Addiction by Shantel Tessier Read Free Book Online

sadness. “Please tell me the truth.” She sniffs. “We can help you. We can figure it out.” She is full out crying now. She places her head in her hands as she bends over and sobs in the passenger seat.
    He turns in the driver’s seat and grabs her upper arm. He pulls her over the center console and hugs her tightly as he runs a hand up her back. “It’s gonna be okay,” he tells her as he hugs her. I go to open my mouth, but he throws me a look that has me shutting it the next instant. I don’t feel the same way Savannah does. That’s obvious. I’m concerned about him, yes, but I’m not gonna cry and beg him to seek help. I’m going to make him get help, even if I have to drive him there myself.
    The ride home is longer than it should have been. Savannah cried softly the entire time, and I sat in the back gazing at their entwined hands on the center console. No one spoke, and my mind ran with questions. The need to know what he is up to filled me to the point I felt like I wanted to explode.
    We walk into the house still not speaking to one another. He leads Savannah to their room with a hand on her lower back. I’m waiting for him out in the hallway when he comes out alone a few seconds later.
    “When did you start selling drugs?” I demand.
    “I’m not discussing this with you,” he growls.
    “What?” I snap. “I deserve to know what the hell you have gotten yourself into, Blane.”
    “It’s none of your business!”
    I reach out and grab his upper arm. He looks down at my hand wrapped around his arm and then back up at me. I can see the amusement in his eyes. “This is no joke, Blane.” Annoyance washes over his face as he clenches his jaw. “Why even take us to that damn club if you knew you had a meeting?”
    “Because I thought I could get away from you,” is his clipped answer.
    My mouth falls open. “What did you think was gonna happen? You take us to the club that your drug dealer owns. And on top of that, you just happen to have the drugs in your pocket? What if we would have been pulled over? We could have all been arrested.”
    He just stares at me. “Blane,” I say softening my voice. “You can get into big trouble for this. You tell that guy you don’t want any more.” I’m still not sure what I saw in that room, but I do know that the guy is the reason it’s happening. If my brother’s doing drugs, it’s because that guy is supplying them to him.
    He yanks his arm out of my hold. “I can’t do that. I owe him.”
    I place my hand on my chest as my heart starts to pound. “What did you do, Blane? Why do you owe him?” I’m starting to feel like Savannah sounded in the car. Hysterical to the point of a breakdown.
    He takes in a deep breath as he runs a hand through his dark hair. “That’s none of your concern.”
    “No,” I say angrily as tears start to fill my eyes. “Please don’t do this to yourself. To us,” I beg desperately. “You saw what it did to Dad.”
    He runs a hand over his forehead as he releases a long breath. “He’s putting me to work. That’s all I can say. I owe him,” he repeats with irritation.
    I feel the air leave my lungs as if just hit in the chest. “Blane …” I breathe, tears silently fall down my cheek. “How much?” My voice shakes.
    “There’s no set price. I work for him until he doesn’t need me.” He sounds so unaffected. As if this is no big deal. Just a walk in the park.
    I swallow nervously. “Then what? He kills you?”
    “No,” he growls as if that was a stupid question.
    I place my shaking hands over my face and take a deep breath. “I can’t believe this,” is all I can say. “After everything we’ve gone through with Dad. Don’t you want a better life than that?” I reach up and wipe the tears away from my face with shaky hands.
    “It’s okay,” he assures me in the same soft tone he used with Savannah in the car. He knows I’m losing my shit. “Nothing is going to happen to me, sis.” He