Irritated, Kate put on a sweet smile, as if she were royalty bestowing a reward on a peasant. “Good. I’d hate for you to missout on French toast.” She gave an encouraging wave of her hand to motion for her to go first.
Alanna started to move past Kate to head to the door when Kate flashed out a fist. Alanna didn’t have time to react, other than to drop to her knees as the air was knocked out of her lungs.
She was still trying to catch her breath when Kate sauntered back to the open doorway to close the door. Shutting them both inside before returning to her side, Kate buried a hand in her hair to drag her head backward.
“Our games aren’t any fun for me if I can’t find you.”, she snarled.
“We’ll be late for school,” Alanna gasped out, not trying to twist away from her sister’s touch.
“I won’t be. Jackson is picking me up to drive me.” Kate twisted her hair tighter in her grip. “Where did you hide your birthday money?”
“I didn’t. I asked Mrs. Fields to keep it for me.”
Kate cruelly arched Alanna’s neck farther back. “Then you better get it back before I get out of school.”
Alanna knew the pain she would be made to experience would be worse than the money was worth.
“I will.”
Shoving her aside, Kate went to the door. “Jeez, you’re such a slow poke. Come on.” Kate opened the door. “If you’re done eating by the time Jackson gets here, I’ll let you ride with us.”
She would rather walk the three miles to school than ride with the high school couple, but she forced a grateful smile to her lips. “Thanks, Kate.”
Kate slung an arm around her shoulders, yet her sisterly expression and tone of voice didn’t match the cold gaze that stared down at her. “I’ll always take care of my little sister, even when Ihaveto move away. Don’t forget that.”
“I won’t.” A chill raced down her back when a muscled teenager filled the doorway, blocking them.
“You get it?”
“Not yet. She gave it to Bev. She’ll have it by the time we get home from school.” Kate’s hold on Alanna’s shoulder became a stranglehold around her neck as they both watched in amusement at her gasping for air. “Isn’t that right, sis?”
“Yes,” she managed to gasp out.
Kate’s hold around her neck immediately loosened. “See? I told you I have it under control.”
“You better,” he warned. “I don’t want to be disappointed like I was last night.”
“I made it up to you, didn’t I?” Kate cooed. “Let’s go eat before Bev comes up here to see what’s taking so long.”
A smile crossed her foster brother’s lips that always turned her stomach into knots, and Owen didn’t move away from the doorway.
“Why should if I care if the stupid bitch comes up here? She’s going to kick us out of here in a couple of days, anyway. What’s a couple of days going to matter?”
A sigh of impatience came from Kate. “I’ve told you before why we don’t want to cause trouble. Play smart, and you never get caught. Stupidity will get you caught every time. It’s why you were in four different foster homes before you met me. Now, move. I’m hungry.”
Owen moved aside, but not before giving Alanna a promissory look. “When I get home, you better have my money,” he threatened.
His money?
Too frightened and timid to assert herself, Alanna could only give him a fearful nod. Owen’s bullying behavior had been gradually worsening the closer he was to aging out of the system. The last couple of days, she had practically been quaking in hershoes every time she heard him in the house, terrified of what he would do.
“I’ll ask for it back.”
Owen didn’t appear appeased by her assurance, but at least he lost the scary look, which was habitually on his face when he looked at her.
She meekly walked alongside them to go downstairs while her stomach churned, expecting at any second for Owen to jerk her into any of the rooms they had to pass.
When they entered the kitchen, Mrs. Fields turned from doing the dishes, taking in their expressions as they took their chairs. She fixed them a plate then turned back to her dishes, so she missed Owen taking two of her French toast sticks, leaving her with only one.