by Xavier Neal
“The Devil got a call. We have an obligation,” Madden answers calmly.
I prefer when he yells. At least when he yells I know he'll get to the other side of angry and go back to just being unhappy, but this calm, quiet bullshit is like that little sizzling sound on cartoon bombs. A giant warning to get the fuck out of the way.
Destin chimes in, “Why do I get the feeling there's more to this meeting?”
Because he's not an idiot.
“Please tell me the rest is about a pay increase or at least a big titty bonus for the impromptu inconvenience.” Ben chuckles from beside Daniel who gives him a sharp slap upside the head.
Ben is.
Daniel starts, “I get being pissed off about a job out of nowhere Mad Man, but with the way you're fuming-”
“You'd think our kid brother was putting all our lives at risk because he can't keep his dick out of the Police Commissioner's fucking daughter!” The bottle he was holding collides with the wall beside the table where we're sitting. Splashes of tequila rain down on us, but no one moves a muscle. “Would that be how I'm fucking fuming?!”
Destin whispers, “You're fucking the PC's daughter?”
Daniel nods his head at me. “Is that what all the yelling was about this morning?”
“And I thought I screwed up racing the Mayor's brat.” Ben chortles again.
Remind me… punch check him later.
“It's not fucking funny, Ben!” Madden shouts. Instantly Ben slinks down on the couch wiping the smirk off his face. “And you...” He points a finger at me. “You don't go near that girl.”
I don't argue.
“Ever fucking again.”
There's an unexpected twinge in my chest that causes me to lock my jaw.
I've never laid hands on my brother. Not because there's a high chance he would flatten me into something they could serve at IHOP, but because there's never been a reason to. Even growing up we didn't wrestle. I whooped the shit out of Ben and learned to hold my own against Triple D, but Madden refused to ever do anything like that. He wasn't a fan of even play fighting with us. Something against fighting his own blood doesn't sit well with him.
“Madden,” Knoxie warns sharply.
He's now standing directly in front of me. “I fucking mean it, Merrick! It's fucking over! You don't fucking breathe the same goddamn air she does!”
My body stiffens as the air in my lungs threatens to leave and not return.
“You're done putting our family at risk! You're done with this juvenile need to do the exact opposite of what you're told!”
Weakly I argue, “It's not about that.”
“So it's about the piece of ass your dick is attached too? She's not that fucking important! Or that fucking special! Newsflash! No pussy is that fucking good!”
Before I have chance to think it all the way through my fist connects to his jaw. To no surprise it doesn't cause him to stumble. However, the shocked look on his face tells me that punch didn't just hurt physically.
The entire room has shifted to complete stillness.
I'm not even sure anyone is breathing besides me. Only reason I'm certain I'm doing it is because of the ache I feel every time I inhale.
Instead of questioning my action Madden raises his eyebrows in challenge. When I don't back down or apologize he takes two steps back, turns, grabs his keys off the counter, and leaves without saying a word. As soon as he slams the door, I shut my eyes letting my head fall forward.
Ben jumps up. “What the fuck! Did you really just punch Madden in the face?”
Reluctantly I lift my head and look at him. “I'd do it again.”
“For yelling at you? He always does that!”
“For saying that shit about Jovi.”
“He was definitely out of line for his choice of language,” Knoxie concurs as she grabs an ice pack from the freezer. Wrapping it in a kitchen towel she shakes her head. “But he wasn't wrong for watching out for this family, Merrick.” She extends it like a weird ass peace offering. Before I can deny the need for it she snaps, “Oh don't even pretend. You're lucky your hand isn't shattered.”
It feels like I hit a steel wall wrapped in a brick layering. Fucking Superman would probably need an ice pack after tossing a fist at Madden.
“You're lucky you're still breathing,” Ben replies with a laugh. “You hit Madden in the face!”
I roll my eyes.
“In the FACE!” He repeats with exaggerated hand motions.
Hitting Ben next. I haven't forgotten.
“Shut. Up.” Knoxie commands. The minute he shuts his lips she says to me, “I'm honestly the happiest of everyone that a McCoy fell in love-”
“Feels like the Sex Gods are weeping,” Ben comments.
“You're gonna be weeping when I put you in time out in a minute,” she threatens. “Now shut up.” Knoxie turns back to me. “Like I said, I'm thrilled for you Merrick. And unlike the big ogre that stormed out of here, I know who you fall in love with isn't really a choice. You can't explain that shit any more than you can help wanting who you want. But you can be smart about it. You can make better decisions. Especially when all of us are at risk.”
“Stop talking about Jovi like she's some fucking disease,” I growl.
Ben shrugs. “She practically is.”
Without hesitation I attempt to go after him when Destin grabs my arm, pulling me back.
Knox folds her arms across her chest. “He just punched Madden in the face moron. What the hell did you think he was going to do? Hug you?”
“Whoa whoa whoa baby bro.” Destin tugs my struggling body again. “You can't just go throwing a punch every time someone says something about your girl you don't like.”
Not fucking true. Not true at all.
“You shouldn't go throwing a punch,” Drew corrects him.
“That.” Knoxie points at me. “That shit right there is why Madden is worried. He doesn't give a fuck who the girl is or how it affects the job. He knows how it's gonna affect you. How it's gonna blind you to everything else and cause you to make impulsive decisions with consequences we'll all have to deal with.”
Giving Madden too much credit there, isn't she?
“Now I'm gonna say this once,” her voice stays firm but softens. “Prove him wrong.”
Adjusting the ice pack on my throbbing fingers I remain silent.
I want to. I want him to eat those words about my girl. My heart. My soul. I want him to come back here so I can scream and shout that everything will work itself the fuck out. It always does. That I can handle this. That I won't put them at risk. No. I'm not sure I wouldn't be fucking lying. When Jovi's what's up for discussion she's the only thing that matters. And what the fuck that fact is going to do to my life scares me more than Madden ever could.
Jovi
“So, your night off actually means night in the office?” Nadie mocks dad from the laundry room.
Her catty remark makes me smirk.
I don't know why she's surprised. He hasn't had a real night off since mom died. The ones he's assigned, he uses to work on finding out lost information about my mother's death. Vacation days? Same thing. Locked away in his office. Away from us. From me. Sometimes I wish instead of just keeping me in the tower, that he'd visit for longer than enough time to extend my sentence in it.
“You're really giving me shit, Nadie?” He drops his hands on the island counter. “I don't have a choice.”
“Life is a choice.” She storms in from the laundry room, a basket clutched under her arm. “You chose this lifestyle. You chose to always be available at the drop of a hat. You chose to let me raise Jovi-”
“You're telling me I haven't raised my own daughter?”
He hasn't. And please don't try to tell me creating an on-going list of rules not to break counts as raising me.
“I'm telling you that maybe it would be okay once in a while to tell the people on the other end of the phone no, and spend a couple hours with t
he daughter who is leaving for school with very little reason to ever look back.”
I plan to look back. And to come back. I'd never completely desert my dad even if at times it feels like he did me.
Dad rubs his beard. He doesn't deny what Nadie says, but he doesn't agree. “You used to like to feed the ducks.”
I grab another piece of garlic bread and shrug. “They're adorable. Little painters of the water. Unlike geese. Geese are the devil.”
“You've always hated geese.”
“They're mean!”
He lightly laughs and nods. “They're not nice.” After a beat he suggests, “Why don't I find a couple hours for us to do that?”
“Us as in-”
“Just you and me.”
Mustering up the most enthusiasm I can find I nod. “Sure Dad.”
It's not that feeding ducks with my father doesn't just sound like a raging party. It's more that I doubt it'll happen. My life is filled with empty promises and empty proposals from him. You see how he works. I have higher hopes in him letting me get a sports car than spending quality time together.
His phone vibrates beside him and he doesn't hesitate to check it. My eyes fall back to my text book where I'm studying.
Still a couple weeks or so before my final exams, but what can I say? I wanna keep my grades up, which is slightly harder with Merrick around. That boy is so distracting. Especially his tongue.
“Damn it,” he comments out loud as Nadie pauses beside me. “Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse.”
Unimpressed Nadie asks, “What now? Church full of orphans hit by a tornado?”
“Tyler--”
“The mayor's son?” I question.
“Yeah,” he answers typing on his phone. “Apparently, he was caught planning to attend an orchestrated street race. Ever since he was caught racing against some guy named McCoy, he's been having his messages monitored for this sort of thing.”
Unconsciously my body tenses at the name.
Dad immediately notices. “Jovi, do you know this McCoy kid?” When I don't answer he glances at his phone and repeats, “Ben McCoy. How do you know him?” I keep my mouth shut until he raises his voice, “Answer me.”
“Through Hayli,” I lie. “We met him at Olympus one night.”
His eyes rip into me like he can see through the lie, but doesn't know how to prove it.
I am a shitty liar, but at least that one is believable, right?
On a grunt he dictates, “Stay away from him.”
“But-”
“I don't want you anywhere near him, which honestly after tonight shouldn't be an issue.”
Nervously I pry, “Why not?”
“Tyler doesn't know it yet, but we'll be hitting their little gathering and taking in as many of them as we can. Tyler and McCoy are at the top of the list. Tyler to teach a lesson. McCoy because I'm fairly certain we can twist him until he breaks and tell us who's running these things.”
I'm not the hugest fan of Ben because he's an idiot and loud and rather obnoxious, but that's my boyfriend's cousin. His best friend. That's his family. Not to mention I actually like Vinnie! I don't want to see anything happen to them. Do you?
He lets out a deep sigh. “I hate these things. They're dangerous. Deadly-” Thankfully he's cut off his phone again. “I have to go.”
Nadie waves her hand at him. “So go.”
“I'll be home for breakfast tomorrow-”
“No you won't,” she shuts him down. “Try again.”
“Dinner. I'll be home by dinner tomorrow.” He leaves quickly, the sound of the front door shutting shortly after his exit from us.
Nadie glances down at me. “I promised Janie a girl’s night in filled with lots of wine, chocolate, and classic romance movies.”
“Classic like Casa Blanca or Sleepless in Seattle?”
“Titanic.”
“Playing it fast and easy with classic romance?” My sarcasm gets me a kick in the shin. “If you're looking for a real good time why don't you just add Romeo and Juliet to the list? They die at the end of that one too.”
“Anyway, she's not taking the called off engagement as well as she hoped. She really needs this. You gonna be okay spending the night alone? I know it's not your favorite thing-”
I inch my cell phone that's been quiet all day towards me. “I'll be fine.”
Hayli's hungover and I haven't heard from my so called boyfriend all day. What if he changed his mind? What if all those romantic things and giant gestures was a giant ploy to get me into bed? I don't wanna believe that, but can you blame me for thinking it right now? Yeah, yeah, I know what Knoxie said but I don't know her. She could be in on it too. I'm not over thinking. Maybe a little.
“I'll be home sometime in the morning, but if you need anything-”
“I'll be fine, Nadie. Trust me. It's almost like I'm an adult.”
“A sassy mouthed adult.” She points sternly at me. “Will you put the leftovers in the fridge when you're finished?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, I'm gonna go get ready,” Nadie informs before exiting.
Once she's out of sight, my fingers fly across the keys.
Me: WARNING!!!! TELL VINNIE TO STAY IN TONIGHT. BEN TOO!
After hitting send on the desperate text, I fold my legs under me.
Haven't heard from him all day, so who knows if he'll get the message in time. Who knows if he's blocked my number. Ugh. Please tell me I'm overreacting...and please, if you see him before I do, tell him not to let Ben race tonight.
Merrick
After Madden's storming out, Knoxie went all motherly on me insisting she knows what I look like when I haven't had enough rest and scolded me to get enough before driving. Took my phone and everything. Thankfully I got it back with just enough time to tell Vinnie to call off everything tonight and warn Ben. Can you believe that? My girl, warned me for my family. For my friends. She wanted to protect me. Looks like she'll throw herself on the line for me as much as I will her. That's love right?
Holding out my fingers for Drew to place new fingerprints on them, I ask, “You don't think it's weird you keep extra fingerprints just hanging around?”
He rolls his eyes. “I don't keep them just hanging around.”
“What do you call having spares?”
“Being prepared,” the correction forces him to smirk. Carefully he covers the tips and says, “Tell me something baby bro. What's so special about this chick?”
Jovi's smiling face flashes in my mind. The vision of her wiping ice cream off her cute mocha colored nose has a grin growing on my face.
Hey it's better than my dick growing in my pants.
“You're fucking smiling?” Destin chimes in from across the room. “Really? Just being asked about her makes you fucking smile?”
“Pussy whipped.” Drew shakes his head. “Unbelievable. A pussy whipped McCoy.”
“Oh come on,” Daniel invades the conversation. Leaning against the island he declares, “It's not that far-fetched. Dad was pussy whipped.”
“Dad was pussy whipped,” Drew agrees as he puts on the last fingerprint. “Bad. There wasn't a fucking thing he wouldn't do for Mom. No limits.”
So that's where I get this shit from? Dad? We all have different memories of him. I have the least of all since he spent most of my childhood, that he was alive for, behind bars. I didn't ever get to see him with Mom, so they would all know better than me.
“I guess you got that McCoy gene,” Destin adds.
“Yeah, but you hit like a fucking girl,” Daniel teases. “Did you break a nail, Princess?”
“Oh fuck you.” I chortle. “You try hitting Hercules bare knuckled.”
My three brothers burst into laughter and it relieves some of the lingering tension in the room.
Triple D is a unit by choice. From looks to stance on issues. They're always on the same page like some sort of weird synced up computer. Swear that shit happened before bi
rth. Triple D is identical. Same height. Weight. Eye colors. Haircut. Even the ink on their arms is identical at first glance. Each added subtle differences, which is funny because that's how they really are. Subtly different. Drew's got a cock piercing, McCoy in cursive on his left leg, and the lightest set of brown eyes of the three. Possesses the whole mini Madden big brother shit. Daniel, middle child, can't live life fast enough or wild enough. Has a tire that's on fire on his foot and an eyebrow ring. Destin, has no extra tattoos, but a tongue ring that he got specifically because Madden told him not too. Nerdiest of the three, but definitely the one I'm closest to. His eyes aren't even brown, but fucking toffee or something. Don't get it twisted though. They know how to make you think you're seeing triple from fake piercings, to eye contacts, to dressing identical. Destin's the reason Daniel passed high school.
