Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
“Fuck you. Don’t tell me to rock up. I’m here standing strong, while you’re munching on biscuits as if everything is just fine.”
“We have to eat. All of us. And get our sleep, and work out. We have to stay healthy. Get our mind right. And when it’s time to make a move, we do it. You’re sitting there spurting out little facts about psychopaths and sociopaths because you read it in one of your college books.” He hit his chest. “I lived it. Jails cage both types, and after a few years of being behind bars with them, I can tell one right away. Benny is a psychopath.”
Vivian’s voice sounded low. “Who cares?”
“I do.” I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms. “You can work with a sociopath.”
Troy laughed.
“You can. Think about our brothers. They could’ve killed a lot more people than they did, but I’ve heard stories about them letting some guys go.”
“Stories, huh?” Troy smirked. “Don’t matter. Sociopaths don’t plan. They’re not organized.”
“Sherman was.”
“Sherman listens to Mom. That’s the only reason why he was able to get away with so many things.”
“Let’s not do the Mom-hate-thing today and focus.”
One thing Troy and I never agreed on was Mom. He believed she knew about all our brothers’ drug activities from the very beginning. I didn’t. She kept her hand in my pockets too much. And back in the day, a drug fog filled her head. Other moms walked their kids to the bus stop. Mom lay on the couch, snoring, her legs and arms sprawled out like a starfish, drool dripping from her mouth. Thank God Mom finally got it together. My nieces and nephews had no one else but her. Their parents sat in jail, my brothers and their baby mothers, all locked up from the drug game.
“Mom’s in this shit, too.” Troy grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth. “Now only God can see what will happen next.”
“What do you mean Mom’s in this?”
Troy leaned all to way to me and gestured for me to come closer. My stomach did flips.
Oh God. What now?
“Viv and I left Lucy with Sherman. How the hell did Benny get Lucy and kill her, unless someone told him where everyone was at?”
“Mom didn’t know where Sherman was at. No one did, not even Chase and me. You kept it a secret.”
“Not from Sherman. I mean, the man is there. He could’ve told someone, and it got back to Benny. I bet he told Mom.”
I shrugged. “He could have. Sherman hasn’t been out of jail in five years. You know how he loves his little girls. I bet he called Mom’s house to speak to Tee-Tee.”
“The thing is, I told Sherman not to say anything. He understood the whole situation. Sherman always keeps his promises, unless one person makes him break them, and that’s Mom.”
I blew out a long breath. “You’re losing it. None of this has to do with taking care of Benny.”
“You think Sherman would give two fucks about Benny and not kill him? He was happy to watch over Lucy, just to see if he could have a chance at him. Those two never got along. It’s like some sick competition. He’s been imagining murdering Benny for a long time. Now all of a sudden Benny overpowered Sherman, grabbed Lucy, and hurt her?”
Lucy’s decorated corpse dangled in my mind. “Benny did more than hurt her. He tortured her.”
Vivian looked away. A tear fell from her eye.
“He put glitter and diamonds on her body, and hung her corpse up at the—”
“Stop.” Vivian held up her hand.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
She wiped the tear off her face. “Why aren’t you both worried about Sherman?”
“He texted me a few days ago,” Troy admitted.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“One word. Sorry.” Troy checked down the hall for a few seconds and then returned his attention to us. “Sherman had Lucy. Then Benny got her. Neither man would work with each other. Sherman only listens to one person. Mom. She’s involved.”
Vivian ran her fingers through her hair. “Why does this even matter? Shouldn’t we be focused on Dad?”
“Yeah, but Mom being involved changes the game. She’s a psychopath just like Benny, but less—”
“Mom’s not crazy.” I pointed at him. “Fucked up? Sure. A neglectful mother? Yes. Mind always on money? Definitely. But, Mom’s not psychotic.”
“She’s manipulative. Psychopaths are charming and gain trust to control them. That’s her. She mimics people. I’ve watched her do it. When psychopaths commit a crime, they plan it.”
“Mom has never killed anyone.”
“Psychopaths don’t have to be killers. You’ve got con artists and white-collar criminals that are called intelligent psychopaths.”
I eyed him. “Where are you getting all of this?”
“Due to our current predicament, I have a new interest in psychopaths. There’s three levels to it, too. Confused, mastermind, and then lord. Mom is a mastermind. She hides her true personality. Masterminds plan out evil stuff because they enjoy it. They don’t care about anyone getting hurt. When they use empathy, it’s to understand the weak points of the other person.”