“Really, traitor? I love you every day and she comes in and takes over. And that’s it. Goodbye, Frankie. Hello, new master.” I chuckle.
Blue opens the door, heading out to the kitchen, Jabba at her heels. “My dog now. Hungry?” she asks, and I’m happy to hear the sass.
……
I sit with Blue, on the patio facing a windbreak of trees. This cabin is humongous. Then I think of Blue bound, like in the picture, and a shiver runs down my back. “Is it hard for you to be here? I can take you and Jabba down the hill, back to my house at the beach if you want.”
At the mention of the beach, she perks up. She doesn’t look at me, just keeps stroking Jabba and feeding her scraps from the table. I thought I broke her of that habit. Guess her new master doesn’t mind a beggar.
But watching Blue coo and love on Jabba, I don’t blame either one of them.
At least Blue’s talking to someone. For that, Jabba deserves the seat at the head of the table.
Very softly, so I don’t scare either of them, I say, “She was hurt in the worst way. Skinny, full of mange and festering cigarette burns, she was chained in an abandoned garage, left to die.”
Blue looks in Jabba’s trusting eyes. “Like me,” she says, and my chest feels like it got kicked in with a steel-toed boot.
“When she came to the clinic, she was carried in by animal control. Put this one down. Too mean.”
She doesn’t say anything, just listens.
“Too mean? I thought. When’s that ever a bad thing for a female? Maybe what they saw as mean was a defense mechanism.
“When I got her out of the tiny cage they brought her in, she could barely walk. Hunched and cowering away from me.” I stand slowly and kneel down by Jabba.
She watches me warily. I extend a hand that she tentatively sniffs. Blue watches as she licks my hand.
“I’m sure she thought all men were like the ones that had hurt her, so I took it slow. Never pushed.”
I go back to my chair across from Blue. “I just wanted her to know I was in her corner at all times, that she was safe with me, that I’d always keep her safe.”
Blue
The speech is for me, I realize, as my cuddly security blanket gets up and sits between Frankie’s splayed legs, looking up at him. He doesn’t move, not an inch. So she moves his hand with her snout, flipping it onto her head. She rubs her head beneath his open palm, giving her consent. Asking for his love.
It’s lovely. “Jabba, come.”
She leaves him and comes to me for bacon and a little commiseration.
He looks up with an arched brow. “It’s like that now, is it, Blue?”
I give him a curt nod. “What time are you leaving to get him?”
Frankie
The playful tone I’d been trying for is squashed by her simple question. What time will I be committing felony kidnapping? It’s still early. “In two hours. I’ve gotta be at the Mail Stop before 11:00.”
Her tone is wary as she asks. “Why are you doing this for me? Helping me?”
She wants answers that may scare her. My feelings for her petrify me, and I’m not recovering from any ordeal worse than a sunburn. Then it comes to me. “If I could find the bastards that savaged my dog, I’d slather with bacon grease, and lock them in a room with Jabba. Let her sort it out.”
She smiles, but there’s no joy there. “That’s exactly what I want.”
I nod, feeling the chill of the morning. “That’s why I’m doing this.”
……
I’m loading up the truck when she comes out wearing jeans, tennies and a hoodie. My Boston College hoodie. “Go Eagles,” I say and whistle at her.
I’m rewarded with a worried smile. “Sorry, all the clothes I have…”
“Were for the honeymoon. Bad memories. I get it. You good? Should I leave Jabba with you?”
She looks confused. “No, we’re coming with you.”
Simple kidnapping just turned into a complex emotional fuck up.
“Blue, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I start, trying to shield her. There’s no way my head’s gonna be where it needs to with my girls so close to the action.
“Why? You don’t think I can handle it?” she sniffs. Trying to challenge me, but I don’t buy it. There’s too much hesitation in her voice. I don’t have the strength to say no.
I look into her hard eyes. “Never said you couldn’t handle it Darling. It’s not you that I’m worried about.”
Her smile is hard, all teeth.
There’s no talking her out of it. That’s not what I’m here for. My job is muscle, not brains.
She gets in the back with Jabba. And that’s all right, if that’s where she feels safe. I start the engine and head down the hill. I reach for the radio, then pull back. “You want music, Blue?”
She shakes her head and looks out the window. “No talking please.”
Blue
I avoid him. His compassionate eyes. His soulful looks in the rearview. I’m like Javi, nothing gets through to this deep-fried heart. Except Jabba. As she nuzzles against me, I stroke her soft fur. The scarred areas where hair doesn’t grow? Just adds character.
I’m coming, husband, I think and settle in for the drive, avoiding the rearview mirror.
I face forward when he says, “What the fuck is this now?” as the truck slows to a stop.
Sasha
We couldn’t pinpoint her exact location—GPS is not that good—so we waited, parked across the mountain road, stopping every car that came down since six a.m.
Another car. Bearded driver…cute…that’s him!
“That’s him, Riley! There they are!”
The engine starts, and he pulls the Suburban out of the middle of the road, to the side, but I don’t wait, I jump out, screaming.
I almost get hit as I race up the road to meet them. Before the car’s even stopped, I’m pulling open the driver’s door.
And I savage him. Grabbing beard and shirt I yell, “Where is she?” as a dog starts to bark.
Then I see her, huddled behind a huge snarling dog, and I start to cry.
Blue
Jabba tries to growl, but Sasha goes nose to nose with her till Jabba relents and licks her instead.
There’s a sound like dry kindling snapping in my chest, and then I’m grabbing, pulling her to me. “Sasha, I thought I’d never see you again.”
Tears that are happy for once fall at the sight of her.
Frankie whistles and Jabba jumps out of the cryfest.
I watch how easily she leaves me to go to him. I wish I could be like Jabba.
Then I feel like maybe I’m hugging the enemy. “Where were you?” I accuse and pull back.
I’m a mix of emotions as Sasha holds me in a death grip—won’t let me pull away—as she wails, “I didn’t know till yesterday that I even needed to be looking for you!”
Her hands touch me everywhere at once. It’s too much. A shiver runs through me as she sobs, and her nails continue to whisper over me. Hands everywhere, and I just can’t take anymore. It’s too much.
It comes out harder than I’d like. “Watch the claws, Sasha.”
But I still don’t know her part in all of this. The confused and hurt look on her normally bubbly face seals the deal. She knew nothing, but still. I don’t know who to trust.
“I went in blind with Javi, and look how that turned out.”
She leans back and studies my face. After planting a wet kiss on my cheek, she relaxes her grip, but keeps an arm around my shoulder. Needing contact. I understand.
Sasha
I watch Frankie stand, hands in his pockets as Riley comes up, hugging him fiercely before slapping him on the back. “You weren’t going to invite me to your party, brother?”
Frankie looks into Riley’s eyes, and the blank mask slips. I can read heartache written all over his face and I do a double-take. Riley sees it too and apologizes. “Hey, Franks, I’m an asshole. I should’ve li
stened to you when you called.”
Frankie looks relieved. “The stalking comment stung a bit, I’m not going to lie.”
I turn to Blue, to get her attention. But she’s already looking at the guys. “Do you know you have a serious stalker on your hands?” I whisper, hoping to make her smile or at least lose that calculating look.
She just turns away, staring at the dirt on the side of the road. Frankie keeps looking over Riley’s shoulder. Watching me, like I might try to hurt my girl Blue.
I blow him a kiss. I would never hurt your girl, Riley.
Blue
The front doors open and the guys get in. Frankie tells Jabba to heel and she climbs over the back seat and lies down in the rear. I give her a fleeting look, missing my protection already as the car starts.
Frankie turns to me. “Well, our intimate party just got out of hand. You good with all this?”
I nod, and he starts the car.
A loaner from Tony. The VIN’s scratched off.
Because I can’t stand not knowing, I turn to Sasha. “Did you know, Sasha? Were you in on the whole feeding and forgetting?” It’s hard to be stern with Sasha. Her bottom lip trembles, and tears fall
“I’m innocent! I thought we were looking for your body!” she wails and flings herself into my arms, her pointed claws sheathed for once.
Riley drops a hand on her knee, giving her a squeeze as he cosigns for her. “It’s true, Blue. She’s been a wreck with worry since the minute she found out. She hasn’t been back to the Chubby House since the day she found out you were missing.”
I’m surprised by this.
“It’s true,” he insists. “She wouldn’t have anything to do with them, not knowing who she could trust. I promise, my Red has been breaking her neck trying to find you.” He gives her knee a final pat and turns back to the front.
As dramatic as ever, she throws her head back, red hair flying every which way.
“I haven’t been able to even eat! I’m gonna be skinny soon from all of this stress!”
I can’t help it. I laugh til I cry and it feels good. She gets me. Hits me in the funny bone every damn time. I don’t care what kind of loon I look like. I’m just me, happy to be free.
As I get it together, I feel his eyes on me, watching me.
I meet his in the rearview. Soft and wet around the edges. Kind and open windows to his soul. They scream Protector! Staring intently into my own hard, unyielding ones. My eyes say stay away. Every fucked up thing in my life would just be solved if I could just stay in this moment, staring into his eyes. But. “Watch the road,” I say before breaking the connection. It comes out hard and stony.
And what was that? Why do I feel like he just embraced me, with compassion flooding my weathered being? It was like he sent me a mental pat on the back or a telekinetic touch. I could feel it. A connection, there and gone, broken when I couldn’t take it anymore. What gives?
As I try to puzzle out these feelings, Riley turns to Frankie. “She’s right, keep your eyes front.” He lowers his voice, but both Sasha and I lean forward, listening.
Riley’s staring at Frankie. “Pull the fuck over,” he says and looks out the side window with a glare.
Frankie pulls over and looks at him. “What?”
“You know what. Don’t look at me like that. This right here is not happening. You’re too in this, man, you read me? Not thinking straight. I’ll tell you how this is going to go, and then you can ask me what. You, your fucking eyes, thoughts and hearts in this back seat.” He jerks a thumb at us huddled in the back. “Your heads not in this. What’s your plan lover boy? She gonna watch while the douchebag beats you to death? Or how ’bout he kills us and takes her.”
Frankie looks down. Now it’s me trying to get him to look at me. Staring in the rearview. No, don’t listen to him.
Riley’s hard on him. “Or, you get your head out of your ass. Do what you know needs to be done. Then we get our heads right together before we join the fray.” He waits till Frankie looks up and throws the same what? look.
He clenches the steering wheel, avoiding my screaming eyes in the mirror. “Sash will stay with her.”
“No!” I scream.
Frankie jerks the wheel, throws a bitch, and heads back up the hill.
“It’s not up to you! Don’t do this, please. I need to be there. This isn’t fair, Frankie.”
It’s silent in the car when I shut up. Sasha’s rubbing my hand.
I look back to Jabba. At least she understands.
I turn to the front. “Why are you even here, Frankie?” It’s meant to wound. I’m pissed. If for no other reason than to understand what the fuck I missed while I was detained.
I feel his eyes, reaching to ensnare my heart, but I won’t be caught. Now he wants to look at me. I avoid the rearview at all costs as I say next, “I distinctly remember telling you I had a boyfriend.”
Sasha squeezes the blood out of my hand and answers for him. “From the moment you’ve been gone, Frankie’s been dreaming about you. He’s been on a mission. Riley didn’t believe him. Thought he was crazy.”
Riley turns to Frankie in the front seat. “Sorry about that, bro.”
“No worries,” Frankie says, but I can feel his eyes reaching for me.
But I won’t be caught. I avoid the rearview at all costs as I say next, “Don’t come back without my husband.”
He’s back at me, assessing me. To Riley he says. “Get Pint on the phone and give him the address. Tell him to bring the needles.” Riley’s face is grim as he nods and pulls out the phone, texting Piñata or whatever the fuck name Frankie just said. Pint, but sounds like Peent the way he said it.
I turn and meet his eyes in the mirror and give him what I hope is a sunny smile.
We’re on the same page now.
Frankie
When I speak of violence, I’m rewarded with a wicked grin. I look into her malicious eyes in the mirror and nod.
I’m not holding anything back this time. As they wonder in the back how she was found, I turn into the driveway of the death house. I can’t help it. That’s how I think of it.
I turn to the back and say, “Gretchen. She knew. She called me. Asked for some payback in your name.
“Huh?” Blue and Sasha turn like Scooby Doo towards me.
Sasha, dumbfounded, asks, “Gretchen? What do you mean?”
Frankie looks uncomfortable. “Gretchen called me looking for Blue. Seemed Brad—”
Blue interrupts. “I’ve gotta call him.”
“Anyway, he said you might be holed up with me.” I grin at her shocked expression. “You can hole up with my anytime, Darling.”
She blushes and looks away.
But I want her to hear this. “Listen, Blue. I knew something was wrong, even before that phone call. See, I’d been dreaming about you since the night at the bar, and you were happy. Just seeing you content, I could live with that. Respect your wishes. It hurt like hell, but I did it, stayed away.”
I take her hand. She doesn’t pull away. Small favors. I feel like I can breathe when she squeezes mine. “But then it was back to the same. Ferocious nightmares full of danger. Pain, torture, humiliation.” She squeezes my hand for all she’s worth.
“Then Gretchen called me and let me know where he would be. She hadn’t been able to get a thing out of him. Begging and pleading was a big fat zero. So she asked for the hard way.”
The hard way,” she murmurs, “his favorite.”
I told her I’d do anything for you and I will.” I give her hand a final squeeze.
She faces away, but I hear her sniff.
I pull my hand away. This is going to be hard. “And what I’m about to do is for your own good. Blue, get the fuck out of my car.”
Riley grins. “That means you too, Sash. Get the fuck out.”
Sasha grins and opens the door. “Well, we know when we’re not wanted. Blue?” I look back as Sasha reaches for her, and catch Blue’s relieved
smile.
Once they’re safely in the house, Riley jumps out and checks to make sure the door is locked. I can breathe.
“Let’s go get that fucker.”
Javi
It’s time to get the mail. Not my normal day, but Gretchen said it’s piling up. So it’s work, work, work. The usual, taking care of the Ladies.
I pull into my usual spot and some fucker in a ski mask swings a tire iron and breaks the driver’s side window. I can’t even move. Not when he wrenches the door open and throws me to the hot pavement. It’s only when he says, “This is for Blue, you sick fuck,” do I look up and see a fist coming at me.
I try to flinch, get out of the way, but I move too late.
He hits me in the jaw. I get to my knees and spit out blood before laughing. “Who?”
He smacks me in the back of the head and the lights dim.
I hear a voice say, “Don’t fucking kill him, F!” and I’m hauled to my feet.
A hood is jerked over my head, and it sticks to the trail of blood oozing from my head. My stomach rolls, but I will not gag. Get it the fuck together.
I stand to my full height, hooded, hands clasped in the front. “Do your worst, boys.” I’m grinning inside the hood. If this is it...then this is it.
The other guy says, “Shut the fuck up!” and pops a trunk.
Here we go, I think. Crowbar tries to drag me, but I stop short. “I can walk, fucker.” With my head up, I head in the direction of the open trunk. Fuck it.
If this is happening, then it’s on. I get in the trunk like I’m getting into the driver’s seat of a Porsche. Still they gotta push, feels like one of them kicks me right in the ass. The back of my head gets another rap as the trunk slams down.
Frankie
Riley eyes me once we’re on the road, the piece of shit locked in the trunk. I look down, making sure I’m not speeding, before he says. “I need to make a stop. Turn into the boatyard.”
Black and Blue (Chubby Chasers, Inc. Series Book 3) Page 18