AllFreeNovel
Share Us
IMANI
“Listen …” I crossed my arms and glared at the boys as we stood in front of my house.
Jamal had left to watch his brother and sisters while his mom was at work, so it was me, them, Jace, and Allie. I eyed each one of them, knowing that I was risking my damn freedom by showing up with them all this late at night.
“Don’t say anything to my parents. They don’t like you guys, so don’t be fucking jerks.”
Landon wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “We wouldn’t do that.”
I elbowed him in the ribs. “I mean it this time.”
“Why don’t you ever invite us over?” João asked, glancing into the house through the window.
He was testing me today, really testing me. My parents had gotten beaten up by the mob the other night, my best friend had gotten kicked around by her stepfather, and now, Jace had nearly died doing God knew what. I didn’t have time for his remarks right now.
I cut my eyes to him and curled my upper lip up. “I’m not in the mood. Don’t push it, João.” I looked back toward the other two, daring them to say something to me, but they both kept their mouths shut.
I pushed the front door open. “MOM!”
“In the office,” Mom shouted back. “What do you need?”
“I need you. Now.”
“Not the first time we’ve heard that,” Landon said.
I rolled my eyes and continued into the house, locking the door behind us.
Mom appeared in the foyer and sucked in a deep breath, hurrying over to Jace. “Oh my goodness, what happened to you?” she asked, taking him to the other room and sitting him on our white couch. It was bound to get stained, but Mom was rich enough to have ten identical couches like this here within the hour, if she cared.
She had already swapped out the couch that Akio’s parents had left her bleeding out on. It was like that little scene had never even happened. If it wasn’t for her bruises, I would’ve thought I’d daydreamed the entire thing.
We hadn’t spoken about it at all.
Everyone glanced around at each other, not knowing what to say. Jace grimaced at Allie and shook his head.
“I got into a fight with someone on the football team,” Jace lied. “And got my ass kicked.”
Mom blew a breath out her nose. “Looks like it.”
After Mom ushered us all farther into the house, Allie glanced over at me, eyeing the bruises all over Mom’s face. “What happened to your mom?” she whispered.
I winced. “You don’t want to know.”
And it wasn’t like I would tell her that Akio’sfamily was part of the damn Redwood mob. She already had too much shit on her plate between Jace and his father.
Mom glanced up and noticed the Poison boys for the first time tonight. She gave them a hard and long look, then pressed her lips together and nodded to the other room. “I’m going to grab some supplies. Allie and Imani, please, help me.”
Once I told the boys not to touch anything, I followed Mom and Allie to the bathroom. Mom rummaged through some stuff in the closet, pulling out the same medical supplies that I used to kinda, sorta heal her the other day.
“If they’re going to be over here, please watch them,” she said to me. “And, sweetie”—she looked at Allie—“make sure they don’t steal anything. Those boys are bad news. I told her not to see them.” She continued as if I weren’t here. “Why is she bringing them into the house? Can you try to talk some sense into her?”
Allie glanced back at me, and I glared at the back of Mom’s head, really not wanting to fight with her tonight. We’d been through so much shit these past few days. I didn’t have patience for her anymore.
“They’re just, um … friends,” Allie said, shrugging.
“Mmhmm,” Mom said, giving me the side-eye.
She still didn’t trust me with them.
