Ex-Factor (Diamond Girls) (30 page)

Quiet, with a flop of black hair and eyes blue like the sky, Reid had stood with his fingers laced through the metal fencing separating our yards, gaze glued on me while I cartwheeled back and forth in front of him. Tumbling was cool. I was cool. He couldn’t
not
be my friend. Our relationship was so in the bag.

But then the movers left. And Joseph Tate had come looking for his stepson.

Eyes black as pitch, thinning hair pulled into a hard comb-over, and beer belly jutting out over his too-tight pants, he’d stormed out the sliding glass door into the yard and made a beeline straight for my new friend. Lips twisted down into a snarl, he’d grabbed hold of Reid’s shoulder and laid into him something fierce. “What the hell are you doing out here, boy? I told you to help your damn mother. Now, get inside!”

I’ll never forget the look in Reid’s eyes. The vivid blue I’d found so mesmerizing darkened to a steel gray, a clear apology radiating from within their stormy depths. With a deep sigh, he’d pulled his hands from the metal fence and stalked away, shoulders slumped in defeat.

Outside of school, that was the only interaction I’d ever had with Reid Tate. My mom made sure I steered clear of the “volatile” Tate family, and Reid, well, he and I weren’t really BFF material.

Muscles sore and slightly rubbery from my earlier tumbling class, I grabbed my cell from where it sat on the porch beside me and rose to my feet with a groan. Coach Shea had been particularly hard on me at cheer practice tonight, which had resulted in a couple of hard falls before I finally mastered my Arabian. I’d been working on the trick for several weeks, and couldn’t wait to tell my boyfriend, J.P., that I’d finally mastered the skill.

I slid my finger across the touch-screen, ready to dial my guy when the loud whirring from the Tate’s heavy slider drew my attention from my phone.

Eyes wild, movements jerky, Reid stormed out of the house slinging a barrage of curse words that would make Lil Wayne blush. His mother’s silhouette appeared in the doorway, the light from the newly risen moon combined with the yellow glow from the interior lighting making her look like a thin, black blob.

“I can’t do it, Reid,” she cried. “You don’t know what you’re asking. We’d have nowhere to go. Nowhere to live.”

Reid spun on his heels and sliced a hand through the air. “I’d rather sleep in a fucking box than live with that asshole another day. You
can
leave him, Ma. You just won’t, and I don’t know why.”

Silence flooded the open space, the mating call of a few horny crickets and the faint rumble of a sputtering car engine far off in the distance a poor soundtrack for the real-life drama playing out in front of me.

Buzz!

Buzz!

Buzz!

Oh, crap!
Frantic, I fumbled with the volume button on my cell for several seconds before shoving it into my pocket. Silent, but not silenced, the thing continued to vibrate at regular intervals for several moments before finally stopping.

“Enjoy the show?”

I stiffened, shame-filled heat spreading across my extremities as I looked up and locked eyes with one very pissed off Reid.

Metal scraped against metal as his mother disappeared into the house, sliding the glass door closed behind her.

“No. I didn’t… I mean, I…” Words never came easily for me when conflict was involved. And though the conflict wasn’t mine, the fact remained I’d enjoyed a front row view of the Tates’s nightly serial drama when I should have minded my own business. I felt like a jerk.

“Pssh, whatever.” He pulled a lighter out of his pocket, lit the cigarette in his hand, and immediately took a drag. He exhaled with a deep sigh, the smoke circling up and around him like some sort of ghostly vortex.

His jeans, the only article of clothing he had on, rode low on his hips, the denim visibly worn, the edges frayed from wear. The soft, yellow light from the house behind him cast a warm glow over his already bronzed skin and highlighted the chiseled shadows covering his muscled frame. Broad shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist, which showcased a set of abs that made my toes curl. He had to work out. Bodies didn’t look that good from just sittin’ around shootin’ the breeze.

The standout feature, though, was the ginormous dragon tattoo that crawled across the center of his chest from his right shoulder. The ink was extensive and mostly complete, which meant he’d spent a good amount of time in someone’s chair—and recently, too. I was pretty sure you couldn’t get a tat until you were eighteen. Although, with Reid, anything was possible.

“Like what you see, Princess? Thinking about slummin’ it?” He flicked the butt of his cigarette onto the ground and stepped on it with his bare foot, all the while treating me to a challenging smirk. “I thought for sure your boy, J.P., was treatin’ you right. But if he’s having trouble, you know, rising to the occasion, I’m more than happy to show you what you’re missing.”

Jerk.
I rolled my eyes and looked away. You couldn’t pay me to get near his goods. Stories about his sexcapades were legendary throughout these parts and made me think I might need a round of penicillin for just looking at him. Not to mention, he had some sort of arrangement of the booty call variety going on with Cassie Squire, one of my fellow Diamond Girls and the school’s biggest slut.

I stood up, my phone once again buzzing in my pocket. I was pretty sure it was J.P., and I needed to get inside and call him so he wouldn’t worry something was wrong. Something, in fact,
was
wrong. Several things, really. Just not with me, and the sooner I got away from Reid Tate the better.

The low rumble of a car engine sputtered as it came to a stop in Reid’s driveway, signaling Joseph’s return.

Diesel growled and stalked toward the fence, teeth bared.

Crap.
Time for me to get gone.

My hands felt sweaty, and I rubbed them against the front of my jeans, unease tugging at my gut. “I’m sorry, Reid. Really. I didn’t mean to—”

“Eavesdrop? Stare at the freak family that lives behind you, and watch in fascination as the asshole head-of-the-house abuses his wife and kid?” He inclined his head and let out a huff. “Sure you did, Princess. This is the kind of shit Lifetime movies are made from.”

Buzz.

Buzz.

“Goddammit, Janice.” Joseph’s angry shouting blared from the open kitchen window at the back end of the house. “What did I tell you before I left? Where’s my fucking dinner?”

Diesel paced back and forth in front of the fence, his earlier growling having turned into full on barking.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Reid swore under his breath.

I looked down at my feet. Between the chain fence separating our properties, the glass slider leading out from their family room, and the open kitchen window, I had a full on view of everything that went down in the Tate house.

A loud crash followed by the sound of glass breaking carried out the kitchen window, Janice’s garbled scream suddenly cut off by Joseph’s enraged shouting. “I’m done with you, you lazy bitch. Done! Time to check out!”

“Shit!” Reid hauled ass to the slider, swearing when it wouldn’t open. “Fuck! You bastard!” He ran around the side of the house, a mixture of panic and fear twisting his features.

I took the four steps leading up to my back porch two at a time, nausea eating away at my gut as I listened to the loud, rhythmic thumping that echoed from deep inside the Tates’ kitchen.

I raced to the far left end of my porch, buzzing cell phone in hand, and gasped at the scene playing out in front of me.

The rhythmic thumping I’d heard was Janice’s head being slammed against the wall by her enraged husband. Face beet red, Joseph pulled her away from the wall and backhanded her across the face with an angry snarl.

Mouth bleeding, face twisted in pain, Janice huddled in the corner of the kitchen while Joseph plucked one of his newly purchased beers from its cardboard resting place. He stormed out of the kitchen toward the back of the house seconds before Reid emerged from the garage.

“Mom!” He raced to her side, fury causing him to shake when he took in Janice’s appearance. “I couldn’t get in. The door… the fucking door was locked.” He cupped her cheek and took in the full extent of the damage. “Oh, God. Your face. That bastard! I’m gonna kill him!”

“I’d love to see you try, you puny little pissant,” Joseph said as he waltzed back into the kitchen. He slammed his empty beer bottle onto the counter and reached for another.

Pulling Janice behind him, Reid moved toward the door leading into the garage, but Joseph was quick. He darted across the kitchen in two long strides. Grabbing Reid by the shoulders, he shoved him sideways against the refrigerator, and then backhanded Janice with an angry snarl.

Reid lost it and launched himself at Joseph, fists flying.

Diesel went crazy, barking and jumping at the fence.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Heart pounding and a bit breathless, I hit the Ignore Call button on my touch screen—
Sorry, J.P.
—and immediately dialed 911.

With one arm wrapped around his stepfather’s neck, Reid pummeled the large man with blow after blow to the side of the head.

Joseph shoved Reid off of him, his reprieve lasting all of two seconds. Reid came at him again, the murderous look in his eyes sending a shiver up the length of my spine.

Joseph stumbled backward, dishes and glasses shattering on impact as both he and Reid slammed into the counter behind them.

“911. What’s your emergency?”

“My neighbor,” I shouted. “He’s… he’s gone crazy. He’s beating his wife and kid. You’ve got to hurry. It’s bad. It’s really bad!”

“Address and street name, please.” The dispatcher’s voice was cool and detached. Did she not hear a word I just told her? My neighbors were getting pummeled. “Um, Winetka Way,” I said, my breaths coming in quick, shallow pants. “I don’t remember the house number. Hurry. Please.”

“Stay on the line, please.” Fast, rhythmic tapping sounded through the phone. “There have been several calls. Police are already en route to the location. They should be there any moment.”

“Joseph! No!” Janice’s raspy scream sent my blood racing, and I watched in horror as Joseph picked Reid up as though he weighed nothing, tossed him onto their kitchen table, and began punching him over and over again.

I gasped, my hand automatically flying up to cover my mouth.

“Reid! My Baby!” Janice rushed to Joseph, who turned from Reid and sent her flailing backward with a powerful blow to the gut.

“Oh God,” I yelled into the phone. “He hit her again. I… I can’t see her anymore! She’s hurt. They’re hurt. They—”

“Mom!” The combination of Reid’s panicked voice and the utter fear I saw in his eyes as he searched the floor for his mother eviscerated my heart. The dread, twisting his features, quickly morphed into rage and he shot off the table like a crazed man. “You bastard! I’ll fucking kill you!” He managed to land one punch before Joseph tackled him to the floor.

No longer able to see what was happening, I climbed onto the porch railing and lifted up onto my tippy toes, hoping this new vantage point would allow me to make sure Reid and his mom were, in fact, still alive.

No luck. The sound of the ensuing struggle waged on, but I couldn’t see any of it.

“Livvie?” My mom’s voice cut through the melee. “What are you doing out—oh no! Not again.” Mouth agape, she clamped down onto my wrist and tried to pull me down from my perch, but I wouldn’t budge. “Olivia. Go inside and phone the police. Quick. Hurry!”

I lifted my cell phone away from my ear and jiggled it in her direction, too engrossed in my neighbor’s tragedy to turn and look her in the eye.
Already phoned them, Mom. I’m way ahead of you.

Sirens blared from both ends of the street, their flashing red lights cutting through the growing darkness. A set of officers rounded the back of the house, guns drawn, as a loud voice sounded from the front of the house. “Indigo Falls Police. Open your door and come out with your hands up.”

“Come down from there, Livvie. I want you inside before I leave for work.” She tugged at my wrist, her expression worried, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow and understanding. A nurse at Indigo Falls General, she saw this type of trauma and more on a daily basis. Amped and a whole lot nauseated, I hopped down from the railing, wondering if Reid and his mother would end up in the ER during my mom’s shift, or worse, the morgue.

Disgust with my abusive neighbor, and myself, roiled in my gut. I’d turned a blind eye to the abuse that had been going on in my backyard for years, and the result had been devastating. What if Joseph had seriously hurt Janice or Reid? Or worse, what if he’d finally managed to kill them? My lungs felt heavy and I sucked in a shallow breath.

A monster. My silence made me a monster.

Just like Joseph Tate.

Stomach upset, and just jittery in general, I kissed my mom goodbye and retreated to the sanctuary of my room. My cousin, Nev, who lived with my mom and me now, was studying at her boyfriend Bodie’s house. I loved Nev, and I planned on telling her everything that happened this evening, but I’d have been lying if I’d said I didn’t relish the small bit of alone time. I needed to think, and I couldn’t do that with her or my mom breathing down my neck about everything I’d seen.

I flopped face first down onto my bed and groaned.

There was too much to do, and I had absolutely zero motivation to move. I needed to hop online and check my YouTube channel to see how many new entries I’d gotten on my latest giveaway. Makeup brushes were expensive, and I’d received two sets for free from a very popular company to both review and give away. That reminded me, I totally needed to clean my set. I’d used them continuously over the past week in order to form a solid opinion about them, and, as a result, they were full of makeup and dirty.

With a deep sigh, I rolled onto my back and ran my hands over my face and into my hair. I also needed to review the new foundation I’d just purchased and shoot an easy Day to Night Look tutorial. Thing was, I had zero desire or energy to fuss with my hair, and the idea of slapping on a ton of makeup only to wash it off twenty minutes later made me want to cry. Exhaustion had wrapped its fingers around me and was doing everything it could to pull me under.