Violent Truth: A Dark Mafia Romance (The Endo-kai Mafia Series Book 2) by Audrey Rush
Author:Audrey Rush [Rush, Audrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-24T16:00:00+00:00
CHAPTER 8
DICE
seven years old
I can only choose one: to hear or to see. I canât do both. The hole is too small, and the box is narrow. So I choose to see. To see if they hurt Mother again.
If they see you, they wonât pay me, she had said. Trust me, sweet boy. Itâs safer inside the box.
The hole is about the size of a ping-pong ball, and I let my eye adjust to the light. I donât like watching her when sheâs working; I just need to watch. If Mother has to go through something like this, then I need to see it. I need to know what she goes through so that I can be a good son when itâs over. I can give her a hug. I can take care of her. Maybe then, Iâll be her favorite again.
The client rubs Motherâs neck. He pulls her bra strap off of her shoulder.
I flinch away. My head accidentally knocks into the wood. A dull pain throbs in my temple.
Iâm supposed to be quiet.
Iâm in trouble again.
âWhat was that?â the client asks.
âOh, must be a rat,â Mother says. My stomach churns. âKnow any good exterminators?â Mother purrs. My shoulders tense. I hate when she jokes like that. âI need to kill this little rodent. Itâs been pestering me for a while now.â
âI know a few people,â the client murmurs.
I want to see if sheâs joking, so I peer through the hole. Theyâre kissing, and it seems normal, so I close my eyes and carefully rest against the side of the box. Crouched like this, itâs hard to get comfortable, but once enough time passes, I always fall asleep.
In an hour, the front door slams shut, and I startle in the box. Motherâs heels clack over the linoleum. She bangs on the top of the box, the wood rattling with hollowness.
âAre you stupid?â she hisses. âCanât you see Iâm working right now? Or do you want to go without food for another week? You want to starve us again, little boy?â
I close my eyes, trying to push out the emotions. This is my fault. Sheâs doing this for us. If I had been quiet, she would let me out right now.
âFuck it,â she says. âIâll get water this time. No one will be able to hear you through that, will they? You littleââ
A fist pounds on the front door. Mother freezes.
Then she straightens, pulling her dress back into place.
âBe quiet this time,â she warns.
Her heels tap the linoleum. The door creaks open, and I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing myself to be quiet. I have to be out of sight.
Itâs better this way.
âOh, hello,â Mother says. âYou want to party tonight?â
âIâm looking for an associate of mine,â a man says, his voice raspy. âRumor has it he was a client of yours. Can you tell me where this man is?â
He must be showing Mother a picture.
Heâs not a client, then; heâs someone else. He wonât hurt Mother. I try hard to block it all out.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Salvatore: a Dark Mafia Romance by Natasha Knight(5205)
Alpha Geek by Milly Taiden(3547)
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory(3158)
Jilted by Eve Vaughn(2782)
Bound by the Sultan's Baby(2497)
Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai(2479)
Falling Hard by Jae(2467)
The Desert King's Blackmailed Bride by Lynne Graham(2388)
The Fairy Queen (The Dark Queens Book 6) by Jovee Winters(2351)
Dungari Reclaim: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Alien Alphas of Pilathna #2) by Nikki Landis(2168)
Little Secrets--Unexpectedly Pregnant by Joss Wood(2123)
Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley(2078)
Sinner by Sierra Simone(2075)
Quade's Babies by Brenda Jackson(2070)
Sal Gabrini 3: Hard Love by Mallory Monroe(2057)
Dirty by R.L. Kenderson(2048)
The Irish Don's Black Beauty: Part Two by Rose Marie(1974)
Accepting His Name by Tressie Lockwood(1966)
Twisted Minds by Keta Kendric(1955)