Vicious Minds: Part 2 (Children of Vice 5)

“Okay!” I called out loudly, leaning over, I kissed my mother’s cheek. “I’ll see you on Friday for Calliope’s welcome party.”

She frowned, her shoulders dropping as she looked at me like I’d fade away and never return. “I’ll walk you out—”

“No, thank you.”

“Darcy.”

“Mom,” I snickered, “I got it. You’ve already done enough today. Thanks for the family dinner. But really, I don’t want to make a big deal out of this.”

She didn’t say anything else and just hugged me tightly, as tight as she possibly could before muttering, “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” I said, hugging her back; however, I shot a glance at my father.

He rolled his eyes, getting off the bed to stand beside her and pulling her back. “Go, then,” he said to me with a small nod.

“Going, old man,” I snickered, grabbing my socks and my bag from the bed.

Luckily, they let me get out the door in peace. However, because everyone in this family, except for Ethan, was so damn nosey, my sister, Wyatt, and Sedric were all in the hall waiting.

“Really?” I

sighed, looking at them all. “Haven’t we all seen enough of each other for one Sunday?”

“You didn’t think we’d just let you waltz out of here in the dead of night, did you?” Wyatt replied, hooking his arm around my neck, using me as his crutch. “What’s your gangster name going to be? You want me to help you think of one?”

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Mah Doc,” I muttered, trying to shrug him off, but for someone who was injured, he sure had a lot of strength left in him.

“What about the Shark?” He went on walking with me to the stairs as if he didn’t hear me. “Or Darcy ‘The Iceman’ Callahan?”

“Helen, can you get your boyfriend off me before I hurt him.”

“As if,” he scoffed, “she wants me to hold on tighter and convince you not to do this.”

I paused at the top of the stairs. My sister didn’t smile or hide the fact that she was upset. It pissed me off.

“You really are like Mom; neither of you thinks I can do this?”

“Darcy, it’s not that—”

“It’s either that or you are scared of the pain he’s going to go through.” We all turned to see Calliope coming up the left side of the stairs, holding her heels in one hand and glass of wine in the other time. Immediately, Wyatt let go of me, standing straighter, his smile dropping, his eyes focused in like an animal ready to defend…or strike.

She paused across from us, her gray eyes looking at us each one of their faces before falling to me. “They are scared for you. Because they know nothing worth having in this world, nothing that is great is born without pain. Today is probably your last carefree and good day for a very long time. Once you step out those doors, you will be in hell, and Ethan isn’t going to save you unless you are on your very last breath.”

“Then I’ll make sure never to get that point,” I replied, stepping forward.

“God, I hope so.” She glanced at Wyatt and said nothing else before turning to leave. “The rest of your family has been such a disappointment.”

“You…”

Helen grabbed Wyatt’s arm to stop him.

I watched her leave before shaking my head and looking back at them. “I think it might be safer out there than in here.”

“You might be right,” Wyatt muttered, frowning as he too watched her go for a second longer. Finally, he gave me back his attention, raising his fist to me. “If you need anything, just call.”

“I won't,” I said, tapping my fist against his. “But thank you for the offer.”

He nodded, stepping aside for me to go, but also to yell at the silent lurker behind me. “Are you going to say anything as our cousin leaves to untold dangers and horrors of the inner city?”