by S. A. Mecham
Chapter Eight
I round the front of my car before opening my passenger door to aid a very broken Luck Conway. He looks up at me as I lean in allowing him to put his arm around my shoulders before I stand back up easing him carefully out of the car. He tries to stand on his on his own for a second before collapsing back onto me almost making me fall down from his weight. My tears have dried now from crying for most of the night while driving him here.
“SEE—it IS Luck!” An older man yells from the porch. I see a dark-haired man come out of the house right behind him. Both of them race over to us. “I told you that it was Luck, bald or not! Come on! C’mon help them in,” the older man says to the dark haired younger one. They both grab a hold of Luck, taking him from me. I reach for his hand not wanting to let him go. “It is alright ma’am we got him, don’t worry you can let go. You are safe with us,” he assures me. I look up into his face noticing light-blue eyes staring back at me from a much older version of a Luck look-alike. I pause before letting go of my grip allowing them to take Luck away.
“Hurry—get him inside! I will get my bag and join you,” a blonde haired lady orders, she walks over to me. “I’m Abby—do you know Luck? Do you know what happened?” She asks.
“I know him—yes—he is my friend. Is he going to be alright? He was beaten up really bad. I think that they broke his bones or something, he is having trouble breathing. He told me to bring him here—I was going to take him to the hospital but he insisted.” I gasp. She’s about five foot eight without heels, and she’s built like a model and very slender. I think that maybe she might not be an actually relative by the ring on her finger, an engagement ring.
“I’m a veterinarian but I can help. Go inside and be with him,” she says to me while patting my shoulder. She seems to be able to read my face and understand just how worried I am right now. “He will be fine now—you did the right thing bringing him here. His brother Marcel and his grandfather, Lester will take care of him I promise you.” Abby pauses for a moment then says, “I am sorry I don’t know your name.”
“Ava—I’m Ava Lowe. Thank you so much.” I say. I don’t know why I thank her for helping her own family but the words just fly out. What if he dies? What if he doesn’t get better? Shut up—stop thinking like this.
“Of course…he is Marcel’s brother and he is basically my brother too. Go on in I will be in a sec. She darts off towards the barn.
I enter the house following the sounds of the three men; Luck, Marcel, and Lester. I can hear Luck yelp out as I near a bedroom at the end of the hallway. I am met by the older man, Lester who fills the doorway, blocking my view.
“Is he ok—can I go in and help?” I ask while trying to peer around him.
“How’s about you and I get some fresh air maybe? Luck is going to be just fine. Except for that haircut, I have seen him look a lot worse,” he answers before leading me away from the door, down the hallway and back out onto the porch. I go, willing, because unfortunately I feel that I will only get in the way at this point.
Lester pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He takes one into his mouth, lights it before placing them on the banisters. He looks off out into the vast corn field while puffing on his smoke. I don’t even smoke but envy his seeming pleasure in this moment and I long for a goddamn relief of some kind.
“May I?” I join him by the banister with my hand out he grabs up the pack before handing me one. I place it into my mouth pretending as if I’m a pro. He lights it and I inhale deeply before choking up a huge cloud of smoke, covering us in it. He laughs at me as I try to recover.
“First time eh?”
“What gave it away—coff…coff...” I try to be witty while continuing to cough. “Don’t tell Luck—I haven’t smoked since high school and it was only for a short time.”
He rolls into laughter confusing me. Why is he laughing at that? That isn’t funny.
“My dear, ya have nothing to be concerned about there. Luck has been smoking since—shit. I bet he came out of his mom smoking a cigarette. How do you not know this about him? Luck is known for three things; tats, smokes, and poems.”
He says before puffing on his smoke. I grow very interested as he continues. “These are the things I can expect from my grandson. One that he’ll have some new tattoo every time I see him, second that he’ll be smoking, and third he can write some of the most profound poetry I, or anyone in the entire Emerald Ile, have ever read. For having only lived twenty-eight short years that kid can go deep like he has lived longer than any of us and has already learned all there is to know about emotion and how to express it. He is way better at explaining this than I ever could. I imagine that is how he got the attention of such a beautiful and charming lady such as you?”
I giggle at his attempt to flatter me. He is a delightful man and I can see just where Luck gets his charm from.
“But, you gotta tell me. What in the name o’ the Lord happened ta his hair?”
Chapter Nine
I’m not sure how long I have been sleeping as my eyes spring open. Without sitting up I already know where I am. I’m home—at least my childhood home. I move slowly out of the bed. I want only one thing. I need only one thing. Ava. She brought me here I can remember that much. I stand and am surprised by the lack of pain. I start to feel dizzy for a second realizing that Abby must have given me something for the pain I brace myself up on the door frame.
“What are you doing out of bed—get your ass back in there, Luck,” my grandfather scolds me. I notice he is sitting at the kitchen table drinking his coffee; newspaper clenched in one hand and coffee in the other.
“Where is she? Where is Ava?” I press before entering the hallway moving towards the front door.
“For fuck sakes—don’t say I didn’t warn ya. She was outside last time I saw her, she was walking out back down by the barn,” he answers.
I can hear him continue to say something else but I don’t stop to listen. I can’t help but race out of the house in pursuit of her. I must see her.
The barn is only fifty yards away from the house but it feels like a thousand to me as I near the barn door before entering. She’s standing off by the horse saddles looking up at them. I walk over to her wrapping my arms around her from behind taking her up into my arms.
“Oh my god—you’re alright! Thank fucking god. Fuck if anything happened to you—I don’t know what I’d do,” I choke. She wiggles in my arms and I tighten my grip unable to let her go.
“Luck—you are ok, right?” She strains. I let her down keeping my arms around her as she turns to look at me.
We say nothing. Simply stand silently staring into one another’s dewy eyes. Both of us unable to speak or just incapable of forming words; I am not sure which, maybe both for me. I see the small bruise on her face and a few scratches on her arms while I start to examine her. Full on lust combined with insane desire fills me and I lift her up placing her on the workman’s table. I pull back a bit looking her up and down.
“If I’m right I think I owe you big time for saving my ass back there. Am I right?” I say with the most intense sexual undertone roaring through my throat. “Remember how I said that I wanted to suck on you? How I want to lick you?” I add while yanking her shorts down and off sending her sandals flying. She nods instantly bringing her legs up placing her feet on the table spreading them for me. I lean down licking at her with my tongue making her mount glisten in the sunlight. She lies back and moans her approval as I yank her ass up cupping her ass cheeks in my hands while devouring on her sweet juices. She wiggles wildly in my hands and if not for my firm grip on her, I am sure she would wiggle right off the table. I stare at her as I lick, suck and drink her. Seeing how much she is getting off makes me want to be inside of her again. I kiss her one more time before standing to free myself and ending my aching. I flop myself onto her slippery mount slowly sawing it back and forth between her swollen lips. Fuck I can tell that I won’t last for long this time for sure
by as much as I want her and as good as it is with her. I know I’ll be over immediately.
“Tell me one of your poems Luck. I want to hear your work as we fuck.”She moans up at me while she caressing my chest with her hands.
“When I am in the presence of pure poetry I am rendered speechless,” I say unable to come up with any of my prior work off-hand. I feel the painkillers are starting to wear off but I will fuck through the pain. I turtle her with my tip playing with her. I want to drive her wild. I can tell she is ready. She is different this time, she so free, so relaxed I have no doubts if she wants me or if she enjoys me. I move up, kissing her.
(BEEP BEPP…) we both jump from the shock of the loud car horn from outside. As much as I want to fuck her right here and now, I am going to have to put it off for the moment. FUCK.
“Is that a car? Is someone here?” She snaps out of breath as she pushes me away before jumping down from the table. “Shit—someone is here—where’s my shorts and underwear?”
I go over to window while pulling my shorts up trying to see who is outside. I see that it Marcel, and if he is honking than there is something up. My brother isn’t known for drama.
* *
I enter the house letting Ava take the lead through the door. We are holding hands and my brother looks at me like I’m fucking a dip-shit or something.
“Oh isn’t this cute— you are you going for long romantic walks, while some of the city cops are looking for the two of you? What the fuck did you do this time little brother? Who’d you rob from this time?” He shouts before stopping probably realizing that he’s divulging family secrets.
“I didn’t do shit this time—calm the fuck down. I have no fucking idea who those fuck-heads were who beat me down but I will tell you what. When I do find out—” I begin answer before Ava cuts in to aid my explanation.
“I think they were cops—I am almost certain of it,” she adds. Suddenly I remember her saying this on the drive here. Flashes of those men and the several crushing blows and the pain coursing through me from it send me over the edge.
“Cops? You are tangled up with cops now? Why are cops beating you up?”
“I said I don’t know why? Don’t worry I won’t bring any heat back to you.”
“That’s just great. A fucking thief can’t get caught, ever. Number one rule, fuck-head: you stay in the game for too long and eventually you get pinched. That’s why I went straight. Or straighter—that is.”
I realize the look on Ava's face has changed as my fucking brother let out my secret. There is nothing I can do now as the fucking truth about me falls loose from his mouth and I’m left standing there just waiting for her to smack me or maybe yell at me. She does nothing as Marcel leaves us standing in the living room alone. I’m too ashamed to look at her at this point but I force myself to do that very thing, much to my surprise I’m met with kind eyes and a smile.
“I was wondering this whole time how come you had a twenty-five hundred dollar suit on when we first met but yet you don’t have a fucking car. Now it all makes perfect sense to me,” she says, and reaches up, wrapping her arms around my neck. I want more than anything to take her back into my old bedroom and continue what we were doing in the barn before but I can’t forget my brother’s words. We hadn’t seen each other in a long time, but occasionally exchanged emails. We hadn’t said much. I did know that he cleaned himself up for Abby five years ago. He and my granddad have been co-oping the farm together ever since.
“I need to go and talk to my brother—I will be back, ok?” I say to her while pulling away just as Abby walks in.
“What was all the honking about? I came running from the south line to see what’s up.” Abby presses. She is panting and her face is red.
“I don’t know—I’ll go see. Please take her into town. Take her to Casper Inn. She will be safe there.” I say to Abby while taking Ava’s hand in mine without looking at her.
She yanks her hand from mine like she’s pissed and I block her from moving out the door. Abby goes off down the hallway allowing us to talk but we don’t. We simply stare.
“You want me to go—after all the shit we’ve been through already?” She gasps breaking the long silence.
“Especially after what we have been through already! You need to go before I get you hurt or worse, killed. I won’t let that happen. I can’t protect you if I can barely move. And there are things about me that I haven’t told you—things you won’t like and you shouldn’t. I’m a real bastard, Ava,” I explain. It seems with each word I have convinced myself that she’s better off as I start putting up my wall. I become cold and I try to distance myself from her.
“I hate you for being so very predictable Luck—fuck you for making decisions for me and fuck you for not loving me back enough to let me be with you,” she grunts before walking out the door letting it slam behind her. I go to follow and stop myself.
“I can’t. Just let her go,” I say quietly to myself doing the only sensible thing I think I have ever done.
I push down my feelings while joining Marcel in the kitchen. He is glaring at me like I stole his car—again. I slump down next to him grabbing a smoke from his pack.
“There—I did what you wanted me to do—I told Ava to go. So stop giving your shit already,” I smirk before lighting up to smoke.
“You are a fucking idiot—I never said to do that. What you do with the lady is your business. Since when do we get into one another’s relationship business? However, judging by your current state,” he pauses with arched eyebrows before continuing, “you two might have a tough road ahead of you. A road that seems to be lined with enemies that obviously don’t want you two together. I have to ask Luck—who changed you?” He asks before puffing on his smoke. “I mean you aren’t the same kid brother that left here ten years ago; you’re changed?”
I push away from the table unable to begin to answer such a fucking question. Why is he dropping this kind of shit on me? “Seriously—you come driving up the driveway honking like the damn army is coming for us and all you want to do is talking about my feelings and how I’ve changed—what shit is this?"
“Hence my earlier statement—you are an idiot. I wasn’t honking about that, you are just assuming that shit. I honked because I was talking to Sid in town, you know the market owner on Jameson Street?” He asks and I nod. “He told me that there were three men in the store this morning asking all kinds of questions about you and a Latina lady matching Ava’s description. He said that they were wearing military issue boots, he guessed that they are maybe ex-military or pigs—either way you are into some deep shit bro,” he finishes before ashing out his smoke. “I, of course, have your back as usual—but fuck at least find out what the fuck we are dealing with.”
I jump to my feet pumped with adrenaline. “She’s in trouble—why the fuck did I send her away?” I ask aloud racing down the hallway leaving him behind. I reach the porch before realizing that they have already left for town and I’m without a vehicle. I turn to walk back inside and am shocked by the sudden appearance of Marcel. He furnishes his keys, dangling them from his fingertip. I grab them smiling at him.
“This time Luck, when someone says that they love you—don’t just tell them to go away dumbass,” he presses.
Chapter Ten
“I am so pissed right now,” I say aloud. I’m inside the room that has been rented for me at this cute, but small, place the Casper Inn. I wasn't thinking clearly enough to take my car. Abby left less than ten minutes ago and in spite of her best efforts, I am convinced that I will never see him again. “Who does shit like this to someone? I was willing to walk through fire with him and he can’t even hang for a week. Damn.” I pause, thinking about that a moment. “He slept for three days of that and I thought for sure he was going to die—fuck—why did I tell him I love him. I do love him but fuck—I should have waited for better timing or maybe never.” I strip out of clothes before turning on the shower water. I check the temp
erature before getting in. I push my head under the water letting it drench me for several minutes.
I slowly turn around opening my eyes, I flinch as I realize that Luck is in the bathroom with me. I can see him just standing there outside of the see-through shower curtain.
“Ava—I’m sorry to just barge in but I knocked for a minute I guess you didn’t hear me so I let myself in. I left Abby outside she told me where to found you. I am so fucking—” he scrambles as I yank open the curtain grabbing and pulling him into the shower with me. He willingly steps into the water fully clothed taking me up into his arms pausing just before kissing me. “I love you! I’m sorry I didn’t say that before when you did. I wanted to but I just didn’t think that you would leave if I said it.” He is out of breath, soaked and completely mine.
I can’t peel his clothes off of him fast enough as he pulls me out of the shower walking over to the bed dripping wet. We fall carelessly into the sheets as the last piece of his clothes, the only thing between us, is removed. My desires for him are increased a thousand percent by the fact of an uncertain future which lingers over us. I look at him as he gets up onto his knees to spread my legs with his hands. He looks down at me dawning his dimples and firmness fully ready for me. He grabs his girth in one hand and licks his other two fingers before inserting them inside of me. I moan loudly holding nothing back from him any longer. I want him to know how much every touch of his feels to me. Even under a shield of bruises, this man is the most gorgeous and attraction man I’ve ever known.
