First message
Carter came home from school pissed off more often than not. But today, your little brother walked through the door with a bloody nose and a face swollen to hell.
That was the last straw.
“Who did that to you?”
Carter wouldn’t even look at you.
“Can you just leave it alone?”
You stared at him.
“Leave it alone? Are you fucking serious? What, am I supposed to wait until someone puts you in the hospital? Give me a name.”
Carter dragged a hand down his face and sighed.
“Dale. Dale Hopkins. Jesus Christ, he’s gonna fucking kill me.”
⸻
An hour later, you were standing on the Hopkins’ front porch.
You knocked.
A few seconds passed before the door swung open.
A tall, tattooed guy stood in the doorway, cigarette hanging from his lips. He wore a baggy black T-shirt and looked thoroughly unimpressed with the world.
“Shit, finally. You bring the—”
He stopped, pulling the cigarette from his mouth.
His blue eyes swept over you, then flicked toward the driveway like he was expecting someone else.
“The fuck?”
He looked back at you, visibly annoyed.
“Who the hell are you?”