by J. N. Pack
I smirk and say, “She’s always ready.” He pats my shoulder and walks away. Twenty minutes later I catch the blue of Axel’s mustang pulling in a couple cars down from mine. I avoid that direction only at all cost. Then I glance in the opposite direction and see Moose pull up and park. I’m left looking directly at the track or directly at my car. I growl to myself. Avoiding them is turning into a damn job. They start announcing the races and when they are and I’m in the second race. Moose is in the first. I didn’t hear Axel’s place, but I’m sure he is racing.
Moose lines up. He’s racing a guy named Hawkins. Jed calls them to the start and when the blonde bimbo drops her arms they take off. Around the first corner the guy tries to bump Moose in the rear. I can hear Jessi gasp and everyone goes silent. Moose taps the brakes and hits the gas again flying by the douche trying to wreck him. When Moose crosses the finish line he slams the brakes spinning around climbing from the car ready to fight the asshole. Axel, Cass, Jessi and Harley all run to him. Axel gets him back in the car and they park. I turn my attention back to my car as they all walk by. I’m avoiding them. They know it and I can feel their eyes on me as they walk by. Jed calls my race and I climb in my car and pull to the line. A red Chevelle pulls to the line beside me and the guy has the audacity to wink at me. Really?!?! I turn my attention to the bimbo and when she drops her hands I speed away from the start. The guy starts slow, but begins gaining on me. He gets beside me and blows me a kiss. I smirk and Push the gas down further. My car jets forward and I pull away. I cross the finish line and pull back around to Jed. He slides my money through the window and I drive away. Instead of going to Trad’s where I know a party will be, I go to the skate park. I’m there for an hour when I see Harley and Cass round the corner. They don’t know I’m here so I stay hidden under the tree I’m sitting under. I watch them. Her acting like she don’t know what she’s doing and him pretending he does. It’s sweet. I’m a quarter of the way through a bottle of Jose doing what I do best. People watching. I lay back on the grass and I'm staring at the stars when I hear voices getting closer. I glance over and then back up. I guess I wasn’t as quiet as I thought.
“Hey, what are you doing out here?” Cass asks.
“Hiding!” I say being a smart ass.
“No kidding!” Harley says.
They obviously can’t take a hint and flop down on the grass beside me. Harley leans on Cass and he lets her. I glance at her and him and I ask, “Is this a thing now?”
They look at each other and Harley says, “Time will tell.”
I turn the bottle up chugging some of it down and say, “Here’s to you!” and I roll my eyes as I pull the bottle down.
Harley says, “Sissy?” trying to get my attention.
I finally turned to her and she whispers, “I miss you.”
I stared at her for a moment and turn my attention back to the stars. “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, do you know how loved you are?”
Tears fill Harley’s eyes and Cass looks confused.
“Star light, Star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight.” I continue.
Harley looks to Cass wiping tears from her eyes and says, “Our mom used to make us say all these weird star sayings when we were little and scared or angry or worried. We used to say them all the time. Until she died. This is the first time I’ve heard them since then.”
“If I had a star for every time you made me smile, I would be holding the night sky in my hands.” I continue.
“I remember mama locking us in the kitchen pantry and hiding us from Harlan. Harlow wrapped me and Hanna in her arms rocking back and forth saying all of them she could remember.” Harley continues.
I turn the bottle up gulping huge amounts of Jose as the first tear falls. “I am a child of the mom, being raised by the sun in a world walked by stars and a sky drawn with flowers.”
Harley crawls closer laying her head on my shoulder and staring at the sky, “Maybe I belong among the stars.” we both say.
I roll to my side and climb to my feet. I grab my board and bottle and start towards home. I really want to keep my emotions blocked. I don’t want to feel. Laying back on the grass looking up at the stars reminded me of my mom. One subject I don’t want to think on too much. As I’m walking up the front steps at my house I hear a door shut next door. I glance over and my eyes meet Axel’s as he stands there looking at me. Great. Just fuckin’ great. My gut clinches and I feel like screaming. I turn the corner and turn my head back to the front of the house when someone calls out to me.
“Hey you.” he says.
I turn to the street and the smell of cigar smoke hits me dead in the face.
“Come here for a minute.” he says.
I shake my head no.
He smirks and says, “I can talk to Harley or I can talk to you girl, makes no matter to me.”
My eyes widen and I take one step towards the road and stop. “What do you want with us?”
“Just you not her, but I’ll settle for her if I have to.” he growls.
“Stay… sta ...stay away from my sisters.” I stutter.
“Well then I guess you wanna come talk to me.” he says.
I start walking towards him and when I’m standing beside the SUV he handed me a card and says, “You start tomorrow night! Either you show up or I’ll have your sister working before Sunday.”
“I… I… Can’t. I’m a minor.” I stutter.
“Makes no matter to me. Be there or your sister will be.” he says and the car pulls away.
Anxiety and fear start to fill my body. I’m shaking.
“What did he want from you Harlow?”
I glance over and see Axel standing there beside the fence. I shake my head and look at the tail lights down the street. He hops the fence and comes to my side. I’m staring at the ground and he leans down to look me in the eyes. “I’m only gonna ask one more time Harlow, what did he want?”
Anger fills me and I shove his chest and yell, “What the fuck do you care?” and turn charging up the stairs.
Chapter 24
Axel
FUCK! I want to fuckin’ shake her, but it want do any good. What the hell is he doing? I hear voices coming down the street and turn to see Cass and Harley. They walk up beside me and Cass says, “What’s wrong? Finally realized what a moron you've been?”
I roll my eyes, “No Dad was here! He fuckin’ called Low out to the street. She’s fuckin’ terrified, but she want talk to me.”
Cass runs both hands through his hair and says, “Do you blame her?”
I growl, “I did what I did. I fucked up, but I had my reasons. None of which matters if she gets mixed up with Dad.”
“What the hell is going on?” Harley asks.
Cass’s eyes pop wide and he looks at me and says, “The only thing that would scare her is her sisters being at risk. Nothing else would scare her.”
I look at Harley. She’s scared and honestly she should be. I look at Cass and nod my head towards home. He nods. I hop the fence and start in the house.
Once I’m inside I sit on the couch waiting for my brother to say goodnight. Five minutes after I get inside he comes in. “What the hell man?”
I shake my head, “I tried to get closer so I could hear, but before I could he was already pulling away. I asked her but she iced me out. I do care, I really do. I know I acted like I didn’t, but I fuckin’ do. I thought I was keeping her off Dad’s radar and she’d be safe if I just kept her away…. I…. Drew…. Seeing her laying in that house broke me. Then have her put those walls up because I didn’t tell her who Drake was. Man I just wanted her safe. I still watch out for her. I do.”
“Son, whatever your father has in store for that girl is going to put her in her grave just like it did her mother and just like it did Drew.” my mother says from the doorway to the kitchen. “He’s targeting her son. She’s now a pawn in his vengeance against Drake for something Drake’
s probably not even responsible for.”
Cass calls Moose and him and Jessi come over. Cass tells them about Dad and Harlow. I keep my head in my hands trying to erase the past few weeks from my head.
Jessi says, “Ummm I hate to break it to you guys, but he’s going to start her out just like Laylin. You know where he wants her. Once he gets her there he’ll start shooting her up telling her it will make it easier.”
“Then he’ll be raping her in the back room and selling her to his friends. Then anyone who will take her.” Mom adds.
“I’ll kill him if he touches a hair on her head.” I growl.
“You need to go to Drake son. Have a plan. Find out the details of what he wants from her and put that plan into action. You and Drake have been trying to get the law in there, now's your chance.” she continues.
Harlow
I’m sitting in my closet with the door shut shaking all over. I can’t do what that man wants. I have enough problems standing in front of the mirror naked. I can’t do it in front of a room full of people. Tears spring to my eyes. I have to. I have to for Harley and Hanna.
Chapter 25
The next afternoon I’m a nervous wreck. My insides are all knotted. I pull my hair in a messy bun on top of my head and some flip flops and joggers with a t-shirt. When I leave I’m shaking all over. I’ve had a million texts from Harley, Cass, Axel, Jessi and even Moose. They’ve been hovering around me. Watching me from a distance. I sneak out the back and walk down the street having an uber meet me so they don’t know I’ve left the house. They think they are protecting me, but not by putting my sisters at risk. When we pull up to the black building there are cars everywhere. It’s got purple lights shining down the sides. I’m a nervous wreck. When I get to the door I say my name and the man gives me directions. When I get to the back I see Laylin. She looks horrified that I see her. She rushes to my side and says, “You can’t be here. You have to leave. Now.” she says.
Tears fill my eyes and I whisper, “I can’t.”
Marcus sticks his head out the door and says, “So you did show. I was getting ready to send for your sister.”
Laylin looks from me to Marcus and he says, “Girl aren’t you supposed to be on stage.” Laylin rushes away.
Marcus leads me into his office but leaves the door open. A minute later two men walk in standing behind me. Marcus takes a bottle from his desk and dumps a couple pills from the bottle to his hand and tries to hand them to me.
“I… I don’t… I don’t do drugs.” I whisper.
“You do today. I’m gonna need you nerve free for what's about to come for you.” he says.
I push his hand away and he nods to the men behind me. They grab my arms and as I’m trying to fight them Marcus shoves the pills in my mouth and covers my nose and blows in my face causing me to swallow. AS soon as the pills are down the guards let me go. I’m gagging, my stomach is retching trying to get the pills back up.
“No need girl. Just relax and enjoy the ride.” Marcus says.
Things immediately become hazy. I hear the door clicked shut behind me and look around but I feel like I’m floating.
He comes towards me and I weakly bat him away. He laughs and says “Fight me now, you want be able to shortly.” Panic flares and fight him is exactly what I do. With as much strength as I can gather I kick him in the nuts and run as fast as I can. Fear is gripping my chest and I’m afraid I’m going to pass out, but not here. I have to keep moving.
Axel
Fuck. Why does she keep calling me. I don’t have time for her shit. “Hello.” I answer my phone after Laylin has called a dozen times.
“You’ve got to get your ass here now!” she says quietly.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Marcus has Harlow in the back office. They shoved some shit down her throat and he locked her in there with him. You have to fuckin hurry! Like right now!” she says slightly panicking.
“I’m on my way.” I don’t even hang up the phone. I take off right as Harley comes out panicking.
“She’s gone she must have went out the back earlier.”
I don’t stop to say anything to anyone. I slam through the gears in my car trying to get through them quickly. In my rearview I can see Moose and Cass’s cars and I’m imagining they have the girls with them.
Laylin stops me in the parking lot, “You missed her by ten minutes. Right after you hang up she stumbled out of his office. I tried to get to her, but Harlan showed up. He went after her. She kicked Marcus in the nuts and took off.”
“You need to get out of there Laylin it’s not safe.” I tell her.
“I’ll be fine just find Harlow.” she says.
I make a u-turn and head back towards Harlow’s.
Harlow
I can hear him yelling all throughout the house. I can barely move. My muscles are too relaxed and my brain feels like mush.
“FUCK! WHERE THE FUCK YOU AT HARLOW?” Harlan yells. “Get your fuckin’ ass out here.”
I hide in the pantry. He must hear me move because he starts pounding on the door.
“Open the fuckin’ door Harlow. We got shit we need to handle.” he growls.
I start rocking back and forth with my fingers in my ears crying “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, do you know how loved you are?”
“Nobody fuckin’ loves you, open the fuckin’ door.” He yells.
My body feels weak and I can feel myself getting weaker. He rams the door and my knees go into my chest. I shove my legs back out slamming the door so he can’t get to me. “Star light Star bright first star I...first star I… see tonight…. I wish I…. I may… I wish I might have this ...this wish I wish tonight.” I hear voices on the other side of the door. I hear yelling and fighting. I’m too terrified to move, but I can feel my body getting weaker and weaker. “If I had a star….”
“Harlow?” someone calls out.
“For every time you made me…..”
“Shhhh listen.” Harley says.
“Smile, I'd ...be holding ...sky…”
“She’s in the pantry. She’s scared.” Harley says. She taps on the door, “Sissy it’s me. It’s safe you can come out now.”
I’m too weak to move. My brain is foggy and darkness is pulling at me. My eyes begin to flutter and they finally close.
Axel
“She’s quiet. She’s not talking anymore.” Harley says panicking.
I squeeze past her and tap the door, “Low? You ok?” When she doesn’t answer I push the door as far as I can and peek through the crack. She’s passed out against the wall.
“Jessi come here.” I call out. “See if you can stick your arm through there and move her foot. If so I can squeeze in and pick her up and you guys can open the door.”
Jessi squeezes her arm through the crack and it takes her a second, but she moves her foot. I squeeze through the door and squat beside her. I check her pulse first. It’s strong. I slowly lift her in my arms and her head lolls to the side. I pull her closer to me and I say, “Alright guys open the door.”
When they open it and see her the questions I can’t answer start. “What the fuck did they give her?”
“I dunno.” I say carrying her out of the house and across the yard to moms. Once we get there Mom gasps when she sees her.
“She snuck away and Marcus drugged her with something.” I tell her.
“Bathroom, get her to the bathroom.” I take her to the biggest one in the house and mom says lean her over the toilet. I lean her over the toilet and mom jams her finger down her throat. She's weak, but she starts showing signs of life and starts gagging on mom’s finger. Finally she pukes and mom helps me get her in the bath where my mom and Harley washed her. I bring them a pair of my joggers and a t-shirt. Mom holds her while Harley dries her and they dress her. She’s still pretty out of it. “Is she ok mom? I mean did it work?”
“Honestly son I don’t know what he gave her. Seems to be some type of sedative. She may h
ave to sleep it off.” Mom says.
I lift her from mom’s lap after she’s dressed and start up the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Harley asks.
“To my room. Where she will sleep so I can watch her. You can have the spare room. Moose can you guys watch over Hanna? Don’t let anyone near her. I’ll call Drake and he’ll have a better idea of what to do.” I say.
Everyone nods and I turn and continue up the stairs. When I get to my room I gently lay her on the bed and pull the covers up to her chest. Her eyes flutter and a tear falls. “You’re safe Low. Nobody is going to hurt you ever again.” I whisper.
“Ax.” she whispers in her sleep. I can’t help but smile.
I climb in the bed beside her and sit with my back against the wall just watching her. Someone taps at the door. “Come in.” The whole lot of them minus mom is standing there. Harley and Cass squeeze in. Moose and Jessi stand at the door. Harley kneels beside the bed and rubs her hand through her sister’s hair. Her eyes look sad, but hopeful as she asks, “Is she going to be ok?”
I close my eyes a minute leaning my head against the wall. “I hope so. I don’t know what he gave her. I don’t know if it’s something she will become dependent on. I don’t know anything.”
Cass says, “She’s going to be fine. She has all of us and she has Drake and mom. We will help her. We want to let her be like Drew.”
“Or mom.” Harley says quietly staring at her sister.
Moose finally says, “We’re going to go, call us if you need any help with her. We aren’t going to tell Hanna what happened tonight, but she’s going to have questions if she doesn't see her sister tomorrow.”
I nod and say, “We will cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Jessi takes one last look at Harlow and disappears out the door. I swear I saw tears in her eyes. We’ve all become somewhat attached to these girls.
