Escaping from the Villainous Brother

ded over to his creditor. "Jessie, just sleep

elp but was rava

last bit of strength to swing

in and again, to seiz

he hotel's kitchen when my

home quick.

ce jolted

ed the knife I was using to butcher pig

ho beat me with a belt through

e be dying s

aw Madison and Cade crouched on

ly. "Cade, this is the girl you're off

d fifty thousand dollars, and t

schemed to use

the time I tried to

forced me into a

gged to a karaoke bar, w

hook as I held the phon

I replied, "Cade, han

was too naive and d

to survive, again and again. Even if

ade instant noodles in the

ignored the phone'

to six in the evening, it felt right. Then I to

nd Madison cowered under the dining

rs had roughed them up,

d it took you half a day to get here? My le

nder the table, embol

at someone behind the door. "Jessie, get

ng Madison, pretending I didn't h

h the same sinister grins. "Cade, this is the

ith her, just get the money. Don

adison, who are these guys? I don't know them. What are

dison and Cade's

n had followe

r hope for, a city girl with two prop

d spent their lives

oulders, massaging her legs, waiting for

ut Cade's lack of money, only hi

they couldn't let her see t

nd, and pointed at the extra men

d my mom was dying. That's why I brought you here. But my mom doesn't look like she's d

Cade, waiting fo

eyes wide, at a

er quick, s

bed Leah

came by and pounded my back until I coughed it up. It's such a small thing to m

unned me and

Leah occupied while she pulle

stop laughi

s scheming mother and son would dig

uor, leaving the two thugs standing wi

at least seventy or eighty grand. Paying off your fifty-grand gamblin

as rage surged

you're even desperate, you're ready to throw your daugh

the thugs flipped through th

eved breath, then noti

at? If you hadn't brought Leah here, would we have to throw Cade's dowry mone

eeves, and got to work. I sat b

g with Madison, I stuck out my f

, face twisted,

eah's coming back with meat soon. Yo

changed a lo

ned in

stayed becau

nd that tight skirt, so alluring e

was head over

my trump card, I had Mad

e to mess with-she was

ir deception, Madison and

about Leah at the hotel where I work

miss a single chance to m

ugs pulled back their steps an

ed small glasses of liquor, of

r Cade's fork t

rules. Women in our family don't eat at the table, or Madison

bout to clink glasses with Leah, f

cent, glancin

, half of it twitching, as if she

n't g

me to hear this rule for years, but wh

Leah's different. She

stepped down and crouched

w and then, offerin

she knew I was

e table, the thugs

s sent to sleep

y word of Leah and

ends don't act like that. If Jessie hadn't pulled me away, who knows what filthy things they'd have don

ed, not caring ab

like a beautifu

er myself, ears perked,

ght, then Madison rushed in, kne

h. Cade got tricked into gambling and lost some money. It

ely? Did she learn that from beating me? Since

n't sleep but fel

Leah caught an e

and saw who you really are, Cade.

on and Cade pleaded

r her and boa

hrough the window at Madison, her

urning the prize

k crept ont

d eyes glaring, stomping her foot

to save face in

ed my summer job, I packed my

hool term, I spotted C

tte, nodded to two punks behind h

l fight was ju

him sweetly, lik

van that pulled up t

ntrance sent a ch

ake nude photos, drugged, and dragged into a priv

wanted to grab the steering w

my girlfriend and made me lose a plot of land. That's on you. Today, y

bedient as in

pouted, unimpressed. "This col

s scheme, I added, "Get me

the cola and headed t

ugs and would dose another

ten seconds to t

quickly swallowed the a

anded Cade a new cola. "This one's

, smirking a

me the n

hid the rest o

to the ground, I step

le, staring at it,

h antidote I'd taken

nce, grabbed my head, and for

ed it

t, I pushed it away, splashi

, ready for m

ard, trying to spit out the drug, but

ttle brat. Now you'll behave for my creditor. This way,

dragged me into the KTV room. I s

und was Cade's or his creditor

ils into my thighs, forci

idote didn'

ong hallway, my body grew lim

ng at the boss in the room

sleazy laugh,

ing the heavens, "Am

d to acc

d, I'd take C