River's End (River's End Series, #1)(18)

So she had a lot of quiet time. The more quiet she became, the more thoughts went through her brain. And she felt even worse about what she saw and who she was.

Late one afternoon she left the beach and started back along the narrow path to the trailer. She hummed while feeling the warm rays of the sun on her skin. It was nearly April and spring was exploding with color all over the valley.

She was almost to the trailer when she heard a sound. Glancing down towards the trailer steps, she screamed. Then she screamed again before jumping back and running. There was a snake! And no way past it. She stared at the despicable spot with chills breaking out all over her skin.

Chance came running at her screams from across a field. “What the hell are you screaming about?” he asked once he spotted her.

“That!” She pointed at the snake.

“That?” Chance repeated, walking forward with his voice full of disgust. “The snake? Spring’s here so they’ll all be coming out now. Didn’t you know that? Gotta be careful around the rattlers.” Chance reached down and grabbed the snake from behind its head. She stepped back further and Chance saw her. His chilling gaze focused on her.

“You afraid of this harmless snake, Erin?”

He used to enjoy tormenting her for no reason and did terrible things to her as a young girl. He often took her stuff and hid it. Then he would smear it with feces or something equally repulsive. Once, he ejaculated all over her favorite Barbie. She was ten-years-old. He was sadistic and liked to be. For no apparent reason.

She stepped back again. Her gaze was riveted on the writhing snake as it undulated against Chance’s grip.

“Put it down, Chance. Just let it go.”

He grinned. Most grins didn’t cause the flesh on one’s arm to bristle with disgust. Chance’s, however, did. “No. I think my little sister is afraid of the snake. Gotta get over that to be here, Erin. This area is infested with them. Come on, touch it, it’ll help get you over it.”

“No.” This time she turned to run from him, never doubting he’d do just that. And maybe it was a harmless snake, but it had her heart sinking in actual fear. All snakes terrified her.

Chance caught her wrist and she yanked it back as hard as she could. He had an iron grip on her arm. She yanked harder and didn’t turn, but kept straining as far away from Chance as was possible. Tears filled her eyelids.

“Let me go. God damn it, Chance! This isn’t funny.”

“Come on, Erin. It’s just a little snake. Touch it. Come on, you like to touch things, don’t you, Erin?”

She refused to look back at him and expected to have bruises from the intense strength of his grip on her. She fell into the dirt, trying to pull free in a crazy, manic rush of energy just as she realized what Chance intended to do.

The snake touched her and he rubbed it over her arm. She squeezed her eyes shut, all the while screaming. She knew it was unreasonable, and just a snake. But the fear of it touching her ignited inside her and left her crying, and nearly hysterical.

“I think you need to get over your fears, little sis.”

“Stop it!” She was screaming irrationally. “Let me go!”

“You’re not particular, never were. Come on; open your hand for it.”

Then it was gone.

Erin opened her eyes. Jack. He was on Chance after yanking her wrist away from her merciless brother. He pushed Chance down before Chance could react. Jack grabbed the snake from her brother as if it were nothing more than a piece of rope. He obviously didn’t fear the snake, but neither did he think it was something to torture her with.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Jack glared down at her brother, then glanced at her. She was on her ass in the dirt. She wiped at her tears and jumped to her feet, stepping back from where Jack stood with the squirming snake.

Chance laughed as he started to lumber onto his feet. “Ahh shit, Rydell, I was just messing around with my little sister. Haven’t you ever messed with your brothers? All siblings do it.”

Jack stared at her brother. “She was screaming.” His acidic tone suggested the statement said it all. She hesitated. She was about to start apologizing to Jack for the commotion she inadvertently made, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was scowling at her brother and his tone was quiet, almost lethal. Huh. Maybe he disapproved of Chance doing that to her.

“She was overreacting, Rydell. Jesus, it was no big deal.”

Jack one-handedly pushed Chance backwards. “Get out of here, Poletti. Get out of my fucking sight right now.”

Chance stepped back and Jack stepped forward. Her cowardly brother suddenly turned and fled towards the south field. Jack watched him go, then turned and walked out past the house before he squatted down and gently released the snake.

Maybe he’d simply go back to work. No. No such luck. He walked back to where she stood, still rubbing the dirt off her ass and legs.

“What was that?”

She glanced up into his face. He was tall, and seemed high above her. She licked her lips in humiliation. She overacted. Her screams drew not only her brother, but also Jack from his work. He probably thought something was really wrong. Instead, he found her as usual: the stupid, insipid slut whom he hated, getting hysterical over nothing. She was sure Jack thought that of her before and this only confirmed his opinion.

She shrugged and looked at her feet. “I’m sorry. I overreacted to the snake. I didn’t expect it. I mean, I never knew they were here.”