Right Hook (Gaslight series) COMPLETE

68| Soldier like me

Alyssa ♔
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The moment she says it, this tremor in her voice, I'm in survival mode. My mother is in no position to fix this, which means I'll need to be the one to take control of this situation, even if I have no idea what I'm doing.

I go to sit down before realizing that the barstools are gone. Leaning against the counter, I take a deep breath, then another, letting the gravity of our situation settle in. And when it does, I feel sick.

It shouldn't surprise me that Justin's dad would do something like this. Justin had to get his bad behavior from somewhere, and I'd never felt comfortable alone in his presence, but to threaten to kill my mother over something my father did is too extreme for me to process.

"Alyssa, I'm so sorry," Mom says, walking around the counter to hug me. "Not just for this but everything. Your father and I have made too many mistakes to count, and driving you away was the biggest."

"Forget about that now. Come on," I say, leading my mother into the living room. Sunlight filters through the lattice windows, casting ghostly rays on the vacant spaces. I try not to think about how screwed we are and place her on the lonely ottoman.

Kneeling in front of her, I take a deep breath. Talking through our issues is going to have to wait. "I need you to tell me everything from the beginning, and don't leave anything out."

She balls her hands into fists in her lap, taking a moment to collect herself. "All I know is that your father made a business deal with Justin's dad, and when things went south, and they started losing money, your father took it as an opportunity to shave some money off the top without anyone noticing."

My eyes harden when it occurs to me so many of these problems are a result of my dad, who has somehow skipped out on the consequences. "How much is there left to pay?"

She pauses, looking at her hands like she can't bear to look at me. "Three million."

What feels like a clenched fist hits my stomach. Three million dollars. Pulling together that kind of money when there's nothing left to sell would mean selling the house, and even then, that would take a long time. Something tells me Justin's dad won't want to wait around.

For a second, I contemplate running. We could use what little money we had to rent a motel somewhere, find a job to keep us on our feet, and put I'd college on hold until Justin's dad stopped looking for us. While it's not exactly a tip-top deal when it comes to my future, at least we'd be safe. But deep down, I know I can't do it. I didn't stand up to Justin just to fall victim to his father, and I didn't go through all I have just to give up now.

We need to stay and fight.

"Can he go to the police if we don't pay?" I ask.

"I don't think so," she says. "Not without incriminating himself."

The panic eases slightly. I can finally breathe. "Then we don't need to do anything," I say. "We're not going to give in to his bullying tactics. He's not getting a penny from us."

Mom gets up now, the lines on her forehead showing her age. "He sounded serious on the phone, Alyssa. Your father is gone, I'm alone in this big house, and I no longer have money to hire security. I'll be a sitting duck."

I don't say anything for a minute. Part of me can't help but think this is some rouse to get me back, but then I look at her face, at the fear in her eyes, and I know I'm being ridiculous.

"What if," I say, my breathing slow, "I move back in for a while – just until this whole thing blows over."

She looks up slowly, surprised. "You'll come home?"