My Billionaire Cure

Chapter 20

~1999~

Run, run Rudolph, Santa's got to make it to town

Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down

Run, run Rudolph 'cause I'm reelin' like a merry-go-round

Chuck Berry's song played on the small transistor radio by the window as the men in the living room danced with beer bottles grasped in their hands and a man twirled his pregnant wife around and around as she giggled hysterically.

The snow on the ground, thick enough to come up to a grown man's knees, coated the surroundings in pure bliss. An old man shoveled the snow which had covered his narrow driveway. He waved his hand from the other side of the road when he noticed the small boy staring at him from the window across the street.

The foggy window covered the bruises on his face as he smiled at the man.

"Man slow down, your wife is pregnant" the man chuckled in his raspy voice.

The boy quickly leaned away from the window, hearing the voice he dreaded most coming from behind him. He slowly sat on the floor, bringing his knees close to his chest.

He played with his hands, trying to stop the shiver running through his body as he heard her voice.

"Let him be James. He's a loving husband. Isn't he? "

He quickly shifted his body, hiding behind the enormous Christmas tree beside him.

His stomach growled in hunger since the woman had starved him for two days.

She instantly turned her head and looked at him with fire blazing in her eyes.

"Stop it" she hissed through gritted teeth.

He bit his lip to stop the sob trying to escape his lips. He felt blood as he bit too hard and a single tear involuntarily escaped his eye.

The music died and he felt all eyes in the room on him. He tried to shrink back but two large hands lifted him by the shoulders and dragged him out of the corner.

"Well James I have a surprise. I found this at the post office. "

Kyle opened an envelope and took a small, yellow paper out. The boy's eyes widened in fear as he recognized it.

"This was put into the mail box without a stamp. Consider this as my Christmas present"

He nudged James's shoulder with a smirk as he opened the piece of paper to read it out aloud.

"Dear Santa Claus,

Please take me far away from this house. I can't live here anymore. Take me with you.

Sincerely Marcus Jones"

James's eyes gleamed wickedly, his lips twitched into a small, playful smile. Tears were streaming down the boy's eyes as he looked at their house maid Barbara for help.

Pain and regret flashed across her eyes as she looked down trying to hold in a sob.

"What do we do to him now James?" Logan grinned widely eyeing the boy.

"The usual" the raspy voice replied with a hint of mischief.

"Oh please, Irene is pregnant. Go and do it somewhere else" the woman ordered them, pointing at the door.