“I wish you’d stop judging me for how I live my life,” I tell him, spinning the mug on the table. The grind of the porcelain on the wooden surface echoes around me, splintering Tobias’ voice when he speaks again.
“I’m not judging you, I’m worried about you.”
Snapping my gaze to his, I find his wide eyes pinned on me, and I can feel my blood burning hot with anger. This is why Pike never allows me near my family alone, because this happens. My hand tightens around the mug, the slight burn easing my mind, but when my brother opens his mouth, I can’t stop the rage that overtakes me.
“I think he’s bad for you and we want you to come home,” he says.
My movements are swift. They have to be when you’re like me. The mug flies from my hand, slamming into my brother’s face. His cry is loud, causing heads to turn toward us. I’m fueled by my anger, my feet moving quickly toward the door. I’m racing down the road with Tobias running behind me hot on my heels.
I shouldn’t pull Gigi out. I shouldn’t hold her in my hand and cut my brother’s lying tongue from his mouth. I really shouldn’t do that, but my common sense has never been something I’ve listened to.
I take a sharp left, heading toward the back of our apartment building. The dumpsters are all filled to capacity, the foul stench hitting my nostrils. I’m swallowing back the bile that rises in my mouth, the acid burning my throat, but I focus on the knife in my hand.
“Molly! Molly!”
He’s only a few steps behind me. And I know the moment I stop, I’ll be able to plunge the knife deep inside of him. But I don’t. Instead, I hide Gigi because I have a better idea.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He grits through clenched teeth. There’s a cut beneath his eye and I can’t help but be mesmerized by the trickling of blood that mars his pale skin. Unlike Pike, Tobias doesn’t have any tattoos, he’s not pierced, there’s nothing bad about him.
“Like you said, I’m broken. Your little sister is a mess.” I sing-song the words, causing him to scrunch his brows together in confusion. “I want to go home, to the apartment,” I tell him.
“Fine. I’ll walk with you.”
I smile when he turns toward the building. Watching his steps, I memorize my brother’s moves. I wish I’d had a better relationship with my family, like I have with Pike, but they don’t understand.
We make our way into the apartment building, up to the second floor, and I shove the door open. Pike turns to regard me as Tobias follows close behind.
“We decided it’s too crowded outside,” I tell Pike, who’s eyeing me warily. “Why don’t you sit down?” I gesture to the large armchair that is positioned at the window. The one Pike sits on and watches the outside world while he has a smoke.
Once my brother is seated, I stroll around toward the window and behind the chair. Lifting Gigi, I bring it around to the front of Tobias, whose jerky movement at seeing the blade, causes Gigi to slit a fine cut on his throat. It’s small enough to hurt him, but not big enough to kill him.
“What the fuck, Molls?” he says. I cringe when he calls me that. I’m not Molls. Not to him anyway. Daddy’s sitting quietly, watching with a wolfish smirk on his lips as I lean in, my tongue trailing a wet path over Tobias’ cheek. The metallic flavor of his blood only makes mine zing through my veins. It’s like those magic papers Daddy has.
“Big brother, little liar, are you here to put out the fire?” I whisper in his ear, gesturing between Pike and myself. “Did Father send you to steal me away? But now that you’re here, I have to fix you, because it’s your sister you cannot betray. You’ve seen too much,” I press the knife to his ear, “and you’ve heard too much.” A grin sweeps across my face when I push the knife into his ear, listening to the melodic screams that come from his lips. Pike moves quickly, shoving his hand over Tobias’ mouth.
“Give me your panties,” Daddy says, holding out his hand. Halting my movement, I glance up at him and I realize what he wants to do. I place Gigi on the windowsill and free myself of my underwear. Once Pike has them, I watch in awe as he stuffs them into my brother’s mouth. Tobias convulses, his pleading muffled by the material.
“You see, you’re just like us,” Daddy smirks. “Doesn’t she taste good?” This time, Pike leans in, his face close to my brother’s. “I bet you rub one out every night thinking about eating her sweet little cunt. Just like your father did. I bet every night you pray she’ll come home to jump on your dick, but,” Pike lifts his cigarette, pulling in a long drag, then blows the smoke into Tobias’ face. “I’m the one she wants. It’s my cock she wants deep inside her pretty little holes.”