Everything is Everything Book 2 Read Online Free Page A

her grandma. I think she, at least, is going to be alright.”
    Juan Carlos looked shaken when he turned back to Scotty.
    “Is this Miss Gloria good people?”
    “Yes.” Scotty said simply.
    Juan Carlos sat down on the bunk with his head buried in his hands tiredly. “You should go talk to your brother now. He wants to see you before you leave. He’s in the high security wing so you’ll have to talk to him behind glass.”
    Scotty’s head began to swim.
    “T-Tino?” he stuttered.
    Juan Carlos looked up at him with dead eyes. “Yes. He has some things that he wants to get off his chest, Scotty. Something to do with the hammer you used on his face.”
    Scotty shook his head, his mouth going dry.
    “Tino’s … here?”
    Juan stood. “Come on, I’ll take you to him.”
    Scotty flinched. “No. No, I’m not—no.”
    “Scotty. Tino’s still your brother. He’s your family-“
    “Fuck that!” Scotty backed away from his father until the back of his legs hit the toilet.
    Two years ago Scotty, at the age of fifteen and tired of being his older brother’s punching bag had picked up a hammer and had beaten his brother with it.
    His beatings at the hands of his older brother had been bad enough, but then he discovered that he’d been sending their younger brother out to sell drugs. Tino had successfully destroyed Scotty’s chances of fitting in at the prestigious high school that his high-test scores had allowed him to attend by forcing him to sell drugs there.
    Soon he was just seen as another stoner and when he’d eventually dropped out, no one thought it was a loss.
    Tino had forced him to sell drugs at the school and when Scotty had refused Tino had beaten him. Scotty still wore the evidence of that beating on his face in the form of a scar beneath his left eye that hadn’t been stitched.
    That had only solidified the hate but what had taken it over the edge is what he’d done to Vanessa. He should not have done that to Vanessa White, so innocent and far removed from the dirt of the ghetto. She would not have known that despite the fact that Tino was also her half-brother that he was a viper just waiting to strike.
    Scotty’s posture straightened but his cold grey-blue eyes locked onto his father’s.
    “Tino and I have nothing to discuss. When I laid down the law that night I told him not to ever come back—that if I saw him I’d kill him.” Scotty had actually thought that his brother’s absence was due to his belief that Scotty would in fact carry out the threat. Now he saw that it was more than likely the fact that the older brother was in prison.
    “You hit him with a hammer—”
    Juan began.
    “He beat me for years, and broke Phonso’s wrist! Oh and by the way, the night I used the hammer on him—it was after he tried fucking his own sister!”
    Juan Carlos’ brow drew together quickly.
    “He didn’t tell you that shit, did he? How after her mother died Vanessa was taken to live with her grandmother. But she came back to visit me and instead got Tino. I got home in time to see her crying and running away. Luckily she got away. Beady wasn’t so lucky.”
    Juan Carlos’ face was pale. “I didn’t know—“
    “Of course you didn’t. How could you? You are here while I’m the one fixing all the broken pieces!”
    Juan Carlos shook his head. “Scotty-”
    “We’re done here. Tino’s no brother of mine. Let him know that if I see him, I’ll finish the job.”
    He moved past his father and out the cell. Their conversation had been loud and he had the attention of several men but no one said anything to him as he rushed down to the lower tier where he rejoined the Scared Straight program.
     

     
    When Scotty left the divergence program his prior criminal record was expunged. He left the Justice Center like a newborn baby with no history of his many prior misconducts.
    When he inhaled, the air tasted sweet even though he was right smack dab in the middle of downtown Cincinnati.
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