Page 2 of Ruthless Commander

My stomach tightened like a fist, one that battered my insides and screamed. But I was used to being hungry, I was used to going without, and Edon always came first. Even at ten years old, he was still skinny, but he was fast, snatching the sandwich from my hand and wolfing it down, guzzling the beer after it.

“Tell Mom or Dad that I gave you that and I'll beat you bloody,” I muttered.

But he just gave a nod, knowing there was no truth to it. Mom and Dad weren’t coming back. They'd left for work that day six years ago and never returned. It had been up to me all this time, up to me to make sure he never went hungry. I tried my best, but still there was never quite enough.

I shoved up from the chair and motioned him to come. He swallowed the last of the sandwich and followed. We walked along the empty street of our town, our bare feet slapping against the hard ground.

"Hey!”The hard bark came from behind us.

I turned, finding the one called Davol striding toward us with his gang. “Behind me, Edon.”

“But—”

I whipped my head around and snarled,"Now."

Anger flared in his eyes, resentment lingered there, as well. But I didn't care about that in this moment, all I cared about was facing them and not backing down.

"So here he is, the great Mateo,” Davol sniggered, glancing at my brother behind me. But he couldn't see him, he couldn't get to him, and he never would.

I said nothing as the five older guys stopped in front of us. I knew who they were, and the stories that others in the town told. Some called them thugs, others criminals in the making. They bullied, and they beat. They stole what they wanted, and when they couldn't steal it, they ruined it for everyone else.

"When are you going to join us, Mateo?" Davol took a step forward, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared down at me. He was four years older than me, taller and heavier. But he wasn't hungrier, he wasn't more dangerous, and we both knew it.

I gave a shake of my head and met his gaze. It was the same answer I'd given before, and it was the same answer I’d give again. I wasn't interested in fighting and hurting. All I cared about was surviving, not for me but for my brother.

"You’ll join us one day." Davol glanced behind me. “Or else…”

That brutal fist inside my body clenched once more, but this time it wasn't because I was starving. It was out of fear.

“Edon, right?” he said, his attention on the scrawny kid at my back.

"Stay away from him," I warned, and took a step forward. "You don't go near him, you don't look at him. You don't even know he exists."

"Or else what?" Davol met my gaze. “Who are you going to run to? You have nowhere to go.”

* * *

Eighteen yearsold

"Where are you going?"I lifted my gaze as he strode out of the bedroom. My brother was different now, no longer as scrawny, no longer innocent and sweet. This kid who looked eerily familiar was almost a stranger to me now. I rose from the sofa and took a step toward him as he headed for the front door. "Edon.”

He stopped, his shoulders hunched. "What?"

"They only use you, they'll only get you into trouble."

A sharp whistle came from outside, the sound piercing. I glanced toward the doorway, my lips curling. "Do not go out there."

"Yeah, well it's better than staying here and looking at these fucking walls.”

“You’ll get caught,” I growled, taking a step toward him and grabbing his arm. "Is that what you want? You want to go away with these assholes, because I guarantee, that's what will happen. Whatever you got yourself caught up in, you need to get out of."

He wrenched his arm from my hold. "Get the fuck off me, Mateo. You’re not my damn father, so stop acting like one."

The whistle came once more, summoning him like a goddamn dog.

Hate moved through me. “You walk out, and you'll regret it."

“I stay here and I’ll regret it more. I’m not you, Mateo. I didn’t fucking die the day Mom and Dad left us and didn’t come home.”