AIDAN
BOY EPIC - SCARS
Dyslexia did not a moron make.
But shame did.
Shame for something I couldn’t help, shame for something that had affected my health, shame for something that was nothing to be ashamed ofdidmake me an idiot, and it had ruled my life for too long.
Around me, my brothers surged into the room, their anger at his words clear.
However, I wasn’t angry.
Not at MacMurray’s deflection, not at his slur.
The blood was what infuriated me. Hell, itenragedme.
A hand slapped my shoulder—Conor’s. "You heard ofGerald’s Game?"
Frowning, I twisted to look at him. "Stephen King? I don’t do horror. You know that."
"One of the characters ties a woman to the bed then dies before he can free her."
His pointed look had me rolling my eyes. "I’m not going to die tonight. Plus, you know where she is. Although how you know she’s tied to the fucking bed is another matter entirely."
"I’m not interested in your sex life. I just know the shit you’re into."
"Like you’re not? Like you don’t wish you could tie that Star chick to the bed?"
"If I did, she’d still be here, wouldn’t she?" he intoned grimly, his jaw tightening at my bringing Star up again.
"Exactly."
Shaking off his hold on my shoulder, I moved into the room and crouched in front of one of the few guards Da had actually seemed to like.
At least, he hadn’t actively disliked him.
It was, at times like these, that I was reminded why my father and I hadn’t gotten along well.
Around me, my brothers settled into a loose circle.
With one hand balling into a fist, the other I used to grab MacMurray’s hair so I could tip his head back to make sure that I had his full attention.
"What’re you doin’? You ain’t letting me go?"
"Da didn’t let his guards take drugs," I mused out loud.
He tensed up.
I didn’t need to be this close to him to see it either.
"Your father’s dead. So’s the Five Points now you’re in charge," he spat, his words better articulated than before.
Without moving, I slammed his head back against the pole. I knew it wouldn’t hurt, more like sting, but MacMurray sneered at me as he hissed, "Bastard."
"What drug did you take?"
"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"