Chapter 10

Julia

My brothers are down in the basement, suiting up. Or at least, Donald and Neil are. Sebby is still at the hospital with my father. His knee is fucked, that much is certain. Ribs are broken, too. I can’t bear the look of misery on his face. His season is ruined. Possibly the rest of his career. God, he might not even walk right after this.

And it’s all my fault.

The guilt is like a shroud, wrapping around and around and around my head. Each glance at Sebby, each memory of my idiocy, is like another layer wrapping around my face. Soon it will smother me.

I wanted to stay with Sebby, but Father snapped at me to go home.

There I found Donald and Neil strapping on bulletproof vests and ammo belts, arming themselves with half the guns in the house.

“Where are you going?” I ask them nervously.

“We’re going to kill Calester Green, obviously,” Neil says. “Maybe the rest of his family, too. I haven’t decided yet.”

“You can’t hurt Nacy,” I say quickly. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”

Neith