Excerpt from Kill Her, James

James burst through the kitchen door, screaming, “Kato!” as he ran into the living room. Then he saw the maniacal smiling face of Mel Dylan holding the baseball bat on his shoulder.

James saw Kato and his mother lying on the floor. “No,” James whispered.

“You’re next, you little son of a bitch,” Mel slurred. “I am going to do you slow. I’m going to make you feel pain like you’ve never known.” The bat hit James’s left arm, and he saw red from the pain and screamed.

“Now, how does that feel? Just wait until I break every bone in your body,” Mel slurred.

Somewhere inside of James, he summoned control. Fear was gone. His powerful right fist hit Mel in the middle of his chest, leaving him gasping for air as he dropped to the floor. “You won’t break and more bones, you dirty fucker!” Mel was still gasping on his back. “You hear me?” James shouted as he kicked him. Mel heaved as he puked all over himself.