Page 7 of Ravaged By the Dark (The Righteous 2)
Renee peered out the thin gap in the drapes and watched as the fancy black Porsche drove past her house and didn’t return. She slumped against the door. Her heart felt like a rabbit jumping around in her chest. She had no idea who it was, but she’d spotted the car when she transferred buses. The car was definitely following her. If she hadn’t been so damn scared she was going to be ripped off the street by some psycho—she wouldn’t have come home. Instead, she would have tried to lose her tail.
It had to be one of Tyson’s goons. That was the only thing that made sense. He was getting bolder. There had been a brief reprieve in his sick stalking, but obviously, he was at it again.
Renee tossed her bag down just as her baby brother ran into the room, his small feet thundering toward her. His chubby legs and little potbelly reminded her of a Weeble Wobble as he rocked from side to side,
“Nae Nae,” J.J. yelled. His legal name was Joshua Jr., but she’d been calling him J.J. since he was born, and it had stuck.
Renee couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her cheeks as she squatted and allowed the adorable four-year-old to rush at her with all the force of a small car.
“What are you still doing up, mister?” She wrapped her arms around him as he lifted his shoulders in response.
She picked him up to sit on her hip as she ventured further into the small space. The house wasn’t much, a two-bedroom, one-bath kind of deal, but it was all she could afford. Her mother contributed every now and then, but not regularly enough that she could count on the funds because most of her mother’s money went to booze. So, Renee made sure her paycheck went directly into her bank account, and she hid any tips she earned so her mother wouldn’t spend them on her habit.
The actions and inactions of her mother’s illness had been the same for as long as Renee could remember. Her mother would have great moments, maybe even a few months that she’d stay dry, and then just like that, she would fall off the wagon.
It was like living on a fucked up merry-go-round. On the whole, Giselle wasn’t exactly a terrible mother, but food, clothes, school, and rules were not exactly high on her list of priorities for her children. Hanging out with her so-called friends and getting drunk or high ranked much higher on her priority list. When her mother was sober, she was funny and could make an amazing batch of brownies or the best southern fried chicken you’d ever tasted. But those times were rare since J.J.’s father left…all of us.
Renee walked into the kitchen, and it was obvious nothing had been made for dinner. “J.J., where’s mom,” she asked.
“Mommy left.”
“What do you mean mommy left?” She stared into her young brother’s eyes and realized he had no idea what she was asking. “Did mommy say she was going shopping?” she tried again.
J.J. shook his head no.
“Okay, I’ll figure it out. Did you eat dinner?”
He shook his head again.
It was almost one in the morning, and he hadn’t eaten. She ground her teeth but didn’t let her brother see how angry she was. She sat him down on one of the kitchen chairs and opened cupboard after cupboard. Her mother hadn’t done the shopping yet, so there was practically nothing to cook.
She picked up a box of cereal and shook it. There was enough for J.J. to eat, and she could go without food for the night. Sitting a bowl in front of her brother, she poured out the remaining portion of cereal and the last bit of milk.
“What do you say?” she asked, holding back the spoon.
“Thank you, Nae Nae.”
“You’re welcome.” Renee watched him for a few minutes and then gave his head a rub. “I’m going to go upstairs for a minute. Will you be alright on your own?”
“I’m good,” he said, running a small car across the table, making itvroom.
“Don’t make noises with your mouth full,” Renee gently scolded. He smiled a toothy grin, his sweet face the picture of innocence. She hoped he’d stay like this for a few more years. She hated the idea of the real world tainting her brother. He was a good kid.
Renee took the stairs two at a time, stuck her head in her mother’s room, and flicked on the light. Her pulse steadily rose as she took small steps into the empty space. Her eyes could barely register what she was looking at, but everything was missing. It was like aliens had abducted the entire room: clothes, furniture, absolutely everything. Heart pounding, she bolted for her and J.J.’s room. The furniture was still there, but hot tears ran down her cheeks as she neared the location of her hidden stash of money.
“No, no, no.” Renee dropped to her knees and picked up the discarded air vent cover in her hands. She stuck her arm in the open space and stifled a sob as she realized the money she’d been saving was indeed gone. Her mother had taken off and left her with all the bills, her baby brother, and no money.
What kind of mother did that?
She was trapped between destroying the room in a rage and wanting to lay down and bawl her eyes out. Before she could do either, small arms wrapped around her neck as J.J. laid his cheek on her shoulder.
“It’s okay, Nae Nae. Don’t cry. I loves you.” Renee did cry then, pulling her baby brother around her body so she could hold him tight as tears streamed down her cheeks. No matter what her mother had taken from her, her brother was the most precious thing she could have left behind.
“Come on, let’s get some sleep, and then we’ll go grocery shopping in the morning.”
“Pancakes!”
She wiped the tears off her cheeks and smiled at the sweet little boy. “Yes, we can get pancake mix.”
“Yes!” J.J. yelled and ran to her bed, jumping on and getting comfy. Normally she would insist he sleep in his own bed, but she had the feeling they were both feeling a little dejected and abandoned, so she decided to let him be.
Tomorrow was another day, and she would have to put one foot in front of the other and come up with a good plan, but that was for tomorrow. Tonight, she wanted to wallow in her new reality—a reality she wasn’t sure she was prepared to handle.
