Absolute Corruption: Southern Justice Trilogy

by Cayce Poponea

  “So does she?”

  Sophomore year in high school, Dylan made a bet with Norman Ledbetter that Chase could play the guitar better than his cousin, Cecil Ledbetter. Chase never made it known he could play any instrument, so Norman took the bet. Back then, we would gather in the middle of one of our daddy’s pastures, crank up the music in one of our trucks, and have a party. That particular weekend, Dylan invited practically the entire school. Cecil spread the word he was gonna wipe the floor with Chase. Of course, once our little brother heard what Cecil was saying about him, he laid down a challenge himself. If he beat Cecil, then he would get his high priced guitar. If Cecil won, Chase would have to give up his guitar. Which was autographed by Johnny Cash, and a gift from our granddaddy.

  Since the challenge took place on Morgan land, I became the emcee. We had Chase get in the back of one truck, and Cecil in the back of another, parked side by side. With Cecil as our guest, we let him decide who went first. Just like all Ledbetters around here, he wanted to go first. Cecil put his left foot on the wheel well, placed the neck of his guitar on his thigh, and then began playing his version of Orange Blossom Special. He worked that guitar like a county fair headliner; closing his eyes as his fingers strummed the chords, his face contorting with the emotions he was experiencing.

  Chase was between girlfriends, and had his eye on a freshman, Nancy Mitchell, who had just moved to the district. She, however, didn’t particularly find his charm appealing. The day before the competition, he’d stopped her at lunch, and asked her what her favorite song was. Then he made her an offer she found funny, yet couldn’t refuse. If he won, using her song, she had to go to our parent’s annual Low Country boil with him. If he lost, he would never ask her out again.

  Apparently, Nancy was a big Nickleback fan at the time. Her favorite song included a guitar solo by Santana, Into the Night. Chase laid the strap over his head, tossed Nancy the signature Morgan wink, and preceded to, not only play the song, but also serenade the girl with his talented voice.

  After every kid for two counties voted Chase had kicked Cecil’s ass, Dylan walked over to shake Norman’s hand. Norman, however, was a sore loser. He pulled Cecil out of the back of the truck, ranting about how the whole thing was rigged, and Chase had faked playing the guitar. So I jumped in, grabbed Norman by the shoulder, and suggested the best two outta three, just to be fair.

  Norman agreed, but he wanted to choose the song Chase played. Dylan and I had both known he was building his own coffin. Chase loved two things at the time: playing guitar with granddaddy, and spoiling girls.

  Cecil jumped back in the truck and played another tune. This time, playing a hit by the Charlie Daniel’s band. Norman had a smug look on his face, as he’d watched his cousin hitting the last few notes. Chase cringed a few times noticing how Cecil had missed a chord or two, but never said a word. When the song ended, Chase looked over at Norman, silently asking him to do his worst.

  “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

  Norman had apparently assumed since we lived in the country, we didn’t listen to anything else. Or maybe he really thought he was on to something, and Chase had managed to fake playing a song, in the middle of a field, on the back of a pickup.

  All his smugness faded away, as Chase’s fingers plucked away, just as skillfully as the original guitarist. Every short skirt, wearing girl crowded around the bed of that truck, and began dancing and singing. For the second time that night, the crowd roared, and chose Chase as the clear winner.

  Cecil jumped down by himself this time, turned toward his cousin’s car, getting ready to leave. Dylan called down to him, asking him if he forgot something? Cecil mumbled something, before tossing his guitar in Dylan’s direction.

  Nancy informed Chase since it wasn’t her song, which caused him to win, she didn’t have to go out with him. Chase was upset for about thirty seconds, until Sabrina White came over to congratulate him, and see if he would let her see the guitar he’d won. Chase had never paid much attention to any of the White daughters, as their looks favored their father, and not the beauty of their mother. Still, when he handed that guitar over to Sabrina, her eyes had lit up like a kid on Christmas. Chase, being the good guy he was, saw the love Sabrina was showing to that guitar. He told her to take it on home with her, and keep it.

  Misty Porter, who had turned Chase down a handful of times, had walked over and whispered in his ear. Something which made his eyes bulge, and ears turn red. Word around town was Misty had the talent to suck you dry in seconds. So, when Chase emerged from the thick pine trees along the edge of the clearing, Dylan asked the same question of Chase, that I’d just asked him about Lainie. Just as Chase knew how well Misty Porter could suck cock, Dylan knew I had an interest in Lainie Perry.

  “According to Claire, she assumes you’re just like me when it comes to girls.” Smart assumption on Lainie’s part. While I had recently tested the waters of Dylan’s former lifestyle, I didn’t care for it as much as I’d thought I would.

  “So, I’m behind before I even start?” Claire doesn’t know me all that well, not enough to say I’m a choir boy.

  “Depends on if you’re still planning to see Lexi Marsh.” Carson, who had been silent until this point, tossed out the name of the one girl I hadn’t heard back from. Lexi worked for Daddy, filing papers, and answering the phone. Everyone knew she wanted to marry big, and sit back with the easy life. She’d managed to hook one of the partners, only to find him cheating on her a few weeks after the wedding. I was leaving the building late one night, as she was finishing up some paperwork. We decided to go for a drink, and ended up in the bathroom of the bar. Afterward, she had invited me to go to Myrtle Beach with a bunch of her friends. I’d said I would, until I saw Lainie.

  “Just like I told numb nuts here, I’m gonna tell you. Lainie isn’t the type of girl you whisk off to fuck around with for a weekend. Given what has happened with her recently, she is a whole lotta gun shy. If you’re looking for a place to stick your dick, go ahead to Myrtle Beach. But if you choose to be with Lainie, you better straighten your shit up.”

  Carson’s warning landed on deaf ears. While the discussion of treating a girl like Lainie correctly was necessary for Dylan, it was like giving water to a drowning man when it came to me.

  “Listen, I hear what you’re sayin’. You care a great deal for the girl. It’s admirable for you to come here, and make sure I understand that. But nobody is asking themselves an even bigger question: does she even want to be with a guy like me? I know you said she is worried about where I spend my nights, but that is just curiosity.” I shrugged my shoulders. Looking at the both of them through honest eyes.

  “I’d like to give Lainie what she seems to need the most, a friend. Someone who can make her laugh, and help her deal with the demons. Which seem to have been stealing her dreams.”

  Carson stood from his seat, took two steps around the corner of my desk, before extending his hand to me. “I’m gonna hold you to that.” His grip was enough to tell me what his warning failed to do. Hurting Lainie was not an avenue I should ever consider walking down. It was a dead end, and Carson was the pitbull waiting in the last yard.

  The sun was high in the Carolina sky the next afternoon. An untouched plate of shrimp and grits sat on the table before me. The waitress had refilled my sweet tea several times, as I waited to see what would happen across the street. She was nice enough, but a little too flirty for my taste. “Is there somethin’ wrong with your grits?”

  I shot her a quick look, apologized for my apparent loss of appetite, and asked her to take it away. Just as she pulled away the plate, a runner in all black, stopped in the middle of the sidewalk across the street. Her blonde hair glistened in the sunlight; despite the black ball cap she had shielding her eyes from the sun. She stood there bouncing in place, and at first I thought she was trying to keep her heart rate up. As I took a sip of my tea, the girl pulled her arms above her head, both hands clasped at the back of her cap
, as she turned toward the street. I knew immediately it was Lainie.

  For over an hour, I watched her switch positions a hundred times. Having a war within herself about something.

  “She’s does this all the time.” The waitress commented while refilling my tea again. “Stops there, and tries to go between the buildings where that girl was attacked.”

  The first time I sat behind a computer, and watched as it hummed to life, I placed my finger on the keyboard, and discovered a world I wanted to be a part of. Watching the spitfire of a girl stand like David before Goliath, I knew what Granddaddy really meant, when he said it was never too late to come home. Home was more than a place to rest your head; it was a moment to lose your heart.

  Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.

  ~ Steve Maraboli

  Heidi had phoned me early this morning. According to a call she received from Mr. Daniels, at the law firm, the divorce papers were on their way to the church where George worked. “I don’t like the idea of you being there when he finds out you’re divorcing him.”

  Last week when she let me know she’d arrived back home safely, she admitted he had been angry with her. Accused her of infidelity, and other sinful things. She denied he had become violent with her, but has made life much harder than it had been for her.

  “He took away my car keys, and takes me with him everywhere.” Thank God he didn’t know about the phone I had gotten for her while in California. She kept it on vibrate, in the inside pocket of her blouse. “After I got off the phone with Preston, I started acting as if my period was starting.” I could mentally picture the smirk on her face, and the eye roll she saved just for him.

  When George was first chasing Heidi, he’d come by the house on a Saturday, when all three of us were on our period. Heidi was blessed with the most with terrible cycles; heavy bleeding, and cramps bad enough to stop an elephant. George found out when her bleeding got too heavy, ruining her dress in the process. He jumped up like his ass was on fire, spewing some bullshit about the blood of a menstruating woman being like a murderous man. After that he would stay far away from the house, when her monthly visitor came to town.

  “He’s leaving me here at the house, while he stays in the back office of the church, until the punishment is over.”

  “And by then you will be long gone.” When I had found out about his yelling and name calling, I’d encouraged Heidi to leave the man the first chance she got. Her ticket had been emailed to her, and she had cash for the taxicab to take her to the airport. I even had Claire coming with me to welcome her to Charleston.

  “I can’t wait to start the rest of my life. Charleston is going to be good for me, I can feel it.” It would be a close count to know who was more excited about her being here with me. Miss Georgia let me know she had an opening for a three bedroom in the building she managed, so we would be closer to Claire. A dinner was already planned to welcome her to Charleston, and thank everyone who helped get her here.

  “I love you, Sissy.”

  “I love you, too, Lainie. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  It was pointless to attempt anymore work today. Watching the clock until her plane arrived, would be the most I would be able to get done.

  I let my mind wander to this past weekend, and the conversation I had with Claire. It was clear by the way she was dragging me down the side of the restaurant, she had something urgent to tell me. As we’d passed several other patrons, she’d extended an apology to each of them, as we’d scurried past them.

  “Don’t think I didn’t notice the looks y’all were giving one another.” Claire accused. As she’d pushed me through the door, and engaged the lock, looking at me with a knowing expression.

  “Who?” I demanded, looking at her through disbelieving eyes. Claire was bat shit crazy, if she thought for a single second I was tossing Austin any flirtatious looks.

  “Really?” One thing about our relationship, it may be new, but it was built on honesty and trust. Claire has had my back since minute one, never giving me a single reason to distrust her.

  “Okay, I admit, he is seriously gorgeous. But you have to agree with me, he is also Dylan’s brother, and has been around the block a time or two.” I know how much Claire battled with herself over Dylan’s history, reminding herself how he interacted with women. Until Austin proved to me he wasn’t a player, there would be no flirting, not from my side anyway.

  “According to Dylan, he was in a relationship back in New York. She cheated on him, and he moved here.” Her eyes flickered between mine. The amount of trust she had in Dylan was astounding. I envied her ability to be able to truly put his past behind her, and live in the moment with the man he was now.

  “Now as far as him being like Dylan, I can’t honestly say either way. Just don’t judge him on who he is, until you get to know him.”

  She was right. But the conversation was pointless, at least I thought so. Until the following Tuesday morning, when my assistant buzzed me telling me I had a visitor in the lobby.

  Standing among the security guards, check in desk, and a row of palm trees, was Austin Morgan. His dark jeans and designer sunglasses screamed New York, and not Charleston. His only saving grace was the hint of a t-shirt peeking out of his button up dress shirt, which was incredibly sexy hanging untucked.

  “Mr. Morgan.”

  His blue eyes flashed with recognition, and his smile, which was already in place, grew tenfold. “Please, it’s Austin. Mr. Morgan is my dad.” He uncrossed his ankles, and stood up straight. He looked so different since the last time I saw him. All bad boy biker, and everything it entailed. Here was a man you could take home to your daddy, and show him the good Christian boy you’d found on your way home.

  “Very well, Austin. What brings you by? Looking for a job after all?” I’ll admit, I did a little investigating of Austin after our last conversation. While he was absent of any criminal record, and his credit was solid, there wasn’t much else out there. He didn’t own any property here in South Carolina or New York. Although, I did raise both eyebrows at the amount of money he’d sold his condo in Manhattan for.

  “Is there somewhere we can speak a little more privately?” I hadn’t noticed the noise level in the lobby had decreased to practically silent. Of the half dozen people standing in the lobby, most of them were listening close.

  “Of course, follow me.”

  With the crazy hours, and even more bizarre habits some of the code writers kept, Jackie the owner, had a room designated for some down time. Furnished with a couple of couches, vending machines, and a coffee pot. You needed a code to get in, and since I was a senior staff member, I had one. Granted I’d never used the room, for fear of what kinds of things I would walk in on.

  Entering my six digits, I glanced back at Austin, noticing his smile was still lighting up his features. Now that he was closer, I found he was wearing the same alluring fragrance he had the other day. Scruff added to his chiseled jaw line, giving his face that little something to turn up the heat in a girl’s panties. Lips, which went far beyond kissable, rounded the base to full on sucking. Maybe being in a secured space wasn’t such a brilliant plan after all.

  “Is this better?” I motioned to the large open space, with my arms extended like a halo around me.

  Austin’s eyes roamed over the area, and then back to me. “It’s fine, thanks. I just didn’t want to compete for your attention back there.”

  Nodding behind him, I’m assumed he was referring to the busy bodies we had just left. If he was concerned with someone seeing us together, he just gave them more ammunition, by following me behind a locked door.

  “So, if you’re not looking for work, what brings you by?”

  “Lainie.” My name came out in a sigh. His entire upper body slumping, as he exhaled. He looked like a man who was about to hand out a death sentence, or a dear Jane letter. “One thing you’ll find
out about me is I am honest, and straight to the point.” He underscored his words with his hands, in a sideways slice of the air.

  “Dylan and Carson came by my office after seeing the way I was looking at you the other day. They are concerned I have less than honorable intentions with you.” I swallowed hard trying not to have a complete freak out. If Austin had an issue with me, this could create a big issue between Claire and I. With Heidi hopefully in the air, as we spoke, I was counting on her help.

  “You have to know you have a lot of people who care about you, and love you to some degree. My momma is your biggest ally when it comes to this family. As a matter of fact, she beat the both of them, in giving me a firm warning when it comes to disrespecting you. She told me to have lunch at a coffee shop across the street from the library.”

  He took a few steps closer to me, lowering his voice to a level, which made him even sexier. “Secrets are not something which leave the circle we have in our house. Loyalty is held pretty high, and breaking your word is an unheard of act amongst the Morgan men. I have no first hand knowledge of what you’re dealing with, or what kind of battle you fight every time you close those beautiful eyes.” The last three words were whispered in his gravelly voice, shooting straight to my heart, and lighting up my soul in the process.

  “But I’d at least like to offer to be your friend.” He stops, taking a deep breath, as he glances out the window across the room. “That’s a lie, I don’t want to be your friend.” Shaking his head, his eyes still focused out the window. As ridiculous as it sounds, my chest feels empty. The sting of building tears begins, as I watch him shake his head.

  “Austin, really, it’s okay. Just because we share a few mutual friends, doesn’t mean we have to be.” Another lesson I learned by watching the world around me; just because you have the right to say something, doesn’t mean you have to say it. It’s always better to be the person who walks away with grace.