Chapter 3

A car suddenly screeches to a stop outside.

Mom grabs my sleeve.

"Scarlett…"

"Is it happening again?"

We walk out of the house.

Vivienne Bellamy is standing outside.

A group of Bellamy Enforcers is behind her.

They walk straight into the yard.

Dad immediately steps in front of us.

"You can't come in!"

"This is my home!"

Vivienne wrinkles her nose in disgust and laughs.

"I came for Scarlett Bellamy."

She pauses.

"Actually…"

"Scarlett Hayes now, right?"

"She owes eight Dons a fortune."

"She thinks hiding here means she doesn't have to pay?"

"Being your home doesn't make it off-limits to me."

Vivienne takes a few printed pages out of her bag.

Screenshots of my messages with the eight Dons.

"Look."

"You said all of this yourself."

I glance at them. Then laugh.

"You spliced those messages together."

"And now you're using that to accuse me?"

"Accuse you?"

Vivienne smiles.

"Scarlett."

"The whole underworld knows you owe the eight Dons money."

One of the Enforcers takes a step forward.

Dad tenses.

His hand is still wrapped in a bandage. But he stays in front of us.

"Nobody touches my daughter."

I grab his wrist.

"Dad. Relax."

Then I look at the Enforcers.

"This is private property."

"Whoever moves first better be ready to answer for it."

The Enforcers stop.

Vivienne laughs.

"You spent twenty years living in luxury with the Bellamy Family."

"And now you've been dumped back here."

"And you actually think you belong here now?"

Mom's face turns white.

Still, she speaks.

"This is her home. She belongs wherever we are."

Vivienne rolls her eyes.

"Of course you'd say that. You're her mother."

Then she looks at me again.

"Scarlett."

"Admit you lied to the eight Dons."

"Apologize to them in public."

"I can put in a good word for you."

I stare at her.

"You?"

"Who are you?"

"You're not a Don."

"You don't run any Family."

"You have a few edited messages and now you're collecting money for eight Dons?"

"Vivienne. You better hope they haven't figured this out yet."

A flicker of panic crosses her eyes.

Then it's gone.

She turns toward my parents.

"Starting today, Hayes Recycling Center is closed."

Dad's face goes blank with shock.

"What?"

I step forward.

"Our contract isn't over. They can't just shut us down."

Vivienne gives me a cold look.

"They can if the Bellamy Family tells them to."

"We only need to make one call."

"Then your parents won't have a place to stay."

She turns around. At the gate, she stops.

"Three o'clock."

"The Grand Bellmont Hotel."

"All of you come."

"You and your parents are going to kneel in front of the eight Dons and their Family representatives."

"Admit your mistake."

"If you do, I'll let them go easy on you."

Then she looks at me.

"If you don't show up…"

She smiles.

"You'll find out what happens."

She walks out.

A few minutes later, the landlord comes running over.

He slams a notice down on the table.

"Patrick."

"The Bellamy Family already talked to me."

"I can't rent this place to you anymore. Get your stuff out by tomorrow."

Mom starts shaking.

"No."

"No, no…"

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"How are we supposed to live?"

"How are we supposed to take care of Scarlett?"

She grabs Dad and pulls him inside.

A few minutes later, they come back out with an old envelope.

I frown.

"Where are you going?"

Mom won't look at me.

"You stay here."

"Your dad and I will fix this."

They run outside.

I follow them.

By the time I get there, they're standing next to a black car.

Vivienne is in the back seat.

Two Enforcers are beside the car.

Mom and Dad walk over.

Then they kneel.

"No!"

I rush forward.

Two Enforcers block me.

Mom holds up the envelope.

Her voice shakes through the tears.

"Miss Vivienne…"

"This is all the money we have."

"Please."

"Take it. Just leave Scarlett alone."

Vivienne takes the envelope.

She opens it and looks inside.

Then laughs.

"That's it?"

"This is everything?"

She looks at the money again.

"This wouldn't even buy one tire on a Bellamy car."

"And you actually brought this to me?"

She drops the envelope.

It lands in the mud.

The bills spill everywhere.

Mom gasps.

Then throws herself into the mud to grab them.

Mud cakes her hands and soaks into her clothes.

I just stand there and stare.

It feels like something's crushing my chest.

If I had never come back into their lives, they would still be poor.

But at least they wouldn't have to suffer this.

Vivienne looks down at them.

"Three o'clock."

"The Grand Bellmont Hotel."

"You kneel in front of the eight Dons and their Family representatives."

Then she looks at me.

"Or your daughter goes into the Bellamy Family's private cell."

The car drives away.

I run over and pull my parents up.

"Why did you kneel?"

My voice is shaking.

"I told you."

"I don't owe them anything!"

Dad looks down.

He's still holding the dirty envelope.

"We can't take that risk."

"Scarlett…"

"Your mom and I don't have any pull."

"We don't know what else to do."

"We can't just stand there and let them take you."

I clench my fists. My nails dig into my palms.

I watch the car disappear.

"Okay."

"Three o'clock, we'll go."

I wipe the mud off Mom's face.

Then I look at both of them.

"But the ones who really need to apologize…"

"Won't be you."