Cure For Pain

by NM Facile

  “And are you making things right?”

  Ty tightened his grip around her. “I hope so.”

  Mary rested with her head against his chest, listening to his heart. She hoped he was, too.

  “One last question?”

  “I doubt that, but go ahead.”

  “Pirates or ninjas?” Mary wanted to lighten the mood a bit.

  “Definitely ninjas.” Ty smiled and his stomach rumbled, reminding them that there were other needs in life.

  “I guess I should be going.”

  Mary sat up and looked at him “Stay for lunch.”

  “I’m sorry but I have some things I need to do.” With his lips still to her skin. Mary tilted her head up and he met her lips.

  Mary pulled away, afraid that if didn’t, they wouldn’t make it out of bed. She padded softly to her closet and pulled on a fluffy pink robe as Ty reluctantly gathered his clothes. He would love nothing more than to stay with her but Sunday morning was the perfect time for what he needed to get done.

  Again, they were in the position of reluctantly telling each other goodbye. Their goodbyes seemed to get longer and longer every time they had to do it. There was always one more kiss or one more lingering touch to give. It wasn’t easy, but they were finally able to part. This time there was a text from her before he reached his car.

  I miss you already.

  Ty missed her, too. It was going to be a long five days before he could see her again.

  The days dragged by. Ty felt like the days in prison had passed more quickly than the days without Mary. By Thursday, he was pissed off at everything and everyone. At work everybody stayed out of his way, everyone but Dylan. That boy just didn’t get it. Ty was only halfway through the night when he took a delivery and found Dylan sitting on the back step waiting for him.

  “What the fuck do you want now, Dylan?”

  “Can I ride with you?” He was shifting from foot to foot and looking around as if he were worried about talking to Ty.

  “No. Now get the fuck inside or go home, but quit following me.” Ty brushed him off and headed for his car. Dylan followed right behind him, knocking into him when Ty stopped short.

  “Come on Ty, it’s important.” Dylan stepped around him and stood in front of the passenger door, blocking him from putting the hot bag in. Ty had to hand it to the kid; he had some pretty big balls on him. Dylan straightened up and looked him in the eye. When had he grown so tall?

  “I need to talk to you.” Dylan tried to sound assertive, but his voice wavered and his eyes flickered with worry.

  “Whatever. You’re holding the bag.” Ty shoved the hot carrying case into Dylan’s arms and strode around to the driver’s side.

  Ty waited until he heard Dylan’s door shut before he turned the key. When he did, the speakers spewed out a synchronized beat, heavy on the processed drums. He glanced over to see Dylan’s head cocked to one side like a dog listening to being called home. His brows briefly came together in confusion as he caught Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack.”

  “What the fuck are you listening to?” Dylan laughed.

  Ty fumbled with the controls to turn it down. Once he had effectively killed the song, he glared back at Dylan. He didn’t feel the need to justify his – well, Mary’s – music. He had listened to her iPod constantly since he left her place Sunday. She hadn’t been kidding about her love of pop music.

  Ty turned away from the laughing teen and shifted into gear. As Dylan tried to get himself under control he asked, “Are you bringing sexy back? Because if you’re what’s considered sexy, there’s hope for the homeless everywhere.”

  Ty looked down at his faded red t-shirt, noting the rips in a couple of different spots. It was a little too short as well, either from shrinkage or because he had had it since high school. He never really paid much attention to what he was wearing. It never seemed to matter, but now that he was spending more and more time with Mary, maybe it was time to buy some new stuff.

  “Sexier than your scrawny ass. Now, are you gonna tell me what the fuck is going on with you?”

  Dylan stopped laughing and looked out the passenger window, very much like Mary had, the night she had talked about Chloe. He was biting his lip and looked as if he were concentrating hard on what he was about to say. Ty’s thoughts jumped to Dom. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, waiting, but not wanting to hear what Dylan had to say.

  Ty was so fucking far off base from what was going through the kid’s mind that at first he didn’t comprehend the question.

  “What?” Ty glanced between him and the road, needing him to repeat himself.

  Dylan swallowed nervously and cracked his knuckles. His eyes focused on Ty and he raised his chin in challenge. He was a little boy hiding in the body of a man as he anxiously declared, “I want to take over street dealing for you.”

  Chapter 14 - No Answers

  Ty turned his eyes back to the road. Gripping the wheel tighter, he did his best to control his reaction.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Bullshit, Ty. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” His voice had an accusatory edge to it.

  “No, you don’t.” Ty wasn’t just referring to how much Dylan knew about his dealing. He had no idea what he was asking of Ty. He couldn’t possibly understand the consequences of his request.

  “I hear stuff.” Ty glanced out of the corner of his eye at an angry-looking Dylan. “I hear way more than anyone realizes. They all forget I’m around.”

  “Exactly what kind of shit do you hear?” Ty was testing him out, seeing what he had to say.

  “I hear you quit dealin’,” he answered smugly, as if to prove his point.

  “Everyone knows that. I quit when I went to prison.”

  “Don’t fuckin’ lie to me, Ty. I know up ‘til a few weeks ago you had that shit with you even when you was at work.”

  Dylan’s eyes drilled into him, daring him to deny it. Ty said nothing, waiting to see if Dylan would go on.

  “Not only that, I know you’re the one to talk to about bringing it back to the OZ.”

  That had Ty’s full attention. He hadn’t done business with the OZ since he had gone to jail. Sometime while he was away, the OZ boys got fucked over by the Mexicans peddling that black shit. After a couple of deaths and convictions, they had stepped away, and didn’t touch it since. Karl had been on his case to get them back, but he held out, not wanting to draw himself in any deeper than he was.

  Ty did nothing more than raise an eyebrow. “Exactly who says this shit?”

  “Fuck, Ty, everyone says it.”

  “Who the fuck is everyone?” Dylan took a breath in, letting it out as he said, “Dom and Phaze and…and some of the other guys. They’re always talking about the shit they do and making their plans with me around. I heard about the hits in Mill City weeks before they happened.”

  Ty thought briefly about the robberies in the swanky apartments up on Portland Avenue. It was just one of many places in that area that had been hit in the past couple of months.

  “I know ‘bout all the places that still use old credit card machines.” Dylan boasted, pleased with himself and all his ‘knowledge.’

  “Do you know what they would do to you if they found out what shit you know?” Ty had seen news reports about a rise in missing receipts from local shops that kept records of credit card numbers.

  Dylan just shrugged and looked out his window. The uneasiness between them set Ty even more on edge than he had been for the past few days. He pulled out a smoke to help ease the jitters that were setting in. He lit it and cracked the window, wincing as he remembered tales of what happened to people who pissed off the OZ. Dylan may be the brother of a member and buddies of the others, but hell – even if he was a member himself, they wouldn’t hesitate to shut him up if he proved to be the weak link. It was possible that he would keep his mouth shut and not be a concern for them. That didn’t mean he wasn’t a
concern for Ty.

  Ty’s eyes were on the road in front of him, but he paid no attention to the lights flying past them or the candescent white lines painted on the street, quickly flowing under the car. He could picture himself in Hinks’ office, trying to explain why a sixteen year-old kid was now out pedaling to the same people Ty once had. He couldn’t let Dylan follow him down. Worse, Ty saw himself in twenty years handing Dylan heroin hidden in cereal boxes and happy meals, watching his soul drown in the venom building within him, just as Ty’s had done.

  He shook his head, both to clear it and to tell Dylan no. He couldn’t let the kid anywhere near it. He was done dealing and soon would be done delivering. Ty was going to walk away from this life free and clear, and he couldn’t leave Dylan with the fallout.

  “Dylan, you better keep your fucking mouth shut about what you’ve heard. Never let them find out what you know…and stop listening to conversations you have no part in.” Ty knew the lecture wouldn’t distract him from the real purpose of this little joy ride. He paused to take a drag off the cigarette, blowing the smoke out hard before he continued. “I don’t deal. I stopped that shit and you are not going to take my place. Even if I hadn’t cut those ties, I still wouldn’t consider it. You’re just a fucking kid; you don’t know what you’re asking.”

  “And what were you when you started? You were just as young.” Ty glared at him, knowing he was right. “Just think about it, okay?”

  “Hell no, I’m not thinking about it. The answer is no and it’s going to stay no. Now if this conversation doesn’t fucking end, you’re going to find yourself taking a long walk back home. Without your phone.”

  Ty did think about it, though. It was all he could think about. He played out all the different scenarios of what might happen if he were to take Dylan up on his request. There was never any doubt that he would change his mind, he just couldn’t help thinking of how easy it could be if he offered the kid up to Karl. If he had a replacement, he could walk away that much sooner, maybe take Mary with him… It was no use even entertaining that thought. Ty couldn’t drag Mary into a life where he woke up every morning, wondering if it would be the day they came after him to drag him back to Hell.

  The call came while he was at home on Friday afternoon, midway into a possible scenario of telling Dylan’s sister, Ria, of her baby brother’s request. She would put a stop to his plans and hopefully be able to keep the OZ from finding out what he knew.

  The phone vibrated in Ty’s pocket. He reached for it to turn it off, but saw Mary’s bashful smile on the screen with her name. His stomach immediately tightened. Mary never called during school hours and it was only two; school wouldn’t be over for a while yet.

  “What’s wrong?”

  A soft laugh, followed by a, “Hello to you too,” made Ty feel like a paranoid idiot.

  “Sorry, you don’t usually call this early. I just assumed something was wrong.” He paused, expecting her to answer, but there was just an awkward silence. “So what has you calling me from work? You realized how much you’re gonna miss me tonight and called to tell me you changed your mind about going out with Faith?” It was a joke, even if most of him wished it were true. Ty knew how excited she was for her big night out at the ballet.

  “Actually that’s why I’m calling. Faith is sick and can’t go.” The note of disappointment in her voice was tangible.

  “Oh I see, I’m just a second choice, huh?” He feigned hurt, hoping to liven her up. “Call me when there’s nothing better to do. I get it.”

  “That’s not true at all. I want to spend all my time with you. I just have to give some time to her, too…and…” she trailed off.

  “…And you really wanted to go tonight.” Ty finished for her.

  “Yeah, that too,” she let out a wistful sigh. “So, I could come and hang out with you for the night…” The suggestion of her coming to his place put him in a mild panic. He saw the dishes and the dirty clothes and decided there was no way that she could come over.

  “What if I went with you?” He did a three-sixty, looking at the room again, and confirmed that his mouth had done the right thing in blurting out the suggestion before consulting his brain.

  “Are you serious?” There was just enough sarcasm to her voice to put him on the defensive.

  “What? I like all kinds of music. Just because I’ve never been to see a symphony doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like it.”

  There was a soft snort from the other end of the line, “Ballet.”

  “Or the ballet,” he added.

  “Ballet. That’s the one with dancers in pink ruffles and men in tights. You know that, right?”

  “Of course, who doesn’t like to see men in tights?” Ty mocked.

  “If you’re sure?” she hesitated.

  “I’m sure.”

  “Okay then, we need to be there by seven-thirty, and with parking that probably means more like seven.” She rattled off a couple of other directions and Ty suspected that he had played right into her game. “I have to get back to class,” she quickly added, “Um, Ty, it’s semiformal.”

  Semiformal? What the fuck?

  Four hours and a furious cleaning spree later, he was turning into Mary’s parking lot. Ty had grown increasingly uneasy about the night with each cigarette. He had briefly debated bringing a flask, but decided that his charcoal suit that just fit him didn’t need the obvious lump in the pocket.

  He traded his shiny, black, tight shoes for his black boots. They were a bit worn and the laces were slightly frayed, but then who the fuck would look at your shoes?

  Mary’s parking lot was full, so he pulled up behind some dirt-crusted Subaru. The thing was in desperate need of a wash. Ty grinned at the glossy shine of his blue baby. Even if Mary said it wasn’t as great as the Batmobile, she admitted it was still pretty sweet.

  He knocked at her door and looked down at his suit as he waited for her to answer. He felt like he was going to a damned prom or something. Fuck, was he was supposed to bring her flowers? He had never gone to his own prom; he wondered if it would have been like the ones in the movies with girls in big puffy dresses.

  When the door opened, there was no puffy dress. There was no girl, either. Standing before him was one hundred percent pure woman, with a bright red dress hugging every delicious curve. It was Chinese-style, sleeveless and wrapped across her body, starting with a high neck and ending with an indecent slit up the side. It covered everything yet left nothing to the imagination.

  Damn, it was going to be a helluva long night with her looking like that.

  Mary couldn’t take her eyes off Ty. He looked good in his suit with his hair pulled back at his nape. He’d even shaved for the night. It was the first time she’d ever seen his jaw so smooth. She couldn’t resist reaching over to run her fingers along it as she looked into his dark eyes which held a hint of the fire brewing within him. She loved that she was the cause of that. She slowly let her hand slide down from his chest to his thigh as he held her car door. When she let her hand drop he sighed and bent forward to kiss her the top of her head before closing the door. He too, could not wait to bring her home with him at the end of the evening.

  It was a beautiful evening, and as they walked the few short blocks from the parking lot to the theater, Ty pointed out one of his favorite clubs, promising Mary he would take her there soon. It wasn’t long before they stepped through the doors of the State Theater.

  Overhead, gigantic chandeliers hung from the ceiling, dripping with crystal grapes, pears and apples. There was gold everywhere: along the walls, up the sweeping staircases, and around the murals. The murals were something straight out of a museum. They were done in muted colors and depicted fat cherubs and women in flowing dresses. The whole place was a little over the top. Ty looked down at Mary, ready to joke about the pretentiousness of it, but stopped dead when he saw her expression.

  Her eyes were wide, darting from one sight to the next, with the light from the chandelie
r giving them extra sparkle. “It’s so opulent,” she whispered. “Can you imagine what this must have been like when it was built?”

  Ty took another look around and tried to see it as she did. It was just too overstated; he preferred the simple elegance that was Mary. He was whispering just that in her ear as she was jostled into him.

  Ty glared at the short, slightly balding man who was apologizing to Mary a little too attentively. He glanced at Ty with no more than a disdainful nod. Ty took in his polished smile and expensive suit and became instantly aware of how out of place he was. A quick look around at the men in their dark suits and the women in their fancy dresses reinforced that. Mary fit right in with her silk dress and her hair all pulled up into a complicated twist. Ty, on the other hand, wore a cheap suit with unpolished boots.

  The urge to get out of there was overpowering. He shifted from foot to foot as Mary assured the little man that everything was fine. Ty didn’t belong in that place any more than Mary belonged with him. Just as his insecurity was rising to a new level, she gave his hand a light squeeze.

  “Mary,” Ty interrupted the man, “I think we should go find our seats.” He put his arm around her and directed her towards the stairs.

  The theater was just as extravagant as the lobby had been, with large murals and gold trim everywhere. Ty was more interested in the rather impressive display of speakers hanging before them. The stage was hidden behind pale blue curtains. Ty settled in, telling himself he had to at least pretend to pay attention.

  By the time the curtain closed at intermission, Ty was amazed that he wasn’t asleep. More than that, he was enjoying it. The music was fun and the dancing was amazing. Who knew a retelling of Cinderella set to 1950s’ jazz music would be so engaging?

  Mary seemed to love it. He heard her laugh, exclaim or sigh at different points in the first half. As the lights came up, she turned to him with a dreamy look in her eyes.

  He held back a smirk. “Where are the guys in tights? I was looking forward to them.”