Killer Within by S.E. Green Read Free Book Online

haven’t really been here for my stepdad. No one has. If me going to this group helps him deal with all of this, then I need to go.
    I walk to the office and knock on the door.
    “Come in,” he curtly says.
    I open the door just enough to stick my head through. “I’m sorry. I really am. I was being selfish. I’ll keep going back.”
    He spares me a very brief look. “Good.”
    I give it a couple more seconds, but neither of us says anything else, and so I close his door. Yes, Victor’s pissed. But I’ll go, and I’ll participate, and I’ll try to make him happy.

Chapter Ten
    THE NEXT MORNING BEFORE I leave for school, Victor hands me a couple of pictures. “I’ve been going through Mom’s stuff. I found a few photos of your father, Seth. Thought you’d want them.”
    I swallow an uncharacteristic and very sudden nervous swell in my throat. It doesn’t do any good and I force another swallow.
    Pictures of Seth? No, no I don’t want them. I purged myself of him. Of Mom.
    Victor hands me the pictures, obviously not picking up on my hesitancy, and I do the only thing I can. I take them.
    He walks off, and I’m left standing in the kitchen staring down at a photo of Mom and Seth, grinning, their arms wrappedaround each other. They look happy. Innocent. Young. I flip it over and note the date. Before I was even born.
    I look at the second picture. It must have been taken the same day because they’re wearing identical clothes. But this one has a dark-haired woman in it. She looks young too. About the same age as them. They’re all smiling, hugging each other. Something about her seems familiar. I flip the photo over and see the same date, as I thought.
    “What are you looking at?” Daisy asks.
    I look up from the photos to see Daisy and Justin ready for school and waiting. “Pictures of my real dad and our mom.”
    Daisy and Justin exchange a look. “Can we see?” Daisy asks.
    “Sure.” I hand them to her and watch their faces as they study the two pictures.
    “You look a lot like your dad,” Daisy tells me.
    “And you look just like Mom,” I reply.
    “Who do I look like?” Justin asks.
    “Dad,” Daisy and I answer in unison, and we all smile at each other.
    “Who’s the other woman?” Justin asks.
    I shrug. “A friend of theirs, I guess.” I want to ask if she seems familiar but for some reason don’t. “Well, you guys ready?”
    They hand the pictures back, and we’re out the door. When we get home, I’ll ask Victor about that other woman and see ifhe knows her. Also, I want to know if the two pictures are from Mom’s personal locker at work. And if so, what else is there?

    Kyle, science club president, finds me at my school locker. “Hey, Slim.”
    I put a couple folders away and grab a few more. “What’s up, Kyle?”
    “My younger sister and your little brother both go to the same elementary school.”
    I nod. I know.
    Kyle leans up against the locker beside me. “Has Justin mentioned anything about someone trying to sell him drugs?”
    I turn to fully face him. “No. What are you talking about?”
    Kyle puts his backpack down. “I walk my sister and her friend home from school nearly every day. They don’t think I’m listening with my iPod in, but I’ve heard them mention this guy, Bucky. Apparently he’s approached a few of the elementary kids.”
    “Why haven’t they reported it?”
    “Scared, I guess.” He shrugs. “Probably threatening them not to say anything. I hate bullies.”
    I can imagine. I’ve seen Kyle get pushed around a few times.
    “Anyway,” he continues, “I just wanted to see if you knew anything. I’m going to talk to my parents tonight.”
    And I’m going to talk to Justin.

    Which is exactly what I do when Daisy and I pick him up after school. “Who’s Bucky?”
    My brother’s eyes go really wide. “How do you know Bucky?”
    My inner sense flips to full alert. “Who is he?”
    “He’s Annie’s brother.”
    “And Annie