Mess Us Up (Brooks Crest Book 3)

by Jaxson Kidman

  The crew knows.

  Except Ado.

  We took a vote and decided we can’t trust him enough.

  His mental state with his mother has him so fucked up as it is. I don’t need him out there, messing up and saying something about Jolie.

  For Ado, I have him on small jobs just to keep him busy.

  But eventually… we’ll have to make a decision on what to do with him.

  In a perfect world, when his mother passes, he’ll want to take time to himself or move somewhere else. If that happens, I’ll gladly give him the cash needed to start over.

  Until then… he’s on the outside of this.

  “So, how was your day and night, Jolie?” Taz asks with a grin.

  Jolie shows her middle fingers to him. “Very funny.”

  “It can’t be that bad,” Les says. “This place is like a fortress. If I was going to be fake kidnapped, this is where I’d want to be.”

  “I’ll trade you,” Jolie offers.

  Les laughs.

  I slowly sit down as Mama brings a giant platter of food.

  “If I was going to be fake kidnapped, I’d want to be trapped in bed with a pretty girl,” Taz says. “For days and days and days…”

  “You would say that,” Jolie says. “I’m surprised you didn’t mention Violet.”

  “Oh, fuck yeah,” Taz says. He rubs his hands together. “Bring it on. She’s Violet. I can be… red… and that makes… wait a second…”

  “You do realize that red and blue make purple, right?” Jolie asks.

  “Yeah,” Taz says.

  “Don’t even go down this road with him,” Les says. “Taz failed preschool.”

  I start to laugh.

  “Oh, fuck off,” Taz says.

  “You fuck off, Taz,” Mama says.

  Everyone goes quiet.

  Then she smiles.

  “Now let’s sit and eat. I want to hear about these details.”

  I look at Les and curl my lip again.

  He opens his mouth and I shake my head.

  It’s my job to talk now.

  I swallow hard.

  “The SUV was late,” I say. “Thirty seconds late.”

  “But late,” Les says.

  Mama just stares. “Anything else?”

  “It was the wrong color,” I say.

  “What?” Mama asks.

  “Blue,” Les says. “I jumped out of the car and took out my gun…”

  Mama’s eyes move to Jolie.

  I look at Jolie.

  She’s listening. Her cheeks are a little rosy.

  I’m not sure if she should be sitting here for this, but too late now.

  Mama looks at me.

  “I stopped him,” I say. “Not that Les did anything wrong. He saw the color was different and we were told…”

  “Right,” Mama says. She stands up. “I guess there was a little misinformation.”

  “When I saw who got out of the SUV, I knew it was good,” I say. “And everything went perfect.”

  “It could have been a big problem though,” Les says.

  “I fucking know that,” Mama says. “Hold your tongue, Les, or I’ll cut it off.”

  Les looks pissed.

  And Mama just walks away.

  We all sit at the table in silence.

  I look at Jolie.

  Her eyes say I told you so but in a kind and loving way.

  She looks ready to cry.

  I still can’t imagine anything being wrong with Mama.

  Les washes the dishes and Taz dries them.

  I’m outside with Jolie, doing everything I can to keep touching her, holding her, and kissing her.

  But I can tell something is off.

  Something is eating at her.

  She has every right to have that feeling.

  “Just say it, sweetie,” I say to her. “Get it off your chest.”

  “What happened with Mama?” she asks.

  “I think you were sitting there and heard,” I say.

  “So that’s it? You’re just leaving it at that, Mac?”

  “At what?” I ask. “She made a mistake.”

  “Does she ever make mistakes?”

  I curl my lip. “I know you’re here right now, Jolie, and I know this-”

  “No,” Jolie says. “Don’t play that card with me. It’s not about that. I heard what Les said. What you said. Les was going to shoot someone? What would have happened then? Would you have gotten hurt?”

  I don’t need to answer that question.

  Jolie already knows the answer to it.

  She breaks away from me. “So bad enough I’m stuck here alone… and I worry about you every time you’re gone, Mac. I never know what you’re doing. Where you are. What’s going to happen. But now this? I told you before what I saw…”

  “And I heard you, sweetie,” Mac says. “Just let it go.”

  “Why? And for how long? Until someone gets hurt?”

  Anger starts to climb through my body.

  I take a deep breath. “This is for you, sweetie. What’s happening here. This is for you.”

  “Don’t you dare say that to me,” Jolie says.

  She turns and goes back into the house.

  She slams the door.

  I hang my head and sigh.

  The door opens again and Mama steps outside.

  I look at her.

  There can’t be anything wrong here. Look at her. She looks normal. Yeah, she’s up there in age a little. So what if she made a mistake, right? Or what if the other people made the mistake? We don’t know the truth…

  “She’s stuck here,” Mama says to me. “She’s tough. I heard her listening to Declan and I last night. I’m sure that’s got her stirred up.”

  I nod. “She’ll be okay.”

  “Everything will be,” Mama says. “I don’t want to scare her, Mac, but I want her to know what we’re doing for her. I would never do this for anyone else. You know that, right?”

  “Oh, I know,” I say. “And I can never thank you enough for it.”

  Mama smiles. “Anything for you, Mac. You’re like a son to me. And I see the way you look at her. It’s scary to see because I know what you would do for her.”

  “Anything, Mama,” I say.

  “And that’s what I’m doing too,” she says. “Anything for her.”

  I give Mama a quick hug and then go back into the house.

  I make it two steps before Les cuts me off.

  He puts his hands to my chest and shoves me back.

  He nods to me.

  I look up, knowing Jolie is probably sitting on the edge of the bed, crying.

  But first… Les and I have to finish this little situation between us.

  I take a deep breath.

  Then I throw the first punch.

  Les gets one punch back at me.

  My jaw throbs.

  He grabs my shirt and drives me back against the wall.

  I hit him in the stomach and he steps back.

  I throw a roundhouse punch to his cheek, then grab his shirt and spin us around.

  When I slam him against the wall, he punches me in the stomach.

  I lose my breath for a few seconds but wrap my right arm around his head.

  I turn and throw him down to the floor.

  Les sweeps my feet and I crash down to the floor too.

  We look at each other and smile.

  Then we tangle up again and keep throwing rib punches until Mama starts yelling at us.

  When we don’t stop, she gets the pancake flipper and starts smacking.

  Ever have a pancake flipper smack you right at the back of your neck?

  It feels like a goddamn jellyfish sting.

  She smacks Les in the arm and we both let each other go.

  We get to our feet.

  Mama looks ready to kill us.

  I go to walk by Les and pause.

  I look at him and I hug him.

  He hugs me ba
ck.

  The situation is over.

  Dead and gone.

  I flick at his cheek. “That looks swollen.”

  “Go check out your lip, bro,” he says to me.

  I smile and look forward, only to catch Jolie watching.

  Her eyes are wide.

  She turns and walks away again.

  This time I chase after her.

  I catch her at the bottom of the stairs.

  My hands to her hips, stopping her.

  She spins around, tears in her eyes.

  “I forgot about the violence, how it is so easy for you all,” she says. “That’ll save everything, won’t it?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I say.

  She pushes at my chest. “Just let me go, Mac. Go do what you have to do. I’ll just sit here alone for another day. Sound good?”

  She rushes up the stairs.

  I climb the steps slowly.

  I find her not sitting on the edge of the bed, but looking out the window.

  Hugging herself one second, wiping away tears the next.

  I take a deep breath.

  “Look, sweetie, Les…”

  “I don’t care,” Jolie says. “You’re going to do what you want.”

  “Jolie.”

  “No,” she says. She looks at me. “I just want to talk to Violet. Okay? I understand what this all is. Believe me, I get it. But please… even if I have to get a new number or something. I can’t imagine her out there…”

  Jolie’s teeth start to chatter.

  I move toward her.

  My heart beats fast when I’m near her.

  And the word anything means a lot more.

  I touch her face with my right hand, wiping a tear off her cheek.

  My left hand gently touches the other side of her face.

  I swallow hard.

  “There’s a part of me that knows forever with us is going to happen,” I say. “And then there’s a part of me that knows you’re going to be the death of me. And either one I’m okay with. As long as you’re happy.”

  “Mac… I just…”

  I lower my mouth to hers.

  I kiss her and then let her go.

  “Mac, where are you going?” Jolie calls out.

  I’m going to make you happy, sweetie.

  I tell the crew I’m doing something alone.

  They don’t like it but I don’t give a shit.

  Aric and Raf have to hit the main campus for business anyway.

  I tell Les and Taz to go to the skatepark and check up on Peg Leg Mikey. I just want everything normal to be covered while the rest of this stuff is going on.

  Mostly I just want them to stay busy while I figure out a plan.

  There really isn’t much of a plan though.

  The only choice is to just show up and see what Violet does.

  I’m not sure what she knows or doesn’t know. Or better yet… what she thinks she knows.

  As of right now, the word about Jolie’s kidnapping hasn’t spread too far.

  That’s because of her father using his contacts to keep things quiet.

  That guy is wildly corrupt.

  And what I need to know is if he’s in control or just someone else’s puppet.

  I ride my motorcycle to the warehouse to get my car.

  I drive fast.

  Way too fast.

  Somewhere in my head I can hear Jolie telling me to slow down a little. Because she wants me to come home to her safe and sound.

  That’s where everything keeps leading me to now.

  The life of wild and free now has a destination.

  Jolie.

  She’s the destination.

  I’m not talking about the future or anything like that.

  I’m talking about the mere fact that I have somewhere to go at the end of the day. I have something to look forward to. When I’m doing stupid or dangerous shit, I have someone to think about. It keeps me focused.

  But it also drives me a little crazy.

  I speed over to Violet’s neighborhood.

  I’m still thinking about what to do and how to do it.

  This is a huge risk.

  Exposing the truth to Violet…

  I have no clue what she’ll do though.

  And that can cost her her life.

  As I take one of the bends, I can’t believe my eyes when I see Violet running.

  She’s out for a run on the side of the road.

  Coming toward me.

  I speed and fly right by her.

  I’m not sure she even notices me.

  I slam on the brakes, cut the wheel, and turn my car around.

  The sound of that… I know I have her attention now.

  I speed up again and Violet looks back at me.

  Then she tries running faster.

  Like she’s going to outrun my car.

  I catch up to her in two seconds.

  I have to slow down and let her catch up to me… only she doesn’t.

  She stops running.

  She reaches for her phone.

  “Fuck,” I yell.

  I throw open my door and get out of the car.

  “Violet!” I yell.

  “Mac?” she asks. “What are you…”

  She gasping for breaths.

  “Get in the car,” I say to her.

  “Why?”

  “Because I fucking said so,” I say.

  “No,” Violet says. She starts to blink fast. “No…”

  I grit my teeth and growl. “Do you want to ever see Jolie again?”

  Violet approaches my car.

  She has her phone clutched tight in her right hand.

  “Look, Violet, I get it,” I say. “You have a phone. But I have a gun. Who’s going to win here?”

  “Please, don’t hurt me,” Violet says.

  I don’t respond.

  I’m not the one who’s going to make that final decision.

  4

  JOLIE

  I hear the sound of glass shattering and I sit up in bed.

  My heart leaps into my throat.

  I hurry from the bed to the bedroom door.

  I open it and listen.

  Mama Dae is pissed.

  “This is out of control!” her voice yells.

  I inch from the bedroom to the top of the steps.

  “You need to trust me.”

  It’s Mac’s voice.

  “I do trust you, Mac, but this is too much…”

  I start to walk down the stairs.

  When Mac is at the house, I feel a little invincible.

  Meaning I don’t mind walking in on their conversation to see what’s happening.

  I work my way through the dining room and when Mac sees me, he points.

  “Go back upstairs,” he says to me.

  “No,” I say. “What’s going on here?”

  I look and see Mama Dae holding her hand.

  “Are you cut?” I ask her.

  I run to her side and touch her hands.

  “You have guts, Jolie,” she whispers to me. “Sending Mac to do this for you. You’re lucky you’re alive.”

  Chills move up and down my back.

  “What did I do?” I ask.

  Mama Dae pulls away from me.

  She grabs a towel from the sink and wraps it around her hand. “Here’s how this goes. Today. Tonight. That’s it.” She looks at Mac. “If you fuck around with this, Mac, I will make everyone pay. Do you understand?”

  “I understand, Mama,” Mac says.

  “I’m going to spend the rest of the day and night in my room. Order food if you want. I’m not cooking. I’m too mad to cook.”

  “Mama Dae,” I say.

  “It’s okay, Jolie,” Mac says.

  Mama Dae storms out of the kitchen.

  I look at Mac. “What did I do now? I was up in bed, right where I was supposed to be…”

  I felt my words catching in my throat.

  I want to cry.


  Mac touched my shoulders. “Listen, sweetie. Go up to our room. Just wait there for a minute. Trust me.”

  He kisses my forehead.

  I really don’t have a choice, do I?

  I turn and walk through the house and back upstairs.

  Mama Dae’s house isn’t big… but each day it feels smaller.

  I go to the bedroom and sit on the corner of the bed and wait.

  My eyes never leave the open door.

  I’m kind of mad at Mac.

  I don’t know what he’s done, but whatever it is, Mama Dae is mad at me for it.

  I’m the one who has to live in this house with her.

  There’s no escape. No break.

  There’s no…

  I stand up from the bed.

  Mac is walking someone toward the bedroom.

  It’s…

  “Violet,” I whisper.

  I start to smile.

  Then I see she’s wearing a blindfold.

  Mac shuts the door. “Violet, we’re here. You’re safe.”

  He tells her to take the blindfold off.

  When she does and sees me standing there, she covers her face and falls to her knees.

  She cries uncontrollably.

  I jump at her and fall to the floor.

  We grab at each other and start to hug.

  Her hands grab so tight it starts to hurt.

  I can’t find any words to say to her.

  I look up at Mac.

  He nods to me.

  This is what he’s done for me.

  All I wanted to do was call Violet.

  What does Mac do?

  He goes to find her. He brings her to me.

  When we break the hug, I hold her at her shoulders.

  She’s gasping for breaths.

  “I can’t breathe,” she says. “I can’t calm down… they said… you were…”

  “Mac,” I say. “Can you help?”

  Mac walks across the room and comes back a few seconds later with something to drink for Violet.

  He crouches down.

  Violet grabs the bottle from his hand and drinks.

  It’s something strong to calm her nerves a little.

  Not that I can blame her for a second for how she’s feeling or what she’s thinking.

  Violet hands the bottle back to Mac and looks at him.

  “I told you,” Mac says to Violet. “Now listen to me. There’s rules.”

  “Rules?”

  “There’s no leaving this room. There’s a bathroom over there. That’s it. You have until midnight and then I’m taking you back home. You can’t know where you are right now. Jolie can’t tell you. And if you do anything stupid…”