Dirty South Drug Wars

by Jae Hood

  I played with the hem of my shirt and stared down at my lap as Graham’s words sank in. It wasn’t until that precise moment that I grasped the extent of Tanner’s affection for me. I knew he cared for me. He’d told me as much by his actions. But to hear from his uncle, his pseudo-father, that he’d felt so strongly about me all those years was utterly overwhelming.

  “Are you ready for that type of love?” Graham asked. “You must have at least a slight understanding of how intense Tanner is. That type of love is all-consuming. It knows no limits and no bounds. It is not shackled by the restraints of time. That type of love is everlasting. It’s also very dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?”

  “Yes, my dear,” he said with a slight confirming nod. “Dangerous. How much do you know about Tanner? About his life? His past? His present? His future?”

  “Not much,” I admitted.

  “I’m not surprised.” Graham crossed one leg over the other. “Now that he has you, he’s terrified of losing you. If you find out who he really is, maybe you’ll change your mind about being with him.”

  “Never,” I responded. “I don’t care. I don’t care who he is or what he does. I’m in it for life.”

  “And why’s that?” Graham asked.

  Tanner rounded the corner. By his expression, he’d caught the end of our conversation. He stood behind Graham with his arms crossed over his fitted white shirt. He gave me that sideways grin that sent my heart speeding and the blood churning in my veins. There was only one answer to Graham’s question. Only one answer explained the consequences of both of our negligent actions.

  “Because that’s the risk we take for love.”

  Tanner’s crooked smile grew wider. Graham looked pleased with my response. I couldn’t figure him out. I despised the kind, welcoming way he treated me. I despised it because I desired nothing but to hate him. But there was no hate in my heart for the man sitting across from me. There was slight uncertainty and bewilderment, but no hate.

  “You remind me of a girl I once knew,” Graham said with a grin. “Beautiful, smart, sassy, stubborn as all get out. She had it all.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “He better say he married her,” a soft yet strong feminine voice responded, “or he’ll be sleeping on the sofa for the next fifteen years.”

  The sound of the voice brought me to my feet. Standing in the doorway of the house was a beautiful woman in her early forties. Her hair glowed under the yellow porch lights, falling just past her shoulders in thick, soft waves, brushing across the fabric of a fitted, coral dress. She was petite with gentle curves and a round, delicate face. Her eyes were hazel and reminded me of my mother’s, except this woman’s eyes shone with kindness and understanding, whereas my mother’s were always vengeful and angry. She smiled lovingly as she approached me.

  “Hello, Rue,” she said in a friendly voice with a polite grin. “I’ve been waiting to meet you for quite a while. I’m Tanner’s aunt, Melissa.”

  Melissa offered her hand and I took it. It was soft and smooth, and I cringed as I pulled my dirty one away. She didn’t seem to care about my lack of personal hygiene. She simply beamed at me as though we were lifelong friends.

  The woman’s sweet demeanor pricked my heart, casting some sort of strange spell over me. Before I knew it, I was profusely apologizing for my disheveled appearance. She grinned and waved at my rambling in an unconcerned manner.

  “It’s all right, dear. I hope Graham hasn’t been giving you a hard time out here.” Melissa quirked an eyebrow at her husband.

  Graham looked a bit sheepish under her gaze. The expression on his face, as she huffed at her husband, caused a knot of acknowledgment to form in my throat. It was the same way Tanner looked at me: wicked bemusement intertwined with love.

  “Y’all come on in before these mosquitoes carry you off,” Melissa said.

  As we stepped inside, I was hit with a sense of calmness and warmth. It felt like a soft quilt wrapped around my cold body or Nana’s hands calming me in my youth after an awkward fall. It almost, but not quite, wiped away the tension radiating around me caused by being in Graham’s presence.

  The living room was large and decorated in chocolate brown, hunter green, and a deep crimson. Native American-style quilts and rugs were scattered around the room. There was a huge rock fireplace against the far wall with a mantle displaying family photographs. Soft brown leather furniture surrounded a large, low-sitting wooden table in the center of the room. Oil paintings of rickety gray barns, rolling green pastures, and muddy, brown rivers hung along the walls.

  My senses were assaulted with the unmistakable smell of a cake baking in the oven. The baker within me told me the cake was almost done. I twisted my fingers in my hands as Melissa pointed at various objects in the den and talked animatedly.

  Tanner, Graham, and I stood behind her. She showed me the antique furniture she’d collected over the years and a large shadowbox holding dozens of arrowheads Graham had found scattered about their property. An intimidating elk head mount stared down at us from its home over the fireplace. I finally built up the nerve to interrupt her as she led me to her depression-era glass.

  “Mrs. Montgomery, I think your cake is ready.”

  Melissa gave a quiet yelp of realization. She darted to the kitchen with her curls bouncing against her shoulders. After grabbing a pair of oven mitts, she flung open the oven door and snatched out a bundt cake. Graham and Tanner chuckled by my side. Melissa cursed lowly, tossing the hot cake onto a cooling rack.

  “She always forgets to set the timer,” Tanner said.

  “Well, look-a here,” a voice drawled. “A Monroe in the Montgomery house. Hell musta frozen over.”

  Chance Hayes strolled into the living room from the back porch with a grin stretched across his face and a large platter stacked with steaks in his hands. He wore a pair of loose, tan shorts ending below his knees and brown, leather flip-flops. A blue V-neck tee emphasized his shining blue eyes and shaggy blond hair.

  I frowned at him, remembering the train station and his cocky grin as he and Drew Kingsley had goaded me. It occurred to me I’d never seen Chance up close and personal without darkness surrounding us. Lean muscles rippled and protested from under the tight shirt. An angry scar marred the surface of his left bicep. There was a slight limp to his gait and I wondered what happened to him.

  “Rue, why don’t I get you some clothes and let you take a shower before supper?” Melissa said. “My clothes may be a little big on you, but I’m sure you’d be more comfortable after a shower.”

  “That’s very nice of you, Mrs. Montgomery.”

  “Call me Melissa. I’ll grab some clothes and let Tanner escort you to his bathroom upstairs.” She left the kitchen and returned with a clean pair of jeans, a shirt, and a pair of socks.

  Tanner escorted me, hand in hand, up a large staircase. We entered a long hallway, and he pushed open a nearby door, pulling me into a bedroom.

  A large bed covered in a midnight blue comforter with matching thick, fluffy pillows sat against the wall to my left. The other walls held shelves of albums and books. I ran my fingers across the bindings of the books, several of the titles and authors familiar. Tanner’s antique record collection was quite impressive, and I was pleased he seemed to have the same love of classic country music I had.

  An oak desk sat nearby with papers and envelopes scattered about. The names of various college letterheads grabbed my attention. I picked one up, but Tanner snatched it from my hand.

  “That’s private.” He gathered up the various papers and shoved them in the desk drawer.

  I raised an eyebrow and stared at him. “Really? Just like my sketchbook was private?”

  Tanner sighed and rubbed his fingers against his forehead. I turned away from him and strolled around the room. A realistic model of a skeleton was on one shelf, and a model of the human brain sat beside it. A book next to the models had a sketch of a human brain on the co
ver. I picked it up and flipped it over, reading the back cover.

  “It’s about epilepsy,” Tanner said. “My father had epilepsy.”

  I carefully returned the book to where I’d found it. “Are you going to college to become a doctor or something?”

  “I was …”

  “What do you mean ‘you was’? Why aren’t you now?”

  “That’s before I found you,” he said with a careless shrug. “If you think I’m leaving you now, you’re crazy.”

  “Tanner,” I whispered, horrified. “You can’t turn down an opportunity like that for anyone.”

  “Let’s talk about it later.”

  Tanner pulled my stubborn body into his arms and planted a slow kiss on my lips. I didn’t return it at first, still pissed off he’d even think about turning down an opportunity like he’d been given. But my body soon won against my mind, and I found myself molded to him as he deepened the kiss. All too soon, he peppered a few last kisses on my lips.

  “Better get in the shower before Melissa comes looking for us.” He smiled against my mouth.

  Tanner escorted me to a huge bathroom almost the size of my bedroom. He left me there to shower, locking the door behind him and grumbling about the people in his house not understanding boundaries.

  Gritty dirt scratched my face with each swipe of the washcloth and my cheeks flamed from the friction. I was embarrassed that it’d been there without my knowledge. Dirt was still deeply embedded under my nails, but there was little I could do about it at the moment. I dried my body with a thick, fluffy towel and slipped into Melissa’s clothes.

  I left Tanner’s room and froze in my tracks. Standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall, was a girl I’d never seen before in my life.

  The western-style sconces lining the hallway cast a soft, yellow glow on her long, blonde tresses, giving her the illusion of a halo floating above her head. The girl was around my age and was tall and curvy. A pretty, sleeveless, lilac dress hugged her shapely figure. Thin scars ran along one side of her arm.

  “If it isn’t the infamous Rue Monroe.” Wariness disappeared and a smile crept over her face. “And to think I believed you were a figment of Tanner’s imagination all this time.”

  “Shelby?” I guessed.

  Tanner had mentioned Shelby in conversation. Like with Chance, he failed to mention her scars or the source of them. All I knew of Shelby Hayes was that she’d graduated high school the year before and would head off to college soon to pursue an education in pediatric medicine.

  Although I didn’t know much about her or Chance, I was impressed by them. They wore their scars like battle wounds. They could have hidden them beneath layers of clothes, but no. They were on full display.

  “The one and only.” She smirked, pushing herself off the wall and shocking me with a hug. “I always knew exactly what I’d say to you if Tanner brought you home. I’ve rehearsed it in my head a million times.”

  “And what’s that?” I asked.

  “I accept you for who you are. But Tanner is like a brother to me, and if you hurt him, I’ll kill you.”

  “I won’t hurt him,” I said. “If I do, you have my full permission to put me in my place.”

  “Oh, honey.” Shelby patted me softly on my face. “What makes you think I need your permission?”

  With that, she raised an eyebrow at my frowning face, laughed at the way I glared at her, placed her arm through mine, and escorted me to the dining room. The girl was strange, but I found myself liking her. She reminded me of Josie in a way: vocal and honest with her thoughts. I had a feeling Shelby and I would become very good friends.

  Supper was a strange affair, to say the least. I sat at a large, walnut table on a deep, cushioned chair, gawking at the fancy dinnerware and place settings in front of me.

  I guess running a factory has huge perks, I thought to myself as I shook my head over the irony of my situation. I’d always hated the drug business my family involved themselves in, and here I was falling into the same situation by choosing Tanner: dirty money, lies, and secrets.

  Cutting a piece of steak, I shoved it in my mouth and listened to Melissa talk about color schemes. She said something about altering the decor in the house, but it was hard keeping up with the conversation with Tanner’s fingers dawdling up my leg. Tanner grew impatient with my refusal to acknowledge his touch. He squeezed my inner thigh, causing me to jump and drop my fork.

  “What’s wrong, dear?” Melissa asked.

  Tanner swallowed and grinned. “Yeah, what’s wrong, dear?”

  “I just … get really excited … over decorating,” I said. “Maybe I can help you?”

  Melissa beamed and nodded. Chance snickered, poorly hiding the sound by shoving a forkful of baked potato in his mouth.

  I reached below the table and pinched Tanner’s arm as hard as I could, but it didn’t faze him a bit. He grinned at me between bites as we finished supper and then dessert, with his hand still on my leg. Heat burned in my belly and my forehead was beaded in a cold sweat. My body was on fire, and I couldn’t wait to be alone with Tanner. I’d either kiss him or kill him.

  “So, Rue, Tanner tells me you’re eighteen and a senior this year,” Graham said as Melissa collected our dessert plates. “How is it that you haven’t graduated?”

  “My birthday is in late August,” I replied. “My father thought it’d be best if I waited an extra year before starting kindergarten. He was worried about me starting too young. He didn’t want me falling behind the other kids in class.”

  “That was a wise decision,” Graham said, leaning back in his chair. “But then again, your father was always smarter than people gave him credit for.”

  Tanner’s hand finally left my body. I stared stunned at Graham. All the tingling from Tanner’s touch had turned my brain into a puddle of mush. Had Graham complimented my father? Surely I was delusional.

  “Why don’t y’all continue your conversation on the veranda?” Melissa said.

  My stomach clenched in nervousness as I followed Tanner outside. The thought of conversing with Graham about my deceased father made me nauseous.

  What Melissa referred to as a “veranda,” I called a “screened-in porch.” It held the same furniture as the front porch: dark wicker with deep cushions and resin tables. Tall, glossy, green plants, with leaves the size of baby elephant ears, sat around the porch, tucked between the various pieces of furniture. Flowers bloomed everywhere, casting their fresh, fragrant scent in the air.

  The sound of the river nearby reminded me of Tanner and me lying on a pier. A huge, round, outdoor bed sheathed in pillowy, white cushions sat nestled in the far corner of the porch. An image of us, limbs entangled, pressed against one another on that bed set my body on fire once more.

  Tanner sat on one of the oversized chairs and gave me a knowing smirk. “They’ll go out of town before summer is over.”

  Graham sat down nearby and lit a cigar. “There’re some things we should discuss if you plan to pursue a relationship with my nephew, things you should know.”

  “Okay.” I snuggled myself in Tanners arms, dreading whatever Graham had to say.

  “First of all, I hope being kept in the dark about certain aspects of our lives doesn’t bother you,” Graham said. “There will always be a level of distrust between you, Tanner, and our family. It has nothing to do with who you are, per se, although I’d be lying if I said the fact that you’re a Monroe doesn’t bother me. It does concern me, and always will.”

  “If that’s not the case, then what is? Why do you distrust me?”

  “Because betrayal is all we’ve ever known,” Graham replied. “Cops, lawyers, judges, friends, and even family—none are trusted. You seem like a fairly intelligent girl. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors of my family’s business. And I’m not talking about the factory we own.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Our side business will never be discussed with you,” he said. “In five, ten, fif
teen years, if you’re still with Tanner, you will continue to be none-the-wiser as far as that aspect of his life is concerned. It’s not only because of distrust. It is also for your own protection. I treat Melissa the same way. She is aware of what I do for a living, but knows nothing of the finer details of that side of me. You should think long and hard before choosing this life.”

  “I’ve already chosen Tanner,” I said. “I understand there’s reason for y’all to mistrust me and my family, although it does sting a little knowing Tanner will never trust me. But it’s not as though he’s taking the easy path in life by being with me. My family hates yours. I have no idea how this is going to work, but I’m willing to try.”

  “Trust has to be earned,” Graham said. “Along with trust comes the truth. Are you ready for the truth? Are you ready to hear the truth about your father’s murder?”

  Graham’s cryptic words caused my body to freeze in Tanner’s arms. My heart picked up speed as I met Graham’s solemn gaze. I nodded numbly, and Graham gave a stern nod in reply. He crushed the cigar in an ashtray and stood up, disappearing inside the house. Tanner rubbed soothing circles on my upper arms as we awaited his return. I knew in the deepest recesses of my heart that whatever Graham revealed on that veranda would change me and everything I’d come to believe about my father, my family, and the Montgomerys.

  When Graham returned, it was with a picture frame clutched in his hands. He handed it to me and returned to his seat. I took it from him with shaky fingers and stared at the photograph in shock.

  It was a photograph of my father, just as I remembered him in the time before his death. He was tall and ruggedly handsome, with his signature gruff smile. Standing to his left was a younger Graham, and to his right an unfamiliar male.

  The unfamiliar man had chiseled features: prominent cheekbones, a slight cleft in his chin, black hair, and a penetrating stare. I knew immediately, without ever having met him, the stranger in the photograph was Tanner’s father. The men stared at the photographer with matching serious expressions on their faces. The background of the photo was a new kind of familiar—Graham’s living room.