Charge to My Line

by Lani Lynn Vale

  Letting off the brake and shifting into gear, he started forward slowly, missing my shrill squeal of happiness by the overpowering growl of the motor.

  I slid the beautiful square cut diamond onto my finger and admired it while we were still on the back roads in our subdivision.

  He looked over his shoulder and winked at me once we reached the stop sign to the main road, causing me to positively beam.

  Wrapping my arms around him tight, he took off, accelerating from zero to fifty in a few heart stopping seconds.

  It. Was. Awesome.

  ***

  2 days later

  “Holy shit, that’s a massive rock,” my sister said, as she admired the ring on my finger.

  We were sitting in a booth at Halligans and Hadcuffs at my engagement party. How my sister and all of my lovely friends managed to get this done so quickly, was beyond me.

  I nodded. “It is, isn’t it? I love it, though. Although I keep catching it in my hair when I’m trying to put it up in to a ponytail.”

  She snorted. “I’m sure that’s a big downfall to being engaged, catching your ring on your hair and all.”

  I smacked her with the back of my hand. “Shut it.”

  A loud commotion from the bar had us all turning to see a cute little dark haired woman calling out for another shot of whiskey.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, gesturing towards the woman.

  Viddy looked over. “That’s Tunnel’s widow. She got flowers today from her husband.”

  I tilted my head, thinking that over. “But how…”

  She smiled sadly at me. “Tunnel delivered her flowers at work for the last four years. This year she got flowers at work again from him, but he’s been dead five months now.”

  Holy shit.

  Talk about freaking someone out.

  How…sad. Horrible. Tragic.

  Although romantic, it was also heartbreaking. That poor woman.

  “Well, she deserves a lot more than a shot. That’s awful,” I said quietly, watching her belt back the shot that was just placed in front of her.

  “I need to use the facilities,” my sister said. “Come with me.”

  I stood without question. I mean seriously, who the hell wanted to go to the bathroom by themselves when they had other people to go with them?

  “Ohh! Me, too!” Viddy yelled.

  I looked down at the untouched beer in front of her with suspicion. “Why would you need to pee when you haven’t even touched your drink?”

  Her hand went down to her belly protectively, and I smiled, jumping up and down while clapping my hands. “Holy shit! You’re pregnant!” Before I enfolded her into my arms.

  My yell of exaltation brought Trance’s eyes to me, and then down to his wife.

  He smiled warmly at her before returning to his conversation with Loki.

  Loki and Trance were still pretty new to me. I only saw them occasionally at parties, and even then it was random at that.

  They were both cops for the Benton Police Department, and for the last two months, they’d been working a case that spanned across two states, five counties, and three parishes.

  It was a major deal lately in the papers, which kept their attention away from all the parties and rides I’d attended.

  The papers had been speculating lately on what could draw that kind of law enforcement involvement, but all those involved were closed up tight about it. Even Grayson, who I knew for certain knew exactly what was going on.

  However, I was happy. There was no way I was worrying myself for something that was out of my control.

  “You and Rue will be pregnancy partners!” I cheered.

  Viddy smiled shyly at me. “Yeah, but Rue’s a couple months in front of me. She’ll be having her baby when I’m in my second trimester.”

  As we walked to the bathroom, Reese and Viddy spoke about the drawbacks of pregnancy, and I closed my ears, trying to un-hear about the possibility of my vag stretching out to the size of a watermelon.

  Reese and Rue preceded me into the bathroom, which was why they never saw the arm loop around my belly, and the hand cover my face.

  “Don’t yell or I’ll kill those cunts,” Colby snarled into my ear.

  I froze, and my eyes closed.

  Oh.

  Fuck.

  “Good girl. That’s a good girl. Walk with me out the back,” he instructed.

  I nodded and started forward, hitting the long column on the door that would disengage the lock.

  “Go to the side of the building. That’s where my car’s parked,” he growled.

  I knew if I got into that car with him, I wouldn’t be alive for much longer, so I stalled.

  “Your brothers are inside. Don’t you want to talk to them?” I asked, knowing it would incite his anger.

  It did.

  A hard punch to the back of the head had me falling down to my hands and knees.

  Gravel dug into my palms painfully, but I stayed there, hoping I could buy enough time for Grayson to realize I was gone.

  Preferably by not getting another punch to the head.

  My eyes moved forward, and I saw loose gritty sand covering the ground next to the dumpster.

  If I could only make it five feet, I could throw that in his eyes. Maybe get away from him.

  I only managed to get a scant inch from my previous spot when Colby kicked me hard in the ribs, causing me to roll over in pain.

  The muscles of my abdomen cramped in pain, and my eyes squeezed tightly shut.

  God that hurt. Who would’ve thought?

  My hands instinctively rose up to cover my head, waiting for the next blow, but it never came.

  Instead, an enraged scream sounded behind me, moving Colby’s attention from me to the new threat.

  I lifted my arms just in time to see Iliana barreling towards Colby with the anger and fierceness of an enraged kitten.

  Colby stopped her easily, bringing his leg up just in time to slam it into Iliana’s leg, causing her to fall.

  What it did do, though, was move everyone out of the line of fire.

  Four loud booms filled the air behind the bar followed by Colby dropping to the asphalt like a brick directly in front of me.

  The sound of his body hitting the ground was incredibly loud after all the noise that’d happened only moments before.

  Eyes open in shock, I turned towards the back door of the bar to see Loki, Trance, Grayson, and my mother standing, shoulder to shoulder, with their guns still raised up in a shooting stance in front of them.

  “Holy shit,” I breathed.

  Iliana turned to me in a pained grimace and smiled. “Bobby busted him out.”

  “What?” I asked, in a little bit of shock.

  She nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. I called your phone, but Grayson had it. He answered and I told him to find you. I’d been on my way here, anyway, for your party, but Bobby was acting all kinds of weird, trying to rush me out of the house. I thought he was trying to sneak a girl in after I left, so I stopped down the road to watch only to see Colby coming out my front fucking door!”

  “Oh, my God!” I breathed.

  “Could we get you out of the path of the fucking blood before we continue this conversation?” My mother growled.

  I blinked and looked down at the blood that was indeed in a collision course with my pants and stood up somewhat painfully.

  Grayson’s hand went underneath my arms and helped me up before crushing my face into his chest. He was shaking, and I looped my arms around him, holding him back just as tightly.

  “I’m sorry, Grayson,” I said softly.

  He shook his head. “I knew this would happen. I just underestimated the timeline.”

  I looked over when my mom helped Iliana up off the ground, disengaging from Grayson to run into my best friend’s arms.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” I said into her neck.

  She started sobbing about the same time as me, and
neither one of us made much sense until much later.

  ***

  “So what exactly happened? Why’d you become so distant?” My curiosity was killing me.

  She shook her head. “Bobby was acting so weird. I mean it’s like his personality was transplanted into someone else, and I got stuck with the new, evil Bobby. When he told me he got out of the Navy, I was so excited. Then, he started hanging out more and more with his brother, and slowly started to change into someone I didn’t like.”

  I nodded. I really could see that happening. Colby had always been a persuasive person each time I’d been around him.

  I remembered one time, in particular, that he’d talked a woman he’d met at dinner into going out on a date with him. He’d been so charming and persuasive that she never stood a chance.

  He’d dated her for a while, and now I could tell that his plan at the time had been to make me jealous. When it hadn’t worked, he’d broken it off with the woman. Cruelly, if I remembered correctly.

  “Why didn’t you say anything? I mean, I see you at work from time to time. Why not say something then?” I asked.

  She shook her head, running her fingers through her tangled hair.

  “I think he followed me. Bobby, not Colby. He started to get really creepy about it, too. Never letting me go out without him, which is why I stopped calling you. I’d catch him reading my texts. I’m able to forgive a lot, but after tonight, that’s not happening anymore. I’ll need to get him out of the house. Like now,” she said, shivering slightly.

  “I’ll help with that,” my mother said as she sat down. “I’ve already got them at your place. Bobby’s going to be charged with aiding and abetting. He’ll be seeing the inside of a jail cell. At least for a few years.”

  Iliana seemed to wilt. “Thank God. I really wasn’t looking forward to kicking him out.”

  Grayson walked up a few moments after her admission, which brought my attention not to Grayson, but to the man directly behind him standing against the wall.

  “Who’s that man with my sister?” I questioned Grayson when he slid into the booth.

  Grayson’s pissed off eyes turned from the tabletop, to my sister, who had a large, blonde man holding her in his arms.

  “Luke Roberts. That’s Baylee’s brother. He’s a cop in Kilgore, Texas. About an hour from here,” he answered.

  I nodded in understanding.

  That explained why she was leaning into him. She must know him somehow.

  Then he kissed her, and I guessed that knowing and knowing were two different things.

  Holy shit!

  Chapter 21

  Remember, as far as anyone knows, we’re a nice, normal family.

  -Tru to Reese

  Tru

  5 months later

  “You know this isn’t normal, right?” My sister asked from her position underneath my dress.

  “Yes, but something’s poking me in the ass. If you don’t fix it, I won’t be able to wear the petti-skirt-shit you have me wearing,” I informed her.

  She sighed and started rooting around my underwear and petti skirt looking for the poker.

  I looked to my left when I heard a camera click, and I screeched. “Mom! Get the camera away before I rip it out of your hands and stomp on it with my pointy heals.”

  I’d meant it to come out more intimidating, but my mom worked with drug dealers and pimps five out of seven days a week. One bridezilla wouldn’t faze her.

  “Got it!” My sister crowed just as the door opened and my father walked in.

  He looked at me, looked at my sister who was backing out from under my dress, and then shook his head. “Why me?”

  My mother came up and hugged him from behind. “You deserve this and more. We were such bad kids to our own parents.”

  He sighed. “Yeah, that’s true.”

  From what I’d heard, they’d both been really into the seventies when they were younger, if you catch my drift.

  My mom kissed him on the back. “Alright, girls. I’ll see y’all after the wedding. Break a leg, Tru.”

  With that lovely comment, she walked out, not sparing another glance back.

  “Such a sweet woman,” Iliana giggled.

  I looked over at Iliana, so happy that she could make it back from Texas.

  After everything that had happened with Bobby and Colby, she’d elected to move back to her parent’s hometown in Amarillo, Texas.

  She’d found a job that she loved, and from what I gather, a man that doted on her. Yet, she was reluctant to speak about it, which was to be suspected. It’d take Iliana time to get back on that particular horse again, but it wouldn’t hurt in the meantime to have a little fun.

  “Alright, ladies. Where’s Rowen. It’s time to get this show on the road. I can practically smell the finish line,” my father teased.

  I flipped him the bird. “So, you’re saying that you’re ready to give your favorite daughter to a man that singed off your eyebrows?”

  He took a threatening step forward when the doors to the room we’d been getting ready in were thrown open. “Alright, people. Chop-chop. Time’s ‘a wastin’,” Rue cheered, clapping her hands together.

  So, of course, the bridesmaids went out in order. Baylee. Adeline. Viddy. Channing. Rue. Iliana. Then, finally, my sister.

  “Shit!” I gasped. “Rowen! Where are you? It’s time for you to throw your flowers!”

  I could hear the low chuckle of the crowd, and realized that I’d yelled that a little loud, causing me to promptly blush.

  “There she is…Rowen, where’s your clothes?” My father yelled.

  Rowen furiously grabbed her flowers, then took off like a rocket down the aisle.

  I watched as her Princess Elsa covered ass disappeared down the aisle.

  At least she still had her sparkly Princess Anna shoes on.

  “Well….” My father said, watching her go. “You ready?”

  With nothing left to say, I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Absolutely.”

  ***

  “I can’t believe you chose Highway to Hell to walk down the aisle to,” my mother scoffed.

  I smiled at her. “Grayson thought it was funny.”

  She glared at me. “Honey, your wedding video will forever have everyone’s expressions frozen in horror. How do you not see how this is a big damn deal? You’ve embarrassed me.”

  “That was probably because your granddaughter performed some Princess Elsa magic with her princess panties and her princess shoes,” I accused.

  My mom, of course, smiled like that was the cutest thing in the world. “That girl.”

  It was pretty funny. That’d be fun to watch the crowd’s face when they got a load of her. I would almost place money on Reese’s face being ten shades of red.

  “I do not want to talk about that child of mine. She gets that weirdness from her father.” Reese blurted as she sidled up beside me.

  I looped my arm around her waist. “Reesey, will you hold my dress up while I go take a wee tinkle?”

  Reese rolled her eyes. “Of course, sister dear. I’ll even flush for you if you need me to.”

  “Y’all are hilarious,” my mother sighed as she walked off.

  “I think you made mommy dearest embarrassed today,” Reese said as she walked with me to the bathroom.

  I nodded. “Yeah, but it was totally worth it to see the look on her face when that song came on.”

  Reese shook her head. “She’s going to get you ashes for Christmas.”

  “That’s okay. It was one hundred and four percent worth it,” I promised, as we made it to the bathroom door. “Do you think it’d be okay if I changed into some shorts?”

  My sister looked at me. “Yeah, but it’s like…thirty degrees out. Won’t you be a little cold?”

  I shook my head. “No. I brought some long socks. And if I get too cold, I have a husband that emits heat like a space heater. I’ll be fine. Not to mention the hall we ren
ted is heated.”

  She shook her head but didn’t say another word. She knew I hated wearing anything that was uncomfortable. Then again, she was exactly like me, but out of necessity had to get over it. One couldn’t walk around without any pants with young children about.

  After a few long minutes of her undoing buttons, unhooking hooks, and de-lacing, I could finally breathe for the first time in nearly three hours.

  “Jesus, this thing left indentions in my skin!” I tittered.

  My sister gave me a droll look. “That’s ‘cause you gained nearly fifteen pounds in the last three months. Have your feet even seen the inside of your running shoes lately?”

  I flipped her off. “I’ve been getting my workouts in a more enjoyable way,” I said as I swapped out the strapless bra I’d been wearing with a sports bra.

  She gave me a horrified look. “I really…really didn’t need to know that.”

  I smashed my lips together to keep from telling her exactly what she did not want to hear. Mainly that my sex life was su-fucking-perb, and I was willing to let anyone know it. I was a vindictive bitch like that.

  I can still remember her telling me about the time she lost her virginity; how horrible it’d been. I’d been at the age where I was just discovering boys, and she’d effectively scared me into never having sex. Ever.

  It was a vow I’d kept throughout high school, and then college. Now, though, I was secretly glad that she did that. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to give Grayson that gift when the time came.

  And speak of the devil.

  My eyes lifted when I threw the t-shirt on just as he was walking in the door.

  “You couldn’t even let us cut the cake first?” He asked in amusement.

  He looked so sexy.

  Black slacks. Black shirt. Dark purple tie to match my bridesmaids dresses.

  The suit jacket we’d gotten to go with the slacks had been discarded the moment we’d finished taking pictures over an hour earlier. Now, even his tie was gone.

  It was stuffed into one pocket, the tail end falling out just slightly.

  His dark hair was longer than normal, but only because I’d requested not having a bald groom for my wedding pictures.

  It’d been a struggle, but in the end, I’d won.

  I shook my head. “Not if you desired a wife that would participate in our honeymoon. I was suffocating to death.”