One For All

Chapter Thirty: ...And One For All

Chapter Thirty: …And One For All

            They stepped into the living room and Aiden saw his mom unconscious on the floor. Fear and anger surged through him.

            “Mom!” he exclaimed and tried to rush towards her but in a quick motion his father yanked his arm and slammed him against the wall.

            “I didn’t say you could go to her,” he hissed and Aiden could smell the alcohol on him.

            “What the hell is wrong with you!?” Owen asked and Aiden’s dad turned to look at him.

            “You must be Owen…”

            “Where are my sisters?” Aiden asked worried that he’d done something to them.

            “They’re in their room and they’ll stay there until I say otherwise. I won’t have disobedience in my household. Your mother is out around town with my daughters. She’s teaching them to be whores but not anymore. Not with me here.”

            “What the hell are you talking about!? They were with me! With all of us!” Aiden yelled feeling angrier by the second and his father slapped him across the face.

            “Don’t you dare raise your voice at me!” he exclaimed and looked at Aiden’s friends. “Any of you shitheads even think of calling the cops and I’ll put a bullet through the cripple. I’d probably do him a favor,” he spoke and looked right at Ben. Aiden’s stomach dropped in fear because he didn’t doubt his father’s warning.

            “Leave my brother out of this,” Noah warned as he stood in front of Benjamin and Aiden’s dad laughed.

            “You’re all in my house. I’m afraid you’re all in this.”

            “This isn’t your house!” Aiden yelled and his father slammed him against the wall again.

            “I thought I told you to be quiet. Don’t you dare talk back to me again,” he warned.

            “What do you want?” Mason asked and Aiden’s dad looked over at him.

            “Huh. I remember you Mason; always coming over uninvited. Annoying like a fucking dog. And your stupid parents who wouldn’t discipline you the way you need to be taught. They scoffed at me when I suggested using force once. The nerve of some people,” he spoke and Aiden saw Mason clench his fists.

            “Why’d you come back?” Aiden asked and his father let him go and looked around the room.

            “I came back so we could be a family again. But I come and find out you’ve been wasting your time with some music bullshit. Your sisters are spoiled brats who clearly need to be disciplined and your mother has returned to her whore ways. Clearly, you need me back here.”

            “We don’t need you,” Aiden whispered and braced himself for a slap or a punch.

            “You do need me. You all need to be taught that I’m the man of the house and I deserve respect at all times.”

            “You have to earn respect and you clearly don’t deserve it,” Owen spat and Aiden’s dad turned to him.

            “Another word out of any of you and I’ll begin shooting.”