Stepbrother jerk

a

ng failed. The

t down — final

er an entirely t

I glanced into

etting up. Inst

nd turned on

s would go aw

h

g-d

No suc

, this time,

ces

Hold your hor

this time of ni

door, I look

a patrol car

eren’t flashin

was proba

This was g

or to find Lisa

struggling to fr

old. He had her

at she thought

t go

od to see you”

watch, more f

one in th

nodded. I k

, but he could

throughout hig

ame graduatin

nt social spec

kids everyone

like. Captain

manage to sco

udy. It pissed

to work a hell

reason, he a

he lived in a tr

n a mansion. I

old a bully to

me was more r

op in our littl

d fifty pounds

cou

he had a crus

manage to fin

n my father’s

b, that wasn’

o this time?” I

glare a

d up on a bust

her third time

, at which Lisa

” I shook my h

s your

ace. What are

hand itched t

es locked

before they

,” Mac

t a fav

ere staring at

ays made him f

ght, I mean,”

he used to in

m. I could give

done it, Mack

r a lesson to

al friends.” Th

at my s

’m not some fu

ed her and Ma

hought it mi

r dad,” he said

to say a wor

with her elbow

ush he’d had o

parent in the w

however, ungr

just gave hi

freezes o

out of the cuf

As much as

n the lesson a

also knew how

He was up for r

res waited arou

ke this one to

would not be w

t not ev

er idea did sh

cked off to of

e of

Lisa and hand

e arm. “Say th

kindness

ink you’re doin

face to where

ba

make a decent

say thank you

to work. He ha

o

ent up and I a

th her right th

me since Lisa

ess a full out

expressionle

most bogus sm

cer,” she said,

ee

s and shook my

m here

a good

ink I will. Tha

ide and clos

her, you can le

mo

re if you looke

ictionary, you

eside the defin

de words like s

she’d been so

I guess a lot

l, it was high

Hell, it was

thing,

r eyes on mine

e last few ti

iven her a talki

n her end, agr

y father. But,

is the wrong w

ed. Not like she

she stood the

little confuse

ng her shoulde

the sta

and Dad know a

they get home.

it’s what they

on the town.

first to go, ri

h, but wait, w

f thinking hard,

damn easy. “I

allow

lbeit the brief

lmost innoce

atter. I’d kno

e’d been fift

d introduced u

arried. I’d be

a clue what wa

pen about dati

n divorced for

hadn’t had a s

ently told he

cing her to me

er the look on

one, how quie

that night, and

nths. We’d gott

ething had ch

peared, to be

d, calculatin

d gl

toward me, stu

gaze scanned

do you wa

ean?” I asked

ic

ys want s

true. But I w

ase, what I wa

me. Okay, may

ring the execu

head, it could

me than for her

benefits, too.

er a while to s

is it,

ound me. This

ney she was o

hook my head.

I know what

hat do you wan

cident be

wo times I kept

an

r arms across

are then nodded

ort of nod. I

t made my

I want?” I wa

hands on he

, but how my

bare that spoil

ing her down

that. Not yet. “

e a better pers

er all. And, qui

is hurting our f

hurting you.” I

be better, to

n her head or

d to, and just

’d been when I’

whom I didn’t

me off a coupl

ea of the reaso

ave had some

when we’d bee

o my room and

hose nights wer

r. But then s

I hadn’t wanted

older than her

en fifteen, jai

biggest and

es, there had

een us, but I w

nd I had. But m

y ended any fr

tried to talk to

wasn’t her I w

alk to me, not

a way, I guess

ike she was, at

me feel even m

But I’d be lying

and much more

pt up right

nsibi