by L. Wilder
He stepped into the apartment and said, “You know Sam? The guy that Livie has been feeding at the diner?”
“Yeah?”
“I found out today at school who beat him up,” he told me with worry in his voice.
When he didn’t continue, I prodded him. “You gonna tell me who it was?”
“His name is Isaac Puckett. He’s a real douchebag. He’s always screwing around with folks and acting like he is such a badass. He’s always running his damn mouth about something. Everybody at school hates him, except for a couple of guys who follow him around like he’s some kind of god or something. They do whatever he tells them to do.”
“Sounds like a real winner. How do you know it was him?”
“I usually just stay away from him and his friends, but I overheard them talking in the locker room after PE today. Puckett was bragging about how he and a couple of his friends beat up some homeless guy, and even mentioned using a crowbar on him. He started getting all hyped up and said they should go try and find him tonight so they could beat the shit out of him again. They even mentioned coming by the diner to find him.”
“Shit. How old is this kid?”
“Pretty sure he failed a couple of times. Somebody said he was like nineteen or something, but he’s just a junior,” he explained.
“Any idea where I might find this kid?”
“He’ll be at the weight room for another hour or two. The coach assigned him an extra hour of weightlifting for being late to practice, so he told his crew to meet him at the park around eight tonight.”
“You happen to have a picture of this guy?”
“No, but you don’t need one. He’s almost six-two, but he’s pretty slim. Might weigh a hundred and seventy-five pounds. He’s got black hair with dreads and he always wears a big diamond earring in his ear. And he drives an old beat-up green Jeep.”
“Little tyke, huh?”
“He’s tall, but a pussy without his friends around. He’ll be the only one at the weight room tonight. Are you going after him?”
“Might have a little chat with him,” I admitted.
“Can I go with you?”
“Not a chance, man. Your sister would kill us both, but I do need you to do me a favor. Go get the keys to Olivia’s car while I change clothes.”
“Okay.” A look of disappointment crossed his face as he headed for the door, and before he walked out, he said, “Just make sure he doesn’t hurt Sam again. I’d hate for anything to happen to him.”
“You can count on that.”
After I made a quick stop for necessities, I made it to the school around seven-thirty. Just like Charlie had said, Puckett’s Jeep was the only one in the lot. I took care of the sad excuse of a security camera and waited for my young friend to come out of the weight room. I stood behind the door, and when he finally stepped out, I placed the barrel of my gun against the back of his head and pulled back the hammer Even though he was just a kid, he knew the familiar click of a cocking gun. He stood there frozen like a statue.
“We are going to take a little ride, Puckett. And then you and me are going to have a little chat. You got that?” When he nodded, I said, “Go over to the car and place your hands on the trunk.”
He did as he was told, and to my surprise, he didn’t resist when I pulled his hands behind his back. To my benefit, he was too scared to move, much less scream out for help. After I’d zip-tied his hands together, I turned him around to face me. It was hard to believe this guy was still in high school. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties with his dreads and thick goatee. But even though he was a big dude, he was still terrified out of his mind. He tried his best to swallow his fear as he stood there looking at me, but I could tell by the way his bottom lip was trembling that he was freaking out. He looked down at me and asked, “What you want, man?”
“You’ll see soon enough. Get your ass in the car,” I ordered as I popped the trunk open.
He managed to keep up his brave front until he spotted the concrete cinder block and three-quarter-inch chain sitting next to the spare tire in the bottom of the trunk. Seeing them only terrified him more, spurring him to put up a fight. He bucked against me, trying to break free from my hold, but with one good jab into his rib cage, he buckled. I gave him a good shove, forcing him into the trunk.
Before I slammed it shut, he whimpered, “Please let me go, man. I didn’t do nothing.”
“That’s where we disagree, Puckett. You’ve done plenty, and now you’re going to pay for it,” I told him as I shut the trunk.
As I got in the car, I heard him kicking his feet against the trunk. Ignoring him, I started the car and drove out of the parking lot. I pulled up beside the bank of the Mississippi River and parked the car. I got out and opened the trunk. His eyes widened as he watched me grab the cinder block and chain and place it on the ground. I took a hold of his arm and started pulling him out of the car.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, he asked, “Why are you doing this? I already told you I didn’t do nothing, man.”
Without answering him, I started wrapping the thick chain around his feet, then worked my way up to his arms and waist. The entire time, he was pleading with me to stop, begging with everything he had for me to let him go. I ignored him. When I was finished wrapping the chain around his body, I looped the remaining length around the cinder block and secured it with a lock. I shoved the key in his front pocket and gave him a quick push, forcing him against the car.
“Word on the street is you’re a real asshole. I don’t have much patience for assholes, Puckett. As a matter of fact, I have no patience whatsoever for assholes, especially stupid, fucking assholes like you. So, I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to drag your sorry ass over to that river and watch your skinny little butt sink to the bottom.”
“I ain’t never did nothing to nobody, man. I just do my thing and leave folks alone,” he said defensively. I reached for his arm, and when I gave him an angry tug, he yelped, “Wait! I’ve got some money. It ain’t much, but you can have it. Just give me some time and I’ll get you some more. Whatever you want, just let me go,” he pleaded.
“What I want…? That’s a good place to start,” I told him as I reared back my fist and punched him in the gut. He bent over with a pitiful groan as I said, “See, I got this friend. He’s a real decent guy, Puckett. Unlike you, he minds his own fucking business. Stays out of trouble. Doesn’t fuck with people just to be fucking with them. Turns out, he had a run-in with you and a couple of your buddies the other night. You decided to use him as a punching bag, and that was a mistake, Puckett. A big fucking mistake,” I told him as I punched him again.
He groaned as he stuttered, “I’m s-sorry. I didn’t … know.”
“Of course you didn’t know he was my friend. How could you know that? You’d have to be some kind of genius to know that, but we both know you’re just a stupid asshole,” I told him as I slammed my fist against his jaw.
“I said I was sorry,” he cried as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. “Please … just stop.”
I hit him again, causing his eye to immediately begin to swell. “Did you stop? No, I don’t think you did. As a matter of fact, you even used a crowbar to wail on him, and you were bragging about it at school. You were making plans to do it again. Isn’t that right, Puckett? You were going to do that shit again. You had no intention of stopping.”
“I was just … fucking around, man,” he stammered. “I wasn’t gonna—”
“You’ve got a bad habit of running your fucking mouth, Puckett. No one likes an asshole who runs his fucking mouth all the time. And no one likes an asshole who’s always fucking around with folks … especially me, Puckett. I can’t stand that shit. There’s nothing worse, but all that’s going to stop. Isn’t that right?”
“Uh huh,” he mumbled.
I yanked him up and started dragging him towards the water. When we reached the bank, I said, “I didn’t hear you,
Puckett.”
“I’ll stop running my fucking mouth,” he shouted.
“And?”
“I won’t fuck with anyone ever again. Just please.”
“You’ve got one shot here, asshole. You or your friends make one wrong move, there won’t be any more second chances. Next time, your sorry ass will be at the bottom of this river, and no one will ever find you. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
With the chains still wrapped around his feet, I pulled him back to the car and tossed him back into the trunk. I drove back to the school, and once I had pulled up next to Puckett’s Jeep, I got out and walked over to the trunk. I opened it to find Puckett staring back at me with a worried look on his face. He knew I wasn’t done with him. I reached for him, yanking him and the cinder block out of the trunk, and pulled him over to the front of his Jeep. I lifted him up, sitting him on the hood, then I pulled a permanent marker out of my back pocket and wrote, “I’m an asshole” on his forehead.
I took a step closer and got up in his face as I said, “Don’t make me come back here, Puckett. Walk a straight line, or you’ll be done.”
“You gonna leave me here like this?” he asked as he tried to move but couldn’t.
“Yeah. I am,” I told him as I started walking towards my car. “Remember what I said, Puckett.”
As I started the engine, I could hear him pleading with me to let him go, but I just ignored him and drove out of the parking lot. I didn’t bother telling Charlie about my night with Puckett. I knew he’d find out as soon as he got to school. Sure enough, the next day I overheard him telling Olivia all about it. He was laughing as he told her about the kids finding him bound to the hood of his car. Apparently, Puckett’s cronies were nowhere to be found, and it took several hours before anyone released him from his restraints. Charlie seemed relieved when he told her that there was an immediate change in Puckett’s attitude, letting me know that my time with him had been well spent. Sometimes, all it takes is a little push to get a person back on the right track.
When Clutch told me that he was going to take me for a ride on his bike, I was intrigued, but hesitant. I’d always been interested in trying it out, but I’d heard on more than one occasion that motorcycles were dangerous. I knew I’d be safe with Clutch, so I let go of my reservations and agreed to give it a whirl. When he pulled up to the curb to pick me up, my heart skipped a beat. Seeing him on his bike looking all kinds of sexy in his faded jeans and leather jacket had my senses going into overload. I took a deep breath and tried to ignore my libido as I walked over to him. I’d worn jeans and boots like he’d told me and was feeling pretty confident until he handed me the helmet. I fiddled with it, but I had no idea how to strap the darn thing on. I didn’t miss the smirk on Clutch’s face as he watched me, and I was just about to get flustered when he pulled me over to him.
“Come here, Sunshine,” he told me as he took the strap from my hand. “You loop it through the bottom ring and then back through the first.”
“Easy enough,” I told him as he snapped it to the side.
“You’re all set. Now hop on,” he ordered.
“Wait … aren’t you going to tell me what to do?” I squealed.
He smiled. “You get on and ride. That’s about it.”
“Come on, Clutch. There’s more to it than that. Do I lean into the turn or away from the turn? And where do I put my feet? And how do I keep myself from falling off the darn thing??”
“Liv, get on the bike.” He smirked. “I’m going to show you everything you need to know. It’s just easier when you’re on the bike.”
“Okay,” I huffed as I hiked my leg up and over the seat, quickly situating myself behind him. I put my feet on the foot pegs and my hands on his hips, then waited for him to tell me wait to do next.
“You’ve already got the hard part down,” he teased. “And as far as the turns go, just go with what feels right or lean against the backrest.”
“And what about falling off?”
“You’re not going to fall off, Liv. Just relax and enjoy the ride,” he assured me as he started the engine.
Seconds later, we were headed out onto the main road, zipping through traffic like it was something we’d done a hundred times, only we hadn’t ridden a hundred times, and I was a nervous wreck. My heart was pounding against my chest and my palms were all sweaty. I thought my first ride with him would be exhilarating, being all snuggled up close to him as I felt the wind in my face and the sun against my skin, but I was too lost in my little freak-out to even enjoy it. I was worried that I was holding on too tight or not tight enough, and I kept wondering whether I should lean into the curves with him or press my back against the seat like he’d suggested. And every time we stopped at a light, I thought I was getting a small reprieve, but as soon as the light turned green, he’d shoot out into traffic, lunging me against his back.
I felt his chest vibrate with laughter as he shouted, “You’re doing great, Sunshine. Just relax.”
“I am relaxed,” I lied.
“Liv,” he scolded. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Just take a deep breath and let go.”
Realizing he was right, I tried my best to stop worrying so much. I took a deep breath and let go of the tension I’d been carrying for the past hour and finally started to enjoy the ride. In no time, I’d gotten the hang of the turns and felt like I actually knew what the hell I was doing. We rode for several hours. I marveled at how the sunlight danced across the Mississippi River as we crossed over the Arkansas bridge. It was amazing, seeing things from the perspective of a motorcycle. Everything seemed closer and more defined, and with the added excitement of being pressed against Clutch, I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately, our moment in the sun was about to be over … in more ways than we realized.
As the sun was about to set, we headed back to the apartment. Louise had been checking on the kids while we were gone, and it was almost time for her to leave the diner when we got there. We got off the bike, and I was just about to go inside to thank her when Sam called out to me.
“Hazel!” There was a look of panic on his face as he rushed over to us and said, “Y’all need to come around back … now.”
“What’s going on?” Clutch asked him.
“I think you’ve got trouble coming,” he answered as he turned and started towards the back alley.
“What kind of trouble?” I asked.
He shrugged and said, “I don’t know. Only you have the answer to that.”
When we finally made it down the long, dingy alley, Clutch and I both were surprised to find a large man lying face down in the dirt with his hands bound behind his back. I walked over to him and saw that he had blood trickling from the back of his head and he was completely knocked out. He was fairly short, or at least he looked shorter than me, and he had blondish gray hair and wore a dress shirt with a pair of khakis. I didn’t recognize him, so I turned to Sam and asked, “Who is he?”
“No idea. Never seen the guy before, but I heard him talking on his phone, and when he mentioned a waitress at the diner and the two kids, I started paying attention. He was telling someone about the hours you were working and all about your apartment upstairs. He even told them where the kids were going to school. It sounded like whoever he was talking to was on his way here.”
“Fuck,” Clutch growled.
“I didn’t like the sound of it, so I knocked the guy out. He never saw me coming. I plowed him in the back of the head, and he dropped like a two-ton shit house.”
“You did good, brother,” Clutch told him as he took out his phone and started calling someone.
“What are you going to do?” I asked him. “We need to call the police!”
“No. No police, Liv. Just give me a minute. Gotta call Cyrus.” Seconds later, he started speaking into his phone, “Hey, man. We got trouble. Need you to bring a cage over to the diner. I’ll explain more when you get here. Bri
ng Blaze and one of the other guys with you.” There was a brief pause. “Thanks, brother.”
“Shouldn’t we call Detective Brakeman?”
“No, Liv. We don’t know how this guy found you, and until I get some answers, we trust no one outside of the club,” Clutch growled. “I need you to get upstairs and get you and the kids packed up. Just get the necessities.”
“Okay.” I looked over at the man lying on the ground and asked, “What about him?”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll handle it.”
“Okay,” I said softly.
Clutch reached out and pulled me into his arms as he said, “I’ve got you, Sunshine. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or to those kids, but I’m going to need you to trust me. You may not understand or even like how this is all going to play out, but it’s the best way to make sure that you and the kids are safe.”
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
He held me tight. “I know, baby, but it’s going to be okay. Now, I need you to get upstairs and get packed up.”
I nodded and then rushed upstairs. When I opened the door, Charlie was sitting on the couch watching TV and totally unaware that I was about to pull the rug out from underneath him. As soon as he looked up and saw the expression on my face, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I … I don’t know how to say this without freaking you out, but—”
He sat up and faced me. “Just spit it out, Livie.”
“They found us. We’ve got to pack up and get out of here … now.”