Freefall

by Tess Oliver

The dock was quiet and dark as I walked along it to the boat. I hadn’t noticed Dray sitting on the chair on deck until I stepped on board. I could see the glint of a beer can as he lifted it to his mouth and gulped. “Did you see that big wall of fog rolling in from the horizon?”

  “Yeah, it’ll be a cold out here tomorrow morning.” I pulled up a chair next to him. I’d been so caught up with Scotlyn that I hadn’t really talked to Dray much. He’d just taken his mom to the airport, and I could sense his sadness as I sat down.

  He reached down to a cooler and pulled out a beer and handed it to me. “Hey, Clutch told me about Nana. Sorry man. Why is it always the good ones?” He smiled. “Remember when she sewed us those Ninja costumes for Tracy’s Halloween party?”

  I laughed. “She had to keep adding material to Clutch’s because he kept growing in between fittings.”

  “That’s right,” Dray said. “Man, we were badass in those black costumes.”

  “Or at least we thought we were,” I said. “Of course, you’ve been badass since you were three.”

  He took a long swig. “Comes from having to learn self-defense at an early age.” His voice trailed off, and that pain that was always there when he talked about his childhood resurfaced.

  “So, she’s gone for good, huh?” I asked.

  “That’s what she said,” Dray chuckled. “Told me I could visit her in Florida any time.” He raised his beer in the air. “You bet, Mom, I’ll be on the first plane out. It finally seemed to sink in with the old man when I carried her bags out to the car. He sat right there in that stupid chair of his, sipping beer and pretending not to notice that the woman he treated like shit for twenty-five years was walking out of his life for good. But he was clutching that beer so tightly it nearly dented beneath his grip. That was it. No good bye, no please don’t leave me, just an iron-tight grip on his beer.” Dray tossed back the rest of his beer. “He told me he’d call in a favor and get me moved up on the longshoremen job list. But he’s usually full of shit. It sure would be a great gig though. That’s why it’ll never happen. Sweet shit like that never happens in my life.”

  “You never know,” I said, “maybe he’ll keep his promise this time.” The odds were against it, but the man owed his kid and maybe now the reality of facing the rest of his life alone would kick him into becoming human.

  “What’s Cassie up to? I haven’t seen her in a few days. Is she still seeing that douche with the band tattoos?”

  “I guess so. She doesn’t always talk about that stuff with me. I know she asks me about you every morning.”

  “Yeah? She just wants to know what she can lecture me about when she sees me.”

  “Yeah, that’s it. And you say nothing sweet ever happens in your life? That’s because you ignore the good stuff and look for the crap.”

  “Keeps life interesting.” He stretched and then grabbed his chest. “Keep forgetting about those damn broken ribs. I need to get back in the fight ring soon. This sitting around shit sucks.” He knuckled me on the shoulder. “So, what the hell is going on? Looks like you moved right in on this guy’s territory.”

  “He doesn’t own Scotlyn. She hates him. It’s complicated.”

  He opened another beer. “Yeah, there wasn’t anything complicated about what was happening here tonight. I just can’t believe how fast it all happened. On second thought— it’s you— so I guess it’s not all that surprising.”

  “Christ, you sound like Diana. Besides, this is way different.” I leaned forward and rested my arms on my thighs. The fog bank had moved closer to the shore, and the crisp night air was growing sticky with salty moister. “I can’t stop thinking about her. It’s like she reached in and grabbed hold of my heart, and if she lets go there is no fucking way I’ll recover.”

  He handed me another beer. “In that case, you’d better drink another one. It must be kind of strange with her not talking. Hard to know what she’s thinking or feeling. Come to think of it that might not be too bad. Most girls spend way too much time giving their opinion or talking about how they feel.”

  “That sounds like something your dad would say. And you can see how well that worked for him. Besides, I know everything she’s feeling and thinking without her saying a word.” I leaned back and popped open the beer.

  “It’s getting cold out. I’m heading inside.” Dray leaned forward and looked back at me over his shoulder. “It looks like the Heartbreak Kid has finally met his match.”

  “Match?” I shook my head. “No way. She’s got me down on the mat.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Scotlyn

  Luck and some heavy drinking were on my side. Lincoln was passed out cold, and I managed to slip out of bed and get dressed without waking him. I picked up my shoes and tiptoed out of the room and downstairs. It was still early, but I had to walk to the bus stop and the bus ride would take time.

  I strolled through Lincoln’s posh neighborhood surprised at how many people were out walking dogs and babies already. There was a cool mist in the air, and I wondered if it had come from the coast. My mind went instantly to Nix. My feelings for him were so strong, it was difficult to think of anything else. For the first time since the accident, some of the darkness in my head had cleared, and it seemed I could live and be happy again someday.

  All night, as I listened to Lincoln and his awful friends laugh and talk, I went over in my head what I would say to Lincoln to let him know I was leaving him. I owed the man, but I had no way to repay him. He had sensed for a long time that I was miserable, but he’d refused to accept it. Somehow, he’d convinced himself that I could live with the notion that I was his possession. But I was through loathing my shallow, wretched existence.

  The bus pulled up just as I reached the bus stop. I looked forward to seeing Nana, but it broke my heart to know that her health was failing. I was sure it meant she would not be living alone at home for much longer, and I knew that would be a hard reality for Nix to accept.

  I’d been up most of the night, my mind swirling with everything and unable to doze off because of the noise downstairs, but the rumbling vibration of the bus rocked me asleep. I woke abruptly when a large man sat down with a thump on the seat.

  He looked down at me. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

  I smiled politely and turned my attention out the window. We were just one stop away from the bus stop near Nana’s house. If the man hadn’t sat down, I would have slept right through it. I pulled out my phone and texted Nix.

  “I’m nearly at the bus stop.”

  “Great, only I really wish that you were laying here next to me instead. I woke up late. Couldn’t sleep.”

  “Me neither. Lincoln was passed out cold, so I snuck out early. Took a nap on the bus.”

  “Don’t know how anyone can sleep on a bus.”

  “It was easy. I used to do it all the time when I had no place else to sleep.”

  There was a pause before his next text. “I’ll let Nana know you’re on your way.”

  Feeling refreshed from my nap, I hopped off the bus and headed up the street to Nana’s house. I looked forward to hearing and writing more of her memoirs. I looked forward to sitting with her in her quiet cozy house, completely away from Lincoln.

  I’d been lost in thought and not paying a great deal of attention to much of my surroundings. I glanced at the rear end of the Porsche, but it took a second for the shock of it to hit me. I sucked in a breath as the driver’s door opened and Lincoln stepped out. His hair was uncombed and his shirt was wrinkled. Beard stubble covered the taut line of his angry jaw. “The job is over, Sweetie. I looked at the history on your computer and found this address. And then I did some research. I knew that tattoo artist was a scamming sonavabitch, but I never expected you to betray me like this.”

  I turned and ran. My sandals slapped the sidewalk, and his heavy footsteps followed. He grabbed my arm and yanked me hard against him. “You’re not leaving me now, my silent beauty. I need you for co
llateral.” He reached into my pocket and looked at my phone. Then he threw it on the ground and stepped hard on it. He pulled me roughly along to the passenger side, and my head slammed painfully against the top of the car as he pushed me into the seat.

  I reached into the side slot on the door and grabbed out the spare pad of paper and pen I kept there. The pen was dry at first, and I shook it wildly to make it work. Lincoln climbed into the driver’s seat. Tears sprung loose as I scratched the tip of the pen on the paper and the ink finally flowed. I had to tell him it was over and that I had to leave him. I had no idea why I was his collateral, but I held out hope that I could reason with him.

  I’d barely written the word “please” when he grabbed the pen out of my hand and threw it out the window. His tires left behind the smell of burning rubber as he took off and raced through the quiet neighborhood.

  My fingers squeezed the edges of the leather seats, and I held my breath as he took every corner at top speed. We hit a dip in the road and our heads nearly hit the ceiling of the car. He cut off a huge truck, and I closed my eyes as he sped onto the freeway ramp as if we were on an airport runway ready for takeoff.

  Lincoln smacked the steering wheel with his hand three times. “You ungrateful bitch. I’ve done everything for you. I pulled you off the streets.”

  I had no way to tell him that I agreed with him. I held tightly to the seat and wondered if, for the second time in my life, I was going to face death in a car. He was a skilled driver, but rage poured off of him as he changed lanes with every breath. The guilt I felt was softened by the outrage I was feeling at him for charging through traffic like a mad man, putting everyone in his path in danger. A black and white police car brought relief from the wild ride, and he slowed the Porsche down to a more reasonable speed.

  He reached over and pinched my chin painfully as he turned my face toward his. Tears blurred my vision, but the hurt and anger in his face was all too clear. He let go of my face. “And to think I was feeling bad about what I’d done.”

  I looked at him in confusion.

  He pulled his eyes from the road again and stared at me. “That face, that unbelievable face. I would have done anything for that face.” He looked straight ahead with an ugly grin. “Lucky for me, other men are willing to do anything for it too.”

  His words made no sense but a harsh, icy feeling crept through me, and I had no way to communicate or ask what the hell he meant. Lincoln sensed my distress and decided to feed it.

  “That’s right, Babe. You’re worth a lot of money south of the border. Quarter of a million to be exact. Turns out the jerk who printed your pin-up posters made an extra box for himself and sold it to his brother. Your face is everywhere in the black market world. And a certain arms dealer is particularly fond of that poster.”

  An evil smile that I’d never seen before curled up his lip.

  “That’s right, my mute treasure, instead of my house, I put you up for collateral in a very profitable business deal. If I don’t deliver a payment for the merchandise then you’ll be heading south to your new home. I thought I could marry you and avoid having to cash in, but now, I really don’t give a shit.”

  The chaos of the last half hour made it difficult to understand exactly what he was trying to tell me. I’d known all along that he’d gotten involved with some very illegal stuff, but how I’d become a part of it was still confusing.

  The air conditioner was blasting, and I crossed my arms for warmth and sank down in the seat. The guilt I’d felt just minutes earlier had been completely replaced by fury and terror. Even though he was rambling like a madman, I’d grasped some of it. To him, I’d always been one of his possessions, and now, I was apparently being thrown into the poker pool as something worth risking.

  As we pulled off the freeway, I was relieved that the car ride was coming to an end. I had to figure out how to get away from Lincoln. That prospect seemed more dangerous and daunting than ever. He pulled his phone out and pushed a button.

  “Yeah, it’s me. Hey, I need you to do something for me. I need you to send three of those guys out on a job. I’ll pay extra.”

  I could hear the murmur of a man’s voice on the other side. I was certain he was talking to Grady. My heart was beating in my throat. I’d never seen this side of Lincoln, but it seemed that since he’d stepped into the black market world of business, he’d changed his demeanor to match it.

  “I need them to scare someone. Someone who needs the shit beaten out of him to put him in his place. He’s a tattoo artist down in the city.”

  I grabbed his arm, but he pushed me away.

  “Yeah, he’s a tall guy with weird orange eyes. Goes by the name of Nix. Are you getting this? He owns a tattoo parlor called Freefall. Tell them to give it to him good but leave him alive. He looks like he could probably put up a good fight so send three.” Lincoln looked over at me. Tears streamed from my eyes like waterfalls. “I want the asshole to suffer.”

  He put the phone away, and I stared out the window so I wouldn’t have to see his smirking face. I hugged myself against the horror of it. I had no way of warning Nix, and I was Lincoln’s prisoner. I’d remembered the nurses at the hospital always telling me that I was tough and a survivor. I was going to have to be both to get out of this, and now I’d dragged the only person I’d cared about since my family into it all.

  I held my stomach trying to keep myself from getting sick. As the car stopped, I reached for the door handle and jumped out. I half-ran, half-stumbled down the driveway but Lincoln’s arm snaked around my waist. I turned around in his arms and pounded his chest with all my strength.

  “We don’t want to attract attention out here, Babe,” he snarled. He took hold of both my wrists and dragged me into the house.

  Grady and his hideous sidekick met us at the door. Lincoln all but threw me inside, and I fell to my knees. I raced for the stairs, and his cruel laughed followed me up. “Your computer is gone so you have no way to contact your pretty boy.” He laughed again. “I guess he won’t be all that pretty in a few hours.”

  I shut the door behind me and sank to the floor sobbing hard enough that sounds came from my throat. With the garage on the bottom floor, the balcony was three stories up. There was no way to jump it without breaking my ankles. I pulled my legs up against my chest and wrapped my arms around my knees and tried to control my crying. I needed to come up with some way to save Nix. At this point, Lincoln could send me anywhere as long as he left Nix alone.

  I jumped to my feet and ran to my nightstand. My happy family stared up at me from the picture, and I looked down at the faces that I’d missed for so long and wondered just when my endless trail of despair would stop. I fished out a pen and paper and wrote. It was nearly illegible, but Lincoln would be able to read it.

  “I will go anywhere you need me to go. Please just leave Nix out of this. I promise never to see him again.” Just writing the words was as painful as the long shard of windshield slicing my side open with every breath. I braced myself to face the horrid group of men downstairs and walked out of the bedroom clutching the note in my hand.

  All three men looked up as I walked into the room. Without looking any of them in the eye, I marched over and handed Lincoln the note.

  He grabbed it and laughed as he read it. “Of course you’ll go wherever I need you to go. If all goes well, it will be right back into my bed where you belong.” The ice in his words made my stomach clench into a painful knot. “But nothing is going to save that tattoo artist. When his shop closes this evening, he is in for a very painful surprise.”

  CHAPTER 25

  Nix

  I’d spent most of the day working on an intricate design on the shoulder of a loyal client. My concentration sucked, and it was the last thing I wanted to be doing. My mind was definitely not on work, and I was glad to finish it. Even with my lack of attention, it had looked darn good.

  I hadn’t heard from Nana or Scotlyn all day and could only assume that th
ey were having a nice time together. Cassie walked in with sandwiches. “You hungry?”

  “Yeah, that was brutal. I haven’t done anything that detailed in a long time.” I grabbed a sandwich from the bag.

  “Well, you’ve still got two more appointments this afternoon, but they’re easy ones, a seahorse and a puffin.”

  “Great. Nothing is easy today though. My head just isn’t in it. I think I need a few days off.”

  Cassie unwrapped her sandwich. “You should take some time off. Dexter is dying for more work. He could come in and take over for a couple of days.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. Call him later and find out when he can do it.”

  My phone rang and I pulled it out. “Hi, Nana, how are you feeling?”

  “Oh, I think that new medication is making me sleepy. I slept almost all morning.”

  “Is Scotlyn still there with you?”

  There was a long pause. “Who?”

  “Scotlyn, the girl who comes to sit with you, is she still there?”

  Again a long pause. “There was no girl today.”

  Scotlyn must have left already, and Nana had forgotten that she came.

  I could hear her slippers shuffling across her floor. “Your note is still on the door, Alex. The one that tells me about the pretty girl at the door. I didn’t see her today.” Her feet shuffled across the floor again.

  “Are you sure you just didn’t forget, Nana? Check the kitchen to see if she wrote some of your stories down.”

  “I’m going there right now, but I don’t think she was here.” I could hear her breathing harder as she walked to the kitchen. Soctlyn had texted me that she was nearly at Nana’s house, and after the incident at the bus stop, I worried that something had happened.

  “Oh wait, Alex, here’s a note I wrote.” I could hear the paper crumpling in her hand. “Expensive silver car outside of house. That’s right, I remember now. A man was sitting outside the house this morning, but he’s gone now.”

  My heart pounded in my chest, and I squeezed the phone in my fingers. “Was it a Porsche, Nana? You know, like the one Dad used to drive.”