Freefall

  “Scoundrel,” I wrote.

  “Pretty much.”

  I motioned with my head toward the door.

  “Yeah, let’s get going. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home?”

  “I’m sure,” I wrote. “I’ll be fine.”

  We climbed into his Mustang, and I wrote down the street name with the bus stop.

  We drove in silence for a few blocks and then Nix spoke. “I wish you’d just leave him.” He stared straight ahead at the road as he spoke. “I could take care of you until you found some work. The Zany Lucy isn’t much, but it’s got a kitchen and a bathroom.”

  I pulled out my paper pad. Lately my lack of speech had become more and more frustrating, and at this moment tears welled up in my eyes. I pulled the pen across the paper. The vigor at which I wrote had silenced Nix. He pulled over to the curb near the bus stop and put the car in park.

  I ripped the paper off the pad. “Don’t’ you see? Lincoln only wants to take care of me too. But I want to take care of myself. It would not be so easy to leave him. Lincoln is a business man.” I held up the next paper. “He wants a return on his investment. Lincoln pulled me off the streets. I was homeless and strung out, and I would have been dead by now.”

  Nix was so incredibly handsome even disappointment looked good on him. Then his eyes darkened with sadness. “God, you’ve really been to hell and back, haven’t you?”

  The tone of his words brought tears to my eyes. He wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb. “All I know, Scotlyn, is that I want you in my life.”

  I leaned over the console and kissed him. The bus roared past and rattled the windows on his car.

  “Will you be at Nana’s tomorrow?”

  I nodded and kissed him quickly once more before climbing out of the car. The hiss of the bus’s breaks split the hot summer air and the door opened. I hurried my pace.

  “Scotlyn, wait.”

  I spun around, and Nix had caught up to me in several long strides. He took hold of my arms. “I can’t get through the night on that little kiss.” His mouth came down over mine, and he kissed me. A chorus of cheers and whistles erupted on the bus. He lifted his face from mine and a silent laugh bubbled up from my chest.

  “One day soon, I’m going to hear the sound of that laugh.” He released my arms, and I hurried to get on the bus. More cheers met me as I stepped inside, and my face felt red hot. I plopped down low in the front seat. My phone buzzed, and I yanked it out anxiously. But it was Lincoln.

  “When will you be home?”

  “An hour.” I stuck the phone back in my pocket and tried not to think about the grief and lectures he would give me once I got home. I would relish the next hour on the noisy, bumpy bus where I was free from his control. I sat back and my chin rested against my chest. The scent of Nix’s soap drifted up from the fabric of my dress, and I took a deep breath. I was even crazy about his soap.

  ***

  I knew Lincoln was waiting for me to return, but still, I shuffled along the streets toward home. I plodded up the long, winding driveway as if I was returning to my cell after a little freedom in the jail yard. There was a fancy blue sedan in the driveway that I had never seen before. Maybe Lincoln had wanted to know when I’d be home so he could entertain in my absence.

  The massive front door swung open before my foot hit the first step. I cringed as Lincoln’s face appeared. I was ready for him to tear into me, but instead he greeted me with fake joy. I would have preferred anger.

  “Hey, Babe, there you are. I missed you.” He took hold of my arm and though his tone was sweet, his grasp was harsh. Then he leaned close to my ear and dropped his voice to a whisper. “We’ll talk more about this job later.” His voice returned to forced happiness. “Come on in. I want you to meet Beverly.”

  His fingers bit painfully into my arm as he pulled me along to the living room. An expensively dressed woman with red hair and lipstick to match was sitting on the white leather sofa with a glass of wine. There were four large catalogs sitting on the table in front of her. She uncrossed her legs and stood to greet me. “Oh my, she will definitely make a beautiful bride.”

  I shot Lincoln my what the hell look, which he recognized immediately.

  “Scotlyn, this is Beverly Richards. She’s a wedding planner.”

  My stomach turned in on itself, and Lincoln knew he’d gotten some revenge for my day away. He squeezed my arm once before releasing me. His fingerprints remained on my skin. “Remember our little deal?” he asked with a revolting smirk. “Beverly is going to help you plan our wedding.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Nix

  “I’ve got a booth at Ranger’s. Where are you?” Dray texted.

  “I’m pulling in the driveway.” Dray had talked me into a steak and beer, which, considering I hadn’t eaten any lunch, wasn’t hard to do. I’d had a much better use for my lunch break, and Scotlyn’s kiss had gotten me through the rest of my work day. Only now, all I could think about was her lips and how hungry I was for more.

  Clutch’s big head jutted up over the back of the booth, and I headed toward them. Two girls, Gina and Kiley, were sitting in the booth with Dray and Clutch.

  Gina smiled up at me with her very white teeth. We’d gone out a few times, but it had never gone further than that. “Oh good, Nix is here.” She patted the seat next to her, and I slid into the booth.

  Dray looked over at her with disgust. “So, the entire evening was a bust, but now that Nix is here, everything is great.”

  Gina sipped her margarita and laughed. “No, you and Clutch are very cute too, but Nix is just— well, he’s Nix.”

  Dray pushed the basket of chips toward her. “Here just eat and drink your syrup on ice. It’s better if you don’t say anymore.”

  Clutch powered back a beer and sighed with satisfaction. “Hey, you started it by bringing it up, idiot.” He reached for a handful of chips and looked at me. “Got a bite on the Pontiac, but I don’t want to say anymore. Might jinx it.”

  “Great. Did you order?” I asked.

  “Yep, and I ordered your usual for you,” Clutch said.

  “Good, I’m starved. It was a long day at work.”

  Now that the girls were tucked in between us, they both had to get up to go to the bathroom. Both Dray and I had to slide out of the booth. They left, and Dray held his ribs as he maneuvered back in.

  “So, how was everything down at the harbor?” I asked. “Did everyone meet on John’s boat about the fee increase?”

  Dray shrugged. “I heard a bunch of yapping over there, so I guess so. I slept most of the day. I’m fucking tired of sleeping all day.”

  Clutch looked at him with a handful of chips in his mouth. “You’re tired of sleeping? That is just plain stupid.”

  Dray put up his hand to block any flying chips. “Swallow first, Buddy. And yeah, it is possible to be tired of it.” He took a drink of beer and leaned back against the seat. “I’m dying to get in the ring again.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not peeling you off of anymore gym floors or driving you to anymore hospital rooms,” I said. “You’re on your own if you step back into that ring before you heal up.”

  “Shit, you sound like my mother,” Dray said. “No, I take that back. My mom would never have taken me to the ER in the first place. Just put a bag of ice on that broken arm,” he said in a fairly accurate imitation of his mom’s voice. “It’ll be fine. Can’t afford no doctor’s bills.” He laughed at his impersonation. “Hey, did Cassie miss having me around the office today?”

  “Oh yeah, we were both heartbroken about the absence of our annoying office mascot.”

  “I didn’t ask if you missed me. I asked if Cassie had.”

  I shot an all-knowing look at Clutch and then looked back at Dray. “To tell you the truth, she spent a lot of time talking about that new guy she’s dating. Didn’t have much time to talk about you.” Of course it was a big lie but I decided to give him something
to worry about.

  Dray’s lips pulled tight. “Is that right? Well, good for her. Glad she’s found someone.”

  “Right,” I said.

  “In what world could you possibly imagine Cassie and me together? We are total opposites.”

  “Opposites attract,” Clutch muttered.

  “Yeah, well not these opposites. I wish her luck with this guy.” He shot back his beer and slammed the mug on the table then pointed to it to cue the waitress for more. “Nix, if you’re not interested in Gina then I think I’m going to invite her back to the boat tonight.”

  “Be my guest.”

  Clutch laughed. “You’ve got broken ribs.”

  “So? I’ll just lay back and let her do all the work,” Dray said.

  Clutch glowered down at him in disgust. “I’m surprised there aren’t girls just lining up at your door.”

  Dray grabbed a handful of chips. “Shut the hell up. At least I don’t chase minors.”

  Clutch tensed and the entire booth vibrated with it. “Your fucking brain has been bruised too often. You don’t even make sense.”

  Happy hour was ending, and the noise in the bar was rising with the level of drunkenness in the place. “Come on,” I said over the clamor, “just lay off each other. You both have issues when it comes to girls.”

  “We have issues?” Dray said. “Are you kidding me? Look in the mirror lately?”

  “Yeah, at least we’re not having fantasies about some rich guy’s girlfriend,” Clutch piled on.

  “At least I’m not in denial. At least I know what I want.”

  Dray finished his second beer. “Yeah, you want what someone else already has.”

  Gina and Kiley returned to the table, and the three of us fell silent. Gina flashed me a fairly bitchy smile and reached past me for her drink. Kiley leaned over the table to grab hers. “Some guys at the bar offered to buy us our dinners and the next round, so we’re moving over there,” Kiley said.

  “Yeah, whatever,” Dray said coldly.

  Gina looked down at me. “Call me sometime, Nix.”

  I didn’t respond.

  “Shit,” Dray grumbled, “when did we start sitting at the loser’s table. In high school people fought to sit with us in the quad.”

  “Now, how the hell would you remember that from the four days you attended high school?” Clutch asked.

  Sherry, the waitress, brought our steaks and placed them on the table in front of us.

  “Sherry,” Dray asked, “do we look like losers?”

  Sherry smiled as she placed the last plate down. She straightened and glanced at me before turning back to Dray. “You don’t look like losers to me.”

  “Really?” Dray was really on a roll tonight. Maybe he did need some hard time in the ring. “You had to look at Nix to decide that? I’ll have you know that when my eye isn’t swollen and my nose is in the right place, this face is real pretty.”

  “Of course you’re pretty, Sweetie.” She winked at him. “You’re just not as pretty as Nix. Do you boys need anything else?”

  “We’re good.” Dray slumped down in the seat. He looked at Clutch who was already halfway through his steak. “Do you fucking believe this?”

  Clutch’s mouth was nicely stuffed for conversation. “Don’t act so surprised. You know we just hung out with the guy because chicks flocked to him. Oh, and because Nana was so cool.”

  “Great, this conversation is definitely helping my loser status.” My phone buzzed and I picked it up.

  “Someone is sure anxiously watching his phone tonight,” Clutch said.

  I ignored his comment and read the text.

  “I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I keep having visions of you in that Batman underwear.”

  “Hey, I was pretty damn amazing in those superhero briefs.” I sent it and wrote again. “Was he pissed when you got home?” Scotlyn had insisted that Hammond would never hurt her, but I didn’t trust the guy at all.

  “It wasn’t good. But I don’t care. I’ll be there tomorrow. Sleep tight tonight.”

  “Hell, I haven’t slept tight since you walked into my shop.”

  “Look Clutch, I think he’s blushing,” Dray said.

  I put the phone away. “Eat your steak and shut up.”

  He continued to stare at me. “Clutch and I will understand if you need to go have a few moments alone in the bathroom.”

  “What the hell is it with you two and public bathrooms?” I asked.

  Dray looked confused. “Huh?”

  “Nothing, just be quiet. This conversation couldn’t get any stupider if we tried.” I stabbed my steak with my fork and sawed at it with my knife. We sat like three moping losers at the loser’s table and ate.

  CHAPTER 18

  Scotlyn

  I’d spent two hours sitting with the wedding planner nodding in agreement to everything she’d suggested. The woman had no idea how to deal with a client who couldn’t speak, so she just did all the talking, and I just agreed. None of it mattered to me, and Lincoln knew it. He’d gone out for the night and left me alone with Beverly. I’d sighed with relief when she picked up her twenty pounds of catalogs and her planning sheet and climbed back in to her sedan.

  I’d gotten up early to slip out before Lincoln woke only to discover that he wasn’t in the bed. I walked out onto the balcony and glanced down at the driveway. His car wasn’t there. He’d never gotten home. It wasn’t the first time. I was relieved. I would hurry and get ready. With any luck, I’d be out of the house long before he returned.

  I climbed into the shower and was leaning my head back with closed eyes to rinse out my hair when two hands took hold of my waist. I gasped and slipped back against the shower handle, bruising my back. A small sharp sound came from my throat as I groaned in pain.

  Lincoln was naked. His eyes were bloodshot, and he smelled of a mixture of booze, perfume, and smoke. “Sorry, Babe, I was just trying to surprise you.”

  Tears of pain flowed from my eyes as I stepped out of his grasp and grabbed a towel. I pressed my hand against my back and wiped the tears with the end of the towel.

  He slammed his hand against the faucet to turn off the water and stepped out of the shower. “I can’t even fucking touch you anymore without you jumping.”

  I cried harder and lifted my fists and sprung open my fingers to show surprise.

  His face softened. It was rare to see him with a five o’clock shadow, and I was amazed at how much more real it made him look. But it wasn’t thick enough to cover the massive hickey on his neck. “I’m sorry, Scotlyn. Let me see how bad it is. It probably needs some ice.” He reached for the towel, but I pushed his hand away. “I haven’t even seen the tattoo I paid a damn fortune for. Not to mention, I had to sit and watch that asshole touch you for three nights.”

  If I hadn’t been so upset and in pain, I would have laughed at the irony of his statement. If the man only knew just how badly I craved Nix’s touch. It was Lincoln’s touch I loathed, and it was becoming obvious to him, only his arrogance always seemed to push him to that ignorant state of denial.

  I tried to shoo him out of the bathroom so I could finish getting ready, but he reached for my arm and tried to kiss me. His breath was stale, and I turned my face away.

  He released me. “What the fuck?”

  I pointed to his neck. I really couldn’t have given a damn about the hickey, but it was my excuse for not letting him touch me.

  He pointed to his neck. “What this? Yeah, that’s right. I’ve got to sleep with other women because you are such a frigid bitch lately.” And then fatigue from being up all night seemed to suck the anger out of him. He stared at me with that expression that made me feel more sorrow than hate.

  I flinched as he reached past me for a tissue. He handed it to me, and I wiped my eyes.

  “Are you going to sit with that old lady again?” he asked wearily.

  I nodded.

  “I don’t want you to get on the bus. I left som
e money on the nightstand for a taxi. I’m tired as shit and I’m going to bed, but tonight, I want to know more about this job.” He shuffled out to the bed and plopped down, and I released the breath I’d been holding. His all-nighter had worked in my favor . . . for today at least.

  My back hurt badly. I couldn’t see it too well in the mirror, but the skin felt warm to the touch. I could save myself the brutal ride in the bus by using the money for a taxi, but the bus still sounded more inviting, sore back and all. I downed a couple of aspirin to numb the pain and walked to the bus stop.

  The bus driver managed to hit every pothole and dip at full speed, and I had to turn to my side and sit awkwardly to avoid the pain. The morning before, I’d gotten on the bus feeling excited and hopeful, but today had started out so badly, I’d sunk into a dark mood. I’d allowed myself to become Lincoln’s prisoner so I could have a roof over my head, and my silence had kept me under that roof. I knew Lincoln well enough to be certain he wouldn’t let me just walk out of his life. A feeling of dread crept up every time I thought about leaving.

  I stared out the window and braced myself against the side of the bus hoping to cushion some of the movement. My eyes ached as I fought back tears. I picked up my phone. “Will I see you today?” I wrote.

  “I’ll try to get away from the shop for awhile. Everything all right?”

  Tears rolled down my face, and I wiped them away with the palm of my hand. I could cry right in front of Lincoln and it would take him awhile to notice that I was upset. Nix could sense my agony with a five word text. “I just need your arms around me. I need the man who can hear me even when I can’t speak.”

  There was a pause. “Where are you?”

  “I’m on the bus. I’m fine. Just having a self-pity moment. Really bad morning.” I cried harder now. “I miss the sound of your voice. I miss the sound of my voice.”

  The phone rang and the unfamiliar sound of it startled me. “Scotlyn,” his deep voice was soothing, and I closed my eyes and covered my open ear to drown out the clamor of the bus. “I will take you from him, Scotlyn,” he said with quiet confidence.