Chapter 7 - The Brother's Bargain
Mark’s hands were shaking violently, making the long barrel of the shotgun tremble in the bright light.
"Put the toy down, David," Mark ordered, his voice cracking with fear and exhaustion.
I slowly stood up, holding the bunny tightly against my heart.
"You know what she did, Mark," I pleaded softly.
"You watched Caroline rip the brace off an innocent little girl."
Mark swallowed hard, his eyes darting toward the hallway where our parents were sleeping.
"Dad said if we don't back Caroline up, the police will look into the family business accounts," Mark confessed, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"They used company money to pay off the judge who signed the custody order tonight."
The sheer scale of their corruption made my stomach churn.
"Mia is in surgery right now, Mark."
"She might lose her leg because of what Caroline did."
Mark closed his eyes, a single tear escaping and tracking down his cheek.
"I have always hated her," Mark whispered.
"I hated the way they let her treat you, and I hated the way they let her treat that sweet little girl."
He slowly lowered the shotgun, pointing the barrel safely at the floor.
"Take it and get out of here before Dad wakes up," Mark said, stepping aside.
I didn't waste a single second.
I ran out the front door, sprinting through the freezing rain toward the street.
I jumped into my battered sedan, tossing the bunny onto the passenger seat, and slammed my foot on the gas pedal.
I needed to get to the courthouse to present the evidence before the permanent custody hearing started at eight o'clock.
The slick, rain-soaked roads were completely empty in the early morning darkness.
I glanced at the clock on the dashboard, realizing I had just enough time to meet with my public defender.
Suddenly, a blinding pair of high-beam headlights flashed in my rearview mirror.
Before I could even process what was happening, a massive black SUV accelerated and violently slammed into the back of my car.
My sedan spun wildly out of control across the wet asphalt.
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The world turned into a chaotic blur of shattered glass, crushing metal, and deafening noise.
My car slammed violently into a concrete barrier, flipping completely over before grinding to a terrifying halt.
