“Nothing you need to know about.” He jerked open the closet’s bifold doors, slid the clothes aside and opened up the hidey-hole where her dad once kept his illegal firearms. It was a simple unfinished cabinet with now empty gun racks, but the outside blended with all the rest of the paneling in the room. Kevin shoved her inside and paused only a moment. “Promise me.”

A knock sounded on the front door, and Kevin’s already pale face blanched a deeper shade of white. In all the years she’d known her brother and through all the crazy trouble he’d gotten himself into, she’d never once seen so much fear in his eyes.

Bonnie swallowed hard and pulled her backpack tight against her chest. “O-Okay.”

Lips mashed tight together, Kev gave her a sharp nod and closed the door.

The hangers scraped across the metal rod and the bifold doors whispered back into place.

What the ever-lovin’-hell were the two of them up to?

What they’re always up to, her conscience whispered back to her. Doing things outside the way the rest of the world lives and then ending up with their asses in one sling or another.

Voices sounded in the living room, but her heart pounded too hard for her to hear. A sickly sweat built along the back of her neck and her spine.

God, she was sick of this crap. Her whole damned life she’d done her best to stay in the shadows and out of the messes her family created. Why they couldn’t just have normal jobs, pay taxes and lead calm lives like everyone else was beyond her. Everything had to be a party. A scheme, or the next great con.

The voices grew louder, her dad’s gruff take-no-shit tone volleying back and forth with another one she didn’t recognize.

A second later, something cracked. A heavy thud against wood followed by scuffling and grunts. The clatter of the metal screen door against its frame.

Then quiet.

Painfully terrifying quiet.

But she kept her promise and waited.

And waited.

Her legs trembled with the need to move, and her forearms ached where she clutched her backpack tight.

Where the hell were they? She had to have been in the cramped space at least thirty minutes. Maybe more. It sure as shit felt like more. If whoever it was was gone, why didn’t they come give her the all-clear?

What if they can’t come get you?

All too easily, the grunts and scuffles she’d heard replayed in her head.

If you think Bonnie’s gonna have enough to bail you out with Pauley, you’re out of your mind.

No way.

Pauley and his goons weren’t the types to bust heads. More like B-grade loan sharks who annoyed you into paying outstanding debts.

Unless Pauley was out of options and was tired of her dad’s crap. Yeah, Kevin might be able to hold his own with someone out to rough him up, but Dad didn’t have a prayer.