Scarred for Life

by S. L. Kassidy

  "Don't worry, Nikki, you'll be mine again soon. I'll save you from that dyke bitch," he vowed and took out his cell phone.

  ***

  Raymond sat in his office, even though it was the weekend. His daughter wasn't the only one with piles of work. He knew how to manage it better than she did thanks to years of experience. He'd bet that she'd figure out how to do it soon enough. It was in her blood; her mother could handle enough work for a team of people and still have free time. His work was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing.

  "Raymond Cardell."

  "Raymond, I need to talk to you."

  "Tyler?" Raymond asked. He knew the voice well, but he always needed verification before continuing any discussion.

  "Yes, it's me. I was hoping to talk to you about Nikki."

  "What about her?" Raymond knew Nicole had been the one to end the relationship with Tyler, which he hadn't been too happy to hear. He kept those thoughts to himself, though. He thought Nicole might have found someone more suited to her, but such a person never materialized. It was somewhat disappointing and disheartening since he hoped his little girl would settle down soon to have the moral and emotional support that only a spouse could give, and with whom she could start a family. She needed someone in her life that let her know how special and wonderful she was beyond her parents. He had assumed that Tyler did that, but there had to be some reason that Nicole terminated the relationship.

  "Has she told you she's dating recently?"

  "No, she hasn't mentioned anyone in her life recently. We thought she was adjourning from the dating scene again."

  "No, nothing of the kind, sir. Nicole is dating, someone I know very well, in fact. She's dating my cousin, Dane."

  "She's dating your cousin? How did she even manage to meet your cousin?" Raymond wondered if Nicole had met more of Tyler's family than she let on considering the fact that she was dating his cousin Dane and had his cousin Danny as a roommate. That made him wonder how deep her relationship with Tyler ran before she broke things off.

  "My cousin stopped by one day a few months ago. I don't know what my cousin did to Nicole, but I know it's repugnant. Dane's a woman that can only do wrong."

  "Dane's a woman?" Raymond sighed, palming his face with his large hand. He shook his head. Now Nikki's back to women? What the hell is going on with her lately?

  "Not just any woman. She's a drug addict and I mean serious drugs, like cocaine and heroin. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to get Nikki to start using. It's very likely that she's taking money from Nikki and she might even be doing more than that. She's into some seriously freaky and dangerous shit, not just with drugs, but prostitution and gang stuff. She's not a good person and I'm worried about Nicole being with her," Tyler sounded choked up and lost, like he didn't know what to do.

  Raymond was quiet, trying to take everything in and make sense of what was being told to him. Nicole hadn't mentioned any "Dane" recently or seeing Tyler's cousin in a romantic way…or any way at all. It was unusual for her to keep something like that a secret from him or his wife, but it wasn't like her to date such an unsavory sounding character, either. Tyler had said similar things when he talked about his cousin that was living with Nicole, so now Raymond thought about what type of family Tyler came from. He truly is the best of the bunch, but I always suspected that.

  "How long has she been seeing your cousin…Dane?" Raymond inquired, forcing himself to stay calm. He suspected that her breakup with Tyler now had something to do with this Dane person. Maybe Dane had come between the couple and somehow poisoned Nicole's mind…if she were as abominable as Tyler made her sound.

  "I'm not sure. I didn't even know about it until a few hours ago. I can see why she wouldn't want to talk about it. My cousin isn't a good person, sir. She's definitely not right for Nikki. I'm really surprised my cousin's not in jail for some of the stuff she's done. I don't want to see Nikki get into any trouble because of Dane and I know it will happen. Dane's done all sorts of revolting things in her life and I don't want her to hurt Nikki." He sounded so pathetic, like a lost little boy.

  "I'm sure you don't, Tyler. I'm glad you called me." At least somebody's looking out for Nikki.

  "Oh, one more thing, sir."

  "Yes?" Raymond doubted he could take another surprise involving his daughter, but he needed to know everything going on around her. He was starting to understand her recent behavior a little better now that he knew she had such a distasteful influence in her life.

  "I saw some weird files in Nicole's office when you told me to retrieve the other work that she needed. They looked like applications to college or something. Is Nicole going back to school?"

  Raymond snorted because of the ridiculousness of that question. "No, of course not."

  "Oh, okay. Maybe she was just holding them for someone else. I hope you can talk some sense into Nikki, sir. I really tried, but she refused to listen to me. She believed my lying cousin more than she did in me. I don't know what ideas my cousin could be pouring into Nikki's mind, but they're clearly working. I'm so scared for Nikki."

  "Don't worry, Tyler. I'll get to the bottom of this immediately," Raymond stated tensely. "I'll talk to you later."

  "Goodbye, sir,"

  Raymond frowned deeply as his thick, auburn eyebrows drew together. He leaned back in his leather chair and tried to figure out what was happening. He wondered why Nicole hadn't said anything about dating a woman, Tyler's cousin of all people. It wasn't like her. She wasn't one to hide the fact that she was dating anyone, man or woman. But, if Tyler spoke the truth, Dane wasn't any regular person that Nicole typically dated. Dane was a new sort of creature and not a good new.

  He didn't see why Tyler would lie, either. There was nothing in it for Tyler as far as he could tell. It wasn't like Nicole was planning on going back to Tyler, although that was a hope. He thought Tyler was the one for Nicole since they seemed to be rather close. After all, Tyler was the only person to call Nicole "Nikki" aside from her parents. He and his wife thought it showed Nicole had a deep level of trust in Tyler. They argued every now and then, but that was normal for a couple, especially since they were lawyers. There were other times when they'd smile and laugh with each other as if they were the happiest couple on Earth.

  It was the same when the two couples went out to dinner a few times with each other. Tyler did so many little things to show his appreciation: holding open doors, pulling out her chair, and one time even ordering for Nicole, showing he knew her likes. Tyler liked spending most of his time with Nicole even when at work. Raymond let it slide because Tyler always handled his business, despite the many trips to Nicole's office. And, Nicole always took care of her own affairs. It spoke volumes of their relationship that Nicole allowed Tyler to visit during work. Tyler and Nicole really appeared as if they were going places.

  Then, out of the blue as far as Raymond and his wife were concerned, Nicole broke up with Tyler. Added to her strange behavior at the time, Tyler's cousin Danny was suddenly living in the house. Maybe Danny was the one that brought this Dane character over, he considered.

  "This is something that I need to talk to her about face to face. Should I tell her mother? God, Kate's going to flip," Raymond groaned at the thought of telling his wife about what their daughter was doing.

  It'd be worse for him if he didn't say anything and Kate found out. He'd tell her first and then they would confront Nicole about things.

  "Nikki, what've you gotten yourself into now?" Raymond sighed again.

  ***

  Nicole was sitting on the couch pretending to watch a movie, but was really concentrating on Danny, whose head was in her lap and nuzzled into her flat stomach. Dane was placing light, wet kisses to Nicole's bare abdomen. Every now and then, Dane's tongue sneaked out and drew circles around Nicole's quivering navel. Nicole's heart rate was pounding and it felt like it would explode when the loud ringing of the telephone interrupted their play.

  "Shit," Nicole
hissed, reaching for the damned phone.

  "You could just let it ring," Dane suggested before continuing her onslaught.

  "It could be important," Nicole replied as she saw the number. "Baby, I need you to stop. This is one of my parents."

  "Really? Then I could get you off the phone faster if I don't stop."

  "Honey, don't be a brat," Nicole lightly admonished her lover.

  Dane pouted and whimpered into warm flesh. Ignoring the sound, Nicole rubbed Danny's shoulder while answering the phone.

  "Hello."

  "Nikki." It was her father. "We need to talk to you right now."

  "Right now? It can't wait until tomorrow?" She could talk to her parents at work or after work.

  "No, it can't." That was her mother and the snap in her voice told Nicole that she needed to move her ass before her mother moved it for her.

  "Okay. I guess I can be by the house in an hour."

  "Thirty minutes," her mother said before she disconnected the call.

  Nicole sighed and put down the phone. "So, apparently, I've been summoned. I have to go to my parents' house and I have to be there in thirty minutes, so that'll put an end to our day."

  "No, it puts our day on pause unless you plan to move back in with your parents tonight," Dane said before sitting up to place a light kiss on her willing and wanting lips.

  "You're right. Hopefully, this won't take too long. I'll bring dinner back with me, okay?"

  Dane smiled and nodded. Nicole ran off to get ready. She showered quickly and changed into what amounted to casual clothing for her: a white polo shirt and khaki-colored pants. She returned to Dane for a goodbye kiss, which left her breathless and weak in the knees.

  "You keep kissing me like that and I won't be able to leave, let alone drive," Nicole groaned.

  "Words like that, not gonna stop me," Dane purred with a smile.

  "I'll be back as soon as I can. Hopefully, they don't have a serious emergency or something."

  "Well, does this happen a lot

  "Sometimes they call because they want us to have lunch together or something. It usually happens when my mother feels like she hasn't seen much of me or my father, which has been the case lately. So, that could be it."

  Dane accepted that with a nod. She kissed Nicole again and made sure to pout like a sad puppy as Nicole left the house and drove away.

  ***

  Nicole sighed as she pulled up to her parents' house. It was located in a gated community not too far from her own home. It was a pure white colonial style mansion with a large front yard, garden, pool, and a tennis court. She parked in the driveway next to her parents' cars.

  She entered the house with her keys, locating her parents in the den. She was surprised to see them sitting with drinks in their hands, but she didn't say anything about that. They typically didn't drink until the evening unless something was bothering them.

  "Have a seat, Nikki," Raymond said, nodding toward a chocolate leather armchair that was close by.

  Like she did whenever given an order by her parents from more than likely the day she was born, Nicole complied. She slid into the chair and looked between her two parents, who were sitting on the small, matching sofa to the left of her chair. She couldn't help feeling like she was in trouble, but she couldn't for the life of her recall doing anything wrong recently.

  "Nikki," Kate Cardell spoke up as soon as Nicole was seated.

  Kate was a deceptively short woman and just near the point of being round now that she was middle-aged. The weight had caught her in her forties and she hadn't been able to lose it. Her silky black hair was cut to just above her shoulders and she had sharp brown eyes that easily pinned anyone that she looked at. She had a rich, olive tone that her daughter inherited.

  Raymond chimed in before his wife had a chance to continue. "It's been brought to our attention that you might have gotten yourself into a mess."

  Nicole's face scrunched up. "Not that I know of." She reviewed her activities for the past few weeks and didn't see where she could have gotten herself into a serious mess, not something that her parents should be worried about anyway.

  "Oh, so you're not dating some lesbian drug addict that likes to make whores out of her girlfriends?" Kate snapped.

  The daughter blinked hard. "Wha…huh? Who told you that?"

  "Never mind that. Is it true?" Raymond demanded. His own emerald eyes were rigid and his jaw tight. "Because I'll be damned if I'm going to let you throw your life away like this."

  "Daddy, I'm not doing anything like that and I don't know who would tell you such lies," Nicole retorted and a scowl settled onto her face as her wits gathered themselves. "You've been talking to that asshole, Tyler, haven't you?"

  "He says you're dating his cousin," Raymond said, as if that was a crime in and of itself.

  "A woman," Kate chimed in with disdain dripping from her tone and disappointment touching her gaze. "God, I thought you grew out of that nonsense," she muttered, not very quietly.

  "Dane," Raymond finished off in a manner that told their daughter to start explaining—now.

  "Tyler's just being an asshole, like always. You two don't know it, but he's an asshole pure and simple." In any other situation, Nicole would've known that was a poor defense, but her mind had trouble keeping up with what she was dealing with—a common problem when her parents were involved because they always tag-teamed her.

  "But, that doesn't tell us if he's telling the truth or not. Are you dating his cousin, a woman, by the name of Dane?" Raymond asked.

  "Yes, but—"

  "Isn't it best to assume that he knows his cousin better than you do since they are family?" Kate inquired.

  "That's just it. Tyler doesn't know a damn thing about Danny. She's kind and sweet—"

  "Danny? You mean this Dane woman is your roommate Danny?" Raymond demanded. Both his face and his wife's face tensed as steely frowns cut across their faces.

  They thought she lied to them about Danny's status in her life from the start. And from the look in their eyes, they were probably upset they hadn't believed Tyler in the beginning.

  "Yes, she is," Nicole confirmed.

  "Then why the hell have you been telling us that she's your roommate when she's obviously your live-in girlfriend?" Kate pressed as she squared her shoulders because more tension ripped through her petite form.

  "She's not. I mean, she is, but she wasn't before." Nicole tried to explain. She knew her parents were already forming pictures in their minds and that their questions were now only going to help shape those images. Making matters worse, they probably wouldn't let her get a word in unless it was to answer their questions. It had always been like that ever she was a small child.

  "What happened, Nikki? I thought you were done with women and you've never been with someone so distasteful before. You had Tyler. He was a good guy. A gentleman with a steady, good paying job and then all of a sudden his no-good cousin shows up and you dumped him like a hot brick. That's not like you," her father said.

  "I didn't dump him because Danny showed up," the younger woman argued, fury showing on her face now and igniting a fire that was easily seen in her eyes. What the hell kind of lies has Tyler been telling?

  "But, it was conveniently around that time, wasn't it? What did she do to you, Nikki? Does she score you drugs?" Raymond asked.

  Nicole's blood was starting to boil. The fire that ignited in her emerald eyes seemed to light up her whole face, scorching her cheeks and turning them a deep crimson. "No, Danny's not like that. She doesn't do those things anymore."

  "Anymore?" Kate echoed with a furious scowl. "Nikki, people don't just stop doing unsavory things. You can't be so naive to think that she's not doing drugs just because she told you that. Tyler is her cousin, surely he knows her better than you do."

  "He doesn't know anything. He doesn't like her." Nicole countered vehemently, fighting off a sense of déjà vu. They had had a similar argument about Danny already, but
that was back when she was just a roommate. She doubted she'd win this time.

  "And I can see why. She's a scoundrel and you're too blinded by whatever spell she put on you to see that." Kate proclaimed with heated vigor. The fact that she raised her voice caused her daughter to pause, blink a few times, and try to recall the last time Kate had seriously yelled at her.

  "You need to stop seeing this girl and you need to get her out of your house as soon as possible," Raymond declared as if that was the end of the argument. To him and his wife, it was. It was always like that when it came to her.

  Those words jump started Nicole's brain again. They want me to make Danny leave the house? She couldn't even fathom such a thing happening, so she knew she'd be unable to do it.

  "I won't," Nicole replied in a hard tone.

  Raymond didn't seem to hear that response. "I'll ride over there with you and help her leave. She might get violent—".

  "No, Daddy. I'm not kicking Danny out." There was no room in her voice for argument, but her parents tried.

  "The hell you're not. I'm not letting you stay in a house with some pimping, drug dealing, drug addicted woman who has more than one name apparently." her father boomed, shooting up to his feet to glare down at his daughter.

  "She's none of those things. And she does have one name, which is Danny." Nicole stood up.

  Raymond and Kate were silent, glaring at this stranger in their daughter's body. They had never seen her put up such a fight… not in her personal life, anyway. Kate slowly rose to her feet, watching Nicole in a manner that the younger woman couldn't place.

  "I don't know what this woman has done to you, Nikki, but it's making you into quite the ugly person. People have been complaining about you at work. You needed your father to hire an assistant for you. You've been missing days," Kate listed the offenses, counting off fingers as she went.

  "It was two days," Nicole hollered. She wanted to tear her hair out, but resisted the urge. She couldn't believe that her mother was throwing two days back in her face, but it was par for the course with her mother. Every detail mattered to that woman.