Vicious

by Murphy, A. E.

  Ren failed to mention that he got married and divorced all in the same year.

  Poppy doesn’t live in Faceless anymore.

  Patrice is now manager like she always wanted.

  They all have achieved so much in the time I’ve been gone and it’s lovely to see and experience. But it’s also emotionally draining. Even though they don’t blame me outright for leaving, they also don’t understand and eventually we are going to have to have that conversation, but not tonight. It can wait until after my mee-maw’s reading.

  Seeing Matthew for the first time since Righteous Hill is another trigger. I discover this when he walks through the door of the lawyer’s office, utters my name with eyes swimming with tears like he has a right to feel sad and I swing a chair at his head.

  Absolutely one of my finer moments. Especially when it hits his arm and he hits the wall. I mean my brother is all muscle now, because apparently betraying me and his niece, and getting sober after years inside has been good for him.

  I fly at him, unable to stop myself. I claw at him, bite him, kick, punch and hit him over and over again. I lose my shit on an epic scale and even Kane struggles to hold me back.

  My mother sobs like the drama bitch she is. The lawyer just begs us to watch his statue of a naked woman sitting with a donkey. I almost pick it up and beat my brother with that too. I could probably kill him right now and only regret it a little but eventually I simmer down and Kane drags me away as I scream profanities at my brother.

  My throat is sore, my fists are sore, I broke a nail and my hair is no longer as neat as it was.

  “That went well,” Kane comments when we reach the hall and my hysterical crying become hysterical laughter.

  We head out for an hour for a long walk to chill me out and the nostalgia hits me like a ton of bricks. I forgot how everyone knows everyone, so I’m stopped constantly, and people are so nice. Most say sorry for my loss and only one person brings up my loving eulogy to my grandmother at her funeral.

  I expected worse.

  We return and head inside. My temper has regulated itself now so I don’t feel like I might kill my brother again. Though the visible damage on Matthew sure makes me feel a little better about being in the same room as him. He has a black eye, a bruise on his jaw and scratches down his neck.

  He didn’t even try to defend himself because he knew he deserved it.

  “I’m sorry,” he mouths when I sneer at him as the lawyer drones on and on about something but no amount of apologies can fix what he has done to me. I’ll never forgive him but I’ve said everything I needed to say.

  “For Matthew Gabriel Hardy,” the lawyer continues though I wasn’t listening, “I leave what my husband asked me to leave to him and not a penny more, the amount of five-thousand dollars.” He’s reading from a handwritten sheet of paper. “For Mary Hardy, my daughter, I leave my belongings and jewelry, there is a detailed itinerary in Mr. Procter’s care.”

  Mom gapes. She’s clearly disappointed there’s no money. Not even in Mee-maw’s jewelry. She didn’t buy expensive things.

  “She’s joking right?”

  Mr. Procter continues, “For my granddaughter Imogen Mary Hardy, I leave my home and the remainder of my savings, the land upon which my home was built and my bible in the hopes that one day she may find it in her heart to forgive me and perhaps build her family in the one place I tried my hardest to build ours.”

  “That old bitch just had to,” I hiss, shaking my head, feeling my eyes burn.

  Does she really think I’ll raise a kid in that house? Is she insane?

  “This isn’t fair,” Mom breathes.

  “You were as absent as fucking snow in these here parts,” Matthew snaps at her. “Only person who ever spent any time with Mee-maw was Imogen. Makes sense she’d leave it all to her.”

  “So I trust you won’t be disputing the will?” Mr. Procter asks.

  “I won’t be,” Matthew responds, glancing my way.

  “I’ll be homeless!” Mom shrieks sounding panicked.

  “And I grew up motherless,” I reply, feeling a certain amount of power in this situation. “Ain’t life a bitch?”

  Mom gapes at me. “You’re a cruel girl, Imogen.”

  “Calm down, Ma, Immy didn’t say you couldn’t live in the house.” Matthew rolls his eyes but I’m bristling over his name for me.

  “Don’t call me Immy. That name is reserved for people who give a shit about me.”

  Matthew looks down at his shoes and doesn’t respond.

  “Well, this should be quite simple then.” Mr. Procter looks like he wants to be out of this situation now. I don’t blame him. “I just need you all to sign a few things and I’ll move it along.”

  “I thought you’d turn down the money,” Kane whispers as we leave a few minutes after listening to the entirety of the will and the itinerary. It was boring as hell. We bailed the second Mr. Procter stood, mostly because I didn’t want to have to deal with Mom and I especially don’t want to have to deal with Matthew.

  “There’s gotta be two hundred grand in savings if you count the house value,” I reply with a smirk. “If we want to get serious about finding our kid, we need to up our game and for that we need money. The old bitch can pay for it.”

  “Right.” Kane’s eyes light up. “That’s a good point, Immy.”

  “I have good ideas sometimes. My little girly brain can think things.”

  He nudges me with his elbow. “You good?”

  “I’m good.”

  “Imogen,” Matthew calls as we reach the car. “Please wait.”

  “I will stab you, not even kidding,” I reply daringly and yank open the car door.

  Kane blocks my body, protecting me from seeing him and so he’s at a better angle to catch me if I fly at him again.

  “Imogen please,” Matthew begs. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

  I laugh once and climb into the car. “Better move brother or I’ll run your ass over.” I’m not even kidding. I wish I could express my level of hatred for the boy who was once my everything, but it’s too intense for meagre words.

  His hazel eyes shine with emotion. “I know I don’t deserve it. But I miss you. And I’m sorry.”

  “You’re the reason our kid is gone, sorry ain’t a word to make up for that,” Kane puts in and Matthew looks devastated. “Only reason I’m not beating your ass is because I don’t need to be in jail when my girl needs me by her side. But you step foot near us again, I’ll end you. Won’t even think twice about it.”

  Matthew’s lips part and he remains frozen for the longest moment. Then he takes another step towards us, tries to speak, stops himself, turns and walks away. My heart breaks because even though he deserves everything he gets; I still love the boy I once knew, and I don’t ever want to hurt him.

  “Immy,” Matthew mouths, looking as heartbroken as I felt when he left that prison and left me behind. I correct myself mentally because there’s no way he could be as heartbroken as I was back then.

  Kane puts the car in reverse and backs out of the space. I don’t speak as he drives us to the main road, I just stare out of the window while trying to gather myself.

  “The old bitch left me everything,” I utter, letting it sink in.

  I had no idea she’d do that, none at all.

  We pull up the long driveway of an unfamiliar home just a few blocks from Faceless Mechanics. I know the area but I don’t know anybody who lives here. It’s a nice house, has a garage and the driveway could fit a couple of cars. It has two floors and nets in all the windows.

  It seems to be well maintained, could use a fresh coat of paint though. This is why I like having an apartment. I don’t have to worry about maintenance.

  “This is yours?” I question as he pulls the car to a stop halfway down the drive.

  “Sure is. Bought it two years ago.”

  I grin mischievously. “You lived with your parents until two years ago?”

>   “Fuck yeah, wish I still did, got meals, got everything cleaned after me, didn’t have to pay a bill.”

  “Ugh, I’m ashamed to admit you have a point. Adulting sucks.”

  We both climb from the car and he tosses me a set of keys. “Give yourself the tour, I’ve just got to deal with somethin’.”

  “What?”

  “Just somethin’,” he replies cryptically.

  “Oookay,” I drag the word out and move to the house, sticking the key in the lock the second I reach the door and twist.

  Kane has style, I discover as I wander around from room to room. It’s a bit of a bachelor pad but it’s nicely decorated. Especially the living room which is such a man cave but the lazy-boy looks delightful.

  The fridge is empty, I assume Felicia probably did that for him. I heard him ask her to go round and just make sure nothing died inside.

  His bedroom is amazing though the spare room is empty. I sit on his incredible mattress and wonder if it’s the same type he had back in school but bigger. It sure feels the same.

  I help myself to a hot shower, taking my time to steam away the filth that is lingering after that meeting. I lather up my hair, soap down my body, and just hold myself under the heat until I wrinkle and prune.

  “Babe?” Kane calls and when I look up he’s standing there with a towel open for me. “You’ve been in there a really long time.”

  I switch off the water, ring out my hair and slide open the shower door. He immediately wraps me in the fluffy white towel and touches his tongue to the tip of my nose.

  “Any cleaner and you’ll have no skin left,” he comments, holding me even tighter. “Feel better?”

  I nod. “I’m starving, we need to get groceries.”

  “Thought I’d take you to dinner tonight.”

  I laugh lightly and peer up at him with my hands on his chest. “Like a date?”

  “Yep.”

  “Is Kane Jessop asking little ole me on a date?”

  “What’s wrong with wantin’ to take the prettiest girl I ever saw for a good night on the town?”

  Grinning, I cup his face and kiss him softly. “Did you bring my luggage inside?”

  “Yep.”

  “Then I guess I’ll get dressed then.”

  He grins, making his eyes squint at the edges and his lips part slightly showing his perfect teeth. Kane Jessop is the handsomest man in the world.

  I thread my fingers through his hair, detangling the tresses that feel like satin against my skin. He closes his eyes, hiding those incredible blues from my view.

  Stupid O’clock

  Hammering sounds on the door and it isn’t even two-thirty in the morning. I sit bolt upright but Kane is already diving out of bed, grumbling under his breath, and yanking on a clean pair of boxers. I do the same, grabbing a pair of his boxers and a T-shirt but he’s already downstairs.

  “The fuck?” I hear him snarl. “It’s the middle of the fucking night.”

  “Yeah well I can’t sleep for worryin’.” That’s my mom’s voice.

  I make my way downstairs and peer at the botox infested woman standing on Kane’s doorstep.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I question, frowning at her. “Is this a joke?”

  “I just need to know what’s going on with my life now.” She peers at me with eyes slightly unfocused from alcohol I presume. “Are you throwin’ me out?”

  “Throwin’ you out? You’ve got your own apartment haven’t you?”

  “Not anymore, I moved in with your mee-maw to take care of her while she was sick.”

  At that I laugh. “You’re a fuckin’ liar. You stayed and ate her food but the nurses were the ones who took care of her.”

  “I did my bit.”

  “You didn’t do your bit for nobody.” I lean around Kane who is glowering at the woman who failed me my entire life. “Fuck off Kane’s porch, Ma, before I throw you off it.”

  “I’m still your momma!”

  I laugh again. “You’re deluded. Only momma I had was Mee-maw and she was shit too.”

  “Look, I just need to know what I’m doin’.”

  I roll my eyes. “And you couldn’t have asked tomorrow?” Kane grabs my arm when he sees me going to take a step. “You know what the bad thing is? You come here quicker than a bullet when you’re worried about money, but when I called you crying that Mee-maw was beating me, I didn’t see you for weeks and even then you pretended I never called you.”

  “I know I wasn’t the best mother growing up.”

  “Stop actin’ like you were a mother at all,” I yell, feeling my anger rise. I turn to Kane. “Close the door in this bitch’s face.”

  She gasps, a hoarse and disgusted sound. “Don’t you--!”

  The door slams shut. “What a shit ending to an incredible night. Can you believe her?” I stomp my way upstairs with Kane hot on my heels. “Comin’ here at this time to ask about money. Thinks she was any kind of mother.” It’s almost laughable.

  “She’ll be back,” Kane points out and I know he’s right. “She’ll probably contest the will too.”

  “I doubt it. She knows she won’t win. Too many witnesses in this town that would love to speak up against the bitch.”

  He sighs heavily and then yawns. When I climb into bed, he clears his throat, pulling my eyes his way. “Get naked.”

  “I can’t be bothered to m—” With a strong yank, he pulls his boxers down my thighs and tosses them on the floor behind him. “Well okay then.”

  “Sit up, arms up.”

  I like it when he’s bossy.

  With a grin, I do as I’m told, and he yanks his T-shirt off me too. Then he climbs in beside me naked as the day he was born. Just like the past week and just like when we were teens, he rolls onto my back, traps my thigh under his and soon after his breathing evens out. I thought I’d have trouble sleeping what with all the “excitement”, but I fall to sleep faster than a baby on a tit.

  Approximately 3 days later

  I have to leave today. It’s been an amazing few days catching up with old friends and walking around town. The patch is still used as a teenage convivial lot. But for all the joy I’ve had, I don’t see myself moving back here. It’s just too painful and I know Kane wants to come back eventually so I’m wondering now where we go from here.

  I have clients in tomorrow and a life to get back to. A shit life but a life none-the-less.

  My mother, and I use that word in the biological sense, has been working together with Felicia to get Mee-maw’s belongings sorted. I don’t want to step foot in that house again and I’m grateful that I have somebody I can rely on to oversee that shit.

  I told my mom I’m putting it on the market and that I already have a realtor coming to take pictures. Of course, she sobbed and begged me to let her have it. Fat chance. That house is going to a family with no ties to it. I’m hoping the love of a good and happy family can erase the hatred that festers in that place.

  I’m both surprised and unsurprised when Mom shows up at Kane’s again while I’m dragging my luggage towards the open trunk of my car. Kane is coming too, a box in his arms, to keep me company on the drive back and also because Webber would like to talk to us both about some new possible leads. I told Kane not to get his hopes up, if Webber had anything solid, he’d have told us over the phone.

  “What do you want?” I ask her as Kane nudges me to the side and shoves a box right to the back of the empty space.

  “I have a proposition for you,” Mom declares, raising her chin.

  We both stop loading the car and turn to face her.

  “You’re kidding?” I say around a laugh. “What could you possibly have that I could even want from you?”

  “For the house, I’ll tell you what I know about your kid.”

  My spine straightens faster than a flash of lightning can cut through the sky. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. I know how you can find out where she is.”

&nb
sp; My heart starts pounding in my ears as I stare at the woman who looks just like me but has no fucking soul. “You know where my child is?”

  “Not exactly, but I know how you can find her.”

  “Her?” Kane demands, stepping forward. “She’s a girl?”

  “Yes,” Mom answers bravely. “But if you want to know where she is, you’ve got to give me the house.”

  My palms start sweating as a familiar red haze comes down over my eyes. “You evil, manipulative bitch.”

  “I’m just looking after my own skin.”

  I glower at her, hands balling into fists, anger leveling at boiling point. “Mom, my daughter’s whereabouts is still an open case. If I call Agent Webber right now, he will arrest your skanky ass for lying to him all those years ago.”

  “I didn’t know how to find her years ago!” she argues, stepping back when I step forward. “I only just found out.”

  “She’s lying,” Kane snaps but I’m not so sure and neither is he by the cautious tone to his voice.

  “Look, if we get it in writing and you give me the house I will tell you what I know.” Mom raises her hands when I take another step towards her. Kane grabs the back of my shirt, stopping me in my tracks.

  “You don’t need beating up your momma on your conscience,” he says and Mom looks relieved. That is until he adds, “I’ll call Felicia.”

  Her face drops even faster than my spine stiffened when she first made her announcement.

  He pulls out his phone, and her shock becomes worry.

  “You know the worst part about this, Mom, I was going to give you twenty thousand dollars to get back on your feet and hopefully die of an infection from more botched surgery.”

  Her face falls even more.

  “But now you ain’t getting shit.” Kane loosens his hold enough for me to stride towards the woman who gave me life. “Not a single penny of mine will ever be yours. That is your granddaughter. You failed me my entire life, and now you’re failing her. Expect a call from Webber.” I raise my phone and show her the call that has been connected for the past two minutes of this mess. “He’s been listenin’ and you just got your own ass busted.”