brows wrinkled high.
“You’re hiding something,” Tyler agreed.
Our sights locked, the wave of nauseousness intensified, threatening to spew forth my lunch.
She was the absolute most important person in my life.
From the day she came home from the hospital, I vowed to protect her at all costs, and I’d failed.
I went to jail, leaving her helpless and exposed, vulnerable to Jackyl’s gross intentions.
Now I was seeing just how deep the damage was.
I had failed my little sister in the worst way, leaving her forever marred.
The world falling away to leave just me and her, my voice cracked when I stepped closer and asked, “What kind of drug did he give you?”
A sob shook her frame, sweat trickling down her temple. “Benzos, I believe,” she breathed.
“What?” Dash bellowed while Tyler retched, bending over to cover his face.
My energy gave out and I slumped into a squat, completely dumbfounded. How could he? What the fuck was his problem? “How many times, sis?” I choked out.
“A few.”
Dash’s back to us, one hand on his side, the other rubbing his face, he cleared his throat several times before speaking. “What did he do when you were high?”
“Letta,” Tyler chimed in, his hand trembling as he petted her back. “Did he rape you?”
Blubbering, she tilted her head and batted her lashes at the sky, her chin quivering. “I’m not sure. Honest, I don’t know. I…I think…maybe? I mean, I don’t know about the others, but the last time…possibly.”
“What the fuck?” Dash screamed so hard, he bent forward, his fists shaking.
Everything grew blurry and I swayed, dizzy. Did men faint, because it felt like I was about to. “Who the fuck is he? Twenty fucking years, my best fucking friend, and I don’t know who the fuck he is.”
All the tension between us erased just like that, for the time being, anyway, Dash came over and squatted beside me, rubbing my back.
It was then I realized I was hunched over and puking on the ground.
Until then, I’d totally checked out of reality, my mind floating to some subspace of denial.
This wasn’t happening. Jackyl? Raping my sister?
He was a fucking monster! He was nothing like I’d idolized and looked up to since I was a child.
“Hey, hey. Come on, brother. Get a grip.”
“Vinny, I’m so sorry!” she was weeping, Tyler’s arms wrapped around her.
My eyes watering, I was gasping, my throat scratched from the heaving. A hand lashed out and gripped Dash’s shoulder, desperate for some grounding. I needed an anchor to pull me back into my body and earth. Now was not the time to break into insanity. Violetta needed me more than ever.
“Hey.” His large palm cupped my cheek and forced me to look at him. His brows creased, I found myself focusing on the gold chips in his light irises. Bit by bit, my nerves prickled as I floated back into my body. Swallowing heavy breaths, I nodded stiffly.
His fingers curled around my nape, and he copied with a slight bob of his head. “You okay now?”
My heartbeat began to quicken, my stomach whirling. “Yeah, I’m…okay,” I whispered.
He stood and tucked his hands under my arms, pulling me to my feet, as well. Clinging to a bicep and elbow until my balance was secure, I continued to hold his stare, something fluttering around my chest.
He flashed a sad smile and patted my nape before giving a firm squeeze. “Gotta focus, brother. We need you right now. Gotta be strong.”
Nodding a little more vigorously, I gently pushed him away and approached my sister.
A couple feet away from the swing, she shrugged out of Tyler’s embrace, hopped from the bench, and flung herself against my chest, weeping hysterically.
My arms folding tightly around her, my eyelids clenched, my cheek on the top of her head.
Swaying her side to side, the knife in my back twisted a little deeper.
I may have failed her when I went to jail, but I’ll be damned if it happened again.
If Jackyl didn’t show himself by tomorrow, I was going after him.
The law and Serpents could go to hell. It was time to take a stand.
I would gladly face whatever repercussions that came my way to make that man’s blood spill from his body.
He would pay for what he did to Violetta.
Even if I went down with him, he would fucking die.