by Grace Hugh
We’re standing in a circular driveway and I'm staring up at a mansion. Four massive columns rise at least three stories and set off a massive porch that runs the entire front of the place. There are three steps up onto the porch then a double door which appears to be made of oak and has shiny brass trim. On either side of the double doors stand two men in suits with dark glasses and earpieces. It's obvious that they also are armed.
Lou starts up the steps with mom and me in tow. As I reach the top, the double doors open. A shadowy figure walks out from inside and as he emerges into the light, my breath is taken away. When he steps out, I lock eyes with my savior, Jans.
He has his hands shoved into his pockets and stands with his shoulders thrown back and his crotch thrust forward. I've never seen any boy look more amazingly sexy. We stare at each other for a long moment and I start to say something, but as soon as my mouth opens he shakes his head in an almost imperceptible nod. I close my mouth feeling uncertain.
"Mr. Manarchy is waiting for you in his den," Lou says.
Mom turns to me and grabs both my hands and shakes them while all but bouncing up and down. I literally want to crawl under a rock and die. She's acting like an overly excited school girl in front of Jans. She's jumping up and down so much I'm worried that one of her breasts is gonna pop out of the tight dress. That would just take the cake. Please, someone just shoot me now.
"Oh, baby," she says. "We’re about to get you everything you ever wanted. Everything you deserve."
I smile and nod but I know better. This isn’t about me, it's about her. I don't know exactly what's going on here or what kind of deal she's made, but I can't imagine this is going to go well. We follow Lou into the house and Jans steps aside as we pass.
"Soon," Jans whispers as I go by him.
My heart beats faster in my chest and butterflies dance in my stomach. The way he looks at me makes me feel owned. I've never felt anything like it but I don't ever want it to stop.
Opulence barely describes the house we walk into. Paintings adorn every part of the walls, the floor is Italian marble tile, and a grand staircase sweeps up from the main entrance to a balcony that goes around the sides of the foyer. Everything screams money but none of it gives off that touch of life. There's nothing personal here. It feels more like a museum than a home.
Lou leads us through the house to a dark wood door. He knocks and waits until a gruff voice orders us to come in. Lou pushes the door open and then steps aside. Mom bounces through without hesitation but I follow much slower, my nerves jangling to the point I feel sick.
The office is much the same as the rest of the house. It has plush carpet, dark paneling, and there’s a massive desk which dominates the room across from a fireplace. Behind the desk sits a man dressed in an expensive suit, probably close to six feet tall, with broad shoulders. His salt-and-pepper hair is black, thick, wavy which he keeps swept back from his head. I can see the resemblance between him and Jans. He looks like a hard man, a man used to manual labor. He stands up and smiles as we enter but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. Those eyes scare me. When he looks at my mom it’s not with any hint of warmth or love but like something he owns. A prize piece in his collection.
"Baby," the man says rising from his seat.
"Oh, Vinny," my mom squeals, running around the desk and all but leaping into his arms.
He barely reacts to her, standing straight and stiff as a board staring at me. He puts one arm around her and easily moves her so that she stands at his right side while his hand rests on her ass. The display of control makes me even more uncomfortable. This isn’t a man who expects people to disobey him.
"This must be LeAnne," he says.
"That's right, this is my baby," my mom says smiling broadly.
"Welcome to your new home, LeAnne," the man says.
"Hello," I say shifting from foot to foot. "Your home is very nice."
I don't honestly know what to say. He makes me nervous as hell and my mind is consumed by thoughts of Jans. What’s he doing here? Surely this can't be his… Oh God what if it is? Is this his dad? And what does that mean for us? And what us? I don’t know him and he doesn’t owe me anything but… my thoughts spin out of control then are interrupted by the man speaking.
"Thank you," he says. "You can call me Vinnie. Only my close friends get to call me that."
"You see, baby? I told you we’re going to fit in here great."
I smile a tentative smile at my mom. I'm not so certain that we will fit in here. Right now none of this feels real. It's not only too good to be true there's too much of a feeling of danger. Everything from this house to the people to the guards outside screams wrong.
There’s a knock on the door and Vinnie looks over, his eyes narrowing.
“What?” he asks gruffly.
The door opens and a young man walks in who could be the light version of Jans. He has a similar build but with blond hair instead of dark. He saunters into the room like he owns it, displaying no fear of Vinnie.
“Hey, pop,” the newcomer says, his eyes roving over me in an open display of lust that makes my skin crawl. “Who’s this?”
“Your step-sister, treat her with respect,” Vinnie says, his voice soft and quiet.
“Oh,” he says crestfallen.
“What do you want, Axel?” Vinnie asks.
“Hey, I’m heading out on that job, wanted to let you know.”
“Good, go,” Vinnie says.
Axel looks at me and lifts his chin then turns and heads out the door. I watch him go pondering who he is, what business he’s on, and why he looks so much like Jans.
“That your son, Vinnie?” Mom asks.
“Yeah, that’s Axel. The other one, Jans, is around here somewhere. They give you any lip, you tell me, I’ll handle it.”
“I’m sure we’ll all get along great,” mom replies.
"Papa's got a little something for you," Vinnie says looking at my mom.
He pulls open a desk drawer and reaches inside then pulls out a small baggie filled with white powder. Mom squeals in delight as my stomach sinks to the floor. It's only then I notice a mirror sitting on the desk that’s not much bigger than a compact with silver filigree around the edges and a razor blade sitting in the middle. I've worked so hard to get her clean. I should have known how bad this was. I don’t know why I’m surprised.
"So do I have a room here?" I ask wanting to leave before I watch my mom fall back off the wagon.
"Of course you do, sweetie!" my mom says.
"I'll have Lou show you to it," Vinnie says.
"Thank you," I say and turn towards the door.
I want nothing more than a be out of this room, hell this house even. This man is dangerous, dangerous in a way that I've never experienced. There's a coldness to him and a deadness in his eyes. I pull the door open and Lou is waiting right there. He doesn't ask or say a word as he leads me away and up the stairs like he was listening in. He takes me to the third door on the left and then leaves me standing there with my single Walmart bag filled with my entire life. I open the door and walk in and my stomach turns over. The room is decorated for a little girl. If I was seven or eight it might be perfect. But I'm sixteen years old and this isn’t appropriate. I sigh and set my bag down on the bed then start sorting my clothes. I'm almost finished when there's a knock on the door. I walk over, open it, and find Jans leaning against the door frame. That half-smile, half-smirk of his greets me and sends my heart into overdrive.
"Hey," he says.
"Hey," I reply.
"Welcome home, I guess," he says.
"Yeah," I say resignedly.
"How you like the place?"
What do I say to him? Should I be honest or should I lie. If that's his dad downstairs then how dangerous is Jans?
"It's very nice," I say playing it safe.
"It's all bullshit," he replies.
"Bullshit?"
"Yeah," he says. "Vinnie likes to show off. All t
hat shit down there is for show. It doesn't mean a thing to him."
"Isn't Vinnie your dad?"
"Yeah," he says. "We don't have that kind of relationship though."
"Oh, well, he must do very well for himself," I say.
"You know what they say."
"No, what do they say?"
"Crime pays," he says. "Until you get caught."
I laugh unable to stop myself. Jans laughs, too, and I feel the connection between us strengthen. He has a blunt honesty that I appreciate. Most of my life, all the men I've known have lied to me. My dad used to tell me the truth. He was honest with me up until the day he died. Since then I’ve only know whatever random guy my mom decided to hook up with for a while. Usually whoever would pay for a place to live and feed us for a few weeks until they grew bored with her or tired of playing family man.
"Well, I guess that makes sense," I say, still laughing.
"You get used to it," Jans says.
"Did you know about my mom?" I ask. "Is that why you did what you did at school today?"
"No," Jans says shaking his head.
"Then why did you?"
"I hate that fucker," he says shrugging. "And no one should treat a beautiful girl that way."
My stomach tightens into a hard knot crushing the butterflies that are trying to dance there. My heart beats too fast and I can't get a deep breath making me light-headed. He called me beautiful. I've never considered myself to be a beautiful girl.
"Thank you, again," I say, my voice soft.
"It was nothing," he replies.
I resist the urge to tell him that it was so much more than nothing to me. I don't really know him. And it doesn't feel right somehow to bare my soul to him on our first real meeting.
“Was that your brother in the office?” I ask instead.
“Blond? Cocky ass?” he asks.
“Yeah, looks kind of like you,” I say.
“Yeah, that’s Axel. He’s all right. Gives you any shit, tell me first, I’ll handle it.”
“Thanks. Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah, Rule Number One, don’t piss off Vinny.”
“Duly noted.”
“If you need anything, my room is three doors down," he says nodding his head back towards the stairs.
"Thank you," I say.
He turns and saunters out of the room. I watch him leave then return to folding my clothes and putting them away in my dresser. I don't know what my mom has gotten us into but I can only hope it turns out for the best. I do feel better knowing that I have a friend and an ally here.
Screaming wakes me up. It's not the first time I've woken to screams but there's something different about these. This isn’t the sound of two drunk people arguing with each other, this is someone in pain. More than pain, agony maybe, I've never heard a sound like it. My first thought is that mom’s drunk or high again but it doesn't sound like her. The pitch is wrong.
I crawl out of bed, throw a robe around myself, and then walk over to my door. I hesitate as my hand touches the knob. Do I really want to know? This is only my third night living in Vinnie's house and I have to admit I'm scared. Fear sits in my stomach like a cold ball of ice and a chill runs down my spine.
I wish Jans was here. He makes me feel safe. I haven't seen him since the day I moved in. He hasn't been in school either. I know because I look for him every day. I put it off to the fact that he's a senior and I'm only a sophomore, and it's not like our class schedules match up. So it's not surprising I haven’t seen him in school but that doesn’t mean I'm not disappointed.
On the plus side about school, Danny and his cronies have left me alone. Since Jans stood up for me I've heard whispers about him. It seems he's well-known around the school. He has a reputation as somebody not to mess with. He's been suspended more than once is the word in the hallways. The only reason he’s still in school and not expelled is because the superintendent is scared of what his dad will do. This is the life my mom’s gotten us into.
The screams haven't stopped and curiosity gets the best of me. I open my door and walk into the hallway. As I make my way to the stairs I hear another door open. I look over at the sound as mom walks into the hallway. She weaves side to side, her eyes are glassy, and she's barely dressed.
"Hey baby," she says, slurring her words. "Did you hear that sound?"
"Back to bed, mom," I order.
"Hey now, baby, you can't tell me what to do," my mom says and stumbles.
I catch her before she falls to the floor. I can smell alcohol on her breath. As I help her back to her feet I notice that the track marks on her arm are fresh. She's mainlining again. I guess it was only a matter of time.
"Mom, you should go to bed."
"Yeah," she says, almost collapsing again. "Maybe you're right, baby."
"Yeah, mom, I am."
I hook my arms under her and all but carry her back to her bedroom. Vinnie doesn't actually sleep in her room with her which I think is strange. It's a huge room, hell, it’s bigger than our last apartment. In the center is a massive California king bed. I help mom over to it and she crawls partway and then collapses into the fluffy pillows. She rolls onto her back with her legs and arms spread out as I try to work the covers out from underneath her so that I can put them over her.
"Look how good I look, baby," she says.
"I know, mom," I say.
"No, baby, look up there in the mirror," mom says, pointing, then her arm collapses back to the bed with a thump.
I look up and wish I hadn't. The ceiling over the bed is covered with mirrors. I don't know why it turns my stomach but it does. Mom giggles and at last I get the covers pulled down and then bring them up over her. She snuggles up into the sheets and in seconds she’s snoring.
It's been a few minutes since I heard any screams and I wonder if maybe it’s done. I head out into the hallway and as I leave mom’s door there's, another scream. This one is bloodcurdling and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The most disturbing part comes when it's cut short.
I can't not know what is causing that sound. I know I'm going to regret it. Deep down I know I don't want to know but some part of me has to. I walk down the stairs being very careful to try and avoid making any noise. I have a very strong suspicion of what’s happening. As I go down, there are muffled cries that grow louder. I follow the sound until I come to Vinnie's office. The door is cracked open letting me see inside and my stomach rebels causing bile to rise in my throat. It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to vomit.
Tied to a chair with duct tape is the source of the sounds. I think it's supposed to be a man but it's hard to tell through all the blood. Lou's massive form stands to one side and I see his fist swing then make contact with the man's face. There’s the most sickening dull thud I've ever heard as blood and something white flies out of the man's mouth. I wretch again.
"Who do you think you are?" Vinnie says. I don't see him but I know his voice. The man mumbles something but I can't make out the words. He's crying and shaking his head side to side. "No one steals from me. You want to take food out of my family's mouth? You owe me. You pay."
"What the fuck was that?" Vinnie asks. "Jans, you have any idea what the fuck this loser is saying?"
My heart skips a beat. Jans is in the room? Surely he's not part of this. I know I barely know him but this doesn't make any sense. I just don't feel like he's the kind of man who could do this. He's not his father. He doesn't have the same dead eyes.
"Let him go, Vinnie," Jans says.
Oh my god, it is him. Disbelief wars with sadness. Random waves of nausea pass over me at the sight of the man being beaten. I step back from the door and bump into a table set along the wall. A vase on top of it rattles and my heart goes into overtime. I freeze in place afraid to move.
"Lou, find out what the hell that is," Vinnie says.
Oh my god, this is it. I'm going to be caught. What will they do to me? Lou steps into the hallw
ay. He moves like a mountain come to life, slow, inexorable, like nothing can stop him once he's in motion. His eyes fall on me and a cold sweat breaks out across my skin.
"Hi, Lou," I say softly.
I'm scared, more scared than I've ever been but I've come this far. I don't see any options but forward. Lou actually raises his hand and waves at me. It's oddly reassuring.
"It's just LeAnne, Mr. Manarchy," Lou says over his shoulder.
"Bring her in here," Vinnie says. "She should know what I do to take care of her and her mom."
Lou looks at me and shrugs. I don't have a choice so I follow him into the office. The first thing I notice is that the plush carpet has been covered over with plastic sheets. The chair with the man strapped into it sits in the middle. I don't know why this surprises me. It makes sense they wouldn’t want to get blood all over the carpet.
Lou stops just inside the door so I stop beside him. I glance around the room quickly. Vinnie is leaning against the front of his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. He looks at me with those cold dead eyes. Axel sits in an overstuffed wing back chair rubbing his jaw, he’s nursing a black eye. He glances at me then stares at the ceiling. Jans leans against the wall opposite the door. One leg raised up with his foot pressed back and his arms crossed across his chest. He looks relaxed but I have a feeling that he could burst into motion at any second. There's an air of a coiled spring about him. My eyes lock with his and we stare at each other. I see his jaw tense then relax but he says nothing.
"LeAnne," Vinnie says. "Do I take good care of you and your mom?"
"Yes, sir," I say. Rule Number One, don’t piss of Vinnie.
The man duct taped to the chair whimpers. It's the only sound in the room besides the drip of blood dropping on plastic. It's very intimidating and I really don't want to piss off Vinnie, especially right now.
"That's right," Vinnie says. "I take good care of my family."
Family? I think to myself. I'm not really his family, I'm just a stray he picked up because he wants to bang my mom.
