Read Online Playing with Fire by Emily Blake - Free Book Online Page A

place.
    â€œHey, Dustin,” Chad replied without getting up. “What’s up?”
    â€œI was wondering if I could borrow a little cash,” Dustin said, his eyes darting across every flat surface he could find. Chad had stopped leaving money lying around his room ages ago—Dustin had a habit of “finding” it and making it disappear. He was always getting mixed up in moneymaking schemes that were always a little suspect and always total failures.
    Chad shook his head. “I’m broke,” he fibbed. It was true enough—or would be soon. Dating Kelly Reeves could drain a millionaire’s bank account—let alone Chad’s meager savings from his summer job. His allowance had all but dried up since his little brother, Will, had started at an expensive school for autistic kids. Theschool was supposed to take the pressure off his parents, but it had made money extra tight and, judging from the screaming match still going on downstairs, the pressure was on .
    â€œCome on.” Dustin fidgeted, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I need forty bucks. I’ve been playing pool with the guys. I just know I’m going to win next time. Then I can pay off—”
    Chad looked up at his brother’s pleading eyes. Gambling was not new to his repertoire. But he always ended up losing more than he made. Why didn’t he learn? Chad had managed to get a scholarship to a good school and was making it. Didn’t Dustin want the same thing?
    â€œSorry—ask Mom and Dad,” Chad said, feeling a little guilty. They were brothers, after all. They were stuck in their disaster of a family together. But he needed every penny to keep things on track with Kelly. And he needed Kelly to keep things on track at school.
    Dustin glared at his brother and stepped up to his dresser for a better look. “All right. Ten bucks.”
    â€œI don’t have it,” Chad said, starting to get annoyed. What part of “no” didn’t his brotherunderstand? He got to his feet as a new chorus of parental fighting echoed through the open door. Somewhere downstairs Will was hearing all of this.
    â€œI’m gonna check on Will,” Chad said, moving toward the door and forcing Dustin to make his way there as well. If he left Dustin in his room, he’d probably ransack the place looking for loose change.
    Out in the hall, Chad pulled his door closed. Dustin shuffled back to his own room and when he had closed himself inside, Chad went downstairs.
    He knew right where to find Will. He opened the cleaning closet and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. Sitting on the floor, folded up next to the vacuum cleaner with his arms wrapped around his knees, Will was rocking. He rocked back and forth and sang very quietly to himself. Chad figured he sang to block out the noise. But it obviously didn’t work, because the poor kid could recite every bitter word their parents said to each other. You never knew when it would happen. Like last night at dinner when Dustin asked Will to pass the peas.
    â€œDo I have to do everything around here?” Will had snarled in perfect imitation of their mom. If it weren’t so sad, it would have been funny.
    â€œHey, buddy.” Chad squatted down and tousled Will’s soft, brown hair. Now that he was eleven he was not that much shorter than Chad. But he was still a little kid on the inside. “You okay?” Chad asked.
    Will looked like he was nodding, but it could have just been the rocking. His body never stopped moving.
    â€œYou remember why Mom and Dad fight?” Chad asked.
    â€œThey’re working it out,” Will recited. “Working it out.”
    â€œThat’s right.” Chad fished for a tissue in his pocket but didn’t come up with it fast enough. Will wiped his nose on Chad’s sleeve.
    â€œYou up for a hot dog?” Chad asked, speaking softly and raising his eyebrows. Dinner