I grab the handles of the bag and walk it to the bathroom.
I stand in front of the bathroom mirror and study myself.
Look mean, Jolie. Look pissed. Look like you own him. Because you fucking do. He’s not going to know what to think.
I nod.
I take a deep breath.
I walk back to the bathroom door and take another breath.
As I start to walk again, I do so with some swagger. Putting one foot in front of the other. Slowly. With purpose. I see myself in mirror again, my lip curled high into the air.
“Here you go,” I say and drop the bag. “Enjoy your flight.”
I sigh and shake my head.
Enjoy your flight?
“Stupid,” I whisper.
I lift the bag and take it back to the doorway again.
This time I walk normally, the bag at my side, just staring at the mirror as though it’s my father. I keep a stone like look on my face. No desire. No hope. No happiness. Nothing.
I put the bag into the bathroom sink, nod slowly, and back away.
That’s how to do it, Jolie. Just like that. Don’t say a word either. Leave him to sit with the questions he’ll never have answers to.
I turn and let out a scream.
Someone is in the bathroom doorway.
“Practicing to become a model?”
Mama Dae winks at me.
“You scared me,” I say.
“That makes us even,” she says. “You gave me a good scare… with the police showing up.”
My face feels warm. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s in the past now. Want to help me with something?”
“Sure.”
“You’re going to like it,” she says. “You get to leave the house.”
“I do?”
“Get dressed. Get your new phone. You’re driving.”
“D-driving?” I ask.
Mama Dae turns and shuffles into the bedroom.
I walk after her and she just leaves the room.
I quickly throw on some fresh clothes and grab my new phone.
There’s a text from Mac.
No bad girl rebel shit today, sweetie.
I laugh.
I walk to the stairs as I text him back.
Don’t tell me what to do, Mac.
I tuck the phone into my back pocket.
I have to get in contact with Violet.
But I have to make sure she doesn’t mess this up.
I meet up with Mama Dae at the back door to the house.
“Ready?” she asks.
“Sure.”
She hands me a set of keys and leads the way.
When we leave the house she walks to the left.
There’s a narrow pathway that opens to another part of her yard.
A part I’ve never seen before.
There’s a garage.
A three car garage that looks like a house.
She looks back at me and smiles at my reaction.
“Just wait,” she whispers.
I contain myself until she opens the first garage bay and I see the size of the SUV she has. It’s like a freaking bus.
“You’re okay driving that, right?” Mama Dae asks.
“Yeah… do you drive that?”
“I drive everything,” she says.
Her version of everything is quite the collection of vehicles. There’s a little bit of everything in the garage. From cars that are really low to the ground to SUVs that have steps to get up into them. Oh, and there’s a really big pickup truck on a custom lift kit with a giant, metal ball sack hanging off the back.
I point and look at Mama Dae.
She smiles. “Just imagine me driving that beast down the road. Nobody is going to cut me off. Balls of steel… that always makes me laugh. I’d love to see one of these tough guys try out a uterus for a few months. Right?”
I laugh… because Mama Dae is scary, funny, and kind of gross all at the same time.
She gets into the SUV.
I get behind the wheel.
And we’re off.
I drive and she gives directions.
“Just keep yourself hidden the best you can,” she says to me. “You’re not getting out either. You’re going to drop me off and just hang out for a bit.”
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“An appointment.”
“Okay,” I say.
There’s silence for a few minutes.
I think about the bag of money. The plane tickets. My father and Tanya.
All stuff that Mama Dae doesn’t know about.
Now I have a secret that she would want to know. I’m stuck between Mama Dae and Mac.
“I know you feel the same way he does,” Mama Dae says.
“What?”
“You and Mac.”
“Oh. Right. Yeah.”
“I can’t wait to hear the story.”
“The story?” I ask.
“Well, come on, Jolie, how does a rich girl like you end up with a guy like Mac? You had your whole life laid out for you. Mac had to scratch and claw for everything he has. Did he come from money? Yeah. But that doesn’t mean much when you have no direction. You’re not the type to get all messed up either. I can see that in your eyes.”
“Uh… I just…”
Mama Dae laughs. “It’s okay. I’m not pressuring you. I’m not mad. It’s intriguing to me. Hey, make a quick right up here and then drop me off in front of the building. Then swing around to the back parking lot and relax.”
I do what I’m told.
I realize I’m dropping Mama Dae off at a doctor’s office.
When I stop and look at what kind of doctor it is, my heart sinks.
Mama Dae looks at me and winks.
“You can’t go alone,” I say.
“You can’t come in,” she says.
“Mama Dae… you have to tell someone…”
“Jolie,” she says. “This is the part where you shut your fucking mouth.”
I close my mouth.
Mama Dae climbs out of the SUV.
I wait for her to get into the building before driving around back like she told me to do.
When I park the SUV, I grab my phone.
I look at Mac’s name.
I cover my mouth.
I start to cry.
I wait for a long time for Mama Dae to come to the SUV.
When I see her walking, it’s the first time I feel as though she’s being honest with herself and the world. It’s not that she looks her age but she looks as though she understands reality.
That breaks my heart worse than anything else.
I grip the steering wheel and just watch her.
When she finally looks at me, her face changes.
She becomes the tough, hard ass woman that controls everything.
That doesn’t take the heartache away from me.
I have no idea what to do or say when she gets into the SUV either.
So I just stay silent.
She takes her seat and I feel her looking at me.
I slowly look at her.
“Feel better now?” Mama Dae asks.
“What?”
“That you were right,” she says. “I’m sure you’ve said something to Mac. Right?”
I swallow hard.
My heart starts pounding my chest again.
“Mama Dae… I…”
“What? Just say it.”
“I… I was scared.”
“Scared?”
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” I whisper. “By accident, I mean. And that night I saw you on the floor, I thought-”
“This is another shut the fuck up moment,” Mama Dae says. “You’re not going to steal my moment in this, Jolie. If you do, you’re going to be reduced to the same level as your father. And let’s not forget the reason you’re sitting next to me right now is Mac. And only Mac.”
I swallow hard and put the SUV into drive.
>
I feel like crying again.
I want to give Mama Dae a hug.
Before she forgets who I am for good.
11
MAC
I stand in the waiting room outside of Dean Dickhead’s office.
I light a cigarette.
Because I know that’ll piss everyone off.
And it makes Dean Dickhead move fast.
The door opens before I can take my second drag.
“Put that out,” he says to me.
“Yes, sir,” I say.
I smash the cigarette to the counter and leave it as a smushed up mess.
Dean Dickhead points to his office.
I walk through the open door and when I see Rex sitting in what’s usually my chair, I freeze.
Rex looks forward.
Not even for a second at me.
The office door is shut and Dean Dickhead moves behind his desk.
“We have a problem,” he says. “A big problem.”
No, you have a problem. A big problem. I can see your fingertips twitching. You’re all out of your supply, aren’t you?
“What’s going on now?” I ask.
“There’s been a few attacks on campus,” Dean Dickhead says.
“Attacks?”
“Jared has been attacked several times,” Dean Dickhead says.
“Right,” I say. “I heard about that.” I look at Rex. “What about you, Rex?”
“I don’t know shit,” Rex says.
“See?” I ask Dean Dickhead. “Rex doesn’t know shit. Neither do I.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Dean Dickhead says. “Rex had a story or two to share.”
“Did he now?” I ask. I look at Rex again. “Share it with me, Rex.”
Rex shakes his head. “Nah. Not worth it.”
I grab the name plate off the desk that reads David Deekman.
I move fast and put the edge against Rex’s throat.
“Cormac!” Dean Dickhead yells.
Rex throws a punch to my ribs.
It gets me good but I throw an elbow and knock him and the chair over.
“I’ll call the police right now,” Dean Dickhead threatens.
I drop the name plate and step back.
I show my hands.
Rex looks up at me with a bloody nose.
“Piece of shit,” I whisper. “I hope Jared’s a good daddy to Kerri’s baby. Your dick wasn’t big enough to get her pregnant, right?”
Rex tries to move and I step on his bad leg.
He groans in pain.
“I swear on my life I will call the fucking police!” Dean Dickhead yells.
I back away again.
Then I face the desk. “I have nothing to do with Jared. Why the fuck would I beat the shit out of someone more than once? You know that Jared was fucking Rex’s girlfriend, right? And he got her pregnant. Fuck, Dickhead, you should be giving me a medal. I saved Jared’s life. Trust me. Now get this piece of shit out of here or else I leave.”
Dean Dickhead looks nervous.
If I leave, I take his goodies with me. And I won’t come back. He knows that too.
“Rex, get out of my office,” Dean Dickhead says.
“Here, I’ll help you up,” I say to Rex.
I grab for his hand and stand him up.
I pull him against me. “What the fuck were you thinking, bro?”
“Power gets the pussy,” he whispers.
He sounds drunk. Maybe high. Maybe both.
Dean Dickhead shows Rex to the door.
I grab my phone and send a quick text to Les.
Get Rex. Make his legs match. Don’t ask. Just fucking do it. Outside Dickhead’s office right now.
I slide my phone into my pocket and reach for my bag.
I get what Dean Dickhead needs and wait for him to return back behind his desk.
“What was that about?” I ask.
“Just to see where things are,” Dean Dickhead says. “I cannot have blatant attacks on my campus like that.”
“Again, it wasn’t me. I’m actually telling the truth with that one.”
“You’re involved somehow,” he says. “Even if you’re not, make it go away, Mac. You want me to make sure things are smooth here for you? Do the same for me.”
“Tell you what,” I say. I put my hand to the desk and open it. “Sit down. Take a chill pill… or ten.”
I walk to the door and stop.
When I look back, Dean Dickhead is shaking as he hurries to get one or ten of his chill pills.
Addiction is such a fucking wicked road, isn’t it?
I laugh to myself because I’m in the same boat, just different waters.
My addiction is Jolie.
And my addiction can end up costing me my life.
By the time I get outside the building, smoke a cigarette, and track down Les and Taz, I miss all the fun.
They’re not too far from the building, tucked away in some propped up bullshit garden with flowers and stone benches.
A place where great minds can go to think, right?
Imagine sitting there on a perfect day with the sun high above you, thinking about law and justice… or maybe medicine. Or, shit, maybe business. Technology. Whatever you think is going to change the world.
Truthfully, nobody sat on those stone benches. If they did, it was for a picture for a brochure or some online bullshit to get more people to come to the campus.
Today, the benches had a purpose.
When I hear the groaning, I know it’s a painful groan.
Taz looks at me. “Sorry, bro.”
“Don’t be,” I say.
“He was ready for a fight,” Les says. “Stupid prick.”
There are two stone benches facing each other.
A little bit of space in between.
Of course on the ground is Rex.
And now his other leg matches the one I broke a little while ago.
He looks at me with tears running down his cheeks.
He’s got his own sock stuffed into his mouth.
I shake my head.
I light another cigarette and sit down on one of the stone benches.
“I don’t get it, Rex,” I say. “Things were okay. I mean, I know you and Kerri have had a rough go. I can’t help but wonder what she’s made of. To make you and Jared act like this. When she comes, does she squirt whiskey?”
“Want me to find out?” Taz asks.
Rex growls and waves his middle fingers at Rex.
“Nah, she’s pregnant now,” I say.
“Doesn’t bother me,” Taz says. “Free sex. Because you know she can’t get knocked up a second time.”
Rex makes more noise.
I step on his freshly broken leg.
He shuts his eyes and turns his head.
“So this is it, Rex,” I say. “You and I are back on opposites ends of the world. This doesn’t mean I’m going to help Jared either. I think you both are fucking stupid. But you need to know how fucked Jared is. Stuck with Kerri through this. Attached for life through a kid. You’re free to walk away.”
“Actually, he can’t walk, Mac,” Les says.
“Oh, fuck, that’s right,” I say with a smile.
I stand up and take a deep drag from my cigarette.
I exhale the smoke slowly and look around.
“You might want to call for help, Rex,” I say. “And you know the drill. What to say and what not to say. I mean, it’s a damn shame that you lost your balance and broke your other leg.”
Rex looks at me again.
He’s broken.
Not just his legs.
Or his heart.
His soul is broken.
Should I feel bad?
I don’t fucking know.
I tried to reach out to him, right? I mean, I did break his leg and take control of BC. That was just life. Business.
But this… this is a message.
Maybe I got too nice with h
im.
Helped him too much.
It doesn’t matter much now.
He’s going to have to heal himself on his own.
Whether he likes it or not his girlfriend fucked another guy and got pregnant.
That’s not my problem.
And now his other leg is broken.
Again, not my problem.
I take one more drag of my cigarette and then drop the lit cigarette to his chest.
Rex fights to swat it away as I turn to face Les and Taz.
“What did it sound like?” I ask Taz.
“Like a bone breaking,” he says.
“Do we want to know what this is?” Les asks.
“No,” I say. “We have bigger things to talk about.”
“Like what?” Taz asks.
“Dirty money, an affair, plane tickets to Hawaii… you know, the usual.”
“What the fuck are we in right now, Mac?” Les asks.
I grab his shoulder. “The biggest pile of shit we’ve ever seen.”
I’m standing outside the house, putting a lot of moving parts together in my head.
Nothing is going to be easy. But I didn’t say it had to be easy to be done.
Behind me I hear a giggle.
When I turn my head I see Taz with his arm around a pretty girl.
As she walks down the porch steps, her chest bounces, almost smacking her in her chin.
I laugh to myself.
Taz always finds the ones that don’t believe in wearing a bra.
Not that I’m complaining.
To top it off, this girl is wearing a necklace with some kind of large, black pendant that ends right where her impressive cleavage begins. It’s like a blinking fucking sign that says Look at my tits! and I make sure to follow the sign.
“This is Abigail,” Taz says.
“I’m going to call you Abby,” I say to her.
“Okay, sure,” she says. “Did you break Rex’s other leg?”
“What?” I ask. “Who the fuck said that?”
“I just… heard it…”
“No, darling,” Taz says. “Mac did not break Rex’s other leg. What kind of sicko would break both legs on someone?”
“He’s telling the truth,” I say. “I think Rex just had a hard fall.”
Mess Us Up (Brooks Crest Book 3) Page 10