Page 10 of We Are Yours

I’d never be able to stop my guilt if I didn’t help her. Kraven was usually the one who picked up strays, letting them crash on the couch until they found whatever footing they needed. This was the least he could do. He owed me for all the times he got in trouble, too. It was a never-ending, uphill battle in the house where we were basically abandoned.

I took on the responsibility of big brother when I was only twelve years old, and Kraven was eleven. He decided on a different path… surviving by any means necessary was his way of life. Which meant we had more run-ins with the law because of him. Not to mention, his principal, teachers, and anyone who tried to give him any authority.

Myself included.

As our mother used to say, Kraven was her lone wolf, and I was her golden boy. She’d remind us often that we were what got her through the day, and even then, we were never enough.

Between trying to keep Kraven out of trouble, ensuring he attended school, and providing food and shelter, I didn’t have time for much else. When I could, I picked up any side gigs as a violinist, and since those weren’t often available, we had to play in subways and on side streets. It was a win-win. I could keep an eye on him, and if there was good foot traffic, it made for a good payday.

At least enough to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. Thankfully, I received my GED over a year ago when I turned sixteen, so I was able to focus on finding work instead of worrying about the school district being on my ass.

I didn’t have the privilege of graduating with my class or friends, but I’d sure as hell make sure Kraven did. Despite us only being a year apart, he’d always been my responsibility. I guess it came with the price of having junkie parents.

Shaking away my persistent thoughts, I securely wrapped my arm around her back to strap my helmet on her head. Keeping her upright after she passed out on my chest wasn’t where I thought this was leading, yet there we were. After I pulled her in tight against me and slid the hood over her head, I floored it out of the alley where my street bike was parked.

It was freezing, and hitting fifty in that frigid breeze wasn’t helping either. I drove through the backstreets to avoid being seen. How we were driving was highly illegal, and the last thing we needed was to get pulled over. I didn’t even know this girl's name, and the cops would have a field day with this unexpected situation.

My heart hammered out of my chest as I tried my best to go unnoticed. I hid her bruised and bloody face under my chin, keeping her nicely tucked under me until finally, I drove into our garage.

Kraven was nowhere to be found, though. Roland was already standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, and a dumbfounded expression spread across his face as I closed the garage door behind me with the clicker in my hand.

I hoped nobody followed me, but mostly, I prayed nobody was looking for her.

Notably, the cops.

“Boy,” he choked out in that disappointed regard he used on us often. “You better be playing with me right now.”

“Rola—”

“That better not be a passed-out girl in your arms.”

I immediately let out a long, heavy sigh, showing him that this wasn’t easy for me by any means. I was as conflicted as he was about the whole thing, and I couldn’t imagine how this appeared from an outsider’s perspective.

Shutting off the engine, I stared straight into his eyes, confessing the only truth I knew, “She’s hurt.”

“Juliu—” As soon as I pulled down the hood, revealing her beat-up face, his gaze went wide before shifting right to the gash on her eyebrow. “Fuck,” he said, and I didn’t blame him.

She looked like she had been run over by a bus, and he hadn’t seen the rest of her yet.

Feeling desperate, I blurted, “I’ll pay you.”

“Boy, don’t offend me,” he stewed, continuing to look her over from where he stood. “I don’t need your money.”

“I know.” I nodded, lifting her to stand. “But you’ll probably need to buy some supplies to fix her up, right? I’ll pay for them.”

I could feel his conflicting emotions throwing him for a loop while he hesitantly followed me inside. Each footstep sounded softer than the last. I needed to get her on a table, and time was not on our side.

After I gently laid her down on the dining table, I carefully removed Kraven’s hoodie so Roland could inspect the damage.

Another exasperated, “Fuck,” escaped his chest as he rounded the corner, his medical instincts finally kicking in as I knew they would.

I watched him go through proper protocol, trying not to shudder as he found more brutal injuries on her. Tons of cuts grazed her skin, but the ones on her forehead and forearm were the worst and needed stitches.

He grabbed a washcloth off the counter and set it on her head. “She’s lost a lot of blood, Julius.”

I nodded again, mostly because I didn’t know what to say. I barely knew how to feel. The effect she was having on me was an instant connection, and it couldn’t be ignored.

Besides, I didn’t want to ignore it.