Condemned

by Barbara Huffert

  “We have to go now.”

  “You look like hell, no offense. You’re clearly exhausted. If you want to be convincing, you can’t show up looking like that. Brett will blame himself and won’t hear a word either of us says.” He paused for her to accept his statement. “I’m not sure how much more he can take. If Brett had sex with you last night, he’s worse than I thought. It’s really not like him.”

  “Fine, but promise you’ll wake me soon. I don’t think we should wait more than an hour or so. If you’re right, Brett needs to know as soon as possible.”

  “Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll tell the rest what we’re doing. I know Holly will protest so I’ll say you’ll call her. You get to sleep so we can take off.”

  “Thanks, Jesse.” Andie let him tuck her in.

  Before he left, he sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her cheek. “So. It was really great?”

  “Better,” she sighed as she sunk into the pillow.

  “Good.” Jesse kissed her forehead and rejoined the others.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Flynn saw Brett’s car in the driveway when he was on his way to work on the tree house he and his friend were building. Instantly, he detoured toward the door.

  “Hey, Uncle Brett,” he greeted him cheerfully. “I didn’t know you’d be around today. Want to go over to Joey’s with me? We might get the tree house done today if you help us.”

  Brett glared as he gulped from the bottle he carried. “What the hell makes you think I want to waste my time with a snot-nosed misfit like you?”

  “I, uh…” Flynn reeled at his cruel words.

  “Not everybody gets to fuck up royally like you did and get handed a second chance on a silver platter. No, most of us are stuck dealing with whatever shit life crams down our throats. I don’t have time to play at being a little boy like you do. Why do you come around here anyway? Aren’t your mommy and daddy enough for you? Are you so greedy that you need to pull me into the fantasy you live in now, kid? Well just forget it! Get the fuck away from me! Take your sorry, useless ass out of my house. Nobody wants you here. The sight of you pretending to be a normal kid when we both know it’s a big lie makes me sick.” He turned his back and raised the bottle again.

  Flynn had been backing to the door as Brett screamed at him. When he felt it, he spun and ran, not caring that it stayed open behind him. His vision clouded with tears, he didn’t know Jesse was there until he caught him to prevent Flynn from plowing into him.

  “Whoa. Whoa. Slow down.” Still holding his arms, he continued, “Flynn, I need you to promise you will wait right here for me.” Violently, Flynn shook his head no. “You have to. We need to talk about whatever he just said to you. I can guarantee that he didn’t mean it.”

  “Oh yes he did!” Flynn pulled himself together and wrapped himself in the protective emotional shell he used to hide behind.

  “No, I promise he didn’t. There are some things going on with Brett that you don’t know about. If you’ll wait a minute while I speak with him, I’ll explain them to you. I have to ask you to trust me here. And I’m going to need to trust you in return because Brett hasn’t told anyone else about this. I’ll need your word that you won’t repeat it.”

  Flynn’s desire to run was rapidly replaced with curiosity. Uncle Brett told his dad and Uncle Jordan everything. It must be something really bad if they didn’t know about it. And for him to be drinking this early. “Okay,” he agreed to stay put while Jesse went inside.

  “I’ll be right back,” Jesse assured him, fighting to control his fury. He could almost understand the way Brett ran from Andie when he thought he had carelessly taken advantage of her. But now he had obviously taken out his own pain on a kid who was still coming to terms with his new life. That was unforgivable, even with the circumstance Brett thought he was in.

  “Hey.” Jesse made Brett aware of his presence.

  “At last.” He held up the bottle in salute. “The avenging hero has arrived.”

  “You are such an asshole.”

  “You finally noticed? I can’t believe it took you so long.”

  “Shut up, Brett.”

  “Or what? You gonna do something if I don’t? Well, go for it. Give it your best shot. Wait, let me put this down. I don’t want to waste any.” He carefully placed the bottle at the back of the counter. “Okay. I’m ready now.” When Jesse didn’t move, he lurched toward him. “What’s the matter? Don’t feel right, taking the first swing? Maybe this’ll help.” Brett lifted his fist and tried to aim for Jesse’s chin.

  “You stupid son of a bitch,” Jesse swore as he trapped Brett against the wall, his arm across his throat. His other arm was raised, fist clenched, ready to strike.

  Flynn had been unable to resist following Jesse after he went into Brett’s house. He stood watching.

  Brett stood passively, waiting for the first blow as if nothing Jesse did would be enough to serve as the punishment he thought he deserved. Jesse saw the pleading in his friend’s eyes, silently begging him to inflict some damage. Unmoving, Jesse struggled to control the rage he knew wouldn’t solve a thing.

  “Jesse,” Flynn said softly. “You probably shouldn’t do that.”

  Slowly, Flynn’s presence registered. Jesse heard his words. Releasing Brett, he let go of the tension that had been building. “You’re right, Flynn. Thanks for not listening to me when I asked you to wait outside.”

  “Fuck,” Brett muttered as he reached for the bottle. “A guy can’t ever get a break.”

  “That’s enough.” Jesse wrenched the alcohol from his grasp and poured it down the drain. “Listen carefully.” He gave Brett no option as he stood inches in front of him. “Tish is lying about everything. Andie discovered it and came to tell you. She was supposed to bring you with her so I could give you the hard evidence you’d need to expose the fraud of your situation.”

  “Oh God,” Brett shuddered as he processed what Jesse told him. “Aw fuck!” he cried as he stared hopelessly at his one remaining friend.

  “Damn right,” Jesse agreed. “You are going to take a shower and pull yourself together while Flynn and I discuss some things.”

  “Flynn,” Brett voice cracked, obviously replaying his earlier statements in his head.

  “Focus on me here,” Jesse commanded. “When I get back you are going to be ready to present yourself as the respectable man I know you still are. I’m going to take you back to the city. Along the way I will give you the rest of the details about Tish. After a brief stop with Andie, you are going to figure out how to get Tish to your office where we are going to present her with all the things I have with me.

  “Then you are going to straighten out all the other messes in your life. By that, I mean the way you’re tearing yourself apart needlessly by holding on to the job I know you’re more than ready to leave behind. You’re going to explain to your best friend and his big brother why you didn’t turn to them in the first place. You’re going to apologize to Miss Sadie for neglecting her and excluding her when you know she would have supported you in any way possible. And then you’re going to find a way to fix the two biggest things that are left.

  “I’m going to tell Flynn everything in a few minutes but only you will be able to prove you were lashing out at yourself and find a way to make it up to him. Finally, you are going to do whatever it takes to get Andie to forgive you. Not that you deserve her, but that woman loves you. In the Kiley and Alyssa kind of way. Or she did before you ripped out her heart.”

  Brett didn’t try to hide the tears that ran down his face. Everything he was feeling played across his features as he relived the recent events in his messed up life.

  “Brett.” Jesse squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll do this one step at a time. I’ll help you.”

  “Why?” Brett whispered, finally meeting his eyes.

  “Because we’re friends and you need me.”

  Brett heard the sincerity in his words. “Thanks, Jesse. I-I know—”


  “Save it for later. Flynn and I are taking off now but I promise, I’ll be back. You be ready.” He waited for Brett to nod before guiding Flynn from the house.

  * * * * *

  “Hey,” Wyatt said when he saw Andie open her eyes.

  “Who? Why?” She blinked in confusion at the man holding her in Jesse’s guestroom.

  “I’m Wyatt. You were restless so I stretched out here in case you needed anything. When you rolled over against me, I stayed so I wouldn’t wake you.”

  “Where is everyone else?”

  “Holly and Dwayne had to get to work. Frank is trailing Tish.”

  “Where’s Jesse?”

  “He, um, well…”

  Andie sat up, pulling away from him. “Wyatt?”

  “He went to get Brett. He thought he would make it back before you woke up and wanted to make it easier on you.”

  “Damn him!” Andie hopped from the bed. “He promised he’d wait for me. How could he do this!”

  “Now calm down, Andie.” Wyatt retreated to the living room.

  “I will not calm down. Do you know what it’s like when no one bothers to listen to you? Do you have any idea how furious I am?”

  “Well, I—”

  “No! I’m sure you don’t. That’s it.” She stomped back to her room and changed her clothes. “I’m done being everybody’s doormat. If they think I’m going to just sit around while they go traipsing around, ignoring me, then they’re about to see just how wrong they are.”

  “I think Jesse would want you to wait for him here.”

  “I. Don’t. Care.” Andie glared at him. “Are you willing to try to stop me? Let me assure you that, if you do, I will find you as soon as this is over and I will make your life a living hell. Do you want that, Wyatt?”

  “Um, no, but it doesn’t really make sense for you to drive all the way there and turn right around to come back with them.”

  “Then you have nothing to worry about. If you think I plan on spending another second with either of them, you are sadly mistaken.” Andie found the keys. “I don’t know where I’m going after I say what’s on my mind, but it won’t be anywhere near where they are. And if you even think about calling Jesse to tell him I’m on my way, I will be even worse than I would be if you tried to keep me here.”

  “Andie,” Wyatt stalled as if considering whose anger would be worse, hers or Jesse’s.

  “Now what?” She stalked closer, her chest heaving as her fury grew.

  “Well, um, I just wanted to ask you to calm down for a minute. If I let you drive when you’re this excited and something happens to you, it’ll be my fault. Don’t do that to me, please.”

  Andie actually smiled, instantly more controlled. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I should thank you for watching out for me. I really do know I shouldn’t be taking this out on you.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, well. I’m here.”

  She surprised him by giving him a hard hug. “Thanks. If I bother to speak to him, I’ll make sure Jesse knows you tried to talk me into staying here with you.”

  “I can handle him,” he declared as he held her to him. “You’re quite a woman. I’m glad to see you again, even if it is like this.”

  “Me too.” She kissed his cheek, making him blush. “Maybe we should get together sometime. Jesse says you don’t talk much and, at the moment, I think I’d like to hang out with someone like that.”

  He laughed. “Any time.” He released her. “Drive carefully and go give ’em hell, tiger.”

  “I will,” she stated as she left him standing in the middle of the room.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Andie’s anger grew all the way to Brett’s house. When she pounded on the door, she was beyond livid.

  “Andie.” Brett was clearly surprised to see her.

  “You promised,” she growled.

  “Yes, but, um, why don’t you come in and sit down?”

  “No. I’d rather you come out here so I can show you something.”

  “All right,” Brett said, stepping onto the porch.

  “Down here.” Andie moved to the yard. “Tell me to my face why you left this morning.”

  “Andie.”

  “Just say it!”

  “I was a coward. I couldn’t face you.”

  “Why?”

  “Can’t we do this inside?”

  “Why?”

  “I thought I took advantage you,” he admitted, forcing himself to meet her eyes.

  “You thought you raped me,” she corrected. Andie held her arms in front of her. “Try to capture my wrists like you did in the kitchen.”

  Brett saw the realtor he had called to arrange for the sale of this house getting out of his car at the curb. “Andie.”

  “Do it. Now,” Andie demanded. “Go on, Brett. I’m waiting.”

  Jesse and Flynn pulled up behind the car Andie was driving. “This can’t be good,” Jesse stated as they got out.

  “I don’t see why, but if that’s what you want,” Brett agreed as he approached her. Before he even saw her move, Andie had him pinned, face down on the ground, with his arm wrenched behind him.

  “Care to revise your opinion?” Andie pressed harder. “Do you seriously believe there was any way you would have touched me at all if I hadn’t want you to?”

  “Excuse me,” the realtor cleared his throat. “If this is a bad time, I could come back later.”

  “Don’t bother.” Andie turned to him without releasing the pressure on Brett’s arm. “This house is not for sale.” She had noticed the sign in his hand.

  “But—” He took a step toward her.

  Shane joined Jesse and Flynn where they were leaning against the car. “Interesting,” he noted as he watched the scene in front of them. “You taught her well. Looks like she may have dislocated his shoulder. Think she’ll keep at it until she seriously hurts something?”

  “I said this house is not for sale.” Andie sounded deadly. “And unless you want to find yourself in an even more awkward position, I suggest you take that damn sign back to that damn car, tear up the damn papers in your damn hand, and forget all about this damn house.”

  “Oh, um, all right,” He retreated rapidly.

  “Andie,” Brett managed, his teeth gritted against the tremendous pain he was in.

  “I was so excited yesterday, when I thought I could tell you what I overheard. I thought you’d be happy with me.” She kept pushing at his shoulder. “I thought we were sharing something special. I thought you might finally see how I felt about you. I thought you might actually feel a little of the same, with what you made happen.” She fought back her tears. “I was a fool. I should have let you marry Tish. If you’re that shallow and blind to what was really going on, she’s the sort of woman you should be with.” She let go of his arm and just stared at him for a minute.

  “Slip in the back of her car, Flynn,” Jesse whispered, not wanting her to drive when she was that upset but knowing he couldn’t stop her. “When she stops at a stop sign, let her know you’re there. See if you can get her to go to Jordan’s. Tell her Brett and I won’t bother her. I’ll call her later.”

  “Go ahead.” Shane understood what Jesse was hoping to do. “If you wind up back in the city, go inside immediately and call me.” Flynn nodded and did as he was told.

  “Goodbye, Brett. Have a nice life. I’m sorry that last night was so unpleasant for you.” Andie walked away from him without looking back. When Jesse approached her at the car, hoping to distract her so she wouldn’t see Flynn, she told him, “There’s nothing you can say that will restore my trust. I’ll get my things sometime, if you’ll have Holly tell me when you’ll be away. I’ll leave your keys and your car then.” When he held out his hand to her, Andie shook her head and slid behind the wheel, still glaring.

  “Care to tell me what this is all about?” Shane asked, watching Brett struggle to his feet.

  “Not mine to tell,” Jesse stated as he st
arted toward Brett. “I could use your help for a minute but then I’m going to have to ask you to go home and wait for him to explain.”

  “Is there anything else I can do to help?” Shane knew better than to press Jesse for more.

  “Nope. Flynn and I will take care of them today. The rest is up to him. Guess she wiped out any remaining doubts.” Jesse motioned for Shane to brace Brett’s back while he manipulated Brett’s arm. “Guess you also know what we’ve been doing with all the time we spent together the past few weeks.” With a quick jerk and a loud snap, Jesse popped his shoulder back into place.

  “Bet that hurt.” The color drained from Brett’s face. “Think I’ll try to stay on her good side. Jesse, call if you change your mind. Brett, I’ll be looking forward to the whole story.” Shane made it clear that he expected an explanation soon before he walked back toward his house at the other end of the block.

  * * * * *

  Flynn waited until Andie stopped at an intersection a few blocks away. He began to sing the nursery rhyme his sister had been singing non-stop all morning. He sang softly at first, gradually increasing the level of his voice, hoping not to frighten her.

  “H-hello?” Andie asked through her sobs.

  “It’s Flynn.” He moved from the floor and sat up.

  “Why are you in my car?”

  “Jesse told me to hide in here. I heard Dad tell Mom once that it’s not a good idea to drive and cry at the same time. Jesse must think that too.”

  “You can get out now.”

  “I don’t think I should.”

  “Flynn.” Andie’s anger wasn’t completely gone and he was bringing it back to the surface.

  He slid to the far side of the seat so she couldn’t reach him. “There’s a car behind us.”

  Andie drove through the intersection and pulled to the curb before she turned to face him again. “I’m fine now so you can go.”

  “Um, I don’t think I should yet.”

  “I don’t believe this,” she said mostly to herself. “Look Flynn, you need to get out of this car. I mean it!”