Fat Louise

by Jamie Begley

  “Raul!” As Bailey attempted to throw herself into his arms, the back of his hand sent her flying backward. Shocked, she held her hand to her face.

  “You stupid whore.” Raul took a step toward his wife, who backed away fearfully.

  “Don’t you dare!” Jane started to move toward her sister yet was held back by one of the soldiers.

  Raul’s cold eyes glared at her. “You’re just as useless as your sister,” he snarled. “If not for your father’s money, I would never have touched her.”

  “Raul…” Bailey pleaded.

  “Shut up with your whining. I’ve heard enough over the last few weeks.” Raul turned from her and strode toward Cade, ordering, “Tie them up and put them in the cars”

  As one of the soldiers struck Cade with the butt of his rifle, Jane winced, crying out. The soldier didn’t hesitate as he threw her to the ground. One tried to take her backpack, and Jane attempted to jerk it away. She kept his attention focused on trying to tug the backpack away while she reached behind her back for the knife she had slipped into her jeans. Jerking hard on the strap, the soldier was slightly off balance, and Jane used his forward momentum to stab him, stepping to the side, before she tossed his gun to Cade.

  Mayhem erupted.

  “Run, Bailey!” Jane took off running toward an outcropping of rocks that weren’t too far away. Bailey took one look at Raul’s face and started fleeing.

  “Don’t shoot!” Raul’s order shocked Jane, but she figured that, as hostages, they would be useless dead. Her father would demand proof of life before he would pay any ransom. Jane heard gunfire behind her yet didn’t turn back to see how Cade was doing.

  They managed to make it to the rock where they dropped down behind one to catch their breath.

  “I hate you! This is all your fault!”

  “Will … you … please … be quiet before they find us?” Jane said.

  “I had a happy marriage before you showed up! You can fucking die for all I care.” Bailey lowered her head to the rock and cried.

  Jane belatedly realized her mistake. She should never have tried to save her ungrateful sister. She was with the sick son of a bitch she wanted. They deserved each other.

  Jane crawled into the confined space. Peering over the rocks, she saw the soldiers looking for them; however, Cade was nowhere to be seen.

  Jane heard a sound to her left, tensing, and then gave a sigh of relief.

  “Cade.” He had blood dripping from a cut above his eye. “Are you all right?” she asked, afraid the soldiers would see her movements.

  “No,” he replied, grimacing as he hunkered down. His face was becoming a bloody mess.

  “I’m sorry,” Jane apologized.

  “It’s not your fault they found us,” Cade reassured her. “You managed to save our asses.”

  “What are they going to do?”

  “Search for us until they find us again,” he answered truthfully, which Jane respected.

  Bailey began wailing.

  “Jesus, don’t you ever shut up?” he snapped. “They’ll kill me right away, but they’re going to try to blackmail your father for money, so it will be awhile before they kill you two. Maybe he can secure your release. I don’t know. It depends on if he can get the money to them.”

  “Maybe he won’t have to,” Jane uttered, scooting her body closer to his.

  “What do you mean?” Cade asked her.

  “We can walk out of Mexico. It’s done all the time.”

  “I’m not walking.” Bailey stuck her feet out, showing her shoes. The flat sandals would be no barrier to rocks and dirt.

  Jane pulled off her tennis shoes, placing them next to Bailey. “Give me your sandals. I’ll wear them.” Bailey took off the sandals, putting on Jane’s tennis shoes. Cade had hoped they wouldn’t fit, but they did. Used to giving up her things to her spoiled sister, Jane had known they would.

  “What now?” Bailey asked, tying the shoes.

  “We’ll wait and give the guards time to give up and search another area. Thank fuck it’s so hot they won’t search long.”

  “Come on.” Cade told them as soon as the last of the Raul’s men drove away and it became dark.

  Jane and Bailey stood, beginning the long trek toward the border. Following Cade, they moved silently through the inky darkness. While they ran from the town through a wooded area, all Jane could hear was Bailey’s complaining.

  It didn’t take long before Bailey bent over, crying out from a pain in her side.

  “I can’t run anymore!”

  “If you don’t be quiet, I’m going to strangle you,” Cade threatened.

  Bending over, he tossed her over his shoulder and kept running. Jane ignored her own exhaustion, trying to keep up as best she could.

  She didn’t know how long they ran before they stopped to rest. Jane was relieved, uncertain how much farther she could have gone.

  “We’ll rest here for a few minutes then leave. We need to get as far as we can while it’s dark.

  Jane took a drink from the bottled water she had in her backpack. Thank God she had been smart enough to pick it up before running away from the soldier she had stabbed. She then passed it to Bailey who took deep gulps of the precious liquid.

  “Don’t drink it all,” Cade said, taking the water away.

  “I’m still thirsty,” she complained.

  “This water may have to last us awhile.” He took a small sip for himself before closing it.

  “That’s not enough,” Jane protested.

  “It’s enough for now.” He got back to his feet. “Let’s get going.”

  This time, Bailey walked. She was slower, but at least she was carrying her own weight.

  It was still dark when they found an abandoned RV riddled with bullet holes next to a small pond.

  “Am I dreaming?” Jane asked as Cade cautiously scouted out the deserted area.

  “No. It must have belonged to someone transporting illegals or drugs. They used it because of the water”—he pointed to the pond—“and it’s secluded. We should be able to hide out here for the day. It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here for a while.”

  Jane investigated the RV. It had been ransacked, with nothing left behind. There was a thin mattress lying on the floor. Jane was forgetting what it was like to sleep in a normal bed.

  She turned the mattress over, seeing it looked somewhat cleaner on that side.

  “Go ahead and lie down, Bailey.”

  Her sister lay down without offering her thanks. She didn’t even move over so Jane could lie down, even though there was room. Jane’s shoulders sank as she turned away, laying down her backpack on the floor and using it as a pillow.

  When Cade returned, he paused in the doorway, taking in the difference in the girls’ positions. Jane saw his lips tighten.

  “Come lie next to me,” Bailey offered Cade the spot next to her.

  “Jane, go lie down with your sister. I’ll take the floor.”

  As Jane got off the floor and went to lie uncomfortably next to her sister while Cade lay on the floor, she felt Bailey’s anger through the darkness. Jane didn’t have time to wonder at her sister’s behavior, though. She was too tired. She fell asleep, clinging to the side of the mattress to give Bailey more room.

  * * *

  Bright sunlight woke her. Jane’s aching fingers released her grip on the mattress. As she looked around the small trailer, she saw she was alone. Jane was frightened until she heard her sister’s voice from outside. Stiffly, she climbed off the mattress and went to the door of the trailer.

  Cade and Bailey were sitting next to each other by the pond talking. Jane had seen that look on women’s faces too many times not to know what it meant. Her sister was attracted to Cade. She was looking up at him beneath lowered lashes, smiling at him flirtatiously.

  Jane felt her stomach sink. Her sister always managed to snare any man she wanted, and now she had definitely picked Cade as her replacement for
Raul now that she realized the chances of them getting back together were nil.

  Jane walked forward, hearing them talk about Bailey’s visit to Europe.

  “You’ll have to visit when we get out of here,” she was saying.

  “I’ll think about it,” Cade answered noncommittally.

  “I thought we would have left by now,” Jane interrupted.

  Cade shrugged. “If we move out in the open, they’ll see us for sure. If we wait here, we can leave when it gets dark. We’re close enough to the boarder to make a run for it if we hear any vehicles approaching.”

  Bailey jumped to her feet. “Do you think it would be possible to take a quick dip if I hurry? I feel filthy in these clothes.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye out. Just don’t take long.” Cade stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants.

  Jane was shocked at her sister’s behavior when she didn’t wait for Cade to turn his back before she started stripping off her clothes. She wanted to smack her sister as she waded in naked, taking her time before lowering her body into the water.

  Cade made no pretense of not watching, and Jane couldn’t blame him. Her sister had large breasts and a small waist that flared out to curvy hips. She had shaved her pussy, which highlighted her long, golden legs. Bailey had not had anything to do for the last few weeks except sunbathe while her family worried about her.

  Cade’s amused expression caught hers. “Don’t you want to clean up?”

  Jane’s hand went to her dirt smeared face. “No, thanks.” She sat down on the bank of the pond, averting her eyes as her sister made the most of the male attention she was receiving.

  Jane’s eyes widened when her sister came out of the water, taking her time to get redressed.

  “Do you have a comb, Jane?”

  “No.”

  Bailey gave a fake laugh. “You have grenades but no comb?”

  “No, I don’t,” Jane repeated. “Maybe you can find something inside. I didn’t look in the overhead cabinets.”

  Bailey went in the trailer to look.

  “You and your sister don’t get along, do you?” Cade asked, not taking his attention from the area surrounding them.

  “No. We didn’t grow up together, but I hear a lot of sisters don’t get along.” Jane tried to make light of the situation. She had tried to be close to Bailey, yet Bailey had rebuffed all of Jane’s attempts.

  “She try to steal all your boyfriends?” Cade teased.

  “There weren’t any to steal,” Jane confessed. “She doesn’t care for any of my friends.”

  “You haven’t had any boyfriends, but you have male friends?”

  “I have a lot of those. I belong to a motorcycle club. At least, I think I belong. My friend Sex Piston does. Her father was the former president and her husband is now. Since I’m her friend, it means I’m a member, too, doesn’t it?”

  Cade just stared at her. “You don’t know?”

  Jane bit her lip. “Of course I know. I am a member.” She nodded her head, trying to convince herself. “Stud lets all of us hang out at the clubhouse.”

  “Who’s Stud?”

  “Sex Piston’s husband. He’s a nice guy. Me and my friends really like him.”

  “They all have nicknames like Stud and Sex Piston?”

  “Of course,” Jane stated. “There’s also Killyama, Crazy Bitch, and T.A. We’ve all been friends since grade school, except Sex Piston. She didn’t join our group until middle school.”

  “What’s your nickname?”

  “Fat Louise.”

  He stopped looking around, turning to study her, instead. “Fat Louise?”

  “I was a little chunky when I was younger,” Jane admitted.

  Cade stared at her doubtfully.

  “It’s true.” She nodded. “I have to work hard to keep the weight off. I like to eat a lot.”

  “You look like you need to gain ten pounds.”

  Jane shook her head. “No, I’m exactly the weight I’m supposed to be, according to my height and age.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because I work to stay in that range.”

  “Does it really matter if you’re a few pounds above?”

  “Yes,” Jane said grimly. She had worked hard to lose the weight.

  “Bailey doesn’t seem to be having any trouble with her weight,” Cade remarked.

  “No, she doesn’t.” She lowered her lashes to hide her hurt reaction at him comparing the two of them.

  “What I meant was that maybe, if you weren’t as active when you were younger, you might not need to watch your diet as closely now that you’re older.”

  “Did you miss the part where I said I like to eat a lot?”

  Cade’s mouth curled in a smile, the first genuine one she had seen since she met him. She felt her nipples tighten. Embarrassed by her reaction, she glanced shyly away. If one of her friends was nearby, she would have felt more comfortable, maybe even casually flirted with him, but she didn’t have any confidence without them.

  “Was my father very upset?” Jane asked, changing the subject.

  “Your father seems the type to think no problem can’t be solved with his money.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s true. He thought getting Raul to sign that pre-nup he had drawn up would protect Bailey. I tried to tell him not to keep giving Bailey such a high allowance after they married, but he wouldn’t listen. I think, without the money, he wouldn’t have brought Bailey with him.”

  “I don’t, either. He seems like a dick. I can see why no one in the family likes him.” He rubbed the badly bruised side of his face.

  “Would you like me to clean up your face for you? It’s in pretty bad shape.”

  Cade stared at her in amusement. “Have at it.”

  Jane dug into her backpack, pulling out a shirt. Ripping off a section that seemed fairly clean, she used the water in the canteen to wet it. Then she dug in her pack again for some salve she had put in before coming into Mexico.

  “You got a first aid kit in there, as well?”

  “No.” Jane laughed. “Just Neosporin. I’m kind of a pack rat.”

  She motioned for him to sit down and then carefully scrubbed his face of the dried blood, trying not to hurt him. She felt a blush rise in her cheeks as he stared up at her.

  After she finished cleaning him off, she dabbed the salve onto the cuts. Putting the cap back on, she took a step backward, forgetting her backpack was behind her. She started to fall, but Cade’s hands reached out to steady her. She balanced herself by placing her hands on his shoulders.

  “I’m a little clumsy,” she said, beginning to straighten.

  His hand left her waist to slide to the nape of her neck, holding her in place. Surprised, she froze as he brought his mouth closer to hers. Jane lowered her eyes to his mouth, waiting for his kiss.

  “What’s going on?” Bailey asked, stepping out of the trailer while running a brush through her hair.

  “Nothing. I was just patching up Cade’s face.”

  Bailey didn’t look happy. “I should have offered. Are you okay?” she crooned, coming up behind him to place a comforting hand on his back.

  Jane turned and picked her backpack up before going back into the trailer. I wanted that freaking kiss, Jane thought, mourning the loss of a second kiss from him, one where he wouldn’t be pretending. She didn’t stand a chance against her sister’s more obvious flirtation, though.

  She sat down on the mattress, wishing Killyama was there to kick Bailey’s ass for her. The longer she sat there fuming, the angrier she got. Why should she let her sister keep her from trying to get to know Cade better? She might not be as pretty as Bailey, but she sure as shit had a better personality.

  Standing up, she decided to make her own play for Cade instead of running like a wimp and leaving the field wide open for Bailey.

  She came to an abrupt stop in the doorway.

  Cade and Bailey were plastered together, with him
giving her the same passionate kiss he had once given to Jane, except the one he was giving Bailey looked real.

  Chapter 12

  They began walking again as the sun set, with Jane behind Bailey, whose energy seemed restored. She kept a constant stream of chatter going until Cade was forced to quiet her, telling her the sound of voices would travel in the night. Thankfully, his reprimand managed to quiet her, and Jane was given a respite. She made sure to keep space between her and Cade as they traveled through the night. Cade shot her several curious looks yet didn’t question the distance she had placed between them.

  When they stopped to rest, Bailey sat down next to him, leaning against him as if they were already a couple, talking to him in low whispers that had Jane feeling like a third wheel.

  She rose to her feet, turning to walk a few feet away.

  “Where are you going?” Cade’s hand on her arm stopped her.

  “I need to find a place to use the restroom,” she told him softly.

  “Hurry.” Cade released her arm.

  Jane hurried a few more feet away until she felt comfortable enough to lower her pants and relieve herself. When she came back to the camp, Cade was still sitting next to Bailey, her hand lying intimately on his thigh.

  “How much longer before we get to the border?” Jane asked as she found a place to sit down until they started walking again.

  “If we can walk some tomorrow without getting caught, we should make it tomorrow night.”

  Jane felt relief flooding her. She didn’t know how much longer she could watch Bailey throw herself at Cade. She forced the feelings of jealousy away. She had never envied Bailey anything—not her father or the attention she managed to get from all their family members, and certainly not the boyfriends she had gone through over the years. However, Jane was finding it hard not to feel envious of the escalating intimacy growing between the two.

  “Ready?” Cade and Bailey had risen to their feet and were waiting on her.

  “I’m coming.” Jane found herself following behind once more, gritting her teeth when Bailey began talking again. This time, she kept her voice to a low whisper so Cade couldn’t reprimand her.

  In the morning, they weren’t lucky enough to find another RV, although they did find a small crevice in the side of a hill they could hide in.