Chapter Seventeen
James
“You really think he’s gonna show up?”
I answered my brother’s question without taking my eyes off the open roll-up. “I know he will. I’m just not sure what he’ll do when he gets here.”
“How can you be so sure? He’s a detective, right? Why would he risk his career to come here and start problems?”
“Because I know him.”
Jack snorted. “You’ve met the dude… what, twice?”
I shook my head. “You are misunderstanding. I may not know David personally, but I know David. You see, brother, when you’re in prison, you have two options.
You can join a gang and try to fit in with a certain clique or crowd to protect you, or you can make yourself look as mean and intimidating as possible and keep your fucking mouth shut.
” I shrugged, “I went with the second option. Now, part of that looking mean and shutting the fuck up involves being very observant. I’ve met fifty Davids in the form of half-cocked correction officers and POs.
They’re all the same. It’s not about the job; it’s about holding power over others.
For years, David held power over Avery. He’s not just gonna let that go. ”
Jack clicked his tongue. “So much for you being delusional. Are you going to tell him Avery is with you? Or that you know where Avery is?”
“I think I’m gonna let him do most of the talking, bro.”
Half an hour passed. Jack and I had dug into our respective projects for the day when I heard him nervously say my name. I wheeled out from underneath the car I’d been working on. As soon as I cleared the car and was able to sit up, I saw him.
Keep it cool, JR
I got to my feet and grabbed a shop rag off the bench to wipe some of the grime off my hands as I took a few steps forward to intercept David.
“You know, grease monkey, I’m getting pretty fucking tired of having to come up in here,” he said by way of greeting, his shiny badge glinting in the overhead lights.
“And I’m getting pretty fucking tired of you entering employee-only areas. The customer entrance is around the front. I’ll be happy to assist you up there.”
“Where’s Avery?” he said, hands on his hips.
“Who?” I replied innocently.
“Cut the shit, or I’m gonna burn this place to the ground.”
I chuckled. “Oh, would you? We could really use the insurance money.”
David cocked an eyebrow, accentuating the red-and-purple lump on the side of his forehead.
“That’s a nasty little bump you got there, Officer,” I mused, gesturing up at his forehead. “Must be one hell of a story. Did you get it stopping a bank robbery? Or a sex-trafficking ring, maybe?”
David scowled, and I could see a shiver of rage course through him as he adjusted his stance.
“If Avery isn’t home tonight when I get off shift, I’m going to fucking destroy you.
You’re a felon, and I have evidence of your shop cleaning parts.
Who knows what else I might find when I’m here.
You don’t want to fuck with me, asshole.
” He turned and got about halfway back to his cruiser when he glanced back and repeated himself. “Tonight. I mean it.”
Once David had peeled out of the back lot, Jack grabbed my arm. “JR, are you nuts? God only knows what kinds of problems that piece of shit could cause!”
I put a hand on each of Jack's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. “Is the shop clean?”
Jack hesitated, but then nodded.
“Jack, seriously. Don’t fucking lie to me. Is the shop clean, right now, at this moment.”
“No, it’s not exactly clean at this moment.”
I let go of his shoulders. “Jack!”
Jack put his hands up defensively and took a few steps back to his tool chest. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a half-smoked joint.
I sighed, trying to cover the laugh that escaped. “Other than that?”
“I swear to God that’s it. Just my after lunch head-change.”
“Swear to me that’s it, Jack. I’m betting on a long shot here, and our only chance of it working is if we’re squeaky clean.”
“Is that why you haven’t torn that raggedy motherfucker limb-from-limb for putting his hands on Avery?”
“Correct. If I didn’t think there was a chance of getting out of this without anyone getting hurt, he’d already be in the river.” I turned around, picked my wallet up off the tool bench, and headed towards the open bay.
“Where are you going?” Jack asked.
As I walked past him, I plucked the stubby joint from between his fingers. “I’m going after our long shot.”
***
ME: If you are feeling up for it, I’d love to take you out to dinner.
AVERY: I would love that! ??
ME: I’ll pick you up in 20.
I was pretty sure Avery would agree to my date night idea, so I had stopped by Ross and picked up a collared shirt to change out of the one I’d worked in all day. I could have just gone home and changed first, but that would have taken away some of the magic.
I stopped at the bottom of the porch steps and fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, making the last-minute decision to untuck it, and then pulled out my phone.
ME: Meet you outside?
Avery must have been waiting for me, because my text flipped to ‘read’ two seconds after it had been delivered.
It took no more than another minute for me to hear the doorknob turn and for Avery to appear in the doorway. When he spotted the roses in my hand, his mouth fell open, and he took a step forward as his mouth morphed into the biggest smile.
“Are those for me?” he asked.
“They are,” I replied. “I tried to find something as good-looking as you, but I’m afraid even roses pale in comparison.”
Avery laughed as he stepped off the porch steps and stood in front of me. “How long have you been working on that one?”
I handed Avery the bouquet, and he carefully brought them to his nose as I answered.
“About four years, give or take.” Avery looked up from the flowers and I took the opportunity to soak in his handsome features.
His high cheekbones. The golden flakes glinting in the green of his eyes.
His expression was hard to read, and I found myself starting to get a little nervous.
“How was your day? Is everything okay, baby?”
Avery broke our gaze as he nodded. “Yeah. Everything is… awesome, actually.”
“Have I told you how amazing you look wearing my clothes?”
That got me another smile, and I leaned in to taste his lips.
“Your shirts are… a little big, though.”
I nodded. “I think you’re just so handsome that you look good in anything… and nothing,” I finished, covering my mouth as if I was coughing out the words.”
“So, where are we going?”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been craving a good steak with all the fixings for longer than I can remember. I’d love to take you to a roadhouse, or something like that. You know, steaks as big as your head? Peanuts on the floor?”
“There’s a good one out on 84. They have the best mac and cheese!”
“Have I ever told you that you’re my favorite human?”
Avery’s fingers were intertwined with mine from the moment I pulled out of the driveway until I parked in front of Smokey’s Roadhouse. As I killed the engine, Avery unbuckled and opened his door,
“Wait!”
Surprised, Avery paused and looked over at me.
“I was gonna get it for you.”
“Oh, okay!” Avery smiled and closed the door, waiting patiently for me to get out and walk ‘round to his side. “Why, thank you,” he said around a sweet little laugh as he took my extended hand and exited the car.
The place was busy, but wasn’t packed. The radio was blasting some kind of country/rock mashup I’d never heard, and it was a little too loud, but the place smelled fucking amazing.
The hostess grabbed two larger-than-life laminated menus, and we followed along behind her to a nice booth towards the edge of the seating area.
Avery caught me staring at him as he set his menu down flat on the table. He half-smiled, keeping his eyes low. “Do I have something on my face?”
“Yep!” I reached out my index finger and gently tapped the end of his nose. “You’ve got some adorable here…” I moved my hand to brush his cheek, “And some sexy here… and it looks like you are just completely covered in pretty.”
“You never told me you were such a sappy romantic.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Fuck, no,” he replied, finally meeting my eyes.
I laughed at his candor, and the waitress arrived with our drinks. After she’d scribbled our dinner orders down and grabbed our menus, Avery’s smile fell.
“What, baby?” I asked, concerned.
Avery shook his head. “It’s nothin’. I don’t want to ruin our date by talking about shitty things.”
“Unless you’re planning on breaking up with me, I think I can handle it.”
Avery sighed. “Did he…”
“Yes, David showed up at the shop.”
“What did he say?”
“That he’s a worthless piece of shit who could never treat you the way you deserve to be treated. And then, he thanked me for agreeing to take such good care of you.”
“My mom used to say that you go to Hell for lying.”
“No offense, but your mother says a lot of things I wish she didn’t,” I muttered.
“I can’t stop thinking about the way she responded when I told her about David. She excused the abuse because he’s a cop and has a stressful job. Do… do you think that means that my father…”
Avery’s lip quivered, and I reached out across the table to take his hand.
“I don’t know, sweetheart. That would be a logical connection, as awful as that prospect is.
I know the only way to prove that I’ll never hurt you is to never do it, but I swear to god, Avery…
I’ll never hurt you. I’m sorry that conversation went so badly, but we’re gonna figure it all out. I promise.”
Avery’s smile began to bloom again as the waitress set our plates down in front of us.
The medium-rare rib eye took up nearly the entire plate. My mouth was watering so badly, I was concerned I’d start actually drooling.
Avery cut a few small pieces of his steak and took a bite before speaking again. “So, what did David actually say?”
“That he’ll lock down the shop with the entire police force and find a way to send me back to prison if I don’t give you back by tomorrow.”
“Jesus Christ.”