Violet’s Bucket List

by Embers, Tuesday

  “Te llevo en mi coche, Mami?” he asked, holding the passenger door open to his old, maroon Cadillac. Though he looked me up and down, I saw that he was trying to be helpful. He had tattoos peppering his neck, and pants that were about four sizes too big to match his filthy undershirt.

  One of his buddies ran his thumb across his lower lip, and made a show of checking out my butt. “Home? Shoot. She can come home with me.”

  Eli was raging now, so I held the phone away from my face, wincing at his volume. I ignored the obnoxious friend and addressed only the guy who’d been decent, and offered me napkins. “Thanks. I think I’ll wait inside.”

  He nodded and shot me a two-fingered wave as I moved toward the neon sign that was missing lights behind two of its letters. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was limping badly, the adrenaline muting the physical pain of the attack.

  Eli was beside himself with anger, yelling his fears that I was going to get myself killed if I didn’t do as he instructed. It wasn’t his best way of communicating with me, but I didn’t have the wherewithal to tell him to calm down. Had I any tranquility on tap, I would’ve used some of it for myself.

  I waited by the store clerk, trying not to dissolve into a puddle of tears. The portly clerk and I had an unspoken agreement. I didn’t ask him to call the cops, and he pretended like I didn’t exist, busying himself with taking inventory of the cigarettes behind the partition, which I realized was bulletproof.

  When Eli ripped open the door, the clerk and I both jumped. My boyfriend cleared the space between us in two of his long strides, his expression surly and his volume at wince-inducing levels. He gathered me into his arms, which were trembling just as bad as mine. “Which way did he go?”

  I pointed up the street uncertainly. “He’s probably long gone. Can you just take me home?”

  “Where?!” Eli thundered, making my insides shake and recoil.

  “Fourth and Grand Oaks is where he had me pinned. I kicked him in the balls, so he might still be there.”

  Brady stalked in after Eli, slightly less imposing, but no less determined to get me home without further injury.

  “Take her home,” Eli told Brady.

  “I can do that. You sure you don’t want help?”

  Eli sneered, looking like a thug, and not my beautiful, gentle guy. He didn’t address Brady, but turned his wrath on me. “When I tell ye to get inside a building, I don’t mean to chat it up with some hoodlum in the parking lot. Do ye understand tha ye could’ve been taken? Last time I would’ve seen ye was this morning, and then never again. Do ye get how much tha scares me?” His volume was climbing again, coaxing a few tears out of me.

  Brady eyed us with disapproval. “I’ll take her home. You go take that anger out on the guy who deserves to be yelled at, not her. Come on, Vi.”

  Eli stormed out into the night without so much as a goodbye, leaving me trembling.

  Brady kept an arm around me, shielding me as if his flesh could stop any bullets aimed in my direction. He shut me in the passenger’s seat, and then got behind the wheel, slamming his door shut with too much muscle for the car to handle gracefully. He tried three times to jam the key into the ignition, his hand shaking so badly, he dropped his keys onto his lap before he was able to start the car. Brady choked the steering wheel as if it had spoken rudely about his mother, and took us home.

  He parked the car behind the restaurant in one of the spots reserved for employees and us, and cut the engine, finally trusting his voice enough to speak. “You did good, calling us. Let’s get you upstairs.” He reached across the console and rested his hand on an unmarked section of my forearm. “You’re home now.”

  I nodded, my tears silently falling as Brady moved around the car and opened my door for me. My best friend took his time extracting me from the car, my limbs trembling and locked.

  Brady opened the backdoor to the stairwell, and I was grateful we hadn’t had to go through the kitchen and upset Mr. Li. Brady was careful with me, which was good, because I felt like one wrong look, and I might shatter into a thousand jagged pieces. “It’s alright. You’re home now. You’re safe.”

  I wasn’t used to Eli’s anger, and I was too turned around to put things in proper order in my mind. I sat at the counter in the kitchen and spilled the details of the worst robbery in history.

  “They didn’t get anything else?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t have my wallet on me, and I don’t wear jewelry.”

  Brady set a glass of water down on the counter for me. “Way to outsmart the criminal element, V.”

  I stared at Brady, seeing his fear and anger through the casual verbal high-five. I hiccupped my tears in lieu of a response. In that moment, I was so grateful Brady was my best friend. He handed me a tissue from his pocket, and I didn’t even care that it was slightly used.

  He moved around the counter and wound his arm around my waist, offering his other hand to steady my elbow. “Bathroom, okay? Jeez, Vi. Maybe you should stop trying to beat people up on the streets. I mean, what did those poor thugs ever do to you?” he teased, adding just the right amount of… everything to the situation.

  I snorted through my tears, trusting Brady to help me. He kicked the toilet lid down and lowered me onto it with his best kindly nurse expression. “You d-d-don’t have to…”

  “Are you kidding me? When else am I going to get the chance to pretend I’m the one with the medical authority in here? Now, put your hands over your head and hop on one foot. I need to check for bubonic plague.” When I chuckled at his antics, he jerked his thumb in the direction of his bedroom. “Not taking me seriously? I’ve got a sexy nurse outfit stashed away for just such an occasion. I see you’ve left me no choice but to get it out and put it on.”

  I pictured Brady in a woman’s sexy nurse outfit and outright laughed, grateful that he was who he was, so I could be me in this situation. I dabbed at my eyes and then threw my tissue in the wastebasket. “Thank you for making a joke,” I said as he pulled out the first aid kit and started cleaning out the scrapes on my elbows.

  “Why would you think I was joking?” He was careful with me, using too many bandaids and casting up furtive smiles whenever he caught my eye. When he’d finished with my arms, hands and face, and bent down to roll up the legs of my scrubs, he grimaced at the amount of blood that my pants had concealed. “Jeez, Vi. This looks bad.”

  “Well, it feels incredible,” I deadpanned.

  His voice was quiet. “You ID’d Dan. Well done, by the way. Did you get a good look at the other guy who got your stuff?”

  I shook my head, lowering my chin to my chest. “No. It all happened so fast, and I had a faceful of concrete for a while. They didn’t get anything valuable. I hope they’re really mad when they open the backpack and find nothing put a bunch of half-used cheap pens and a pack of gum.”

  “Maybe you donating your pens to that dummy is going to be the thing that turns him around. Maybe tomorrow, he’ll wake up, see the backpack and pens and think, ‘That was all I needed. Now I can enroll in college classes and really make something of myself.’ Think about it, Vi. You probably just saved hundreds of people from getting mugged, now that he’s going back to school.” He handed me a high-five, grinning up at me while I snorted through my laughter. He took his time cleaning out the deep pavement gouges on my knees, treating me gently through my trauma.

  “Hey, I even threw in half a pack of gum and a cake to congratulate him on his first week at school. I’m such a good mommy.”

  “That, you are.” He screwed the lid back on the antiseptic and rolled my pants down, standing over me with a somber expression. “You take care of Caty and me well enough. I think this week, it’ll be time for us to take care of you.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. My body felt disgusting and filthy, and I just wanted to hide under my covers and weep until all the terrible things in the world fixed themselves.

  Brady leaned on the doorframe, his arms
crossed over his chest. “You want me to call Caty? She’s on her weekly date with her leaky butthole fiancé, and could probably use the excuse to duck out.”

  I shook my head. “Not tonight. She tends to fall apart in a crisis, and I don’t have it in me to calm her down right now.”

  Brady nodded, scrunching his nose. “Yeah, that’s probably best.” He slid his phone out of his pocket when it rang. “Did you get him?” Brady’s brows furrowed together as he listened, a cord in his neck tightening as his eyes darted to mine. “Alright. We’ll be out of here in five.” He ended the call and donned a light expression that didn’t touch his eyes. “Good news. We’re going to a slumber party, courtesy of Eli’s boss.”

  “What?”

  “Eli’s worried Dan might know where he lives, and he’ll come here looking for either of you. It’s best we give the apartment some breathing room, and head over to Antonio’s place.”

  “I can’t do that. This is my home. Dan’s not going to chase me out.”

  Brady called over his shoulder as he moved to his bedroom to start packing. “Not the hill to die on, Vi. We’re getting out now, and letting Eli handle his mess.”

  “Eli didn’t do this.”

  “I know, and I really don’t want to argue. If Dan’s on his way here, we’re already too late. I’d rather no more blood gets shed tonight.” Brady paused, his back to me. “Did Dan… Did he touch you?”

  I gulped, and then nodded, feeling dirty and used.

  Brady beelined to me and wrapped me in a tight hug. “I wouldn’t worry about Dan after tonight. Eli’s going to murder him as soon as he tracks him down.”

  I swallowed my indignation and grudgingly agreed, hobbling to my bedroom to pack an overnight bag. I stashed enough stuff for myself and Eli, meeting Brady in the living room a handful of minutes later.

  Brady hoisted his duffel over his shoulder and reached out to hold my hand, a gesture of the purest kind of friendship. I didn’t know what else the night might hold for us, but Brady and I darted out into the darkness, facing the world together.

  36

  Antonio’s Fort

  Antonio met us at the front door with several policemen, and his solemn butler who looked like he’d never smiled a day in his life. Though, to be fair, we were stumbling into the house at ten o’clock at night, and his uniform was a pressed suit. I’d be ornery, too.

  Antonio wrapped me in his arms with an exaggerated pout on his face. Despite the fact that I’d only spent one day with the guy, I leaned onto his chest. My cheek rested on his collarbone for three whole seconds before I got that itch that made me pull away. “Pobrecita. Let me get you some tea.” He snapped his fingers at the butler, who went to the kitchen.

  Antonio led us to a sitting room, where I gave my statement to the cops, sandwiched in between him and Brady. I talked until my tea went cold, answering the officers who asked every version of every possible question under the sun.

  It wasn’t until Antonio ended the interview an hour later that I permitted myself an exhale. “Dan can’t get in here?”

  Antonio shook his head. “No. I didn’t even trust him to sit at the front door of my club. He’s off the fighting roster now, and my guys are out looking for him.”

  “You mean Eli’s out looking for him.”

  “Sure, Eli, but I have three other men on my security detail, and they’re out searching for Dan right now. He won’t get far.”

  The butler brought nightcaps for us, and suddenly I loved the stodgy old man. I reached for my glass and drank when I should’ve sipped. Brady swore, gently prying the tumbler from my fingers and setting it back on the table. “You alright there, champ?”

  “I don’t want to be awake anymore. I can still feel Dan’s hands on me. It’s either this drink, or a brillo pad scouring my whole body.” I shuddered at the memory that was still too near.

  When Brady took in my lost expression, he sighed. “Yeah, let’s get you to bed.”

  Antonio patted my hand. “Eli will see to it Dan’s dealt with. He won’t be bothering you ever again.”

  I nodded, talking myself off a ledge. “The cops will lock him up, and it’ll all be over.”

  Antonio chuckled. “Oh, Chiquita. By the time Eli’s finished with Dan, there won’t be any body parts left to arrest. He’s very thorough.”

  I raised my eyebrow at him, but said nothing.

  Antonio was so geeked to have houseguests that he grinned as he showed us to our rooms, despite the grim circumstances that brought us here. He opened the door to a guestroom that was about as large as a comfortable hotel room, and decorated just as pristinely in a beige and burgundy palate. “Can I get you anything? You hungry?”

  I shook my head and moved inside, feeling jumpy in the great space. Though the guys were right in the hallway, I shot Brady a wide-eyed look to convey my irrational panic. “You’re sure Dan can’t get in here?”

  Antonio drew an X over his chest. “Cross my heart. It locks down like a fort, and Dan’s a common criminal. (You don’t need to be afraid in here, chica.)”

  Though Antonio had a separate room for Brady, my bestie stalked into my room and rested his duffel on the king-sized bed. “Don’t worry, Vi. I’ll stay in here tonight.”

  I didn’t have the gumption to ask him for the grand favor, but the fact that he offered it stuck with me. My heart thrummed with a little less anxiety, now I wasn’t alone. Antonio sized us up before he shut the door, leaving us to settle in.

  My movements were clumsy as the alcohol did its trick, working quickly to numb my pain. I changed in the adjoining bathroom, and stumbled into bed feeling cold and scared. I waited until Brady took his turn in the bathroom to rummage through the bag I’d packed for Eli. Yanking out his maroon hoodie, I sighed at the sheer bulk of it. I tucked my trembling body inside the sweatshirt, zipping it up to add another layer of don’t-touch-me. It smelled like Eli – piney, and all man. I inhaled the peace that the promise of his presence gave me, and did my best to exhale my demons.

  37

  Working on Antonio

  On the third day at Antonio’s place, I started to grow restless. Brady had gone to work, leaving me in the enormous house I was too respectful to wander through without invitation. That afternoon, Antonio rapped on my door, bringing me out of my fort. I was expecting maybe a quiet smile, but instead got shot with a stream from a squirt gun, straight in the face. “What the… Hello to you, too!” I glowered at him, water dripping from my chin.

  “What’s the fun of having new people in the house if you’re holed up in the bedroom all day?”

  “You are the least adult grownup I’ve ever met.” I wiped my face on the inside collar of my shirt.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “Of course you will.”

  Antonio pocketed his weapon and offered up a wide, dazzling grin. “Go for a walk with me?”

  I nodded, unsure why he thought I needed the human element from him. He’d given me a safe place to rest my troubles while life swirled around me. I tilted my head when he proffered his elbow to me with a cheeky smirk, but took his arm as he led us through the massive mansion.

  Antonio loved his home; he’d owned it for five years, but only moved back into it recently, when he’d brought Eli to town. “I’ve known Eli forever. Saw him boxing one night, and knew he had more brains to him than the fight. Most guys live for the fight, but not Eli. Boxing was just something he happened to be good at. So I hired him to work for me, and I never looked back. Most of my staff worships at my feet, but not him.”

  “Yeah, I can’t really picture Eli sucking up to anybody.”

  Antonio chuckled. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. He bends over backwards for you. I never would’ve believed it if I hadn’t seen the transformation myself.” He patted my arm with his other hand, his brown eyes filled with compassion. “He’s not going to come back until Dan’s taken care of.”

  Moisture built up behind my eyes as I gave v
oice to the thing I’d been dreading for days. “Dan fights dirty. It takes a special kind of jaggoff to punch a woman in the stomach, pin her down and molest her while her boyfriend listens.”

  Antonio stopped walking and drew me in for a hug, as if we were old friends who could lean on each other when life turned harrowing. “All the more reason Eli won’t come home until he finishes Dan off. Not to worry. You’re safe here.”

  “But Eli could be lying in a ditch somewhere!”

  Antonio pulled back and shook his head at me, smiling, as if my worries were cute. “He’s not lying in a ditch. The head of my security is with Eli, and he checks in every morning, and each night. Dan’s a rat, so he’s hiding. Vermin are harder to catch when they’re petrified.” He hooked my hand around his elbow and led me forward once more. “Doctor Henderson said your injuries are healing nicely.”

  I nodded, wiping my tears on my shirt sleeve. “Thanks for calling a doctor to the house. You didn’t have to do that. I’m sure you have more important things to do than hang with me.”

  “Actually, I don’t. Most of my guards are currently hunting down Dan, so I’m not to leave the mansion.”

  “Dude, is your job really that dangerous? I’m afraid to ask what you do.”

  “Finances,” he said evasively. “But I prefer protection. So until they come back, I get you all to myself.” He smirked at me, giving me a teasing look that made me chuckle.

  “Lucky me.”

  “Indeed.” Antonio squinted at me as he opened the glass sliding door on the back of his home and led the way out into the backyard. The grounds were enormous, stretching back easily the length of half a football field before the ultra-high privacy fence blocked the view. There were tall, rounded topiaries that made me feel like I was tiptoeing through Alice in Wonderland, and flower bushes that intoxicated my senses when the slightest breeze picked up. A small pond off to the side had polished stones placed around it that were made to look like how rich people imagine rustic settings. “Do you celebrate Thanksgiving?”