Mess Us Up (Brooks Crest Book 3)

by Jaxson Kidman

  “Speaking of hard,” Taz says.

  Abby giggles again and grabs for his shirt.

  “Where are you two going?” I ask.

  “Uh…,” Taz says with a grin. “Consider me a wish fulfiller.”

  I lift my eyebrow.

  I see Abby’s face turning red.

  Taz leans toward me. “She wants to fool around in the courtyard.”

  “You enjoy that,” I say. I look at Abby. “I’m sure I’ll never see you again.”

  “Why not?” she asks.

  I laugh.

  I almost feel bad for her.

  Almost.

  Taz walks away with his arm around Abby.

  I walk up to the top of the porch and Les comes outside.

  “You going soon?” he asks.

  “Yeah,” I say. “I just need you to keep the place quiet and empty. So I can make sure-”

  Ado comes outside next.

  I stop my conversation.

  “Hey, Mac,” Ado says. “Les.”

  Les nods. He goes back inside.

  “What’s his problem?” Ado asks.

  “You smell,” I say.

  “I do?” Ado asks.

  He lifts his left arm and smells himself.

  “Fuck,” I say. “You’re dumb, bro. I’m messing with you. What are you doing tonight?”

  “I’ve got nothing,” he says. “Need me to do anything?”

  “Go out and have fun,” I say. “Let your mind waste a little.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “You don’t want to go look for Jolie or anything?”

  I grab his shoulder. “Look, bro, I appreciate your worry on Jolie. She’s out there. Somewhere. I’m going to find her. Okay? That’s not your worry.”

  “I want to help find her.”

  “Why? So I’ll get all soft and give you cash?”

  Ado swallows hard.

  Busted.

  This is exactly why I can’t tell him what’s going on with Jolie.

  He needs to think she’s been kidnapped.

  And I need to come up with a decent exit strategy for Ado.

  Again… more moving parts in my head.

  “What the fuck, Mac?” Ado asks. “I never said that. I never would.”

  “Don’t fuck with me, Ado,” I say. “Get out of here. Go have a fun night.”

  “You know, I mean it when I say about Jolie,” he says. “I see how happy she makes you. I know you don’t like me, Mac. I know you’d rather me be gone from the crew. I know what I did. Okay? I took part in that bullshit stuff with BFH, okay? I thought I could have the chance to right my wrong. But I guess not.”

  “Your heart’s only bigger because your mother is about to die,” I say. “You’re going to feel alone and you’re afraid of it.”

  “Fuck you, Mac,” Ado spats.

  “Fuck you right back.”

  Ado walks away.

  I don’t feel bad.

  What I said to him was true.

  Maybe people change. Maybe they don’t.

  Whatever.

  My mind and my night is going to shift gears in about two seconds.

  I’m going to get Jolie and bring her here.

  It’s not a shock that Mama isn’t thrilled with my idea.

  But she understands it.

  She trusts me to be safe.

  She’s at the sink, washing dishes, and refuses to let me help.

  I lean against the counter, facing the opposite way of her.

  “I have things in motion,” I say to her. “I’m going to get Jeff out in the open and finish this.”

  “Making plans without me?” Mama asks.

  “No. I’m just going after an opportunity. I don’t want anything to get fucked up again. It’s too hard on you. And on Jolie. I want this to end.”

  Mama looks at me. “You really love that girl.”

  “I really love that girl,” I say. “How many times are you going to say it?”

  “A million more,” Mama says. “Go tell your brother it’s time to dry these pans.”

  “What?” I ask.

  Mama turns her head. “What?”

  “My brother?”

  “Brother?” she asks. “What are you talking about?”

  “You just told me to have my brother dry the pans.”

  “No,” Mama says. “I meant Taz or Les… I thought… never mind, Mac.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I had a little too much with dinner I think,” Mama says. “I’m tired. I thought Taz was here. He’s always here. He needs to get a life. Right?”

  “Yeah,” I say. “He needs a life for sure.”

  I push from the counter and walk through the house.

  I feel like someone is sticking the rusted tip of a screwdriver into my chest.

  I stuff that feeling away and go find Jolie.

  She’s in the bedroom, her bag on the bed, along with the bag of her father’s dirty money.

  When she sees me she runs and jumps into my arms.

  We hug each other in silence longer than I’ve ever hugged a person in my life.

  I can feel something coming from her.

  And I’m hugging her just the same because of what I’m thinking and feeling.

  I need her.

  That’s kind of what this thing is coming down to.

  I need Jolie.

  I don’t need her pretending to be kidnapped or being chased around by guys that is revenge for something she didn’t do.

  I need Jolie to be the pretty girl walking down the beach. I need to see the innocence in her eyes and on her face. I need to see the surprise on her face when something crazy happens. I need to pull her toward the fire and whisper to her that I’ll make sure she’ll never get burned.

  I kiss her and put her down.

  “Let’s get out of here, sweetie,” I whisper.

  She nods.

  I carry her bags downstairs for her.

  Mama is at the back door waiting for us.

  I kiss Mama’s cheek.

  Mama grabs Jolie and hugs her tight.

  “Don’t be stupid,” she whispers to Jolie. “And come back for a real meal once in a while.”

  “I’ll be back soon,” Jolie says.

  “I know you will,” Mama says.

  I hold Jolie’s hand as we leave the house.

  She gets into my car and I take off with speed.

  Just to try and piss her off a little.

  When I look over at her, she’s not mad at me.

  She’s crying.

  “Holy shit, sweetie, what’s wrong?” I ask.

  “I’m not supposed to say anything,” she says.

  “Say what?”

  Jolie looks at me. “It’s about Mama Dae.”

  “What happened now?”

  I think about Mama thinking I had a brother and that brother was going to dry the dishes.

  “Mac…”

  “Fuck, Jolie, I need to know,” I snap at her.

  Then we both go silent.

  I speed up and find a dark road where I can pull over.

  I park the car and reach for Jolie’s hand.

  “I didn’t mean to yell,” I whisper. “I just… I know what it is. I already admitted it to you. You were right.”

  “She went to the doctor today,” Jolie says as she stares out the window.

  “For what?”

  “What do you think?” Jolie asks.

  I swallow hard. “You went with her?”

  “I drove her,” Jolie says. “I wasn’t allowed inside. When we got back to the house, she left the papers on the counter for me to see. She didn’t want to tell me. But she wanted me to know.”

  “Meaning what?”

  Jolie looks at me. “She’s sick, Mac. She’s… she’s got Alzheimer’s.”

  I shut my eyes. I shake my head.

  “Mac, I’m so sorry,” Jolie whispers. “I saw it though. She’s got it. There’s this w
hole plan of things doctors want to do to try and help. She’s had it for a little while now. And it’s getting worse. I think if she-”

  “Jolie,” I say.

  “What?”

  “Just please stop talking for a second.”

  She listens.

  I look forward.

  I put my hands to the steering wheel.

  I take a deep breath.

  Jolie touches my right hand.

  My eyes move to her hand over mine.

  Fuck…

  A tear falls from the corner of my right eye.

  12

  JOLIE

  I pretend that I’m someone famous.

  It’s the only way I can keep my sanity and stay somewhat calm.

  Mac tells me to climb into the backseat of his car and hide.

  I get into the back and I slouch down and wait.

  The car comes to a stop and he turns and looks at me.

  “Remember who knows and who doesn’t, sweetie,” he says. “I’m going to get you out and we’re going through the side door, okay? There should be a bag on the floor. Dig around and find a hat and a hoodie. Keep yourself safe.”

  “You mean hidden,” I say.

  “Right. Same thing.”

  “I’m hidden because I’m important.”

  “Exactly.”

  I grin. “I’m a famous movie star, Mac. And there’s people out there who want to take my picture. They want to get near me. They want to ask me personal questions. Because I’ve had such a good and high life, but now I’m rumored to be fooling around with a known criminal. Everyone claims they’re worried about me but in reality they just want the dirt on me.”

  Mac blinks a few times. “You know, maybe you don’t need law school, Jolie. Maybe you should be a writer.”

  “That’s a good story, right?”

  “That’s what you’re telling yourself?”

  I nod. “Yeah.”

  “Okay then, movie star Jolie… I’ll make sure you get to your room safely. And since I’m the criminal in all of this, if anyone gets too close, I’ll just shoot them.”

  I gasp.

  Mac opens the car door and gets out.

  Now my heart is racing again.

  Of course he would say something like that.

  Worse yet… he meant it.

  I hurry to turn on my phone’s flashlight and find the bag he was talking about. I unzip it and find a black hoodie and black baseball cap.

  My body shivers, wondering what this hat and hoodie have been used for.

  Breaking into my parent’s house?

  Mac knocks on the window and I jump.

  I turn the flashlight off and put the hoodie on.

  It smells like Mac.

  That wild mix of his skin, his smoke, his sweat.

  I’m turned on.

  I climb into the passenger seat of the car and Mac opens the door for me.

  I put the hat on my head.

  He grabs my bag and the bag of money from the front seat floor.

  “Just stay with me, sweetie,” he says.

  We hurry along the side of the house.

  There’s a different feel to the BC campus. It has a sense of calmness to it. In the far off distance I can hear the sound of music playing.

  Someone is obviously having a party.

  I lift my head a little and look around.

  It’s dark. Nobody is near us.

  Mac grabs my hand and pulls me to the left.

  I stumble and turn.

  There’s a door I would have never known was there.

  Hidden between two overgrown bushes.

  Mac unlocks the door and opens it.

  I’m hit with the smell of musty wood.

  “Can I take the hat off?” I whisper.

  “No,” Mac says.

  “Okay.”

  He stops walking.

  His fingers touch my chin and he lifts my head.

  He looks down at me. “You don’t want to be caught, do you? I mean, a movie star like you with a bad guy like me…”

  Mac grins.

  I love that he’s playing into my stupid fantasy.

  “Then you better protect me,” I say.

  Mac lifts the hat off my head and lowers his mouth to mine.

  He kisses me and my toes curl.

  I’m in so much trouble being with him…

  But I can’t imagine not being with him.

  I walk out of the bathroom with a towel around my body and another towel to dry my hair with. Mac is smoking a cigarette near the window. Even the way he leans against the wall is sexy. It just seems almost not fair that I can be attracted to him the way I am.

  He makes my head and my body - my everything - scramble.

  I toss the towel for my hair back toward the bathroom.

  “Can I get you anything, sweetie?” he asks. “Something to eat? Drink?”

  I shake my head. “I’m just happy to be somewhere else right now.”

  Mac nods and flicks his cigarette out of the window.

  He shuts the window and moves toward me.

  My toes start to curl again.

  He touches my bare shoulders and runs his fingertips down my arms.

  He leans down and kisses my left shoulder.

  My hands grab for his shirt.

  I swallow hard and shut my eyes.

  He begins to kiss down to my chest.

  I slowly put my head back and bite my lip.

  His right hand slips into the towel and he touches just below my belly button. I swallow hard and take a deep breath as his fingertips inch down, curling around me, pressing against my warmth.

  I’m always ready for him and he has no trouble dipping his fingers into me.

  Moving in circles that make my body tingle and pulse for more.

  Mac uses his other hand to open the towel.

  I open my eyes just enough to watch the towel fall to the floor.

  I shiver again.

  My skin is tight.

  My body is aching for him.

  His mouth kisses down some more, over my left breast.

  My knees start to give way but his left hand moves around to the small of my back. He pulls me against him, moving his mouth from my breast. But his other hand… his fingers… they’re still touching me…

  I try to take a deep breath but I can’t.

  I fall into Mac, resting my head against his chest.

  “Mac…”

  “I’ve got you, sweetie,” he whispers.

  Both of his hands have moved and are at my back now. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him. He starts to walk me to the bed but then pauses.

  The tip of my nose flirts with his.

  He grins.

  And it’s not the same grin either…

  Mac has different grins.

  And this one…

  My lips touch his but we don’t kiss.

  Mac turns and puts me against the wall.

  He then reaches down between us and I feel him moving. Unzipping his jeans. Taking himself out of his jeans.

  My heart slams inside my chest.

  I’ve never done this before…

  Mac is then against me. His thickness. His fullness.

  Pressing against my body.

  His hands cupped under my ass.

  My hands grab for his arms, feeling his muscles as they flex tight.

  This feels like the epitome of bad boy…

  There’s a bed right next to us but he wants to take me against the wall.

  His lips touch mine. “I fucking love you, Jolie.”

  “Fuck, Mac, I love you too,” I say back in a breathless voice. “Do it… right now…”

  Mac groans as he thrusts forward.

  My eyes widen and I see nothing but stars and feel nothing but heaven.

  I slowly close my eyes and lose myself to Mac.

  Up against a wall in his bedroom.

  Where I’m secretly hiding.

  Because I’m
pretending to be kidnapped.

  This is all fucking wild…

  And wild feels good.

  I open my eyes as my body gently slides up and down the wall.

  What has my life become?

  The next morning I have breakfast in bed.

  Wearing nothing but the covers on Mac’s bed.

  I drink coffee.

  He smokes.

  He drinks coffee.

  I eat.

  It’s kind of normal.

  Even though it’s not.

  His phone buzzes against the dresser and he smiles at me.

  “Put some clothes on, sweetie,” he says.

  “How painful was that to say to me?” I ask.

  “A shit ton,” he says. “We’re going for a ride.”

  “We are?”

  “Yeah,” Mac says. “Warehouse. I want you to hang there for a little bit.”

  “Why not here?” I ask.

  “Have to be careful, sweetie. Do you trust me?”

  “Of course I trust you,” I say.

  “Then get some clothes on and let’s go for a ride.”

  I finish my coffee, brush my teeth, get dressed, and I follow Mac through the house wearing the black hoodie and the baseball cap.

  This time it’s a little more stressful because of it being daylight out.

  We get into his car and he hurries to drive off.

  I take the baseball cap off my head but leave the hoodie on.

  “Are you going to steal that hoodie, sweetie?” Mac asks.

  “Probably.”

  “Just be careful with it. It could be needed as evidence in some crimes.”

  I look at Mac and swallow hard. “Seriously?”

  Mac smiles. He doesn’t answer me. But he winks.

  I don’t know how to take that.

  Mac changes the subject to something else.

  “You remember what I told you… what you need to do?”

  “The bag of money?” I ask.

  “That’s it.”

  “I remember,” I say.

  “It’s the only way to do this, Jolie.”

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it,” I say.

  “I know,” Mac says. “The time is coming though. He’s going to realize he’s been fucked over again. Things are going to get crazy.”

  “And this isn’t crazy?” I ask as I hold my arms up, letting the long sleeves of the hoodie droop down.

  “There’s different kinds of crazy in my life, sweetie.”

  “No shit,” I say.

  Mac laughs. “I love seeing you get all worked up.”