by K. J. Dahlen
By the time she was done, she heard the roar of motorcycles in the courtyard. She was very happy with her designs. Putting her book back in her suitcase, Cassie went back out to the main room and joined the other women in the kitchen.
They were all busy getting things started for the evening meal.
“What can I do to help?” Cassie asked.
Reva grinned. “How good are you at cooking for a lot of hungry men?”
“I can do that.” Cassie grinned back. “What’s on the menu?”
“Surprise us.” Reva nodded. “You’re in charge of dinner tonight.”
Cassie took her up on her challenge. “Is there anything the guys won’t eat?”
Reva huffed. “As long as it’s hot and filling, they won’t care.”
“Okay then everybody out. I need the kitchen.” Cassie shooed them all out.
“Don’t you need help?” Honey asked. “It usually takes all of us to feed this crew.”
“Nope. I can handle it,” Cassie assured them. “I was exploring today and found everything I need.”
Reva took off her apron and nodded toward the door. “Okay you heard her, she can do this on her own. Let’s go have a drink with our men.”
Cassie locked the door behind them and set to work. When she had explored the pantry, she found the ingredients for a recipe she hadn’t made in years. One of her jobs as a kid was working in a restaurant and she found she was good at cooking.
Soon, the rich aroma of tomato sauce filled the kitchen. As the doors and windows were closed, she hoped no one else could smell the sauce. Soon, she was filling the six oversized pans with layers of noodles, sauce and cheese. The lasagna she was making was her own special creation. That along with the garlic bread and salad would be enough to fill everyone’s stomach.
At five thirty on the dot, she raised the opening to the main room and everyone gathered around. She waited as everyone filled their plates and moved away to eat. Filling her own plate, she sat in the kitchen eating all alone.
Reva joined her a while later with a big smile on her face. “Supper was really great. Everybody, and I do mean everybody loved it. Gator, that old pig had four helpings.” She groaned. “I ate so much myself. You made my Italian grandmother cry tonight.”
Cassie smiled. “I made my Irish grandmother cry too.”
Reva nodded. “You did the cooking, the rest of us will do the dishes.”
Cassie walked over and joined the rest of the group. Deke motioned for her to join him and she went over to his table.
“I understand you cooked supper by yourself tonight. Why?” He frowned.
“Old family recipe. I couldn’t share the ingredients upon penalty of death.”
Deke glared at her. “Not funny.”
“Not intended to be.” She shrugged. “Just the truth.”
“Whatever it was I’ve never tasted anything finer,” Gator complimented her.
“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have something to do.” She got up and began walking away when Deke grabbed her arm. Cassie tensed and tried not to show her fear as sweat began forming on her forehead.
Deke seemed to realize his mistake and carefully released her. “Please sit down for a moment with us. We have something to talk about.”
Cassie sat down carefully. She had to stop and breathe for a minute. When she could focus again, she turned her gaze to Deke and regarded him with caution. “What can I do for you?”
~* * * *~
Deke flushed. He shouldn’t have to explain anything to anyone but she made him feel about three feet tall and that bothered him. For his whole life, his size and his attitude prevented any such nonsense of his ego ever being bruised. This little spitfire knew just what buttons to push. He paused…Spitfire? Damn that Gator and his nicknames. He motioned the bartender to bring a bottle and when he did, he poured himself a stiff drink.
Gator joined him and he poured a glass for Cassie.
Cassie ignored the drink in front of her and after he finished his second glass, Deke scowled at her untouched drink. “What’s the matter little Miss Prissy pants, are you too good to share a drink with us?” His words were slurry and his eyes were glazing over. He was well on his way to being drunk.
“I don’t drink. I believe I told you that the other day,” Cassie reminded him quietly.
Deke closed his eyes as her words slammed home. He felt almost ashamed of himself but if he let this drop, he would have discontent among his men. For some reason, he couldn’t let this go. He had to show her who was boss. It was saving face. He was the prez here and he wouldn’t put up with bull shit “Drink it.” He growled.
“Deke…maybe she shouldn’t.” Gator tried to reason with him.
Deke just glared at him. “I said drink it,” he insisted.
Cassie raised her head. “No.”
“I can make you do it if I have to,” he warned her.
Cassie shook her head. “God doesn’t argue with sinners, drunks or fools.”
Deke’s jaw dropped and he stared at her. “Did you just call me a fool?”
“No I didn’t. I said God doesn’t argue with sinners, drunks or fools,” Cassie insisted.
“Get the fuck away from me before I beat you.” Deke growled, glaring at her.
“Gladly.” She turned to leave.
He thought she called him an asshole but he didn’t know for sure. Deke watched her go and when he turned around he saw Gator’s chest shaking with mirth. “Don’t you dare laugh at me you big bastard.”
Gator tried to contain his laughter. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“She needs to learn her place,” Deke argued. “That’s what I’ll do, teach her what her place is.”
“Ahh, Deke, Maybe you better finish your drink first,” Gator suggested.
Deke nodded. “Maybe…That’s a good idea.” He reached for the bottle and poured them both another drink.
Gator sat beside him and they both got totally shitfaced.
An hour or so later, the clubhouse was quiet. Everyone else had gone to bed. Deke was snoring as he slept with his head on his folded arms on the table.
Reva was helping Gator stand up. “You damn old fool,” she whispered. “Come on big boy, let’s get you to bed.”
“Sorry baby, I had to save his life tonight. That little girl would have killed him. She was plenty pissed at him the way it was.”
“I know I saw her too.” Reva accepted his reasoning. “You did good baby. Maybe they needed this.”
“I think the big guy is falling for her, honey.” Gator slurred. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad but it could be a good thing, don’t you think?”
Reva patted his stomach. “Yeah baby, that could be a good thing.” She closed the door behind them and stumbled their way to the cottage next door.
~* * * *~
Cassie waited until all was quiet. Deke hadn’t come to bed yet, so she opened the door and walked to the main room. There he was, sleeping on the table. She went over to where he was sitting and poked him. When he didn’t move, she let him alone.
Moving quietly, she gathered what she needed and she began to paint. Everything else disappeared as the lines of her patterns began forming. She lost track of everything around her as she got into her work. She finished the first piece and began the second almost without thinking about it.
As the night crawled closer to the early morning, her muscles began to ache. Her shoulders and arms began to tire and after she painted the last little bit, she dropped her paintbrush into the empty can and stood back to view her work.
“Wow girl, you got some talent there.”
The words were spoken softly but they made Cassie jump and spin around.
Reva stood there gazing at what she’d done in awe. “You did all this in a few hours?” she exclaimed.
Cassie nodded as she picked up her empty can and went into the kitchen. Running water, she rinsed out the brush and threw away the can. Coming back into t
he main room she asked, “Do you think anyone will care that I painted their walls?”
Reva turned her head and grinned. “I think they will love it. You did a great job. I can’t wait until Gator sees this. He’s gonna love it.”
Cassie yawned. “I think I can sleep now. See you later.”
“Yeah, you need to get some rest.” She patted Cassie on the shoulder but Cassie was too tired to care as she made her way down the hall. A few minutes later, she laid down on the bed fully dressed, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
~* * * *~
Deke groaned as he heard dishes slamming in the kitchen. His dreams had been weird. He dreamt of being chased by a huge snarling tiger all night. That and sounds of someone pacing behind him. It was certainly a dream he’d never had before. His bleary eyes focused on the empty bottle of Black Velvet sitting on the table and he vowed never to get that drunk again.
Picking up his head, he winced when someone set down a cup of coffee beside his head. The aroma almost made him want to puke. He had to take several deep breaths before the nausea disappeared. He groaned and sat up. Grabbing the coffee, it took both hands to bring it to his lips this morning. He groaned again, when the first sip slid down his throat.
“How are you feeling?” Reva asked as she sat down with her own cup of coffee.
“Am I still alive?” Deke jokingly asked her. “I had the weirdest dream last night. Something about being chased through the jungle by a huge assed tiger. I could hear the beast snarling at me all night long.
Reva snorted. “Look behind you, boss.”
Deke glared at her but turned his head and simply stared. He slowly got to his feet, never taking his eyes off the beast. The tiger in his dreams had come to life and it was standing about three feet away. He could see its snarl, he could almost hear its mighty roar. “What the fucking hell is that?” he cried out as he backed away from it.
Reva laughed. “It isn’t going to hurt you, you know. She worked on it all night. Isn’t it great?”
Deke’s swiftly beating heart slowed down as he stared at the painting on the wall. The tiger seemed so real it was uncanny. He seemed to be leaping out of the wall straight at him. Then he turned his head and saw the other painting. There on the wall bigger than life was the Satan’s Spawn patch. The colors were bold and bright and it too seemed three dimensional. “Wow, are you telling me that Cassie painted this?”
“Yep, she’s got some kinda talent.” Reva sipped her coffee.
The main door opened and Gator stumbled inside. His head was drooping and he could barely put one foot in front of the other. When he sat down he glanced at his wife and begged her, “Please woman, get me coffee. I need it strong and black this morning.”
Reva got up and fetched a pot. When she sat down, she poured him a cup and set it close to his head. When he raised his head, something caught his eye and he sat up with a start. “What the fuck?” he called out as he stared at the cat staring back at him. His face paled by at least two shades. “Holy hell, that scared the shit out of me for a minute.”
Deke turned his head and grinned. “At least you didn’t have nightmares about it chasing you through the jungle.” He turned back to the cat. “Damn, I can almost hear the bastard roaring.”
“Who painted it?” Gator asked.
“Cassie,” Reva replied. “She was up all night doing it.”
“Wow,” Gator grinned. “Wait till the boys see this. They are gonna seriously freak!”
A loud piercing scream broke the silence a moment later.
Deke, Reva and Gator ran toward the bedroom Cassie was in, not knowing what to expect. They threw the door open and saw her laying on the bed. She was throwing herself this way and that way, struggling against the power of a nightmare.
Deke began to rush toward her when Gator wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Better call out to her and try to wake her before you touch her. She doesn’t look like she’s in a good place right now.”
Deke nodded as he stared at the pain and agony he saw on her face. Whatever demons she battled in her dreams, they held her close and they were not kind. “Cassie, honey please wake up. It’s only a dream.” He moved closer while Reva and Gator watched from the doorway. “Come on baby, time to wake up now,” he called out a little louder.
His voice must have reached her in her blocked state of mind and she stopped thrashing about. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet, but she acted like she could hear him.
“Come on baby, open your eyes and come back to me.”
Cassie slowly opened her eyes. At first, she didn’t seem to know where she was. Then she turned her head and saw Deke standing there. Her eyes were puffy and her skin was pale. Her nose was runny and blood drained from the corner of her mouth. She leaped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Her tears and sobs wrenched his heart and he could do nothing to help her except hold her. His hands ran up and down her back as he whispered in her ear, “It’s okay baby, it’s just a bad dream.”
~* * * *~
Cassie sobbed like her heart was going to break. She was shaking and her arms were trembling with fear. She could taste blood in her mouth but she didn’t know why. Deke’s arms tightened around her and she didn’t care. Here for just a moment, she felt safe. No one could hurt her as long as he protected her. Then her fears came back. How long would he protect her when he knew the truth? How long would she have a safe haven when he learned all there was to know about her past. She knew he asked Peaches about their past. Peaches would keep her secrets, but could she still be tracked down? Would the police come to arrest her?
Cassie trembled then calmed. She knew she had to find a way to escape again. She couldn’t be caught. She had to be free, not locked away in prison. She could never be locked up again. She wouldn’t survive this time. If they caught her, it would kill her.
She took a deep breath and raised her head. She glanced toward the door and flushed when she saw Reva and Gator standing there.
“Hey.” Deke leaned back. “Are you okay now?”
Cassie nodded and wouldn’t look at him.
“It was just a bad dream, it can’t hurt you,” Deke murmured.
“I know. I’m so sorry I caused this much grief,” Cassie whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“Hush.” Deke’s arms tightened around her briefly. When he let loose, she buried her head in his chest. “Everyone has bad shit in their past. Most are lucky enough to leave it there and others dream about it.”
“Deke, can I ask you something privately?” she whispered.
Deke looked over at the couple and nodded.
Gator pulled Reva out the door and quietly closed it behind them.
“We’re alone now.”
Laying her head on his chest, she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see his face when she asked her question. She didn’t want to see the horror in his eyes or the revision. “Did you ever hurt someone who really needed hurting? Someone who used pain to control little kids? Someone so vile, he had no soul?”
Deke tightened his hold. “Yes baby, I’ve hurt someone just like that.”
“Did he die because of it?” she whispered.
~* * * *~
Deked lifted his head. “Is that what you’re so afraid of? That you might have killed somebody who hurt you?”
“I don’t think I killed him, I know I did. There was just no way he could have lived after the way I hurt him.”
Her words were softly whispered, so softly Deke didn’t know if he heard her correctly or not. “Honey, I’m not a very good person. I have killed before and will probably do it again, when the time comes. If it comes.”
Cassie glanced up at him and frowned. “But I didn’t want to kill him. I only wanted to stop him from hurting Peaches.”
“Why don’t you tell me about it?”
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “It’s not only my secret.”
“Sometimes, talking about it helps you cope with the pain
. You can’t keep that shit inside, it will eat you up.”
Cassie laid her head back down on his chest. Closing her eyes, she began telling him about her childhood. At first, the words were halted and faltering. Then as she went on, they became clearer. The hell she described as her life was like a living nightmare he could hardly believe, but he knew it was true. She had been the victim from the time she turned three and she had no one to help her. No one but herself. Then she told him about what happened the night Peaches was attacked. She described in vivid detail what she’d done to a teenage rapist. A boy more than a man but still a vile person. The things she described that this young kid had done to a small child made Deke’s blood go cold.
At the age of ten years old, she had saved the life of her best friend by plunging a knife into the body of another human being. A boy four years older than herself and many pounds heavier. She told him every detail she had embedded in her brain. The sight of his blood the smell of the candles he was burning. The taste of his mouth as he tried to kiss her.
Then she showed him her wrists. “Can you still see the rope burns? Mrs. Pierce used to tie me up in the basement for days when she got mad at me.” Her words were barely above a whisper now. Her throat was dry and her voice cracked. “I-I can’t be restrained and put in a dark basement. I couldn’t stand—it. I almost lost my mind being there when I was a kid. I’m afraid of the dark. That’s part of why I don’t like to be touched. When I was in the dark, all tied up, I felt hands grabbing me, they touched me all over. They pinched me and touched me in places no one should touch. I screamed but no one could hear me. Then the laughter came, driving me further into the blackness. When I got loose that night, my wrists were bloody and so sore I couldn’t move them. When I heard Peaches screaming I ran to her. When I saw the pain and fear on her face, I knew I had to help her. I could barely hang on to anything and Robbie laughed at me. He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me close to him to kiss me and I wanted to puke. I don’t know how I did it but I got the strength to grab a knife and I stabbed him with it. The rage came over me and I kept stabbing him. There was so much blood…”