Deliverance (The Maverick Defense #1)

by L A Cotton

  “Up.” Donnie stood up abruptly pulling me with him. My heart pounded so hard in my chest it felt like it might explode, but I dutifully followed him into a smaller room. Sober me would have been on high alert now. Sober me would have been dreading what was to come. But I was too high to care. Nothing could penetrate the euphoria flowing through my veins. Not even the sight of the unfamiliar guy standing in the door jamb.

  “Close it,” Donnie said over my shoulder, his hands roaming across my stomach. I leaned into his touch needing more.

  “So eager,” Donnie remarked.

  Sweeping my hair off both shoulders, Donnie’s hands traced the curve of my chest until he reached the straps of my dress and pulled them down along with my bra straps. Warm lips connected with my tits and my nerve endings trembled.

  “Fuck, that’s hot,” a voice in the darkness said.

  “Who- who is that?” I asked through my pleasure-induced state.

  “A friend, baby. You want to meet my friend?”

  My eyes closed. Everything was muddled. Except for Donnie. Donnie’s lips caressing my skin.

  “Laken, get over here. Remember, no touching.”

  Donnie pushed me onto my knees, joining me, his fingers clawing at my panties until the cool air hit my center.

  More. I need more.

  My upper body was forced down against something, and Donnie’s hand flattened my back against it. My legs were ripped out from under me and suspended in the air by strong arms. And then Donnie was inside me, filling me. I moaned into his mouth overwhelmed by all of the sensations rushing through me. All the doubts and worries of earlier were a distant memory as I let him love me.

  He loved me. And I loved him. And I loved the world. And the man standing over us, jerking off to Donnie fucking me.

  At that moment, I loved it all.

  We’d spent three long days traveling when Lex’s Jeep finally pulled over in the old neighborhood. I was home, although it didn’t feel like home. Everything had changed. More run -down and seedier, but it was more than that—it didn’t feel the same. It had never been the best of neighborhoods to start with, but when you grow up in a place, you don’t always notice how bad it is. You don’t look at it through an outsider’s eyes, and well, after three years away, I was looking at it now and it wasn’t pretty. Boarded-up shops with paint peeling off buildings and covered in graffiti. But it wasn’t how it looked that sent a shiver up my spine; it was the way it felt. Lex and I had seen our fair share of danger and excitement in our line of work. We didn’t shy away from confrontation or a dirty fight, with both of us over six-foot and built like tanks, especially Lex. And even though I was supposed to be home, it felt good to know that he had my back. One of the toughest motherfuckers I knew; if anything started, he would sure as hell finish it.

  “I’m starving,” Lex grumbled as he killed the engine. “We’ll get something in that diner.” He pointed across the street and had already crossed over by the time I had climbed out the passenger side. Pointing his key fob above his head, he locked the Jeep.

  Fucking typical.

  “Wait up,” I yelled, jogging after him into Hank’s Diner.

  As soon as we stepped inside, it was as if we’d been transported back in time. Nothing had changed. The same flowery curtains draped the windows; checkered linoleum covered the floor, and the same laminate decorated the tabletops. Some artificial flowers filled vases that sat on top of each table, a weak attempt at brightening up the place.

  Lex shot me a questioning look when I lingered in the doorway too long, and by the time I sat down, he had the menu in his hand, forehead creased in concentration as he studied it. I twisted in my seat to get a proper look at my surroundings. How was it possible that it still looked the same?

  “So was the neighborhood always this classy?” Lex asked as he peered out the window at the buildings on the opposite side of the street. Half of them were missing windows, some had been boarded up, and others had just been abandoned. I didn’t know which looked worse.

  “It was never the best, but this is just …” I didn’t know how to finish. The more I saw, the more depressed I became. Did I really want to be back here? But I was back for a reason, and I had some unfinished business to take care of while I was here. Plus, I hadn’t seen my brother, Mikey, in a long time. My heart raced as my memory conjured up a mental picture, but before I could dwell on it, Lex interrupted my thoughts.

  “As bad as some of the places we’ve worked.”

  “Yeah, something like that.” But there wasn’t this, I thought to myself as I watched a couple of teenagers approach a shady-looking guy hiding in the shadows of an abandoned storefront. They handed him some bills, and he slipped something into their hands. The unassuming eye might not have witnessed their transaction, but my eyes were trained to notice.

  “What can I get you?” a female voice asked, and I jerked around from staring out the window. My jaw dropped.

  Holy fuck.

  “Joy?”

  Joy looked as shocked as I did; all color drained from her face and her free hand gripped the edge of the table as if it were the only thing that kept her upright.

  “Dawson?” It came out a breathy whisper, and my eyes scanned the length of her body noting the changes. God, she was beautiful, as beautiful as the day I left her. I gave up everything for her. That was three years ago, and I had thought about her every day since.

  Joy looked tired, her dark hair lacked its usual shine, and she’d dyed a thick chunk red, which surprised me. But, most of all, it was her hazel eyes. They no longer sparkled—and I wanted to know why. I had lost count of the number of times she’d lain in my arms while I drowned in the depths of those bright hazel eyes. She looked weighed down by some invisible burden, and as beautiful as she looked, something was missing. This wasn’t my Joy but a paler version of her, sad and harder looking.

  Lex stared; his eyes flitted back and forth between Joy and me. He knew all about her, and the reunion was awkward, probably because it wasn’t supposed to be happening. Joy wasn’t supposed to still be in town, although a part of me had hoped she would be. It made me wonder what else had changed around here, and why the fuck my brother had failed to mention she was back.

  “Hmm, well, I’d like coffee and some pancakes.” Lex rattled off his order while Joy scribbled on her order pad and I stared, unable to take my eyes off her.

  “And you?” She met my eyes all too briefly before looking away.

  What the fuck is up with that?

  “Coffee,” I blurted out, and she nodded swiftly and moved away. My mouth hung open as I watched her retreat to the kitchen with her shoulders slumped.

  Anger surged through me and I pushed up from the table, the chair scraping across the linoleum tiles.

  “Dawson,” Lex growled a warning. He knew me too well. After months of being in each other’s company twenty-four-seven, we knew exactly how the other felt or would react in any given situation. We communicated mainly through body language, sign language … ESP. I didn’t know what the fuck it was, but it worked for us, and we knew exactly what the other was thinking without having to say a word. I trusted Lex with my life, but sometimes, everything about him was a pain in the ass.

  “Two minutes.” I rushed to the door that Joy had disappeared through and stopped. She stood at an open door at the end of a short hallway with a cigarette in hand. Since when had she smoked?

  Her shoulders hunched forward, curled in on herself, and my heart ached for her. My fingers twitched; I wanted to reach out and entwine them through her long waves.

  “Joy,” I called out because I didn’t want to sneak up and frighten her.

  “What do you want, Dawson?” She didn’t even turn around, but I heard her heavy sigh.

  “Excuse me?” I stepped closer, but she finished her cigarette and flicked the butt outside.

  “What. Do. You. Want?”

  Again with the pissed-off attitude. What was with that? I could un
derstand her shock at seeing me again, but she was hostile to a degree I hadn’t expected.

  “I … I want to talk to you.”

  “Come to pick up where we left off? Guess what? You’re three years too late.” The hard edge to her voice startled me.

  “Joy….”

  At last, she turned around, popped a piece of gum in her mouth, and began to chew robotically. “There is no you and me anymore. You left me, remember? And never came back.” Her voice was hardened, matching the deep scowl distorting her beautiful face.

  “I know but-”

  “But nothing. You left and I had to move on with my life.” Her voice cracked as she bowed her head. When I heard her harsh breath, I rushed forward and gathered her into my arms, hating seeing her upset.

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled into her hair, and she froze in my arms before struggling against my grip, frantic to get away. But I held on, unable to let her go. Never had she reacted to me like this, like a wild animal, caught and desperate to escape. Even her eyes had a manic, panicked look in them. Something was very wrong here.

  “Everything’s changed, Dawson. I’ve changed. I’m not the same naïve girl you left behind.” She stopped struggling; her chest heaved and her eyes once so full of life now looked dead. Defeated. “Do yourself a favor and leave before it changes you too.”

  My arms dropped from around her slight body, and I didn’t resist when she pushed past me and stormed into the kitchen. She left me standing there in the hallway wondering what the fuck just happened.

  Lex sat at the table; his eyes didn’t move when I sat back down, but he pointed out the window as he ate his pancakes.

  “This shit is entertaining.” He picked up his mug and took a sip without ever averting his gaze. “How are they able to deal in broad daylight? They’re not even discreet.”

  “Fuck knows,” I mutter and stirred my coffee.

  So much for a welcome home.

  We didn’t hang around once we’d eaten, and after dropping a twenty on the table, we headed outside.

  “Where to now?” Lex asked; his brown eyes darted around, and I knew he was taking stock of his surroundings, instinctively checking for any threats.

  “Mikey’s.” I nodded my head in the other direction.

  “Your brother, right?”

  “Right,” I confirmed and set off in the direction of Mikey’s Auto Shop.

  Mikey’s garage was located between the pawn shop and the laundromat, plenty of passing trade, and I knew Lex would find it as entertaining as the diner. Mikey was always up-to-date on the latest gossip; it came from the old women who gossiped outside the laundromat between washes.

  The sound of Bon Jovi blared from the open doorway and we ducked inside.

  “Yo, Mikey,” I bellowed, fighting to be heard over the loud music.

  “What the fuck do you want?” A voice sounded from under a car.

  “It’s me.”

  Mikey scrambled out from under an old Chevy pickup and grabbed me in a tight hug that lasted for a few seconds before he pulled back and eyed me critically. “Good to see you, bro.” He clasped his arms around my shoulder and pulled me to his side.

  Mikey was older than me by nine months, just one of many things our parents didn’t plan very well. Growing up, we were always mistaken for twins, but Mikey was always slightly taller and leaner than I was. Or, as I used to yank his chain, lazier. Whereas I was solid muscle, he was lean and toned. The only exercise he took was from his job whereas I was used to hard sessions in the gym. Had been since I was just a kid. After one too many fights, Mom had dragged me down to the local gym and told the trainer to find an outlet for all my pent-up energy and aggression. And it worked. Old Man Jarvis had showed me how to train, eat properly, and most importantly, how to fight. After that, nobody messed with me. Now, Lex and I spent serious time working out; our job demanded it.

  “This is Lex.” I nodded in his direction, and he stepped forward offering Mikey a hand. A wide smile spread across Mikey’s face as he took Lex’s hand, tugged on it, and pulled him into an awkward hug.

  “So what do you think then?” He waved his hand at the doorway.

  “It’s changed.” I shrugged.

  “That’s a fucking understatement. The neighborhood’s gone to shit.”

  “You could say that,” Lex muttered, and Mikey turned to him and grinned.

  “Let’s go home.”

  It was barely lunchtime, but Mikey turned off his Bon Jovi, pulled the garage door down, and locked up. Mikey climbed into his old Ford pickup, the same one he’d had throughout high school. What went on in the flatbed of his truck was legendary. Mikey was always the popular one in high school. He had a different girl every week, and by the time we were halfway through our senior year, he had slept with most of the cheerleading squad. Not me; I was only ever interested in one girl. Joy. She was breathtakingly gorgeous and way out of my league.

  Lex and I walked back to the Jeep; Mikey passed us, pressing his hand on the horn, and waved.

  “You drive.” Lex tossed the keys to me and we climbed into the Jeep. Neither of us uttered a word as I drove us through the once familiar streets of Chancing. Lex and I stared out the windows at the depressing scenery of vacant stores, abandoned buildings, and the odd car minus its wheels.

  “Remind you of anywhere?” I asked Lex in a wry voice.

  “Yeah, every hellhole we’ve visited in the past couple of years,” he muttered.

  As we got closer to our old neighborhood, it was a little better but not by much. The run-down apartment blocks gave way to modest houses in a suburban area. I parked the Jeep in the drive behind Mikey’s truck; he stood at the side waiting for us.

  “Home sweet home, little brother,” Mikey announced as I parked the Jeep and leaped out before he made straight for the back door. Lex followed suit, and with some effort, I forced myself to do the same. It felt weird being back here, I hadn’t expected to come back. Not yet.

  Mikey unlocked the back door, and we all filtered in. It led straight into the kitchen; only visitors who weren’t family or friends ever used the front door. As kids, Mom insisted that we go in and out the back door, probably something to do with tracking in mud. My brother headed straight for the living room and flopped down on the sofa, stretching his body out and taking up the whole length of the sofa. I stood in the doorway and watched my big brother. He hadn’t changed much. Leaner with hair shorter than he wore it before but still Mikey.

  “You got a girlfriend?” I asked out of nowhere. I couldn’t see the smile on his face, but I heard his hearty laugh.

  “Fuck no, why would I do that?” He continued to laugh. Yeah, I would have been really worried if that had changed.

  “Your room’s still the same.” He pointed the remote control at the TV and it changed from motorsport to some documentary about gold mining. “The spare room is made up for Lex.”

  I shared a look of surprise with Lex, who smirked and lowered his head. “You made it up for him?”

  “No, okay. When you called to say you were coming, Aunt Marie insisted on making it up. Just in case. I guess she was hoping you were bringing someone. Came over yesterday and told me to clean up too.” He waved his hand in the air and I cast a look around the small living room. My brows knitted together, unsure as to whether he’d bothered to carry out that part of her instruction.

  “I’ll show you your room, Lex.” I beckoned Lex to follow me and left Mikey to watch his mind-numbing trash on the TV. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d watched anything like that.

  After giving Lex the grand tour, we ordered Chinese takeout for dinner. No one was in the mood to cook, and I doubted Mikey had bothered getting anything for us. I left them to clear up while I wandered outside, swiping the garage key as I went. The garage stood to the side of the house. It was big in comparison to some of the other garages around here where you couldn’t even store a car because of all the crap that had accumulated.

  As I
slid open the door, I felt a small tingle of excitement; this had been my favorite place to hang out when we were kids. The two of us worked on cars with the radio blaring and talking shit with our friends. It was no surprise when Mikey decided to become a grease monkey. It was a running joke that he’d had his head stuck under a hood more than between a girl’s legs, and that was saying something.

  There was one empty spot for Mikey’s truck, and next to it was my pride and joy. My ‘67 Camaro SS. I leaned against the doorframe and let old memories assault me; a small smile grew on my lips, and I pushed off the frame and made my way over to remove the cover that someone, probably Mikey, had thoughtfully draped over her. It made me wonder if he’d been looking after her for me.

  Where the truck held memories for Mikey, my Camaro held memories of Joy and me. My hand ran over the paintwork on the roof and down over the hood. Someone cleared their throat and I looked up to see Mikey standing in the doorway holding out a beer for me. I nodded my thanks as I took it and tipped it back, relishing the cool liquid sliding down my throat. This was what I’d really wanted when Lex and I first arrived in town.

  “Aunt Marie’s made all the arrangements,” he said, a gruffness to his voice. This was the first time we had approached the subject of why I was back.

  “That’s good.” I nodded, scuffing the sole of my boot against the concrete floor.

  “I wasn’t sure if you would turn up.”

  My head jerked up to look at him. One hand shoved in his pocket, the other holding the bottle raised to his lips.

  “For fuck’s sake, Mikey, of course, I’d be here.” Anger sparked inside me. How dare he think I wouldn’t come for Mom’s funeral?

  “You weren’t for Dad.”

  My mouth dropped open as I heard the resentment in his voice, and I wondered how long he’d been holding onto that.