Absolute Valor (Southern Justice #3)

by Cayce Poponea

Dylan kicked at me with his bare foot, laughing as he called me a fucker. “You know, I’ve never had a scare like that. Not once in all the years I’ve fucked around have I ever had a girl come to me in a panic.”

  Austin brings his glass to his lips, “Good thing, too. Your son, or daughter, would have been a real asshole.” Dylan got out of his chair and tackled Austin, knocking them both over in the chair as he punched him a few times. We shared a few more drinks and spoke of pranks we’d pulled off when we were younger

  “Granddaddy would have loved Audrey.” Dylan slurred. Half the bottle had managed to disappear during our journey through our childhood. “I meant what I said earlier, momma couldn’t have had Jesus himself make a better girl for you.”

  Austin had passed out thirty minutes ago and we decided to leave him alone. “Have you noticed how she has some of the same phrases he did?”

  Dylan looked to me, his eyes glassy and his movements slow and sloppy. “You know what, you’re right. She does.”

  I started to offer him another drink, but as I turned my head, I found Dylan passed out in his chair, his glass dangling from his fingers and his mouth wide open. You bet your sweet ass I snapped a picture of that shit.

  Hangovers never mesh well with bright lights and laughter. Dylan was trying hard to push through the pain his copious amounts of alcohol consumption had left him. He’d spent over an hour this morning wrapped around the toilet in my room, praying to the porcelain God who lives there. Austin fared a little better, as he shoved a slice of toast down his throat and then went for a run. However, I imagine his ability to muddle past his hangover has more to do with the girl who has a smile and an enormous ring on her finger, courtesy of him.

  I, on the other hand, laid in bed long after my brothers passed out, listening for any noise to come from Audrey’s room, wondering if her dreams were filled with visions of heaven or places in hell. When I finally drifted off, no longer able to avoid the sleep which pulled at me, Audrey’s room remained silent.

  Dylan didn’t disappoint as he flipped me off when he left my room. His face was pained as he found several text messages from Claire, who’d slept alone in their room. She was all smiles though, as she sat beside him. Claire was one of a kind to forgive a man when he tried to relive his youth, attempting to drink his little brother under the table, and failing miserably.

  After my brothers left, I called room service, ordering a few things, including a diet coke. When it was delivered, I knocked on Audrey’s door, finding her as beautiful as the day before. Her bed looked as if it hadn’t been slept in, but I knew she had taken the time to make it back up, leaving the room as she’d found it.

  “Lainie looks so happy.” Audrey observed, a new and lingering smile taking up residence on her face. “Austin, too. Your momma must be so proud.” Priscilla was proud, and already planning the party to celebrate the new daughter she was getting. Even though the daughter came with a loud mouthed, crazy in-law, Candy Perry.

  Austin and Laine held each other’s gaze and hands as they swore to love, honor and protect each other as long as they both shall live. The seagulls pecked around looking for food as beach walkers stopped and appreciated the informal exchange of vows. Just as the hotel officiate pronounced them husband and wife, a gust of wind signaled a storm on the horizon.

  Lainie’s mother gushed about how it was time to move closer to her girls and be available to help when they needed her, especially when the new baby came. It was a moment, all right. Watching Lainie stand beside my brother, her mouth wide open as she repeated what her mother had said.

  “Who told you I was pregnant?”

  Candy gave her a confused look, like some secret had been revealed, one everyone already knew. “Lainie, there’s no shame in it. I mean why else would you rush a wedding like this?”

  It was anyone’s guess as to who was angrier by the accusation. Austin took a step toward his new mother-in-law, but Lainie stepped forward, placing her hand in the center of Austin’s chest. “I may be your flesh and blood, however I would never step as low as you to trap a man into being with me because of a child.”

  Before a full blown tsunami could form between mother and daughter, Priscilla stepped in and asked Candy to help her choose between two necklaces she’d noticed on the way down this morning. Austin pulled his new wife away to get ready to catch their flight to Hawaii. The rest of us needed to get our things together, as well, so we could head back to Charleston.

  No sooner had we loaded the bags into the two SUVs we’d rented, did the heavens open up and start pouring. Austin’s phone rang not a second after he settled Lainie into the seat beside him. When he’d made the arrangements for Candy and Heidi to be here, he flew them both in, planning for Heidi to ride home with us, and Candy to fly out with them. As he thanked whoever was on the phone, he scrubbed his hand over his face.

  “Well, that was the airlines. All flights out of Jacksonville have been cancelled due to the storm.”

  Audrey looked out the side window, as the rain and wind blew sideways so hard you could barely see two feet in front of you. “I can’t imagine trying to get a car down the street in this, much less an airplane in the sky.” Running my fingers through her hair, the soft tendrils slip easily from between my fingers.

  Momma and Daddy are in the SUV behind us with Candy and Heidi. Austin calls Daddy’s phone, making them aware of the change in plans. Instead of a stop at the airport, we’ll head back to Charleston where new flights will be booked. For tonight, Candy will stay at Dean and Priscilla’s.

  The ride back to Charleston is slow but steady until we reach the Georgia, South Carolina border, when the sky clears and the sun comes out.

  Lainie yells, “Thank you, Jesus!” Austin was able to confirm seats on flights leaving tomorrow. “Dylan, my favorite brother-in-law?” Lainie calls from the back of the SUV.

  “Excuse me?” I tease her, leaning my head back so I can see her upside down. “I do believe you have forgotten who is sitting right in front of you.” Clair rolls her eyes as Austin pulls her close, nibbling at her ear, affectionately. Lainie sends me a wink as her eyes flash back to the front of the car.

  “Don’t you owe Claire some makeup sex after staying out all night last night?” Lainie looks to Austin, a new fire in her eye—one I feel igniting in my soul for Audrey.

  “Fuck! Even if I didn’t, ain’t no way I’m staying in the same house with newlyweds on their wedding night.” Everyone tumbles into laughter as Dylan mocks a shiver.

  Audrey has a habit of hiding her smile behind a carefully placed hand, I reach over and pull it back. “Stop hiding, you’re beautiful.” It’s going to be a battle, one I’ll have to crawl uphill both ways to win. She is worth it, this slip of a girl is totally worth it.

  Her phone rings in her pocket, surprising her in the process. “Oh, I never get calls.” She says surprised as she fishes the phone Dylan gave her from the pocket of the sweater she always wears.

  “Hello?”

  “Yes, this is Audrey Helms?” Her brows furrow as she concentrates to listen. “I’m sorry, who did you say you were with?” Dylan glances in the rearview mirror, his worried expression grows as he listens hard to her side of the conversation.

  “Sir, can you tell me who paid the past due amount?”

  I’d been waiting for this call all day long, preparing for a little resistance, and perhaps a few tears. Audrey would need to become accustomed to having a good man take care of her.

  “Yes, sir, thank you. Someone will be there in the morning. You too, sir.” Audrey ends the call, slowly lowering the phone to her lap.

  “Why did you do that?” Her voice monotone, her eyes still fixed on the leather of the seat in front of her.

  “If you’re worried about the money—”

  “It’s not about the money,” she cuts me off.

  “Then what?”

  “Never mind.” She spits, angrily shoving the phone back into her pocket.

  “
No, it is something. And as stubborn as you think you are, you ain’t got nothin’ on me. I once waited four days for an insurgent to come out of hiding, in the desert sun. Hell, I’ve got air conditioning and a soft fucking chair in here, so I’m all set.” Placing my arms across my chest, I prop my feet on the seat in front of me and cross my ankles in a huff.

  She tries to avoid looking at me, sticking her fingers in her hair with her knees to her chest. “Audrey Faith, why don’t you want the electricity back on at your house?” Angry tears fall down her face and her bottom lip trembles, but I hold steady. “Why would you chose live in a filthy closet, instead of a house you paid for? Who in their right mind would give up their home and be homeless voluntarily?”

  “Audrey, please answer my brother.” Dylan warns from the driver’s seat, using the tone he saved for the criminals he’s arrested. Audrey shakes her head, the tears now running in long angry streaks down her face.

  “Don’t make me call Priscilla.” I threatened, having no real intention of doing so. “She’s married to a prosecuting attorney and has her ways of pulling out the truth.”

  Her body shakes with sobs and in a normal situation, I would pull her into my arms and tell her she can keep her secret. But I’m done with women I want to get closer to keeping shit from me.

  “Tell me why.” I pull her hands out of her hair, wrapping my hands around each wrist, and stare into her red rimmed eyes, as I enunciate each word through clenched teeth.

  “To protect Grace, all right!” She shouts, but I’m not easily swayed. I remember Ginny using the same name when she confessed her scheme to Audrey on my security system.

  “And who is this Grace?” I demand, squeezing her wrists a little harder. She shakes her head, scrunching her face up as sobs wrack her body harder. “Audrey, I’m not fucking playing! Who the fuck is Grace?” Dylan has slowed the SUV to a stop alongside the road and turned around to face her.

  “Answer him! Right fucking now!” Phones start ringing, no doubt Daddy wondering what’s wrong with the car. We all choose to ignore them, every eye remaining on Audrey.

  “She’s my daughter… okay?”

  If you tell the truth, it becomes part of the past. If you tell a lie, it becomes part of your future.

  “I have a daughter, with Lucas. He took her away to make sure I didn’t run off and quit giving him money to make meth. I thought if the electric was off, he would have to stop and bring her back. But he refuses and has only gotten angrier when the company refused to turn it back on in his name.” Finally telling the truth behind everything I’ve done in the past few weeks, is cathartic and the words won’t stop, as the hurt and frustration is released along with the tears. With nothing left in me, I fall face forward onto the seat beside me and Chase’s lap.

  Cell phones are now ringing all around me, but still I feel the shock from everyone. Chase pulls me up, wrapping both arms around me as I hear Dylan tell someone we’re headed to the shop, and then the sound of the engine starting up again. Chase holds me, but says nothing, even long after the tears have stopped and the conversations failed to resume, he held me close with his fingers buried in my hair.

  Sitting back up, I push myself against the side of the passenger door. Chase, ignoring my need for solace, pulls me back into his embrace. “When I first met Lucas, he was the sweetest guy. He did everything he could to get me to smile and, ultimately, into his bed.” I scoffed at the memory, all the lies he’d told me, and the idiot I was, believed every one of them.

  “I held out until he told me he loved me, thinking he was my knight in shining armor, riding in on his big horse to take care of me. What I learned, a little too late, was that not all love ends in forever. Sometimes the knight turns into the villain when he gets what he was after.” Shaking my head, I remembered being both scared shitless and excited, when the nurse at the clinic told me she couldn’t give me birth control because I was already pregnant.

  “When I found, what I thought was, the perfect moment to tell him about the baby, he found it was time to tell me about Amy, his wife.” I felt Chase flinch as he kissed the top of my head. “I thought about leaving, but Amy made it sound like we would be this big Brady bunch type of family.” I laughed, mostly at myself, and the stupidity I showed in falling for the con.

  “Amy couldn’t keep herself out of trouble, it wasn’t long after I started to show, she had a court appearance where she met Ginny, who was there to bail out her brother, Cash.” We pulled into the driveway of the shop and I knew I was going to be fired, there was no doubt in my mind.

  Dylan turned off the engine and then turned to look at me over his shoulder. “Hold that thought, let me get the ‘rents out of here and we’ll continue this inside.”

  Chase takes my hand, confusing me more than anything. I’d given him his ticket to run, a green light to bolt like he was on fire. “C’mon, we will talk more inside.”

  I owed this family the truth, considering everything they had done for me; not arresting me for trespassing, for one. As I got out of the SUV, I stepped to the right to grab my bags from the back, but Chase pulled my hand in his direction. “This way, Sweetness, you’re not staying here tonight.” Of course, he was right, I would be tossed out onto the streets. I’d hidden all of my money inside the closet, figuring it was the safest place I had available.

  Dylan smacked the top of the SUV his parents were in. I had no clue what he told them about why we were here. He waved one last time, and then turned in my direction, his crassness from earlier gone now. “Miss Audrey, how about we go have a little chat about a big prick?”

  Walking across the white cement of the driveway, I recalled the first time I pulled up. Lucas had said he would drive me over, but once again, had found something better to do. I’d managed to scrounge up enough change to call a taxi, only to come up short and Dylan coming to my rescue.

  How often can you expect a hero to come out from behind his nerdy glasses and save you? Does generosity come with a punch card? Limiting you to a predestined number of crises and second chances you can receive?

  Lainie and Claire were already sitting on the leather sofas, Austin looked strange setting behind my desk with his phone plugged into one of the USB ports on the side of my monitor. Dylan brought in his favorite rolling stool, steering it to rest at Claire’s feet. Chase carried out two chairs from the kitchen table, setting them side by side as he took the one closest to Austin.

  “Okay, you had Amy and Ginny getting to be friends, continue,” Dylan instructs, his tone softer but I can feel the interrogation side of him slipping into place.

  “Y-yes.” I stuttered as Chase reached out and took my hand in his. “She brought Ginny around, had her coming and going as she pleased. When Amy would get locked up, which was quite often, Lucas would turn his attention to whatever she was interested in at the time. As much as he loves Amy, he is obsessed with Ginny. If he knew I was talking bad about her, I would pay dearly.”

  “What kinds of things was Ginny getting Lucas into? Did she get him started making Meth?” Dylan leaned in my direction, his forearms on his thighs.

  Shaking my head, I tucked my skirt around my knees. “No, his dad got him started making meth. Said it was easy money with a constant supply of customers. His Dad was frequently in and out of jail. Now that I think about it, Lucas and Ginny were the only ones who stayed out of jail.”

  Dylan looked to Austin, who began typing on my computer. “Already looking,” he responded, not bothering to wait for information on what Dylan wanted.

  “Why do you think that is, Audrey?”

  “Why did Lucas avoid jail?” I clarified.

  “Yes. If he was making, and selling dope, why was he never caught and arrested?”

  “I never said he didn’t get arrested, I said he never went to jail.”

  Dylan tossed me a confused look, and I really worried about how he would react when I told him what his fellow cops did when the public wasn’t looking.

  �
��Explain.”

  “Well, right before I went into labor with Grace, I had been to visit my Granny. On the way to his Dad’s house, where they all lived, a police car went rushing past me. I didn’t think much of it, as the neighborhood wasn’t the best. When I finally pulled up, I saw the car parked in the driveway. As I was about to go inside, I looked in the window on the side of the house and saw Ginny on all fours. She had one officer going at her from behind and the other in her mouth.” If Dylan was angered by my accusation, his face never showed it. For a little while, he looked at me, raising his feet up and down as he studied my face.

  “Austin?”

  “March of last year, there was a complaint of strange odors coming from the residence belonging to a Clifford Campbell. Responding officers, Willis and Verner, reported it was an accidental mixing of cleaning products and no arrest or further investigation was noted.” Dylan leaned back in his chair, crossing his massive arms over his chest. Claire leaned forward, placing her lips to his ear as she squeezed his shoulders, he nodded his head in agreement to whatever she said.

  “They were involved in the prostitution sting over on the north side six months later.” Austin added, leaning back in his chair as well.

  “When they were both arrested, the mayor took a lot of heat for his own men being involved. I remember them now.” Dylan surmised, a resolved look on his face. “So the cops are paid in pussy, Lucas and Ginny stay the hell out of jail, and the cooking continues.” Dylan rolls his hand, his eyes to the ceiling as his frustration rises. “Keep going, Audrey. There are still dots I need to connect.”

  I look to Austin this time, his posture resembling Dylan’s, with his arms folded across his chest. “Um, so I go into labor, it’s late and I can’t find Lucas. Granny was already really sick by then and couldn’t help me.”

  Austin turned back to his computer, his movement distracting me for a moment. “Is your Nana Helms from Savannah?” I’m not sure why I’m surprised, Austin may not be a detective on the streets, but he is certainly one on the computer. This time his information is skewed and I know my attitude is going to irritate him, but there is a long-standing family feud between my Nana and my Great Aunt.