Below The Line

by Chelsea Camaron

  True to their word at the hospital they separate us. I have a minor procedure to remove the bullet. After which, I lay helplessly in bed with my brothers in my room while we try to sort out if any other threat is left.

  Hadley had to undergo a rape kit since the police have been called in. With the bodies we have to prove it was self-defense. She is almost done with her tests according to the last update Sonnie sent Collector.

  Honestly, I will take a manslaughter charge if necessary. The only thing I would do differently is give these fuckers their one-way ticket to hell a long time ago. I would have made sure they never got to Hadley.

  “And I thought I had family drama,” Trapper says pouring himself a cup of water from the pitcher they left for me. “X, you brother take the cake. Your mom’s a whore, your pop’s a pimp literally a pimp. Your step-mom was totally a MILF but also totally a fucking cunt. Shit, brother you got everything fucked up all in a big pot mixed together.”

  Ignoring Trapper, I look to Collector, “I still don’t know who killed my mom.”

  “We’ll sort it out, X.” Judge says calmly as usual.

  If only I could be as calm as him.

  After some time, Sonnie wheels Hadley in to my room. I immediately get out of bed and go to her. Dropping to my knees in front of her, I lay my head on her lap to which she rubs her fingers in my hair.

  “I thought,” she says softly fighting back her emotions.

  “Never gonna leave you Hads.” I say looking up into her eyes.

  “Owen, everything has been to punish you.” I watch the tears fall. With my free hand, I reach up and squeeze her hand. “Ava, she loved Lo’ren but it was all twisted. Then your mom had you. Ava hated you.”

  “She’s gone, Hads. She can’t hurt anyone else.” I try to comfort her.

  “Marco killed your mom for her.” Her body shakes as she sobs her declaration.

  “Baby, I know they told you that, but he didn’t have the tattoo. I saw the man.”

  She shakes her head at me. “No, Ava did it. I don’t know how but she knew you saw the tattoo. She paid for Marco to have laser removal. She told me he did it.”

  I stand up and pace the space. Emotions overwhelm me.

  “I wish I could kill that fucker over and over again, now that I know that.” I mutter more to myself than anyone else. If I had known before he was the one who killed my mother, I would have made sure he felt more pain.

  In the moment, I just had to get him off Hadley.

  Before I can process everything, a nurse comes in to check my vitals. She immediately steps back to see all these people in my room.

  “I’m sorry Mr. Gallow, but we can’t have you up and moving around like this.” She looks at my face and I’m sure she can read the fury inside. “I’m gonna have to ask all your visitors to leave. You can’t be upset like this, you need rest.”

  “Fuck that and fuck you. Give me the papers, I’m signing myself out!”

  “Hells yeah,” Trapper says giving a fist bump with his good hand while his other still rests in a sling. “That’s what I did and I’m fine and dandy.”

  The nurse stands in front of all of us dumbfounded.

  “I’ll get your shit,” Deacon says making his way out of the room.

  “Thank fuck,” Trapper says. “That gown is not your color and your ass keeps playing peek-a-boo with my eyes.”

  Hadley laughs and the sound is heaven to my ears as I tug the back of my hospital gown closed not wanting anyone looking at my ass but her. That will wait though, she has healing to do physically and emotionally.

  We have a hard road ahead of us, Hadley and I. Together though, we’ll get through.

  “I can’t let you discharge yourself without first informing you of the risk factors,” the nurse tries to regain control.

  Rowdy steps forward with a big smile on his face. He looks down to her name badge on a clip, seductively he trails a finger over her jawline and down to the plastic card. He tugs it to him reading her name to himself.

  “Rebecca, darlin’ I promise we’ll take real good care of my brother. You can even make a house call later to check on him if you want.” Rowdy winks at her.

  “Will you be there?” She asks totally mesmerized by the man-bun sporting, muscle bound man in front of her.

  “Of course,” he releases her name badge.

  “It’s important he gets rest and doesn’t exert himself.” She instructs Rowdy as if I’m not standing right here behind him. “I’ll go get the paperwork started,” she winks and exits my room.

  “Hadley is being released today. She will have to follow up to make sure the internal stitches dissolve.” Sonnie informs allowing me to feel relief as all of this seems to come to a close.

  Now if only I could figure out what the future holds.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ~Hadley~

  ~Two Weeks Later~

  I can’t wait to get on the road. I never thought I would feel this way. It’s been a little over two weeks since the truth came out. Turns out, Ava was the daughter of some cartel lord. With her help, they were using the ports to get drugs into New Orleans. She allowed Lo’ren to run women to keep him out of her family business.

  Just like she said, apparently there is more respect for men in her world then women so Lo’ren was only the face of the operation while Ava held all the power. Lo’ren did what he could to keep Owen out of her target zone but in the end he failed.

  The domino effect of his wrong doings knocked us all down, one by one.

  Collector and Judge have been great in guiding Owen and I threw all the legal shit involved in two people being killed. I don’t know what Rowdy did with Lo’ren’s body, but I’m sure an alligator somewhere has had his belly full. Since Owen and I both had to go to the hospital, the police were called in.

  Ava and Marco’s deaths have been ruled self-defense. Owen and the guys are going in today to pick their weapon’s back up since they are being released today. Well, except Trapper, he’s staying behind with Sonnie and me.

  Sonnie is in my room cleaning and sterilizing everything she can. Today she’s going to help me with closing the door on my past.

  Owen is being amazing. Since we got our rooms at the W hotel, he has allowed me private time in the bath to wash away and sooth my body. He hasn’t pushed me even as I wake up every morning with his erection hard pressed against my ass.

  The next time he sees me naked I want all marks of Lo’ren, Ava, Marco, and my past gone.

  “Okay, we’ll do the nipples first. Then I think I have the perfect design for your thigh,” Sonnie explains proudly.

  I lay back on the bed topless. Sonnie shows me the sealed plastic containing the needle she will put in her piercing gun as well as the the sterilized sealed plastic housing the two metal bars she will be putting through my nipples in an effort to piece the split parts together. It may not help with my feeling but it will at least give me some confidence back.

  The piercings don’t hurt, not like they did the first time. It’s strange because they did tingle afterwards, which for having spent so many years without sensation, this feels odd, but good.

  I relax after gently pulling my cami with a shelf bra over my top to then slide out of my shorts leaving me just in my panties.

  Laying with my leg cocked to the side so Sonnie can get the best placement, I regulate my breathing wondering what design she came up with. With a spray of some liquid, the feel of soft paper hitting my leg and her glove covered hands rubbing it over me, I fight the urge to close my legs.

  “Do you want to see?” Sonnie asks me peeling back the transparency.

  “I trust you,” I say on a sigh feeling amazed that I have these people in my life who I can really and truly say I trust.

  Remaining still, I wait while she opens yet another new needle and sets up her gun. I allow the hum of the tattoo gun and the pricks of the needle to be the balm to the wounds on my soul.

  With each dip of her poi
nt into the ink, I’m allowing myself a new layer of color in my life. With each spike of the needle into my flesh I’m closing up all my old wounds. Like stitches heal a deep cut, this tattoo will heal my heart and my body as well as my body.

  It takes almost four hours, but finally Sonnie finishes. There are tears in her eyes as she looks at her final product and then to me.

  Slowly, I let my gaze move to my leg, with a half crunch I sit up to see the most colorful, most detailed fleur-de-lis. The L, the O, and the X are all unrecognizable. The blends of the purples, greens, and golds all make the image look three dimensional.

  “According to history, Rex, the King of Carnival declared the Mardi Gras colors of purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. I thought we needed to remind you that home is the place of beauty. It is where justice was served. You have learned a lesson in faith in both yourself and your man.” She wipes the tears from her eyes, “Hadley, more than anything you have your power back. I can only imagine the inner strength it took to live on the streets as a kid, then to find your way out of a really bad situation as an adult. You are one of the strongest women I know. I want you to look at your leg and not see a brand or a scar but see the beauty we all see in you.”

  With the ink, her words, and the emotions I feel I find myself crying with her.

  After a moment we compose ourselves and she goops me up and covers the beautiful art on my body. Excitement fills me to share this with Owen.

  She’s right, home is New Orleans. Home isn’t all bad. In pain comes beauty, in trials come victories, and in the worst of times you will treasure the best of times. I do have justice. I do have faith. And for the first time, I do have power.

  It feels wonderful.

  Getting dressed, I smile. “Sonnie, wanna share a must have NOLA tradition?”

  She smiles brightly back at me, “When in Rome they say do as the Romans do … well, let’s do whatever the locals do.”

  “Even Trapper will like this!” I say excitedly as we clean up my room and exit to find him standing and waiting.

  “Beignets, are a must, Trapper!” I tell him.

  “Whatever you want, you get, Owen’s orders.” He says extending his hand for me to lead the way.

  We make the walk with me pointing out different buildings and Sonnie taking in the buildings and life that simply is New Orleans.

  Trapper sits across from me at Café du Monde.

  “This coffee is addicting,” he says as he sips his drink.

  “Chicory, Mon Cher,” I reply in my best Cajun.

  Sonnie moans after a bite of her warm beignet. “This is an addicting city for so many reasons.”

  “It can be,” I say wishing I had the love for the city most people do.

  “I get it,” Trapper says ruefully. “There’s no place like home only it’s not always somewhere we wish to be like Dorothy clicking in her sparkly red shoes.”

  “Trapper are you getting deep on me?”

  “Well, I’d love to be deep in you, Hadley, but X would kick my ass. As much as I want to, I must refrain.” He smirks and I can’t help but laugh.

  “Trapper, I don’t know what to do with you most days.”

  “Yeah, darlin’ need do I.” He pops the last bite of beignet in his mouth before picking up my mug of coffee and drinking it.

  “Trapper!” Sonnie chastises.

  “What? You snooze you lose, she’s taking too long and we’re family – sharing is caring and all that shit.”

  I laugh again. My stomach cramps from the unusual use of muscles. I haven’t felt this relaxes in my whole life.

  “Feels good doesn’t it?” Sonnie asks me.

  “I don’t know what I feel.”

  “A lot of venom, a lot of guilt, and a twinge of satisfaction.” Trapper leans forward studying me.

  “You make it sound like a witches brew.” I try to ease the tension.

  “I like to call it the devil’s brew of vengeance.” He says proudly.

  “You are a man of many layers, Trapper.”

  “Like an onion you can peel me back one layer at a time, each will be as bitter as the last.” His reply is somber and it makes me wonder what happened to make him so hard on himself.

  I look over my shoulder as I hear noise behind me. Just as I turn two small arms wrap around me. “Haddie, it’s been so long.”

  I kiss the top of his head. “Brennan, sweet boy.” I look up to find Cameron Linn standing behind her son.

  “Sorry, we didn’t mean to interrupt,” she apologizes and Trapper’s eyes grow wide.

  “You hungry man?” Trapper asks Brennan who nods.

  “Things are bad. Business is over. I’m trying to find a job, but,” Cameron stops herself and takes her son by the hand. “Sorry, we’ll be on our way. Hadley, I’m very happy for you.”

  “Cameron Linn, wait, please. Let us get you some beignets.” I say noticing Trapper has gotten up to find our waiter and order more.

  Hesitantly, she pulls up two chairs to the small table that barely fits the three of us. As busy as Café du Monde stays they have to keep things small so they can fit more people in.

  Trapper returns and looks right at Brennan. “Got it comin’, buddy.” He looks at Cameron Linn but doesn’t say a word. Trapper steps to the side and I watch him pull out his phone.

  “Judge,” I hear him say. “Everything’s fine, calm down.” Trapper pauses. “That place you sent Sabrina from Tennessee, they got anymore room?”

  I don’t know what he’s talking about but the way he’s watching Cameron Linn, I can’t help but feel like the man who is a mess of too many emotions is trying to help my only friend while I was stuck in a life of little choices.

  “I have someone who needs a fresh start. We’re gonna give it to her.”

  He slides the phone off just as the beignets arrive. “Sonnie, can you keep an eye on our new friend Brennan so I can chat with his mom and Hadley.”

  Sonnie nods and Cameron looks at me in a way that I know she isn’t feeling safe. I nod to let her know it’s okay even though I’m not sure what’s going on. I do know that as fucked up as Trapper is, he’s not out to hurt a woman.

  Standing the three of us move out of earshot of Brennan but still where we can see him.

  “Cameron Linn, about the night, the morning after,” Trapper says with his hands resting on his hips, “Well, I’m not sorry, but you gotta know I’m an ass of epic proportions. I don’t do callbacks.”

  I realize these two had some time together. Well, that explains more why Trapper would want to help her.

  She smiles a half smile. “It’s okay Trapper. I’m a whore. I’ve gotten a lot worse over the years. It was fun to have sex and not for business. Leave it at that okay. You don’t owe me anything.”

  “I don’t,” Trapper flatly says. “I want to help though. I have a friend who has a friend.”

  “Trapper I’m not looking for a relationship,” Cameron Linn cuts him off.

  We all laugh.

  “No, it’s a shelter to help you restart with your son.” He says in the most serious tone I’ve ever heard from Trapper. “You’ll be safe and have time to build up a savings a shit.”

  “Oh my God!” She cries out as tears fall down her face. “I can’t, I don’t know how.”

  Trapper looks at me with pleading in his eyes.

  “Hadley, I wouldn’t send her some place I didn’t think wouldn’t set her up right. Just like I gave you my word, if you faced Owen and then wanted to leave, I’d set you up, I meant it. I mean this.”

  I think about the times I’ve had with Trapper and I realize if I wanted to leave now, with everything in the open, he would give it to me. This is the first door opening in far too long for my friend and her son. This is her second chance. She just needs to take it.

  “Trust him, Cameron Linn. There aren’t many people in this world that right or wrong are true to their word the way these men are. If Trapper trusts this place, then I trus
t this place. Get a fresh start. No debts owed to anyone.”

  Trapper’s phone pings with a text message. He reads it.

  “Judge made the call. Tempest is waiting on us to call. You ready to start a new life, Cameron Linn B.”

  “Brashears, it’s Cameron Linn Brashears, she might need that. Brennan Masters is my son, he’s six. I graduated highschool in St. Tammany Parish.” Cameron Linn starts to give her information.

  “None of that is necessary, let’s make a call shall we?” Trapper stops her to which she nods.

  “I’m gonna let you two handle this while I go have some beignets with my favorite little boy.” I say seeing that Cameron Linn is comfortable with Trapper.

  Once again Owen comes into my life and takes care of things. Cameron Linn and her son are the only friends I had for a long damn time. To know she’s getting a second chance at life makes me have butterflies in my stomach.

  Is this a new start for us all?

  I think so and for the first time since I was a teen living in a tent with a boy, I feel hope. Genuine deep inside my bones hope.

  Chapter Fifteen

  ~Owen~

  ~One Week Later~

  The police are looking for Lo’ren Maximus Cortez. They won’t find him though.

  Going back to the apartment I shared with my mother, I stand out front. The window boxes are half hanging off. Boards cover the windows in what was Cajun Charlie’s place. I didn’t notice the details before. I didn’t realize how much it has rundown over time.

  I move up the stairs as I can hear my mother’s voice again.

  “We’re gonna get outta here, Owen. One day.”

  Lifting the little gnome, I pull out the hide-a-key right where my mother always left it. I walk in.

  The air is thick with must, mildew maybe. It’s all from too many years unlived in. After she died, I didn’t get to come back. The Parish Social Services stepped in and whisked me off. Meeting Lo’ren here was my first time back.

  Everything he put her through, I wish I could kill him again. There is supposed to be satisfaction in vengeance, yet I don’t have it.