Chapter 3

“Skeeter Reed, you’re the best-looking of the three, so you’re obviously destined to be a movie star. From now on, you’re Julian Reed. With a name like that, you’d be the hottest guy on the planet.”

Mom came out of the kitchen carrying dinner and told us to set the table.

“All you ever do is fool around and pick on your brothers. Julian, Julius, whatever you called him. Skeeter is much easier to remember.”

Mom could never remember any of the three names I had chosen.

My three foster brothers, however, loved them.

They said the names made them sound like they were destined for great things.

It seemed like they had really made something of themselves. However, they had also allowed someone like Sienna to use their names to bully and intimidate others.

They had forgotten their roots.

There was another loud slap.

Sienna had slapped Mom.

“How did you find out something that personal? You disgusting old hag. Have you been snooping into my brothers’ lives so you could help your harlot of a daughter throw herself at them?”

I was furious beyond reason.

We had just arrived in Kingshaven. We had done absolutely nothing to her.

Yet Dad had been beaten to the ground, and she had slapped Mom.

Sienna had gone too far.

“We were just passing through! What gives you the right to do this to us? Does the law mean nothing in Kingshaven?”

Before I could finish, Sienna started hacking at my hair with the switchblade.

“The law? In Kingshaven, I’m the law.”

She yanked my hair so hard that my scalp burned. The violent jerking left me dizzy.

Locks of hair fell around me as Mom cried out and tried to protect me.

One of Sienna’s men shoved her to the ground.

The crowd around us kept growing. Some of the nosier onlookers had already pulled out their phones and started filming discreetly.

As the scene drew more attention, one of Sienna’s men began to look nervous. He walked up behind her.

“Mr. Kane and the others are waiting for you to join them for dinner. Maybe we should leave it at that. We shouldn’t keep your brothers waiting too long.”

However, Sienna showed no intention of stopping.

Her face twisted into a vicious grin, as though she were savoring every second of it.

About ten minutes later, Sienna finally grew bored.

She stepped back to admire her handiwork, then laughed with satisfaction.

“There. Much better. Now that you’re not so pretty, you don’t look like quite as much of a harlot.”

She tossed the knife aside and brushed the hair clippings from her hands. Then, she took out her phone and snapped several pictures of me.

I lowered my head and stared at the clumps of hair scattered across the ground.

I looked at Mom and Dad. They were both still being held down.

I raised my head and glared at Sienna. My eyes were bloodshot with rage.

“When I see Damian Kane, I’m going to make sure you regret everything you did here.”

At that, Sienna burst out laughing.

“Do you think I’m stupid enough to let you anywhere near them? I bet you’re already fantasizing about playing the damsel in distress so one of them can swoop in, save you, and fall madly in love. Dream on!”

After saying that, she glanced down.

When she spotted the metal water bottle I had dropped, a smile spread across her face.

She picked it up and felt its heft in her hand, apparently pleased with its weight.

“Looks like shaving your head wasn’t enough. I should ruin that face for good.”

With that, she raised the heavy metal bottle and swung it at my head.

Dad had recovered from the two blows he had taken earlier.

When he saw Sienna swing, he instinctively threw himself in front of me.

The bottle struck the side of Dad’s head with a sickening thud. Blood immediately streamed down his face.

I wrenched myself free and caught Dad as he collapsed.

He managed only a weak smile.

“Sweetheart, I spent my whole life teaching. I never amounted to much. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you and your mom.”

I sank to the ground with Dad in my arms as his strength gave out.

Sienna kicked him out of my arms.

“Worthless hick. You knew you couldn’t do anything, but you had to get in my way. Just die already.”