𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 (𝐛.𝐛)

Avery's

tw: mention of rape, murder, drugs

Now that the blood stains are out, let me introduce myself. 

"Scout, get your ass down here." My brother calls. I look down the stairwell before jogging off each red carpeted step. 

"You know, I would really appreciate it if maybe you didn't tell me what to do in my home." I say while putting on my red bottom heels. My dress was fairly tight around my curves. Nothing unusual. Steve was used to my 'whorey closet' as he would call it. 

Steve was my brother. Adopted. Sarah found me in shopping cart left at the local drug store with a sign saying "My dad forced my mom to get rid of me." Steve hated me at first. I was his new, off the street sister, who undeniably stole all the attention. Not the good kind though. I think the only person other than Sarah who loved me was Nana. Sadly, she died from a man getting overly drunk on New Years and raped her when I was 5. 

Sarah died from Joseph, Steve's father. Once Nana died, he lost his mind. He was on bed rest from an injury and had just lost his mother. So drinking became a usual hobby of his. Mom would try to take us to the park to avoid the hitting and cursing. But there were days where he wouldn't let us leave. I remember one day, it was one of Steve's buddies birthday, and he wanted to go to the park. As we were going down the stairs, Joseph sat at the door for 4 hours.

Joseph strangled Mom on Steve's 16th birthday. 

So we ran away. It wasn't easy. I was only 14 and Steve was just 16 but after seeing Joseph put his hands on Mom, we never wanted to see him again. We tried to get him off of Mom. No amount of force would help us. The look in her eyes was engraved in my mind. I watched her soul leave her body. Their white, creaky bedroom door open enough for me to see the woman who saved me die. During that time, Steve was packing us bags. We ran the moment Joseph stood up to get himself a beer from downstairs. 

Steve didn't have his license but we didn't care. I would rather die with Steve in a car accident than see that man one more time. He could burn in hell for all I care. 

Steve and Mom looked alike. So when Mom was at the store, or buying makeup to cover the bruises, he would take it out on Steve. And the nights where it was just me and Joseph, I would lock myself in the shed. He was too drunk to walk to the end of the backyard, so it was as far I could get. 

Most of my childhood was shit. But there were times where we could pretend to be happy. Mom took Steve and I to the arcade every other Sunday. That's where we met Kaiden and Ginny. They were twins, who had a big gorgeous home. A very successful and non abusive father. We would sit at the food court in the arcade and listen with our jaws dropped to the floor about how their father would take them to the aquarium or the new mall. We of course never mentioned how much of a shit head Joseph was. So we just told him that he was sick with cancer. 

"Were gonna be late, so unless your planning on flying, we need to leave now." Steve says while grabbing my keys off of the hook next to the large metal front door. I follow him out before sliding into the car. 

"Who is this guy again?" I ask while grabbing the file from the sun visor. 

"James Barnes. Owns San Diego's biggest drug cartel to date. His last set of personal hitmen died on a bombing scene in Mexico. Some of our previous clients recommended us." The car jolts to his reply as he harshly turns the car. I follow my eyes up to see a line of traffic. 

"Does he know he ordered a package deal?" I ask. Many clients try to split Steve and I up. We always decline those offers. 

"His secretary referred us to him. She knows that there is two of us."