Mercy

by Debra Anastasia

  Animal disappeared for a bit and returned with a laptop from downstairs He fed me the address that I normally had memorized. I was fucked up.

  I was still able to get the security cameras providing a feed for me. I could only see her foot, but the reflection on the living room mirror showed me the back of her head. She was safe. For now. I had no audio. I couldn’t see her face.

  “Was she mad at me?” I wanted her to have her phone. She needed her app. It was what she did when she was stressed.

  “No, she wasn’t mad. I think she was confused, though. It was a whirlwind for you both.” Animal sat on the plush chair I had in my room.

  “Feels like it was a dream.” I put the laptop next to me on the bed. I wouldn’t turn off the feed.

  “What the hell was going on with you? What happened when I was downstairs?” He leaned forward in the chair.

  I looked at my feet for a while before shifting on the bed. “I had a memory of my mom come back to me that I haven’t thought about in forever.”

  “Damn.”

  Animal frowned.

  “She was trying to get out. Get us away from him, you know? Shit, he was such a vicious bastard. We got away for about six months. Long enough for her to have my sister. Then she gave Ember to my aunt the day before my dad found us. So my sister was at least out of his reach.” I shook my head.

  His presence in this town was killing me. My sister lived here. Becca lived here. And I let him walk out my front door. What kind of man was I?

  I must have said my concerns because Animal was addressing them. “Listen. I know this is like the be-all and end-all for you, but I’m here with one hundred percent focus. I know you like to call the shots, but I got your girls covered. I’m calling in a few favors. They’ll have Nix-level surveillance while we manage this, okay?” He put his hand behind his neck. “You have my word, brother.”

  “I’m a lot of fucking work.” I felt like my whole body was giving up. My brain, my heart.

  “You were as broken as fuck when I met you. You’re not broken anymore. You’re still human, though. And I think you need to put your ass in that bed for a few fucking minutes. Heal your head with some rest. Then you’ll be in fighting form.” Animal pointed at the bed behind me with his pinkie.

  “I need to get downstairs. I need to talk to Becca.” I started to stand.

  Animal beat me to it and stood in front of me. “Bones, it was more than a memory of your mom before. When you were standing here, you looked like a ghost. You scared me. What really happened?” He pushed on my shoulder so I sat back down.

  I decided to tell him because one of us needed to know all the facts to keep Becca and Ember and Christina safe.

  “I thought I came downstairs. I thought I started to kill him. I could see the blood. I could feel his bones cracking.” I shrugged.

  “That bastard did shit to you when you were a kid. Your brain tries to protect itself.” His manner darkened. “I wish I’d handled that in a more final way for you.”

  I snapped my attention to his face. “It has to be me.” We were both talented killers. Animal was more than capable of ending my father. “I need it.”

  “Okay. For now. But if it’s changing you too much, he’s mine. And if that ends our friendship, I’ll take that punishment.” Animal had all his walls down. I saw the kid who made fun of my nightgown when we were teenagers and then coldcocked the kid standing next to him who had repeated the joke.

  “Nothing will ever end our friendship. You know that.” I stood and held out my arm.

  “If this bastard makes you lose your mind, I will not have it.” Animal grabbed my arm and pulled me into a man hug. “You go around protecting all your girls, but your bony ass is mine to protect.”

  Animal and I had each other. Thank fuck.

  29

  MOUTH ON MINE

  Becca

  Henry shooed Dick out of the room as soon as she could.

  “I was kidding about the vegetable dick comparisons, but what the hell happened?” We sat on the couch. She put her feet on the coffee table and one of the pet raccoons crawled next to her. She petted it absentmindedly.

  I put my feet up as well. I should’ve asked to borrow her shower. Borrow her clothes. Instead, I was in his baggy stuff with his touch still on my skin.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “No kidding. Tell me about the sex.” Henry made a rude hand gesture.

  “There should be a different word for what we did than sex. Mind bending, body shuddering filth but with a touch of tenderness. My lady cave is in an orgasm coma.” I picked at my nail polish.

  “Sweet Jesus.” Henry grabbed my hand. “How many times?”

  “Did we have sex or that I had orgasms?” I made pouty lips at her.

  She looked me up and down and used my hand and her hand to start a round of applause.

  I pulled away. She was coaxing a smile out of me.

  “Did he put it in your butt?” Henry shifted and sat on the coffee table so we were face to face. The little raccoon crawled over to me and rubbed up against my thigh. I petted it on the back and it seemed to like it.

  “No, there was a second there that I thought he might. I was so turned on I was interested in him putting everything anywhere.” I thought about him holding me on his shoulder, staring at my most intimate parts. Tingles from my toes to my scalp.

  “Why are you telling me these great things and then looking like someone kicked your puppy right afterwards?” Henry was good at assessing me.

  “Well, that amazing skull paint job?”

  “Yeah?” Henry’s eyes were wide.

  “That’s not paint. It’s all tattoos.” I gestured to my face.

  Her jaw dropped. “No shit.”

  “Yes. Shit.” I felt myself frowning.

  “Your mother’s going to literally have a cow. She will give birth to a full-grown, milk squirting cow.” Henry covered her mouth.

  I rolled my eyes. “I can’t even picture her meeting him. I have to call her. See if Alton’s still around.”

  Henry and I got the heebie-jeebies at the same second. Picturing my mom having sex was not something either of us wanted to do.

  “That’s crazy. That’s a commitment.” Henry shook her head thinking about Nix’s ink.

  “His whole body is covered. He’s got like the whole skeleton.” I left out that my name was on his chest. That seemed too intimate.

  “Oh my gosh. Is his pecker inked?” Henry put her hands between her legs.

  I shook my head. Speaking of too intimate. “No, that’s just skin. Same with the balls.”

  Henry turned her head sideways and slid her lips to the side. “Somebody got a nice, close look at the goods.”

  I knew what she wanted. I grabbed a magazine off the table and rolled it to the approximate girth. Then I held it out and decided that the length was also pretty freaking close to what Nix was packing.

  Henry’s whole face lit up. She acted like I’d just announced my engagement. “Oh, sweetie! Congratulations! That’s so good for you.” She unrolled the magazine and used it to fan herself.

  I gave her the middle finger.

  She ignored it. “Were the balls nice? I mean, he keeps them up? They smelled okay?”

  I hit my forehead with my palm. She’d pick at me until I answered. I did the same to her when she first slept with Dick. “They were good. Not too big. I was able to gargle them. I mean, they smelled fine. I doubt Yankee Candle’s creating a ball scented line anytime soon, but I was pleased.”

  I looked at Henry and then past her to where Dick was standing in the living room with a shocked expression. Henry turned and we watched as he executed a military turn and hurried from the room.

  Both Henry and I started laughing like only two girls talking about dicks and balls could.

  It took us a good five minutes before we could stop bursting into laughter. Finally, Henry got back to what was concerning her. “He’s a tattoo enthusias
t. That’s cool, right? How was his place?”

  “It was a mansion.” I exhaled loudly.

  “Oh, damn.” Henry tilted her head side to side while she considered the information. “That’s a real interesting combination. Rich and completely a skull-based situation there. What does he do for a living?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know.”

  “You were too busy being a cock pocket to get the details?” Henry rolled up the magazine again.

  “He wouldn’t tell me.” I think I preferred the cock pocket excuse.

  “That’s a bit damning. Shit, your mom’s just…” Henry made a face like she’d just eaten a lemon.

  I put my elbows on my knees and my hands in my hair. “I can’t even start to think about her right now. And then this morning he had me removed, basically. Because he had some sort of unexpected guest.”

  “A woman? Is he married?” Henry moved the raccoon and sat next to me. She held my hand, then let go of it. “This is sticky. That’s pecker juice, isn’t it?”

  I looked at my hand. “No. God, I washed my hands.” I didn’t wash my vagina, though, and I didn’t want to. “Your pet here has this stuff on his back.”

  Henry bent and sniffed the offending raccoon. “That’s honey. He got into it again, I bet.”

  She picked up the hairy thing and excused herself. It sounded like Dick was going to be the raccoon car wash.

  I sat in the living room by myself and felt like I was being watched. Looking around, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. After I leaned forward, I started rubbing my hands, feeling the sticky honey there. I had to wash my hands. I stood and turned when I felt chills up my spine. It felt like Nix was in the room with me. Like his eyes locked on me like magnets.

  Which was impossible. I shook off the feeling and went into the kitchen to soap up. Henry was behind me, asking if I was hungry. I realized I was starving and took her up on her offer.

  I ate scrambled eggs and toast while listening to Dick and Henry tell me about their latest road rescue—a hawk. My eyes started drooping.

  “You want to catch a nap? You know your room’s always ready.” Henry rubbed my back and took my dishes away from me.

  I thanked her and stood. Instead of my room, I curled up on the couch. I felt closer to Nix there. My eyes closed despite the fact I should call my mother.

  ~Fenix~

  When my eyes snapped open, I checked the feed on Becca immediately. She was still sleeping on Henry and Dick’s couch.

  Animal cleared his throat. He was watching me from the chair. Like I was in a hospital bed or something.

  “She’s good. So is Christina.” He assessed me with clear eyes and I felt embarrassed.

  I’d cried in front of him. I’d lost my mind in front of him. I ran my hand through my hair and messed it up more than it probably was.

  “Don’t shut down, sweetness. It’s all okay.” He stood and stretched.

  “How long you been there?” I used my chin to indicate the chair he’d just vacated.

  “I haven’t left. You’ve been asleep a few hours.” He stepped toward me.

  “What do we know?” I forced myself out of bed. I didn’t want to be diminished in front of this man any longer. I was a leader. He knew he could trust me—well, up until my whole mind had checked out.

  “Feybi’s onto Becca. He may be onto your dad. Whether it’s more sinister than coincidence that your father was the message person today—I don’t know.” Animal bent at the waist and touched the tip of his boots. “He got the message that you visited with Christina—and I think your father was his response.”

  My shoulders tensed. Too many people were involved who didn’t need to be. Ultimately, Feybi wanted me to work for him, and he might just get what he wanted. I felt sabotaged and boxed in.

  “I was hoping he wouldn’t know I saw Christina.” I needed my head on straight so I could think through all the options. Instead, there was only Becca. It was like my life had finally started the second she put her mouth on mine.

  “Looks like we just got a problem, though.” Animal tapped his phone’s screen.

  I waited.

  “Your sister’s not where she said she would be. She was visiting a friend. But T just checked in and said that that the family’s on vacation.” Animal’s expression was cautious. Like he was worried telling me was a mistake.

  I pulled my laptop closer and furiously banged in the commands required for me to find Ember’s phone.

  “Her phone’s down by where we picked up those hookers for fuck’s sake.” I bolted out my bedroom with Animal close on my heels.

  He took the driver’s side of my purple Hummer and I grabbed a hoodie from the hook in the garage and a pair of boots, flinging myself into the passenger side of the vehicle as Animal hit the garage door opener. We were in reverse and flying backwards—barely missing the door on its ascent.

  I checked on the weapons I had stashed in a few places around the Hummer.

  “You had T on her?” I was surprised.

  “T was in the area—we can trust her.” Animal was speaking with a sense of calm and driving like a stunt person.

  I nodded. We’d discuss this later. I didn’t get to pick who watched my girls when I was busy cracking at the foundation.

  We had a ten-minute drive, even at our current speed. I did as much as I could with my laptop. I pulled up a few cameras, but the section of town we were heading to didn’t have many.

  “What the hell’s she doing down there?” I was so concerned that somehow Feybi was involved. Or my father. It was most likely Feybi because Ember’s phone had been at my aunt’s just an hour ago. But now Feybi and my father knew each other so it really could be any combination.

  We followed the phone’s location until we were at Debra and Helena’s corner. The phone was in a public bathroom, according to the map I was looking at. We parked and jumped out.

  For some reason, my baby sister was in a bathroom with two hookers, and I was about to find out why.

  30

  SQUIRREL FRIEND

  Becca

  I woke up with a squirrel between my boobs. Sleeping at Henry and Dick’s was always interesting. After looking at its cute face, I felt the realness of Nix and everything we’d done slam into my head. My heart. My vagina. God, I missed him in my vagina even if it was sore.

  I cupped the squirrel to my chest and sat up. Dick and Henry were in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled delicious. It was time to eat. It was time to go back to my apartment and be myself. But first—I saw my phone on the coffee table. I picked it up and punched in the security code. I dialed Mother Monster. After clicking the icon, I put the phone to my ear. The little squirrel readjusted in my hand, gave me a dirty look, and then resumed his nap.

  “Henry?” My mom had picked up on the first ring.

  “No, it’s me, Mom.” I leaned back against the couch.

  Henry peeked into the living room, figured out what I was doing, and gave me a thumbs-up.

  “Did you get a good rest? Henry said you were tired. She answered your phone before.”

  I heard a deep voice in the background. Alton. My mother assured him it was me and that I was fine.

  “You still have your male caller?” I lifted my eyebrows and clicked my tongue.

  “I do, and it’s been lovely. How are you feeling?” I chatted with my mom about menial things. It was good to connect with her. Her voice grounded me a little.

  When Henry held out a plate of lettuce wraps, I told Mom I’d call her later. I really needed to have a conversation with her about Alton and her treatment for cancer. But for now, we just told each other we loved one another.

  Dick, Henry, and I ate in a companionable silence. I wasn’t going to go into my concerns about Nix with Dick in the room. He was a great guy, but we weren’t that tight. Though I was pretty sure Henry told him anything I told her anyway. After I helped them take the plates to the kitchen, I was ready to go
home. Luckily, Dick and Henry had picked up my car earlier in the day. There was no damage to it; it had been fine in the parking lot.

  “Can I get my keys?” I waited them out as they exchanged skeptical looks. Then it was clear I had to convince them that going home was the right idea. “Listen. The landlord installed the alarm. I got a text that the glass is fixed too. I need to get home, and I’d like to do that before night comes so I’m comfortable.”

  Henry fussed about wanting to stay with me. Dick offered as well. I declined more than once before Henry got my keys from her purse. She walked me out to my car after I gave Dick a hug.

  “Here you go.” She dangled the keys over my open palm. I had my phone in my other hand.

  Now that we were alone, I broached a subject I was afraid of, “Do I still have a job?”

  “As far as I can tell. I eavesdropped on the conversation Bossman had with those investors. The one old investor guy—he was adamant that you keep your job. And Bossman seemed to want to keep him happy.” Henry embraced me hard. “I get you want to go home. You want to take a shower—get in your own clothes, but I’m just a call away. And if you get spooked, we’ll be there.”

  I hugged her back. “I appreciate it. And you know I will. I just feel like I have to take back my space.”

  After a few more hugs, I was able to get in my car and back out of the driveway. There were so many animals in the front yard, I was like I was escaping from Snow White’s house.

  I turned on my radio for the ride home. It was getting close to dinnertime. If I wanted to make food later when I was hungry, I needed to go to the grocery store. The grocery store made me think of Nix. Well, I was already thinking about him. It just tripped my memory back to that first time.

  I recognized his eyes now that I was thinking about it. There was such a haunted look in them. It kind of reminded me of an animal in a cage. And last night I saw that desperation dissipate enough that I recognized happiness.

  I pulled into a takeout joint and got a salad for later. I ordered two drinks too, because tap water was not my favorite. I texted my landlord when I was in the parking lot. I locked my car doors when I saw him come from the office.