Wicked Bad Boys

by Bella Love-Wins

  She nodded slowly. “This is awesome. Yes, I love it.”

  His mother sighed. “See Peter, I told you they’d like it. It’s two nights, three days, and you can go whenever you want.”

  “Thank you so much.” she replied, still in shock. It could be their first vacation together, just as they were hoping to do.

  “You’re welcome. I hope you both enjoy,” his mother said warmly.

  “Thanks Mom and Dad.” Kevin reached over and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

  Tara opened the last box. It was a gold angel ornament. She lifted her hand and twirled it around her fingers. “It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s a tradition we have. Every year we get a new ornament, and we thought you would like to be a part of the tradition,” his mom said, taking a similar gift box from the dwindling pile. “We got you one as well, Mary.”

  “Awww, bless your heart. Thank you Janine and Peter,” Mary said, a gracious smile on her face.

  “Thank you. Everyone. This has been a wonderful Christmas!” Tara beamed. It means so much a lot to me.”

  “I just have one thing to say on this Christmas morning,” his dad spoke up. Each of them perked up, waiting. He slapped his hands on his thighs. “I’m starved. Let’s eat.”

  Kevin laughed, shaking his head. Only his dad could switch things around so effortlessly.

  Janine rose from the couch. “I’ll get everything on the table.” His dad joined her, stepping into the kitchen.

  “I’d love to help, Janine,” Mary said, following them.

  “Sure, lots to do,” his mom answered.

  “So,” Kevin started, kissing Tara on the cheek. “Did you have a nice Christmas morning?”

  She leaned against him. “It was better than I could ever hope for.”

  He was pleased. He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet.

  “The coast is clear. How about we sneak in a little holiday cuddle upstairs while they get organized in the kitchen?”

  “Sure. Let’s make it quick. And super quiet,” she answered with a wink.

  * * *

  Christmas dinner went off without a hitch and everyone was stuffed and lounging in the living room after dessert. Tara sat back, taking in every joyous minute. There was no way it could get any better.

  Janine and her mom had been speaking quietly, and got up lazily to go to the kitchen. Shortly after, Kevin and his dad excused themselves to get something in the garage. It was a rare quiet moment that Tara could use to relax and be grateful. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, basking in how special she felt.

  Janine and her mom came back with a tray of her mom’s cookies and one with coffees and hot apple cider. Shortly afterward, Kevin’s dad returned and began to help himself, but Janine slapped his hand gently. Tara smiled. She could see herself doing that to Kevin one day down the road.

  Kevin took a while to come back, but when he did, he had one more wrapped gift in his hand.

  “You’re a little late with that gift, aren’t you?”

  “Hopefully not,” he said, looking over at his parents.

  “Who’s it for?”

  “All of us, but mostly you.”

  She looked around the room and all the eyes looking back at her were full of joy and excitement; maybe a little anticipation too. Their three parents sat on the couch, looking on, but not saying a word. His dad had the camcorder going, like he had done when they opened all the presents earlier.

  “How could a little box like that be for everyone? Is it matching holiday pins or something?”

  “Maybe you can unwrap it for us,” he said, handing it to her.

  She took it and slowly removed the bow and then wrapping paper, looking up at him every so often, to see if he would let on about what it was. Inside was a red velvet jewelry box. She hesitated before opening it.

  “Want me to finish it off?” he asked, before she opened the box.

  She nodded and handed it to him. When he opened it and she saw the diamond ring inside, she jumped back in surprise. She was speechless. No words would come. He took the ring from her and moved from the loveseat they sat in, kneeling in front of her. She couldn’t believe it was happening. Her hand shook and tears started streaming from her face. He was—he was asking her!

  “Tara,” he started, “Will you make me the happiest man on the planet? Will you marry me?”

  She could barely speak. “Yes!” A little squeak came from her lips and she nodded frantically as he slipped the engagement ring on her finger.

  “Yes!” she finally shouted, “I’ll marry you!” She pulled him to his feet and wrapped her arms around him tightly. His parents and her mom got up and surrounded them. Hugs and tears and rounds of congratulations and cider went around the room. It was the happiest day of her life.

  Chapter 7

  The sun had gone down and Christmas leftovers were put away. Kevin’s parents were cleaning up the kitchen, and Mary left to meet Michael for their private holiday time together. He and Tara relaxed on the couch. She held on to him and wouldn’t let go. He loved it. Her face was still beaming from when he popped the question. She would raise her left arm and admire the ring every now and again, repeating that she couldn’t believe it was really happening. She was so happy. And he was stoked she said yes.

  He couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas celebration, although he did wish he could turn back time, and Jake had never done what he had. At least then, he could have been there with them. He let out a soft sigh, pushing the thoughts of Jake form his mind. It had been a great day and he needed to hold on to the incredible memory.

  They were talking about going back home to have their own private celebration when the doorbell rang. He froze. She looked at him, tilting her head.

  “Who do you suppose that could be?” she asked.

  “I have no idea,” he answered.

  He got up to get the door and she followed. He was just as confused as she was, and his mind went to Jake on instinct, but he wasn’t ready to tell her anything that would worry her. It was too special a day. When he opened the door, his stomach turned. It wasn’t Jake. It was Officers Jessup and Grayson.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, confused and a little annoyed.

  “We have some important news. May we come in?” Officer Jessup asked. She glanced between her partner, Kevin, and Tara. Then she focused on Kevin again. “Please.”

  “It’s Christmas. Couldn’t you at least give us this one day?” Tara asked, seeming exhausted by their presence, frustration written on her face.

  “This can’t wait,” Officer Grayson replied, turning to Kevin. “It will only take a few minutes, but your family needs to know.”

  Kevin swore under his breath but stepped back from the door to let them in.

  “Thank you,” Officer Jessup said as they entered the foyer and stood. “Are your parents around? We’re really here to see them.”

  She sounded different, unsure of herself than before; more apologetic and somber.

  Tara squeezed his hand before letting him go to get his parents. They had finally had a peaceful moment together, but they both knew that no matter the reason for the police showing up, the peace was about to end.

  “Mom…Dad…will you come in here?” Kevin called out as he got closer to the kitchen.

  The moment they reached the foyer, his mom’s expression turned grim. “Oh…it’s you. What’s going on now?”

  “Can we have a seat?” Officer Grayson asked, taking his hat off.

  The officers followed them into the living room, but waited for everyone else to sit down before joining them. Tara grabbed Kevin’s hand again.

  They finally sat, and Officer Grayson continued. “Last night we received a call from the police station in North Bend.”

  “Why would you get a call out there? That’s not even your jurisdiction,” his dad asked.

  Officer Grayson glanced at him and nodded. “I know, sir, but i
t appears that just outside of North Bend, a car was found in the woods. It was intentionally set on fire, and left very little evidence.”

  “What does this have to do with us?” his father demanded.

  “Well, the pieces of evidence that we do have is…a burnt up license plate, but we were able to determine the numbers. It’s the license plate of the car that—I’m sorry to say, sir, ma’am—your son Jake was driving.”

  “That means nothing,” his mom argued.

  “You’re right, ma’am, theoretically it means nothing.” Officer Jessup took over. “However, there is more. A few feet from the car was a gas can. North Bend is a much larger town, and they have fingerprint analysis equipment on-site. Their analysis came back last night, which is why they contacted us. Jake Crawford did, indeed, touch the can. And there was one more detail that added to the evidence. Just feet from the burnt up car, close to the front passenger-side door, we found a picture of Tara.”

  The silence was deafening. No one seemed to know what to say. It was surreal.

  “So, now my brother is out there, probably on foot or in another vehicle he stole, obviously obsessed with my girlfriend, and you’re in here telling me about something that doesn’t even matter. You need to be out there looking for him.” Kevin’s couldn’t hide the strain in his voice.

  Officer Grayson finally responded to Kevin’s objection, but spoke directly at his parents. “Mr. Crawford, Mrs. Crawford, that isn’t all we found.”

  Kevin was close to losing it. “Great…what else did you find? A shirt that had Jake’s name on it…a receipt Jake signed…a letter of confession from my brother? I get it…you have evidence, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be out there searching for him.”

  “Son. Let them finish,” his dad said softly.

  “Sir, ma’am. I’m very sorry. The North Bend Police Department found a body,” Officer Jessup said barely above a whisper.

  Kevin’s stomach twisted. His dad wrapped his arms around his mother. She had already started to cry. The shock made everything seem blurry and in slow motion.

  “The body is badly burned and there’s no way of confirming whether it’s Jake right now. It’s male. We’re expecting dental records in a few days.”

  “So, in other words, you’re thinking my son died?”

  “We are very sorry for your loss.”

  “Are you sure it’s Jake?” his mother whimpered. Her chest heaved as the tears flowed.

  “We have no reason to believe otherwise, given the evidence to date. Until we confirm the identity of the body, we’re shelving the case temporarily. Ma’am, we’re so sorry.”

  They stood up, leaving Kevin and his family to process the news. “We’ll let ourselves out,” Officer Grayson mumbled as they headed to the door.

  Everyone remained still, as if their energy had been drained away. Christmas morning was no longer happy. Instead, they were left speechless, disheartened, and wondering what would happen next.

  The only sound was his mom’s soft sobbing as she leaned against his dad.

  * * *

  “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.” Kevin chanted the words, running his hands through his hair. He looked out his bedroom window as Tara stood beside him. They had planned to go back to their house before Jessup and Grayson showed up, but they ended up staying with his parents. Kevin didn’t want to stay at the house and keep reliving the news about his brother’s death. But he couldn’t leave them, no matter how heartbreaking it was to watch him mom cry. She had been unable to speak through her tears, and as much as he wanted to run, they needed him more now.

  “I’m sorry, Kev. I wish there was something I could do.”

  He reached out and touched her hand, unable to look away from the window. He didn’t want her to see all the tears, although how could he hide it? His brother was likely dead. We found a body. The words played in his mind. It didn’t seem real. He never wanted his brother dead. He wanted him to get the help he needed, in jail or maybe a psychiatric unit, but he didn’t want him dead.

  He was a zombie. He barely noticed when she left the room, until she came back with two bottled waters. He took it and reached out his other hand to hold her. The words continued to rush through him. We found a body. He couldn’t stop thinking about those four words.

  “What can I do to help?” she asked, dragging him out of his thoughts.

  “I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do. It’s going to take some time to process. I know I should be relieved. We don’t have to worry about him coming after us, but…”

  She stopped him mid-sentence. “I don’t expect you to be relieved. He was your brother.”

  He nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. Hearing her use the word ‘was’ hit him hard. Tara wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. She held him as he started to sob.

  “He had so much life ahead of him and he…he just ruined it. I don’t how he could’ve done horrible things like that.”

  “He was not mentally well,” she whispered, pulling him tighter.

  “I should’ve done something. This is my fault.”

  She pulled back from him, and shook her head.

  “Kevin, this is not your fault. You have no way of knowing if you or anyone else could have changed the outcome. He was lost and there’s nothing you could’ve done to fix it.”

  “He’s my brother.”

  She paused before continuing. “I know, but sometimes bad things happen whether we want them to or not. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll do anything I can to be here for you.”

  “Just hold me,” he replied.

  She pulled him back to her, and wrapped her arms around him.

  * * *

  Kevin cradled Tara in his arms the next morning. They had gone downstairs early—long before his parents would wake up after such a horrible night—and made coffee. They sat in the living room, watching the news.

  The police informed us today that a body was discovered in the woods, just outside Iron Horse State Park, and it is believed to be Jake Crawford. The green Volkswagen the murder suspect was driving has been found in the woods. Police believe it was intentionally set on fire. Stay tuned as new developments take place.

  Kevin turned it off.

  “How can they cover this like it’s just the dead body of a murderer?” he asked, shocked. “He was a person.”

  “I know, hun. It’s news…it’s their job to treat people like statistics.”

  She looked up at him, and he tried to smile.

  “I’m glad things worked out so well with your mom yesterday.” His tone shifted, and she relaxed against him.

  “Thanks to you. She really likes you, you know that?”

  “She’s the one who’s amazing. By the way, are you going to attend one of those meetings with her?”

  She nodded. “She’s going to one on Friday night. I’ll be meeting her there. It’ll be good for us.”

  He was thankful she was going to make an effort to get to a better place with her mother.

  “You should come with me,” she said, looking up at him.

  “What?”

  “You’re grieving right now and this could help you, too.”

  The hope in her eyes was convincing, but he wasn’t ready.

  “Maybe another time.”

  “Why not now?”

  “It needs to be a time for just the two of you. There will be plenty of meetings I can go to. I promise.” He leaned down and kissed her. “I appreciate the offer, though.”

  She leaned back against his arm, and a yawn escaped her lips.

  “I’ve been thinking,” he added.

  “About what?”

  “When the police come back with the identity of the body, I think we should go ahead with our plans.”

  “Plans?” she mumbled.

  “Taking a vacation. Like I said, all I need is a computer. I can do my schoolwork anywhere. So, the moment things quiet down and we get all the ans
wers we need…let’s get out of here. What do you say?” He waited, but heard nothing. “Tara?”

  He listened to her soft, even breathing. She was asleep. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. They could talk tomorrow.

  Chapter 8

  He knocked on the door. When no one answered, he knocked again. He pulled his coat tighter around him and waited for the door to open. When it eventually did, the man stood there in shock.

  “Oh my God! You’re alive?”

  “Hey, Reggie. Mind if I come in?”

  Reggie stepped back slowly, allowing him to enter. The television was playing the news as he turned back to Reggie.

  “Bet you’re surprised to see me.”

  “You could say that. We thought you were dead.” Reggie’s wide-eyed stare went to the television. “Or, at least that’s the story going around. How…what…why…” He paused, taking a breath. “What the hell happened?”

  Jake threw up his hands. “What can I say? It’s a miracle!” He chuckled, but the smoke that still remained in his lungs caused him to choke.

  “You look like shit,” Reggie said.

  “Thanks,” Jake replied, snickering. “That’s what happens when you escape from a burning car.” He could still feel the warmth on his skin from the fire being so close, and he thought of the last minute where he changed his mind and got out of there.

  “I thought maybe you decided to cash in the chips and end it with a bang, so to speak,” Reggie said.

  Jake nodded. “It was a thought, but then I saw Tara’s face and knew I needed to get her back. Friday night I’m making my move.”

  Reggie gawked at him. “Are you sure it’s still what you want to do?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. She belongs to me, and I’m going to prove it to her. Are you still in?” Jake asked, searching over Reggie’s features.