Safer Outside (A Mature YA Romance) (The Outside Series) Read Online Free Page B

toward her. I wanted to run or scream but I couldn’t do anythin g. Like the recurring dream I had where I couldn’t move or speak, I just watched as he lifted his boot to her chest and pushed. She flew backward like a rag doll and slid across the linoleum floor, coming to a stop when her head hit the far wall. “I said shut the fuck up, kid!”
    “No, no, no,” I screamed, finally regaining use of my limbs and rushing to her. She was quiet, but alert. Her eyes were as wide and shocked as mine must have been. When she was able to take a breath again, the wailing started.
    Quickly checking he r head for blood and her chest for a mark, I didn’t find any. Thank god. That was all for show. Again, he wanted to assert his power over us by freaking me out. Mission accomplished. I grabbed her pacifier and carried her out the front door. As soon as we walked out the door, she settled down. Even at two, she knew we were safer outside. He wouldn’t ever follow us out. Too many neighbors. Too much risk. There were always eyes on us. They all knew what he did in that house and were constantly looking for an excuse to call the cops.
    Keeping a lo w profile is critical when you’re a drug dealer and beating his family in front of the neighbors didn’t fit into his M.O. Thankfully.
    So, Macy and I walked down the street and crossed into an open field. The wildflowers were still in bloom and it was one of my favorite places to sit and think. When the weeds were tall, I could almost hide in their web. It was one of the few places I felt safe. We stayed in that cocoon of leaves and petals until I saw my mom’s station wagon turn the corner with Billy in the back seat.
    It had probably only been thirty minutes but the sun had set . We were quiet as we walked up the driveway behind her car.
    “What are you guys doing out here? Where’s Jesse?” She looked us over and walked up to me. In a lower voice, she asked, “Did he do something to you? What happened?”
    I wanted to tell her about him kicking Macy off her feet but it was a waste of breath. We were both fine so it wouldn’t have done anything but start a fight. And I hated to be the one to start something between them. That happened often enough without my intervention.
    “No, nothing happened. I just didn’t want to be in the house so we went for a wa lk. I got you diapers and cigarettes.” Diversion worked as well on her as it did on the kids.
    “You did? Thanks, baby. You’re so good to me.”
    We walked in the front door and found Jesse asleep on the couch.
    “I have some homework to finish. I’ll be in the room.”
    “I have homework too. Can you help me with it?” Billy tugged my arm as we walked back to our room.
    “Of course, kiddo. Let’s see what you have.”
    By the time we finished Billy’s worksheet and read his book, it was close to nine. I took a quick shower and was walking back to the room when I heard a few voices in the living room. All of Jesse’s “friends” sounded alike so I didn’t know who it was and didn’t care. Until I heard the words that would destroy the relative calm of the night.
    “Hey, Angie, I saw you at the gas station talking to Paco.”
    “Oh, yeah, he told me to say hi to you, babe.” I could hear the nervous tremor in her voice and wanted to kill the guy who brought that up. I could imagine it was literally an innocent hello over the gas pump but Jesse didn’t take well to Mom “flirting” with his friends.
    “Is that so?” Jesse said.
    “What was I supposed to do? Ignore him? He’s your friend and he said hi. That’s it.”
    Oh, shit. Instead of keeping her mouth shut, which occasionally avoide d a full blowout, she decided to talk back. That never ended well.
    Laughing, the asshole friend had done what he set out to do. “Well, I’ll let you guys figure this out. See ya later, Jes.”
    Making a detour, I snuck into their bedroom and saw Macy asleep in her crib. The rail was low so she could climb in and