Run (Run Duet #1) (7 page)

The crowd went crazy as she began to strum her guitar and leaned in closer to the microphone.

“We’re fugitives,

we just ain’t runnin’ from the law

we’re fugitives,

we stumble, fall and crawl

Life’s a bitch,

She’s mean and she’s keen

But that’s what we chose

Back in New Orleans

“Can’t take the back roads, honey

Ain’t lookin’ to do twenty to life,

Gotta face it full on,

Like Thelma and Louise with their strife

I want you all to myself

But you gotta ‘em lined up

So what’s the decision, honey?

You gonna pick me or keep runnin’?

Said are you gonna keep on runnin’?

“I’m a fugitive,

Been dodgin’ you all my life

Through with this,

Need to admit that you got me hog-tied

I’ve always been yours to keep

Even if the Lord may weep

I’d follow you down to hell

Damn it if I don’t break the devil’s spell!”

The crowd was on their feet now and several couples were dancin’ to her mix of bluegrass, country and soul. Annabelle had it like that, even at the Bluebird Café.

“We can’t take the back roads, honey

I’m lookin’ to do twenty to life,

Ready to face it full on, baby,

Like Thelma and Louise with their strife

I want you all to myself

And I’ll knock them all outta line,

So what’s the decision, honey?

I won’t let you keep runnin’

‘Cause it’s me, or baby, you’re doin’ time!”

The crowd all clapped, cheered and hollered as Annabelle finished. She bowed and smiled broadly.

“Thank you to the patrons of the Bluebird Café for puttin’ up with me and I’ll see y’all next Friday.”

She gathered up her guitar, set it in its case as general country music began to fill the air from the speakers. As she wished her temporary band mates goodbye, a tall good looking blond guy approached her and handed her his card. Her face turned ten shades of crimson before the smile on her face grew wider and she followed the guy to the bar.

“I wonder who the big shot is?” Shaw turned toward me after we ordered burgers and fries along with rum and Cokes on the side.

“Well, he’s definitely a big shot. That suit he’s in cost at least ten grand.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t graduate BU with just my good looks, Shaw; unfortunately, I had to earn my degree by working very fucking hard. I know that suit is expensive because the pharmaceutical rep from Switzerland wore it only his was midnight gray. It’s Armani, it’s expensive, and so are those shoes and that haircut. He’s not shinin’ your cousin on. That, right there, is a genuine rep from a music company with an unlimited budget.”

“How would you know?”

“I read
Forbes
,
Fortune
and the
Wall Street Journal
. They didn’t send a rep—the president of Introspect Records himself came down to see your cousin sing. Someone with deep pockets saw her and liked her. No other way someone like Dominic Stenfeldt would know she exists.”

The waitress dropped off our drinks and I immediately demolished half my rum and Coke.

“Wait a minute . . . I was reading an article about Ella Jade.”

“I didn’t even think you knew who she was with all the rock and hip-hop you listen to,” I teased before I sipped on my drink again.

“She’s on tour with that prick—what’s his name?—Brian Kinder. They recently came through here and she mentioned she and Brian got to go to the famous Bluebird Café and a singer named Annabelle McCarthy blew her away.” Shaw took out his straw and downed the whole rum and Coke in one go. “Shit, I shoulda ordered a beer on the side.

“Great, at least I know who’s driving us to the motel ‘cause it certainly won’t be you.”

“Give me a break, Liv.” He cleared his throat before he glanced at me with those gorgeous crystal blue eyes. “We gonna talk about the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room named ‘Fugitives?’”

I rolled my eyes and sipped from my drink again. “What for? You’ve always known how I’ve felt about you, Shaw. You have a Madonna slash whore complex and nothin’ is gonna change that. Hell, most guys do even if they don’t wanna admit it.”

He leaned closer to me. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“There are women you fuck, and women you marry. You sowed your wild oats all over Boston but you always knew I was there . . . in the wings, waiting for you to settle down. It’s no surprise. I’m just shocked I never fucked anyone in college. Not that there weren’t appealing guys but they weren’t you.”

Shaw glanced at me as if he was truly surprised. “That’s because there are women out there that just . . . well, they wanted more than what I was willing to give. I never fucked one girl by leading her on ‘cause that would be wrong. Not my fault they wanted my dick so much they knew nothin’ could come out of it.”

“I’m not blamin’ you, baby. It’s just that women are whores and sluts for sleeping around but men are studs—”

“You can say that because you truly haven’t had pussy that was worn out beyond its expiration point. Sorry, babe, you girls have kegel muscles to keep you tight and some women don’t know how to use them. A cock doesn’t change. It’s either adequate or it’s not. I’m not a small guy by any means but when I am fucking a woman and can barely feel her walls contract around me, it’s an issue. There’s a reason why stereotypes exist.”

I displayed a small smile. “I hope you won’t be talking about that around your cousin because here she comes with a huge smile on her face.”

“Fuck no,” Shaw said. “We’ll stow the sex shit for later on. And be glad you’re a virgin—you have no idea how many men can’t fuck to save their lives. It’s an art form, you know. To make a woman come with your cock and your fingers . . . it can be fucking poetry.”

“Nice to know.” I displayed a big smile as Annabelle strode over. “You two came! I didn’t think you’d ever get to see me perform! And tonight is special because I’m leaving for L.A. with Mr. Stenfeldt. That’s the gentleman over there. Joe is gonna be pissed but this is my career we’re talking about. I gotta take what’s being offered to me.”

“Don’t ever let a man get in the way of your ambition,” I replied as I grabbed her hand. “Dominic is the real deal and he isn’t just blowing smoke up your crack. He can make you a huge star.”

Annabelle smiled beguilingly as if she wasn’t sure I was telling the truth or not. “Well, neither of you have changed a lick! What brings you to Nashville? You gonna stay awhile or are you just passing through?”

“I need another drink,” Shaw remarked as he stood and walked directly to the bar.

Her smile dropped as soon as he left the table. “Listen, I may not know nothing about the criminal underworld—”

“What are you talking about, Anna? Joe is in the Dixie Mafia. They’re all the same—they just go by different names. And speakin’ of Joe, what are you gonna do with him? He can’t follow you to L.A.” I sipped my drink and thought about I’d need a couple of shots of Jack Daniels with a Coke the next time. Screw this rum and Coke shit.

“Well, I do know what went down in Boston. Who doesn’t when it made national news? You’re lucky they think you two were part of the incident—”

“What?” I pushed my drink aside and crossed my arms against my breasts. “I spoke to my cousin before we drove here. We stopped in New York. My mother and your aunt made it out alive. They’re in critical condition but they aren’t dead. Not that’s gonna be any consolation when they find out Ness didn’t make it.”

“Yeah, they did,” Annabelle whispered. “They crawled out on their hands and knees and two of Carter’s guys got them to the hospital. The moment they left, Povikov’s men came around and torched the place. Burnt it clean to the ground. It’s like they didn’t want there to be any evidence and the cops can’t even identify the body by dental records.”

“How can that be possibly? And how the hell do you know about Povikov?”

“Joe. He sells pot to him every now and then when he’s running low—Povikov, not the Dixie Mafia. They grow that shit clear through the mountains in greenhouses. The temps here are perfect for it and it’s been a cash crop—kept Tennessee from becoming a wasteland after so many mines shut down.”

Annabelle looked around before her hazel eyes settled on me. “They used acid or lye—something to speed up the decomposition of all the bodies, then they used paint thinner and gasoline to start the fire. Whoever they were, they knew they had the time to do it. Cops and the firemen didn’t respond until around fifteen minutes after they left despite numerous calls from neighbors. You tell me who has that kind of power?”

My heart thundered in my chest over what Annabelle had just told me. What good would it do for them to have people thinking we were dead? Easy, they were sending a message. In Povikov’s eyes, Shaw and I were as good as dead as soon as he caught up with us.

“Where y’all headin’? To Mexico?”

“I don’t think it’s wise for you to know our itinerary,” I replied as Shaw sat down with four shots of JD and two Cokes.

I drowned my first shot like it was water and sipped the rest of my rum and Coke afterwards.

“Belle,” Shaw began, “you’re a good girl. You’ve always been my belle, my little cousin I would shoot a man in the dick if he ever hurt one hair on your head. You don’t need to know where Liv and I are going but you need to get the hell outta here. Sever your ties with Joe—”

“Carrick, you can’t ask me to do that!” she exclaimed as her face turned an unflattering shade of crimson. “I love him—”

“Love someone else. I already spoke with that Dominic fella and he’s getting on his private jet in about an hour. I’ve already told ‘em you’re going with him. What Liv and I have done . . . the trouble we’re in . . . they’ll hurt everyone around us just to get to us. They know about you. You’re only safe in L.A. I’ve told Dominic enough but he has agreed to bodyguards and the works. But
only
if you leave that piece of shit Joe behind. Hell, he’ll lead ‘em right to you. Is that what you want?”

Annabelle shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. “It’s just we were high school sweethearts and—”

“Some things are better left when high school ends, Belle. Cut your ties and get your narrow ass on that plane with Dominic tonight. You got that?”

“But—”

“I ain’t askin’, Belle, I’m tellin’. If anything happens to you on account of what Liv and I got ourselves in, how am I supposed to forgive myself?” Shaw grabbed his cousins hands and held them closely. “You got a gift, cousin. One that needs to be shared with the world. You choose a life with Joe, he’ll have you barefoot, pregnant and resentful as hell you didn’t pursue your dream. Men like him don’t want a woman doin’ better than them. Trust me, I know the type.”

I watched the eye play between Annabelle and Shaw before I added, “Shaw is right. This is your big break, and you need to take it. You could be a huge star and you won’t want to know that anyone was in your way to change that. Get on that goddamn plane with Dominic.”

Annabelle looked a tad bit perplexed but as Shaw and I met eye to eye, we knew we’d convinced her. She’d grown up poor, living hand to mouth. Why would she want to be some hillbilly’s old lady when she could have the world at her feet?

She clapped her hands before glancing between the two of us. “Well, I guess that’s it then.”

“Yep because tomorrow, you’ll be somewhere sunny and fun and living the dream.” I couldn’t keep the irony out of my voice, even if I tried.

L
iv didn’t get upset often but when she did, a subtle change came over her. I knew she was fuming before we left the Bluebird Café.

Not that she didn’t have a right to be but it pissed me off too because once again, I’d fucked up. It wasn’t bad enough my own life was screwed from the time the doctor slapped me on my ass and welcomed me to the world, I seemed to bring everyone else down with me.

Unlike me though, Liv would let it blow. It was only a matter of time before she let go all of her frustrations and I would be at the eye of Hurricane Liv. It’d happened plenty of times before while we were growing up but that famous Callahan temper was no fucking joke. Her father had it and she’d inherited it in spades—the only difference is she could control hers until she couldn’t.

I managed to book us a room at the Gaylord Opryland Marriott. Just because we were on the run didn’t mean we had to stay in fleabag motels. Plus with Liv’s perfect credit, an American Express card under Siobhan Callahan shouldn’t ring any bells. Most people in our neighborhood assumed Liv used her mother’s maiden name since her dad had never been home from Walpole for more than three years at a time since the day she was born. In fact, she was quite proud to be a Callahan. Unlike most of us, more than ninety-five percent of the family on her father’s side was still in Northern Ireland. They lived in Belfast or Omagh, and she spoke to them Gaelic at least several times a month. In fact, she was one of the few Irish people in our neighborhood who was fluent in Gaelic—not just conversational or a word here or there.

She’d only spoke of her mystic aunt who lived somewhere out west but she was loath to admit much about her, what she did, and why she was so important to her.

Although we used the card to hold the room, due to hotel regulations, I actually paid for the room in cash. We decided that if we had to stay any place a couple of days Nashville would be it. We needed a solid plan as to where we were going and how we were going to get there. Since gangsters were after us, we couldn’t allow our feet to slip, not even once.

Neither of us had anything but a couple days worth of clothes. That would have to change and there was The Mall at Green Hills. It certainly wouldn’t pay for us to look like we were refugees or vagabonds while we traveled so buying clothes that were at least upper crust if not designer were a must. We had to appear like a Yuppie couple taking our first road trip together or perhaps we were on our honeymoon but no way could we look like we had anything to hide.

However when I informed Liv of all of this, she merely nodded her head. The moment we entered the hotel suite, she breezed past me. “I’m gonna go take a shower.”

Tropical storm Liv was officially on the horizon and it wouldn’t take long until she turned into a full-blown, Category Five Hurricane. She was just waiting for me to say the wrong thing therefore I said nothing at all. As much as I loved and respected my girl, I wasn’t in the mood for her shit right now. Not when I felt bad enough about my own fuck ups in life.

The funny part was I knew what caused this. It all had to do with Annabelle and the Bluebird Café. How hard it must have been for Liv to watch a young woman with no formal education past high school from a broke down bayou outside of New Orleans about to see her dream come true. Liv had a college degree. A Bachelors of Science in Pharmacology and it didn’t mean shit because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yeah, talk about pouring salt on someone’s wounds. All those hours she spent studying and all the parties she didn’t go to. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Boston University and in one night, it all went right up in smoke. It meant nothing. Because she was stuck with a fuck up like me and I was
nothing
.

Not that you would catch me feeling sorry for myself, not on my worse fuckin’ day but I knew my past had killed her future and that depressed the shit outta me. It wasn’t up to me to make that decision. Why didn’t she take that fucking job in Basel, Switzerland? Why didn’t she try to run as far away from me as possible? I should have
insisted
. If I loved her as much as I claimed to, I would have taken her to Logan Airport myself and put her on a plane. She didn’t need to be wrapped up in my bullshit. I should have been running alone.

I sat on the bed and opened up the bag of stuff I had brought up to the room. That included our change of clothes, toiletries and a bottle of Jack Daniels. No way was I paying mini bar prices when I’d stopped by the liquor store before we came directly to the hotel.

I stood and walked over to the mini bar/coffee station, grabbed a glass, opened the bottle and poured myself a generous helping. After the first sip, I walked over to where our window faced the Atrium. It was a beautiful sight and worth the extra money but it wouldn’t matter one iota to Liv. All I could think about was how I’d really fucked up this time, and there was no way to fix it or undo it.

“What are you doing?”

I turned around to see Liv emerge from the bathroom, steam billowing out as she had a towel around her head and another one covering her body that stopped at mid-thigh. “Nothin’, just thinking is all.”

“Humph.” She walked over to the mini bar, grabbed a glass and poured a generous helping of Jack Daniels. “Is this our new life? Getting drunk in random hotels while we figure out how to outrun not one but two major gangsters that want us dead?”

“You don’t have to get drunk and I’m certainly not drinkin’ to get drunk. I just want a little buzz going on since they watered them drinks down at the café. I think better—what do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know, Shaw.” Liv swallowed her JD and set the glass down on the table hard. “How about this has always been your life so how hard do you really have to think? This is how you’ve always lived. Easy girls, gettin’ into trouble and bringin’ someone down to your level. Hell, I still can’t believe Jerri fucked you again especially after you made her have that abortion before you ended up in Walpole four years ago. So don’t you dare tell me how you have to stop and think because we both know you’re not thinkin’ about anything or anyone except how to cover your own ass!”

I finished my drink and ran my hands through my cropped hair. “That is such bullshit, and you know it. You think I wanted to drag you into this? I knew you’d resent me after the adrenaline wore off and reality set in. You’re stuck with some loser when you can be with the crème de la crème in Europe working for some rich ass pharmaceutical company. You shoulda got on that plane, Liv.”

“I wanted us to leave together, Shaw, but you wouldn’t fucking listen! Your first night out of the pen and what do you do? You set up a deal with undercover cops tied to Povikov and Carter? You couldn’t wait one lousy day? I had the money for the tickets and I was gonna get us both outta there. My cousin has a source in the Passport Department in Pittsburgh. He risked his ass to get you a genuine passport and it cost me twenty thousand dollars. We were almost home free but you had to fuck up yet again and you’re the reason why we’re in this mess now—not me!” Liv began to pace, and that was never a good sign. It only meant she wasn’t finished, she was just getting started.

“What the fuck is it with you and the thug life, huh? Did you watch too many old Tupac and Biggie videos? Worship Dr. Dre and Eminem? Think that there is anything glamorous about drinking Cristal with drug money and having cheap whores all over you? If it was such a great life, why do you think they all left it and became hip-hop stars? It’s a dead end, Shaw! It leaves you in prison for life or dead by the age of twenty-five and no one will remember you.

“I went to school. I busted my ass to get out of Dorchester and I worked myself damn near to death doing it. You think I liked being on that stage shaking my ass for those rich assholes so I could get good tips. Or how about all the blowjobs? It was just a way for me to get through school so I could save money and not have any student debt. It was never gonna be a career choice for me!” Liv’s face was stained crimson with tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Just come on out and say—don’t hold back now.”

“I threw my whole future away for you! And look where it got me? Smack dab in the motherfucking thug life I have been running away from since I could walk! Why should I be on the run for the rest of my life when I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University, Shaw? Give me one reason why I shouldn’t just walk away from you right now!”

I threw my empty glass against the wall where it broke, and charged her, grabbing her by the shoulders before she could stop me. “I can’t make you stay, Liv, you know that. It’s not too late. You can still take that job in Switzerland and no one would be the wiser. Go! If I am such a goddamn burden for you and you don’t want to be with me then leave. Christ knows I never wanted to see you trapped in this lifestyle—”

“We both know it’s too late for ‘goodbyes’ and ‘see ya,’ Shaw.” Her gorgeous violet blue eyes with their green striations surrounding her pupils widened. “You know we’re the same. I might have my fancy college education but underneath it all, I’m a ride or die. I’m not going to leave you in a situation that is partly my fault so stop acting like a major dickhead and help me through this crisis of conscience I’m having.”

“What did you say?”

“Goddamn it, I’m fucking scared, Shaw!” she screamed as she leaned into me and began to sob.

I let go of her shoulders and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her as close as possible to me. “I swear to God I won’t let them hurt you. And I know this isn’t the life you wanted. You deserve more . . . so much fuckin’ more and it’s because of me you’re stuck here, in a hotel and in Nashville. Life isn’t fuckin’ fair, is it? You should be with some rich guy with fancy shoes, suits that cost over ten thousand grand and who would treat you like you were a princess. Instead, you’re stuck here with me: a three-time loser, never going any place . . . ruined your whole fucking life and for what? Nothin’. I will never understand how such a beautiful, gorgeous soul like your self could fall for a selfish, piece of shit like me. And don’t say my looks because we all know those will fade with time.”

“Believe it or not but you have a hell of a lot of charisma, baby.” Liv pulled away from me and I knew she had calmed down and was a lot more like her usual self. “I used to follow you and Ness around the neighborhood convincing myself that one day, you’d be my husband. The father of my children. I was a stupid kid at the time but some dreams never die.”

Tears fell from her gorgeous eyes again and all I wanted to do was lick them up and never see her cry again. “Truth is I’m fuckin’ pissed at you, Shaw, but I will never regret our time together. You’re my best friend, my confidant, the shoulder I lean on when I’m feeling weak and feel like I can’t take this shit anymore. Even when you were inside, I’d cry myself to sleep thinking about you and knowing you’d wipe my tears away and say to me, ‘Liv, nothin’ bad lasts forever . . . just like nothin’ good but it’s life, and we all have to deal with it. Although it’s better when you know you got that one person who will never let you down, and loves you to the marrow of your bones.’ Where did you pick up that sayin’ anyways? I always thought it was some shit you made up to make me feel better when my dad used to be beat my mom’s ass the few times he was out of prison.”

“I remember learnin’ about marrow in science class—that’s before I dropped out of school. That leukemia destroys the marrow or somethin’ and that’s why people who get it need bone marrow treatments.” I stared deep into her mesmerizing eyes, and secretly wished I’d never have to look away. “I remember the teacher talkin’ about how painful bone marrow transplants were and all I could think about was if you got leukemia, I’d give you every ounce of my bone marrow just so you could live. That’s how much I cared about ya. Didn’t know a human can’t live without bone marrow but I’d die for you, Liv. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do just to put a smile on that beautiful, innocent face of yours.”