Embracing Everly (26 page)

A deep raspy throat cleared. I tensed immediately afraid to look, afraid to face the reality I left behind. “Everly.”

The sense of relief instantly left my body in one long, deep whoosh that I released realizing it wasn’t Mick. “Dawson,” I said as I released Sara’s arm. “How did you find me? My dad, have you heard from him?” I asked, excited for the first time in a long time about something. It had to be true because he was the only one that could give my location away.

“Yes, I heard from your father. Can we…” he looked to Sara and waited to finish.

“Oh, sure, yeah.” I turned to Sara wondering if she picked up on the name change. “Can I stop over tomorrow? I really need to talk to him.” I had told her almost everything, except for my real name. I just didn’t think it was wise yet.

“Sure, sweetheart. You have a good night and remember how nosy of a neighbor I am. I see everything.” She practically shouted her warning to Dawson.

He grinned as she walked back to her place and then held out his hand for me. “You look great, Everly. The sun has treated you well down here.”

“Thanks!” I pranced up the stairs feeling lighter than ever. “Where’s my dad? When is he coming home?”

“Soon,” he answered guiding me inside my house. “He wanted me to come see you and make sure you were good.”

“Can I call him?”

He shook his head. “He’s going to reach out to me tomorrow to talk to you. He can’t call on your cell, honey. It’s too dangerous. There’s one player left in the game and once that bastard goes down, your dad will be out of hiding.”

Oh! Well, that was something I guess.

“Can I get you a beer?”

“Sure,” he looked at me quizzically. “How’s everything else going?”

“Good,” I lied as I reached in the old beat up piece of shit fridge and pulled two out. Once I twisted off the caps, I handed one off to him and sat down on the chair across from him. “Sorry, the air isn’t working. It’s hot as heck these last few days. How long do you plan on staying? I have a few fans to help.”

“Just a day or two. And I’ll be fine with whatever.”

“Okay, are you hungry? I can order something. I already ate, but I can phone in a pizza or make you a grilled cheese.”

“I’m fine, honey.”

I sat back, peeling the label off while he watched me intently. “You gonna ask?” he finally said it. The big elephant filling up the room was finally out and open for discussion.

“I’m not sure. I hope he’s well.” I swallowed back the tears at the thought of Mick and how much I wanted him and missed him but refused to say it out loud. If I said it out loud, it meant it was real, and I didn’t want it to be. He had hurt me. He had hurt me so bad that the pain still felt like a fresh cut like the wound was still open and bleeding.

“He’s doing better now. Had a little problem on the job, but he’ll live,” he paused. “He’s real sorry about lying to you. I’ve only known him a short time; consider him as a son in a way.”

I opened my mouth to stop him, but he scolded me with a look that shut me up.

“Everly, I’ve known him for just about a year and a half now and in that time I’ve seen him jump from girl to girl without blinking an eye. He didn’t want that job protecting you, but I sent him anyway. I could’ve come and watched over you for a bit, or brought you to Tampa to keep an eye out. I even warned him not to get too close to you, but he did. I’m going to let you in on a little secret that you need to promise never to tell him if you see him again.”

I leaned in at the same time he did, waiting to hear anything about Mick. “What? What secret?”

“I sent him to you for a reason, Everly. I hadn’t seen you in fifteen years, but he needed to get away from us, and all that bullshit that came with it. I’m not ashamed to admit women find us attractive, dangerous maybe, and it turns them on and we keep them around. Our job takes us away a good deal and a woman doesn’t really fit into the equation. Fuzz is the only one who makes it work. His wife gets our life because she grew up in it. Mick came to us lost, miserable looking for something and I gave it to him. I got him certified and up working once he did all the steps needed. He comes from a long line of criminals; I’m not sure you know that, but he does. The kid wanted better and I promised myself I’d mentor him and help him be the man he wanted to be because he reminded me a little of your dad,” he paused. “In a sense I felt like I could replace Thomas with Mick. I don’t know, a little nostalgic I guess, but anyway.”

He continued. “Every guy in my office likes to get a little play from the ladies. Mick was taking it too far. There was something deep in my gut telling me you’d change him, and I was right. I pretended that I didn’t want him to be with you, because I hoped it would drive him further toward you. You know the whole rebel against parent thing by using reverse psychology; well I did that to him. He needed it. He needed you. I can’t thank you enough, honey. He finally found himself. It took a little while, but he did it with your help.”

I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open at his speech of how he so easily screwed us both over. “So, wait let me get this straight, you used me?”

“Yes, I used both of you. I gave both of you what you needed. It’s up to you now. Maybe it’s too late for either of you to forgive one another, but I’m sure he would at least listen—hear you out.”

Wow! Low blow
.

“Wait! What does that mean? Are you telling me Mick thinks I’m the one who did something wrong?”

He shook his head and held up his hands. “I’m not saying that at all. I’m just saying he’s moved on, doing well in his career. And you look like you’re doing well pretending to be Jane Smith, hanging out with a woman who could be your mother.”

“Don’t bring Sara into this Dawson. She’s a sweet woman who has helped me forget Mick, and as far as him explaining things to me—why? So he could throw a few more lies in that tangled web he weaved?”

“You left not even letting him explain, honey. And, you know what?” he sat back. “I think I will take that grilled cheese now.” He chugged back his beer, apparently refusing to talk anymore on the subject. I wanted to kick him out, but I couldn’t since my dad was supposed to call within the next twenty-four hours, so I made him a grilled cheese, but I made sure I burned it.

After I had fed him, he insisted on taking a walk on the beach alone, promising me he’d be back in plenty of time before I called it a night. I went over and over the conversation wondering what he had meant by Mick moving on and putting the blame on me.
Me?
For not sticking around so he could place the knife in my back and twist it around even more? I was down here busting my ass to forget about him and the loss of a child by fixing up the house, doing things with Sara. Dawson made it sound like Mick was back to his old self, screwing anything with two legs that spread. And knowing Mick he probably didn’t even need that much help.

I resolved myself to waiting to speak with my dad. He had always given me sound advice when I asked for it. Until then, Dawson, and Mick could go screw themselves. I could do anything on my own. The only thing I couldn’t do was find out how my music was doing. I had been afraid to alert anyone of my presence, so I never looked in to finding out if my CD’s got noticed. Sara and I spent hours redoing everything Mick and I had done months before and sent them back out to new studios last week under the name Jane Smith this time. The waiting game was really the most unsettling thing. I’d written several more songs all about Mick and me, some about the good times, some about the deception, in hopes one of them might do it for me. I poured my heart and soul into those words more than I ever had before. Now, I just had to wait.

I HAD BEEN
nursing the same bottle of beer for almost an hour. Dawson was supposed to call in yesterday, and he hadn’t yet. All the guys were out looking for a skip, leaving me alone with Beth, Fuzz’s wife.

“Sweetie, you want a fresh one while you wait?”

I shook my head, not answering. My cell vibrated in my pocket; finally Dawson’s name flashed on the screen. “Did you find her?”

“Yep, she looks good, Irish.”

“Did she ask about me?”

“Not really, kid, I’m sorry.” We both paused. “Listen, I’m waiting for Thomas to call in and speak to her later on. He’s her main concern right now. She’s been down here playing real nice with a neighbor.”

I froze for a beat wondering if I wanted to know or not, but gave in because it had been killing me to not know all these weeks. “Male or female?”

He hesitated. “Male, but a little older. I don’t think she’s interested, but who knows, they looked kind of close.”

I nearly choked on my own saliva. She was replacing me already? No explanation, no forgiveness, no nothing from her. She fooled the hell out of me. I thought she was all good and sunshine when she was the opposite. She had given me nothing but darkness and pain the last few months. Darkness I hadn’t felt since I was under my dad’s thumb. His telling me she moved on was the last thing I wanted to hear and the last straw for me. Hell, I felt like I went through a whole damn box of last straws with her. And the whole time I stayed faithful no matter how hard those girls tried to get me in bed, I never threw the towel in when it came to hoping I’d get her back. I gave into my other rule though; my right hand became my best friend. A man could only hold out so long. “All right, then,” I managed to choke out.

“I’ll be back sometime tomorrow night. We’ll grab some dinner. How’s the stomach?”

“Better.” The only pain I felt was in my heart, not where I was shot.

“Good, kid. We’ll have you back on the job in no time.”

“Yeah, okay. Dawson can you do one small favor for me?”

“Sure.”

“Tell her that I really did love her, but I’m letting go now. It’s for the best. I’ll talk to you later.” Quickly, I hung up the phone. Beth was watching from the bar stool; tears slipping out as she listened.

“Oh, honey, don’t you want to try? All this time you’ve been waiting.”

“Nah, Beth, she’s doing good down there. Dawson says she even found a new man. It’s time for me to move on.” I hopped down and pulled a shirt over my head. I hauled my duffle bag out from under the bed and threw a few extra things inside that Beth had cleaned and folded for me.

“What are you doing?” She jumped down, tugging my bag.

“Taking off. Tell Dawson thanks for everything, but I think it’s time I moved on.”

“No,” she screamed, tugging hard on my bag.

“Beth, please let go. I don’t belong here. Maybe my dad was right all along. I am weak when it comes to certain things. I just have one more job that needs to be done, and then I’m going home.”

“What job?” she released her grip. “The boys are out there now?”

I grabbed my gun off the ledge and tossed it inside and then zipped it up. “Tell Dawson I’ll take care of Charlie. I’m sick of waiting for that damn trial.”

“You can’t, Mick. You can barely walk straight, for crying out loud.”

Charlie was two days from facing a judge. It had taken that fucking long to get his ass put away. Somehow he managed to keep getting his court date pushed back with some dirty politician up his sleeve.

“If you leave here, I’m calling Fuzz.”

“You do that.” I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re a good woman, Beth. Fuzz is a lucky son of a bitch.”

I CONTEMPLATED MY
life as I sat on my Harley outside of Charlie’s new house hours and hours later. Unfortunately, he didn’t use a bail bondsman to help his ass out. I would’ve loved for him to skip a bit ago, giving me a reason to shoot his ass. He was still in Charlotte, but he moved in with a few of his brothers from his frat that graduated the year before and had been waiting trial.

Even though she couldn’t hear my voice, I spoke. “I’m going to finish him for you, Angel, and then I’m out.”

I parked three houses down watching, waiting for any sign of him. I couldn’t go in guns blazing with innocents around. I needed to be unseen when I pulled this off, so I could make it through airport security. Even though Mary Catherine betrayed me by following our father, she was all I had—the only one I felt I could turn to. I knew she’d take me back and forgive me for walking away from our family. I could go live on my own, bartend somewhere to make ends meet, but what for? So, someone else could try to fuck up my life and my heart. No thank you.