by J. L. Drake
I tucked the pillow against my chest to look at her.
“I do. It’s been my home for so long now it’s hard to think of living anywhere else.” My stomach fell when I saw her face. I reached over and ran my finger along her brow.
“What’s wrong?” Her gaze dropped to my chest. “Hey.”
She began to speak but then stopped herself and moved to sit up. She pulled the white sheet over her chest. “We’ve known each other for, what, roughly three months now?” I nodded, curious to see where this was going, but she didn’t say anything else.
“What?”
Her mouth opened and closed. “Nothing.”
“Tell me.” I tried to push her, but she clammed up. Instead of pushing, I tucked her under my chin and we both fell asleep.
***
My cell rang around eleven o’clock the next night. Mia had fallen asleep after we watched a movie. Once I saw the name, I hurried to the hallway and answered.
“How did you get this number?”
Manuel laughed humorlessly. “You’d be surprised what I can find out.”
I didn’t bite. “What do you want?”
“Meet me at the carwash down the street.”
“Wait,” my skin prickled, “you’re here?”
“Ten minutes, little bro.” He hung up.
I gave Cole a quick call and filled him in. He said to be careful, but to go in case he showed up at her apartment.
Shit, shit, shit!
I draped a blanket over her small shoulders and wrote a quick note saying I’d be right back.
It was freezing outside. A thin layer of frost was already over my windshield. Slipping my gloves on, I decided to walk since it was only two blocks.
I tried not to think about how or why he was here. I was just glad he wanted me to meet him somewhere away from Mia.
Once at the carwash, I stayed under the light so he could find me. The place was dead, just some young kid with earphones watching the cash register.
“Mark.” His voice came from somewhere at the side of the lot. I nearly jumped when he emerged from the shadows. “You came.”
“Did I have a choice?”
He shrugged. “Look, I need cash now.”
“And?”
He stepped toward me. “They’re going to kill me.”
“You made your bed, now sleep in it.”
“You would let your own brother get murdered for the sake of a few bucks?”
“No.” I stood straighter so I could prove I wasn’t the little boy I once was. “Don’t put your mistakes on me.”
“You have a few of those, don’t you, little brother?”
I raised my fist, but stopped myself. “I was seven, Manuel, in a bad place, with no help from any of you. What happened was an accident, that was all.”
“You should have gone to jail.”
“Trust me,” I nearly shouted, “I am.”
***
Mia
I woke to a foul smell, one that dragged me off the couch and to my trash can, wondering what the hell it was. I lifted the lid and peeked inside, but found nothing but wrappers and a banana peel. I searched under the table, in the laundry room, in my closet. I dropped to my knees and ran my arm under the couch. That’s when I felt it, and I wrapped my fingers around something wet and hard.
“Oh, my God!” My stomach turned when I saw what I was holding—a bloody bone with some flesh wrapped around the tip. I gagged, ran it over to the waste bin, and tossed it inside. I washed my hands and tied the bag in a large knot.
“Damn you, Butters,” I cursed as I slipped on my furry boots. I looked down at my tight yoga pants and oversized tank. “Whatever.” I grabbed my keys and headed out into the hallway and to the trash chute around the corner.
“You have got to be kidding me!” I tugged on the handle, but it wouldn’t move. My skin crawled at the thought of the bone buried under a pile of wrappers. The only thing separating us was a thin layer of plastic.
The heavy door shut behind me. I looked down the staircase and muttered about how much effort this was going to take.
I made it down one flight before a shadow above me caught my attention. Tipping my head back, I tried to see who it was. A blue light flashed out over the edge but shot back when I set the trash bag down.
“Hello?” My fingers wrapped around the rail, I leaned over to see upward. I hated this old building. Everything was creepy, right down to the smell. Like an old theater, musty, and the ever present hum from the fluorescent lights.
Well, whoever it was must have left. A door shut, proving my theory. The nasty trash bag dragged behind me as I worked my way down.
Just as I hit the bottom floor, the lights flicked off.
“Shit.” I pulled out my cell phone and fumbled with the screen but finally turned on my flashlight. I was scanning the wall next to me when something hard hit my arm and sent my phone flying across the floor.
“Ahhhh,” I screamed before a hand slapped over my mouth. I jerked and managed to free myself. I leaped in the direction of the stairs, and I got three steps before he grabbed my ankle and brought my feet out from under me. My arms flew to protect my head, but my wrists took most of the impact, sending intense pain up to my elbows. “Stop! Help, somebody, please!”
He tried to pin me with his body, but I bucked and kicked. Somehow I wiggled free and crawled to my phone. Just as I went to reach for it, he kicked my ribs, and I fell to my stomach with a cry. My adrenaline pushed me on, but the pain was so bad I was sure one of the ribs was broken. I couldn’t see a thing. It was pitch black; he could be anywhere.
His jeans made a flex noise as he bent down to the floor. He brushed my wet hair out of my tears. I squeezed my eyes shut, terrified of what he would do next.
“Pity to hurt to such a pretty woman,” he cooed as his fingers slid across my sore neck. “I see I’m not the only one.”
“Please,” I sobbed into the darkness.
He locked his hand around my chin, which froze my nerves in place. His lips pushed to mine. I tried to fight him, but he slammed my arms to the ground. When I felt his hand move to my pants, I checked out. I wasn’t me anymore.
“Anyone down there?” someone yelled from the top floor. A flashlight moved about.
I tried to scream, but his hand covered my mouth.
“Tell your boyfriend to pay up.” He moved away from me. “Apartment 5G,” he stated before I heard his footsteps retreating. I rolled my head to follow his sound. He stepped in front of my phone light, and I saw black jeans above white Vans sneakers.
With the last of my strength, I slithered over to my phone, and clutching it with my trembling fingers, I called my last dialed number.
I sobbed when I heard his voicemail click in. “You’ve reached Mark Lopez. Leave a message.”
“Mark,” I barely squeaked, “I—ah…” I dropped the phone from my ear and sobbed into my hands.
“Hello?” the guy yelled from the top again. “The power should be back on soon.”
I hurried to my feet and raced up the stairs with my phone lighting the way. My side hurt, but nothing mattered. I wanted to be home inside my apartment with a lock. His flashlight found me, illuminating my entire body. “Hey, miss, are you okay?”
Hurry, hurry, hurry. The blood pounded through my head.
I flung myself through my apartment door, slammed it shut, and twisted the deadbolt. Be calm. You’re safe. He didn’t rape you. You. Are. Okay.
“Holy shit.” My hand shook as I raised it to my forehead and squeezed my temples for relief. I sucked in a sharp breath. This is crazy. My shaky legs wobbled when I reached out for the counter. I already got hurt once this month. Why has it happened twice? A few more steps, and I found the corner and sank to my knees. Is Mark really involved in this? The weight of the situation crushed me.
With a sigh, I let myself break, and soon fell into a heavy sleep on the floor where I wanted to believe I was safe.
He grippe
d my hand, and I was ready for his next move. I dodged his kiss, but he still hit my cheek. “Tell him to pay up.” His words rushed to my ear, like a siren.
I jolted awake, but cried out in pain. Fuck. My phone flashed at me, and I saw I had missed two voice messages and three texts from Mark. With blurry eyes, I opened the message icon.
Mark: I didn’t get the rest of your voice message. Are you all right?
Ten minutes later.
Mark: I’m really sorry, Mia, I had to meet a co-worker. I’ll be back in the morning, okay?
Three hours later.
Mark: Having a hard time falling asleep when I haven’t heard from you. Call me, please. When you can. Xo.
The phone landed on my bed as I very carefully pulled on my dark grey zip-up hoodie and Chucks. Thank God they were worn in and I didn’t have to tie them. My ribs were a huge new pain I couldn’t even tap into yet.
I took my wallet and phone and headed to the hospital.
Deep breath. I inched to my right to glance around the corner then pulled back. Come on. Again, I leaned forward and found Vikki Taylor speaking with Molly. Fuck. I tapped my finger against my leg and counted to ten.
“Mia? Is that you?”
Hello, Alvin.
“Hey.” I gave a small wave.
“Are you okay?” He looked around then stepped toward me.
“Not really.” I flinched when I attempted to stand straighter. He glanced over my shoulder, and I cleared my throat. “You think you could help me out? You know, quietly?”
He stared at me a moment then nodded for me to follow.
“Flippin’ hell, Mia, you can see the dent where he kicked you.” He shook his head at my face. I was beyond pissed that he had verbally beaten the truth out of me. “I’d say size eleven boot.”
“Sneaker,” I corrected his sarcasm.
“Unfucking believable.”
“Tell that to my side.”
I could he see was worried, and I was thankful. It was nice to see it in someone I didn’t know that well. “Are you okay?”
I looked down. “I honestly don’t know.”
He placed a somewhat awkward hand on my shoulder. “You want me to call Mark for you?”
“No,” I gave him a weak smile, “I called him.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you…though.”
He flashed a smile before his serious expression returned. “We need to report this.”
My blood pressure dropped, along with my ability to breathe. “No!”
“Mia, you were assaulted in your building. God knows who that man was.”
I was going to be sick. “You think I’d dress like this in public? To go to my work? No! I came here hoping a friend would help me without any questions.”
“Mia,” his eyes widened in shock at my outburst, “I’m only looking out for you.”
“I know.” I slipped off the table and tucked my jacket against my sore ribcage. “But what I need from you is your friendship.” I hurried out and down the hallway.
Before the elevator doors even opened, I could hear the yelling from the bottom floor.
“This is outrageous!”
My stomach sank right as the doors opened. I stepped out and found Mark pacing the ER waiting room like he was about to erupt.
“Mark.” The receptionist nodded in my direction.
His gaze snapped over to me, and his face fell and he seemed to shake off a twitch. In three strides he was in front of me. He started to touch me but stopped himself.
“Que se joda mi vida! Odio que estoy siendo perseguido por una sombra codicioso.” He shook his head at my blank look. I had no idea what he just said.
I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it as he stepped toward me and kissed my cheek softly.
“Sorry.” He closed his eyes. “Happens when I get that angry. Can I take you home?”
I nodded and took the hand he offered.
Once inside the elevator, he wrapped his arm around my hip but stayed very quiet. He acted the same way until we were almost home.
“Mia, I need to know what happened.”
I sighed and pulled down my hoodie. “I went to take the trash out, and when I was at the bottom—”
“Bottom?”
“Yes, the bottom floor has the trash cans.”
“What happened to the trash chute?”
“It wouldn’t open.”
He squinted at the road. “Okay.”
“Anyway, I had to walk to the bottom floor.”
“Why not take the elevator?” he interrupted.
“Am I a witness to something, here, Mark? What’s with the questions?”
He closed his eyes briefly. “Sorry.”
“I skipped the elevator because there were new neighbors moving in and tying up the elevator the whole day, keeping it blocked on the top floor while they loaded and unloaded. Once inside the stairwell, I saw someone, but could only see a bit of a jacket. I thought they had left, and maybe they did, but then he was just there.” I felt myself slip, but I got it together.
“What did he do?” His grip tightened around the wheel.
“He tried to force himself on me, twice.” I swallowed hard. “Gave my ribs a good beating.” I moved to find a comfortable position. “He told me to tell you…” He looked over at me with a strange expression.
“Tell me what? Mia?”
“To tell you that you need to pay up.”
He didn’t blink, twitch, or flinch. He just looked back at the road and smoothly pulled over onto the shoulder.
“What did he look like?”
“I don’t know—”
“How do you not know?”
“The power went out right before he—” I cleared my throat. “All I know is he wore jeans and white Vans sneakers.”
“Accent? Smells? Feel anything different?”
“I-I don’t know. I wasn’t really taking notes as he drove his foot into my ribs or when he tried to rape me.” A sob lodged in my throat and cut my voice off.
Mark closed his eyes and placed his hand on mine.
“Do you know who it was, Mark?”
“I have an idea.” His voice changed as he pulled out his phone and held his it to his ear. “Lopez, ML536. I need a secure line to Colonel Logan.”
He kept his eyes straight ahead.
“Cole.” His voice broke through all my attempts to stay calm. “Order me a scotch, neat. I think I have dinner plans that might run long.”
What the hell is going on?
“Never been more sure,” he said, his eyes creasing as he listened. “Thanks.”
He tucked his phone into the side pocket of his military style pants.
“What are you doing?”
He took my hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed my knuckles. “Protecting you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Mark
“Pack anything, Mia, just hurry.” She stood at the end of her bed and watched me fill her duffle bag.
“I think you’re overreacting.” I shook my head and grabbed a handful of panties and pushed them to the bottom corner.
“Trust me, I’m not,” I muttered.
“I need to work. What about Kenny?”
“Kenny doesn’t even know you.” As soon as I said it, I froze. Oh, my fuck. Did I really just say that? I turned to find her glossy eyes glued to the floor. Yeah, I did.
“Oh, Mia, I didn’t mean that.” I tried to pull her to me, but she jerked her arm back with a wince of pain. I dropped my head. Such an asshole.
She walked across the living room, to the kitchen, and opened the front door.
My fists went to my forehead. I wanted to haul her over my shoulder and race to the safe house, but I couldn’t.
I moved to stand in front of her and I whispered, “Please come with me.”
“I’ve known you for three months. I’ve known Kenny for sixteen years. Don’t make me pick, because I’ll chose him.”
“But h
e hurt you.”
“So did you, with all this—” she waved her hand in a circle, “—situation.” She closed her eyes briefly.
I wanted to say ouch, because she was right. I did. I understood what she meant.
Her hand rattled the doorknob. “I think you should go.”
“Are we breaking up?” My hand went to hers. I needed to be grounded.
“No,” her eyes moved to mine, “I think I just need a breather. Things are happening too fast between us, and it’s all a bit intense.”
Welcome to my life.
I slipped my hand into my pocket. I felt strange standing in the hallway while her hurt heart pulled away from mine.
“Jesus, Mia, I’m nervous! You were just attacked. I’m not sure how to protect you if you won’t let me in.”
“I’ll call you later.” Her face paled as she shut the steel door.
***
“You said what, exactly?” Savannah had been trying hard to understand what happened with Mia and me for the past three days. I’d remained quiet, but now I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it was screwing with my emotions. So I finally gave in, hoping I’d feel a tiny bit better. I was wrong. “You really said that about Kenny?”
“Yeah, ’cause Cole hasn’t fucked up before?” I tossed back. She had trapped me in the living room.
She braced her hands on her hips. “Yeah, he has.”
“Why you deflecting onto me?” Cole hissed from the chair around a mouthful of cookie. I didn’t even know he was there.
“Sorry, man.”
“Don’t point fingers, Mark. Grow a set and man up,” she scolded.
I glanced at Keith, who had decided to join us. “The lady’s right.”
“Ahh.” I jammed my fists against either side of my head. I couldn’t take any more fingers running through my hair. “Okay, I screwed up, but can we please focus on what is important? I think it was Manuel who attacked her.”
Cole brushed his fingers clean. “Well, why don’t we go and speak with him, then?”
