Vicious Desire by Leslie V. Walker

Chapter Six

Brendan

Rocco:Yo dipshit you coming over?

Zane:Don’t answer him.

Rocco:Hurry the fuck up before I’m too high to say hi. Hey, that rhymed. ;)

Gunner:You’re already fucking high.

Rocco:Says who?

Zane:Weren’t you the one I just passed by and was humping a chair and yelling “thank you for keeping my butt warm”?

Rocco:Hey, if I don’t show them some love then who will?

Gunner:You. It seems.

Me:You’re all annoying as fuck.

Rocco:Babe. Now’s not the time to get Jealous. I still have some moves to show off ;)

Zane:Come as soon as you’re done.

Me:Make sure everything runs smoothly.

Without replying to them any further I turn off my phone and shove it in my back pocket taking a seat in the black lounge chair just in front of the modern black desk.

I look around the office I’ve known for years now. The walls carry modern art with plants planted around the room far away from the window. I’ll never understand the mind of women, they honestly believe the plant will survive away from sunlight.

My eyes roam the bookshelf stacked with pointless biographies of people who are dead. A sigh leaves me as I move my attention to the window ahead of me, taking in the other buildings around the area. Our town doesn’t have tall buildings except for the mansions surrounding Westview.

The only thing remotely close to a skyscraper is our clock tower in the middle of the town square. Surrounded by the stores and a park. It’s been closed since the fall of 1994 and hasn’t been opened since.

Time moves by and with every second that passes my anger boils at being here yet again. I promised my sister everything would resolve during the summer, yet the complete opposite happened. Winning complete custody of my sister seems to be a never-ending fantasy.

After my mom and dad died, we were stuck with our only guardian left, our uncle, John Carter. The black sheep of the family. Always sticking with the outlaws and drug dealing. Trying to find a way to get money and power. After leaving his family for a criminal gang in his late teens he has been disowned. But seeing as he is our only blood-related family left in this fucking world we got stuck with him.

He’ll never be the family type. He takes advantage of our inheritance as best as he could. I don’t mind him touching mine as long as he gets his nasty claws away from Lillie’s.

Ever since I can remember he has it out for her. Mostly when she hit puberty the bastard has been looking at her in ways that make me picture his lifeless body in my hands. Shit went downhill when Lillie called the police after he stumbled home drugged and OD’d.

Social workers got involved and there was nothing I could do about it. Not being a legal adult yet was a downside, but also there’s not enough money in the world that could bribe this lady. I’ve tried. Countless times but nothing in the world can change this lady, even trying to get her in bed didn’t turn out great.

What great luck do I have that out of one in a million we get stuck with a social worker who actually gives a shit about their job.

After the whole ordeal I’ve been trying to get custody or to at least have John far away from us but none of it will be played out in my favor. I’m not eighteen yet and if John were to be away then Lillie would go into foster care. And I’m not about to have my sister away from me. She’s the only one I have left.

The door opening and closing draws me out of my thoughts, and I sit up straight hearing the clatter of heels coming close.

Kacey Greene rounds the corner in her black pencil skirt, purple button-down neatly tucked in shirt, and those obnoxious heels. She hands me a big smile as she takes a seat not eh opposite side of me.

“How’s it going, Brendan? Everything good at home? School? Lillie?” I don’t respond to her, already fed up with the idea of being back here.

No matter how nice Kacey is, it doesn’t change the idea she has a say in all of this and yet refuses to give me custody knowing that fucking John is trying to steal from her. I tried to get John locked away, but then it would put both of us in the system and I can’t have her away from me.

She fixes a few things on her desk as I continue to look ahead just behind her. A sigh escapes her, and I feel her eyes roaming before she speaks.

“I know how frustrating it may be––”

“Do you?” I cut her off my voice sharped and ready to attack. The tips of my fingertips dig into my thigh. “Because last time I checked if you knew how frustrating, how hard it is to be separated from your family, you wouldn’t do it. You would be doing the opposite.”

If I touch a nerve with Kacey, she doesn’t show it. If I were her, I would have called me all sorts of names and kicked me out of her office. But ever since day one of working with us Kacey has been kind and told us to call her by her first name. But it’s too fucking hard to be nice to the person who with just one say can tear apart your family.

“Why don’t we cut to the chase and talk about why you’re here today. I told you I would do checkups now and then but if it were to revolve around Lillie’s custody, I would call you to set up an appointment.”

“I told you about John.”

“Yes. And you also refuse to share other information. And without you telling me, what exactly the problem is with John, I can’t do anything about it.”

“For that very reason, I know once I tell you, you’ll take her away to foster care. She doesn’t deserve to be there. She deserves to be by my side. Nowhere else.” I lean forward in my seat hoping today will be the day I’ll get through to her.

“I already told you, you are still a minor therefore can’t...”

“I don’t care!”

“And the state doesn’t care she’s your sister!” Our eyes lock in a battle never once participated in by both parties. It would always be me trying to knock her down. But she’s a fucking battlefield.

“Be grateful I haven’t informed my boss about everything I learned about your uncle, Carter. Because if he were to know the things I do, your sister would have been sent away years ago. The only reason she’s here is because I think she’s safest with you. Don’t make me regret it, Brendan.”

“Why does fucking age matter when I’m her brother.” All I can think about is how Lillie is going to be devastated when I get back home.

“It’s just how it is. The best thing you can do is to have a clean slate. Nothing suspicious. No record. Find a job. School. Show us you’re ready for this. That you can do this.”

“I don’t turn eighteen for months.”

“You can do this. I’ll always be here if something goes downhill.”

“It’ll be your fault if something does go downhill.” I stand up from my seat not saying anything else as I make my way out of the office.

I can’t be here any longer if it doesn’t help Lillie. I tried everything I can think of, but nothing can set us free from him. Because if he goes down then my sister as well.

“The fights are going good, but the players are wanting their share in it all. They don’t want to split anything anymore. They want all game. Those fucking dicks.” Neo curses, his eyes flashing murderously.

God. Who the fuck invited him?

Remind me why he’s here again? I turn to Gunner, tilting my head to the side with an arched brow, and he gives me a glare as he shrugs, reminding me silently that he is the son of the sheriff.

Rocco scoffs, leaning back against the black sofa in our small hangout in Trailstar. We have the building next to the events all for ourselves whenever we want some time alone. “Fuck no. You tell them they get the share we let them. It’s half and half. How else are we going to help the rest in the town if everything isn’t split evenly?”

Every business we do when it comes to fights and racing, we split the money evenly. Thirty-five percent for the fighter who wins, ten percent for us for, and fifty-five percent for everyone in this town.

“Yet the other half of town is still in shit,” Zane mutters under his breath. I glance at him, and he glares at me. Battling me head-on but I just shake my head not caring to know what shoved up his ass.

“Some are saying they won’t fight unless they start to earn everything. They claim it’s their lives on the line, not yours.”

“We stop the matches before it gets too serious. We make the rules.” I reply already regretting on coming here. I should have just gone back home. I hope Lillie has yet to arrive; I hate when she’s all alone with John.

Neo shakes his head as if we weren’t understanding. “They say if they don’t get their full share then they’re going to look somewhere else to fight.”

“And where are they going to go? No one else in town is allowed to run fights.”

“Eastview has been having their own little gathering for some time now. It’s what I needed to talk to you about.” Zane stands from the couch and heads to the small refrigerator for a drink.

Gunner’s eyes snap to mine letting me know he sees the problem that will arrive if people start to move sides of the pawn. We’ve spent years making sure Eastview follows orders and doesn’t test us. Something has to be doing this on purpose. But why?

“People are starting to question your leadership…”

I stand up fast staring down Neo. Never liked the guy. His vibes are off and there’s something about him that lets me know he can’t be trusted. But his dad is the sheriff, so we need him.

“Let them. Actually, tell them to come to us and say it to our face. And while you’re at it how about you tell them and the rest of the whole fucking town if they try to start some shit, we’ll hunt every last one of them down and teach them a fucking lesson. If they want out all they have to do is ask, not go stabbing us behind the back, the people who gave them money to feed their fucking families.”

I’ve always known one day or another we were going to have people rising up against us. I just didn’t know how badly worked up it’d get me.

All four of us have been maintaining peace along both sides of town. If it were to be heard that someone is rising up against us, nothing good would come of it.

“The racing is going well but not exceedingly as much; we should add more time slots and prizes. Promotion and other shit.” Rocco adds sitting at a table with a line of white powder up and ready.

“We all have to keep our guards up. It could be anybody rising up. Not necessarily someone from Eastview,” I advise.

Neo nods, looking around the room. My gut twists up at the sense the moment he steps out the door he’ll be planning against us. But I know what an accusation is without evidence. Fucking nothing.

“What about you, Neo? We don’t really see you around anymore unless it’s managing the damn hangout,” Zane asks what we’re all thinking.

Neo glances at each and every one of us standing straighter. “Yeah, got some fucked up shit going on with my family and everything.”

“Daddy issues?” Rocco asks, tilting his head back with a taunting smirk on his face.

“Fuck off.” Neo spits out through clenched teeth.

“Yes, and I advise you to do that. I don’t want to see you anymore.” I wave a hand at him standing to get myself a beer as well.

“Yo, did you do the fucking math homework? I can’t fucking understand shit the bitch says.” Rocco stands from his seat, his movements out of control as he sits down next to Gunner.

Without a word, like always, Gunner digs into his bag and takes out a pile of papers tossing it to him.

Untapping my beer I take a long sip watching as they look over the paper. “Let me guess,” Zane starts, “Someone who starts with an L and just started High School, along with having not only the same last name but the same DNA as our buddy here did this for you.”

My fist clenches tight when I realize who he is referring to. “You know by taking this, you’re just making her fall more in love with you.”

Gunner doesn’t respond to him and instead turns to look at me. His eyes saying everything, it was either he accepted it, or he hurt her. And he knew I would have killed him if he did. I would rather have him with her if it meant she was happy, and he was miserable.

What can I say? I love to torture the guy.

“Something’s up with Neo,” Zane says as he and Rocco copy down the answers. “He’s getting secret phone calls and yesterday when I went to Trailstar they said he’s been leaving early and hanging out with these dudes.”

I don’t like this at all. Why the fuck is he hiding shit from us? Can’t say I’m surprised though.

“He’s probably planning a surprise party,” Rocco says.

“My birthday is not until May,” I remind him.

He scoffs shaking his head. “Who the fuck said it was for you? I’m talking about for me... since mine is in just a month… remember!”

Oh god. Here we go again.

The last time we forgot Rocco’s birthday he came to us at night and put pink hair dye in our shampoo for when we took a shower the next morning, we had pink hair. And found a photo on our phones of Rocco sleeping next to us with a knife. The only one who didn’t suffer was Zane, he remembered his birthday and decided to not tell us.

Ignoring him we continue what we’re doing. “Keep searching. If something is going on we need to know before anything happens.”

“I’m heading there tonight. I’ll come over tonight and let you know.” I nod.

“Are we still on for Saturday?” Rocco asks.

Fuck, I forgot to bring it up.

“Did you ask her yet?” Zane taunts knowing how much she gets under my skin.

“Yeah, just got to get the little devil under control.”

“Good luck.”

Yeah, don’t need it.

Ayanna Wilson has no choice when it comes to me. She’s in debt to me now.