Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tank
My heart beats a steady rhythm in my chest as I stretch, feeling the pull of muscles at my legs.
It feels good, better than I thought it would.
I move my neck form side to side, trying to get the tension to loosen.
My stomach is tight with nerves, and I’m scared to death I won’t be able to pass this final test to get back onto the Moonshine Task Force.
“You ready?” Holden asks.
Am I? I’m not sure. I know I’m not ready to fail, but I’m scared to death I will. Once before I did this, I can do it again.
“I’ll be right beside you,” I hear, my gaze shifting to the right. Renegade is there, wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt, just like me. “We’re gonna do this together.”
“You don’t have to do this,” I’m overcome with emotion I didn’t know I had.
“I do,” he shakes his head. “No man left behind, ever, and you’re my brother. It’ll be my honor to run this course with you. You’re going to make it.”
I can’t believe how lucky I am to have the people I do in my life. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family and for trusting me with your sister,” he pulls me into a brotherly hug. “Now, let me help you get through this.”
“On my mark,” Holden holds his phone, using it as a stop watch. “Good luck, and go.”
As my feet pound the ground, eating up what will become five miles and an obstacle course, I realize two things. I feel good, and I got this. There’s nothing that will keep me from accomplishing my goals ever again.
Blaze
“Why do you keep checking your phone?” Logan asks as I turn my phone over for the tenth time in the last thirty minutes.
“Trevor does the physical test today to see if he’s going to be allowed back on the Moonshine Task Force. I’m not sure if he should be done by now or not, so I’m watching to see if he made it.”
A part of me had wanted to be there, but he’d assured me he needed to do this on his own and if he failed, he wanted to handle it in his own way.
Failure is not an option for him, so I know if he doesn’t pass this test, he will be devastated.
Which is why I keep impulsively checking my phone for a text message.
“Is he really worried he won’t make it?” Logan swings us into a gas station. The radio’s been pretty quiet, and we need to get lunch while we can. Sometimes the best you can do is gas station food, although gas stations out here in the country usually carry decent food.
“I don’t know that he’s worried, but it’s a definite concern.
I mean, he’s been out since Thanksgiving.
When he gets reinstated he’ll probably start the week of St. Patrick’s Day, so that’s a long time.
I’d be nervous too, if I were him,” I shrug as we get out.
“I’m gonna go throw this stuff away,” I indicate the breakfast trash from where I brought us breakfast wraps. “And then I’ll be in there.”
“I’m gonna hit the head, so you’re good,” Logan waves as he runs off.
It’s nice to stretch my legs every once in a while.
It’s a beautiful March day in Alabama, already hot as hell.
If I remember correctly it’s going to be in the eighties today, but the sun is shining and it looks like Trevor and I are hopefully overcoming a huge hurdle in our relationship.
When he gets back to work, then we can begin to repair and build our lives.
I’m excited for it, more excited than I’ve been for anything else in recent memory.
The wind is blowing, so when I put my trash in the can, some of it blows out.
Running to grab it, I round the building to where some picnic tables are set up for nice days.
Pushing my hair out of my face, I see a young woman sitting at one by herself, blood pouring from her nose as she’s trying to staunch the flow.
“Are you okay?” I call out as I approach.
When she lifts her head up, I see it’s Leighton Strather. “I’m good,” she tries to pull into herself, stuffing the tissue up her nose.
“That’s not gonna work, why don’t you come back to the ambulance and let me take a look at it?
” I reach my hand out. She’s not much younger than me in age, but she looks scared to death right now.
There’s a protective side of me that hasn’t come out since I had my sister around, and it makes me want to help this girl.
I’ve seen her around a few times, and everyone in this town, hell in the county, knows her family is the main target of the Moonshine Task Force guys.
“I don’t have any money,” she shrinks away from me again.
Everyone also knows that’s a lie. The Strathers have a shit ton socked back from where they’ve been running moonshine for so long. “This one’s on me,” I smile at her softly.
She gets up, shouldering a huge bag and picking up another at her feet. Something about this doesn’t sit well with me. Why does she have all of these bags with her? “You going somewhere?”
Wild eyes look at me, like I’ve accused her of a crime, and her semi-relaxed pose is again rigid. “If you don’t wanna talk about it, you don’t have to, but if you’re in trouble, I can get someone to help you.”
Leighton shakes her head. “No, I don’t want to get anyone else wrapped up in the shit show that’s become my life. I got myself into this situation, I’ll get myself out of it.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what the situation is, but I don’t want to scare her off.
I can see a couple more cuts on her arms, and there’s some bruises forming.
If this girl’s been abused, I at least want to make sure she’s okay and doesn’t need to be in a hospital.
“Okay, then let’s just walk to the bus and get you checked out. ”
We’re quiet as we walk around to the ambulance, and I worry she’s going to bolt.
I’m surprised when she gets in after I open the back door.
I indicate that she can enter before me and watch as she tries to step up, but can’t.
A sharp intake of breath tells me she’s either bruised or broken a rib.
“Let me get in before you, and hold you steady as you step up.”
She nods, tears at the edges of her eyes. We carefully get her up into the ambulance and situated as comfortably as we can. “I’m going to text my partner, who’s inside, my order and I’m going to let him know I have someone out here, that way he doesn’t freak out. Is that okay?”
She leans her head back against the wall, nodding.
Those tears are now streaming down her face.
I feel awful for this girl, she’s not in an enviable situation.
I fire off a text to Logan and ask him to get one of the Moonshine Task Force guys out here, just to talk to her. I’m scared something bad has happened.
“Wanna tell me what happened?” I ask as I glove up and go to work on her face, cleaning up the dried blood and fixing up a couple other cuts I hadn’t seen before.
“No,” she slightly shakes her head. “I’d rather just forget who I am.”
“You and I both know it doesn’t work like that, honey. Anyone who knows me, knows that even underneath the red hair and tattoos I’m a Coleman, right?”
I realize we have a little bit of a common ground there, and I try to play it up.
“But just because my parents are snobby doesn’t mean I am, ya know?
I live my life the way I want to, and if they don’t approve of it, then it’s their problem not mine.
My life and reputation isn’t defined by my last name. ”
Leighton opens eyes that had been closed before. Her brown gaze collides with mine. “Do you truly believe that, have people forgotten you’re a Coleman?” She whispers the question, and I can tell she thinks I’m lying.
“It’s true, most people don’t even know my real name anymore.
Everybody calls me Blaze. Sure, my mom, classmates, and people like that call me Daphne, but I’ve managed to find my own identity.
I’m not saying it’s easy, Leighton,” she hisses as I clean one of the cuts above her eyebrow.
“But it’s worth it. It’s worth it not to have to live under that shadow all the time. ”
She swallows hard as I start doctoring what I can of her nose. I’m pretty sure it’s not broken, but it’s going to be sore for the next few days. “I want out from under the shadow so bad,” she whispers. “I’m not like them,” the tears come again.
“I know you’re not. You’re a sweet girl who got caught up in a bad situation.”
“They got me arrested,” she sniffles, rubbing softly against the nose that’s still bleeding slightly. “And they didn’t even care. I spent a night in jail, over something that I didn’t even do. My daddy and brother said they did it to teach me a lesson.”
Her eyes widen as she glances at the back of the ambulance. Holden’s standing there, his big arms folded over his chest.
“Before you freak out on me,” I speak softly and calmly to her. “I called him because I know you need help, and if there’s anyone that can help you, honey, it’s Holden.”
“But he’s the one who arrested me.”
He grunts as he enters the back of the ambulance and stalks over to us.
He slightly pushes me out of the way as he grasps Leighton by the chin, turning her face to the left and right, taking in the bruises and cuts.
His voice is gruff when he speaks. “Not because I wanted to. Did your dad do this to you?”
She nods, biting a trembling bottom lip between her teeth. “I told him I want out – completely. He didn’t like that much.”
His eyes take in the duffle bags laying at her feet. “So you’re running, that’s your grand plan?”
“Best one I had,” her eyes flash and I’m so glad to see irritation amongst the sadness. She’s got some fire in her. “Do you have a better one?”
“Blaze is cleaning you up, and then you’re comin’ with me.” There’s no room for argument with his words.
“Are you okay with that? If you’re not, I have an apartment that’s empty,” I have to give her another option, strong-arming her is acting just like her family.
“She won’t be safe there, and you know it, Blaze. They’re going to come after her. Once they realize she’s truly gone, they’ll come. You know secrets that no one else does,” he locks eyes with Leighton again. “You’re worth a lot to them.”
“What am I worth to you?” She smarts off again, and I can’t help the grin escaping from my lips.
“More than you can probably imagine.”
It feels like an intimate moment between the two of them, and I’m the third wheel.
I don’t know how well they know one another, but they obviously have a little bit of a past. I finish cleaning her up and then leave, so they can hash out whatever it is they need to.
As I jump out of the back of the ambulance, I see Trevor leaning against a squad car, dressed in his uniform.
Which he looks so motherfucking fine in.
“Ahhhh!” I scream as I run toward him. “You did it?”
He picks me up, spinning me around as I laugh, so happy and excited for him, even before I know this answer. He’s in uniform – what’s not happy about this situation?
“I did it!”
His voice sounds so happy, so relieved. I’m happy for him. “So you’re back on shift already?” It seems fast to me.
“Holden told me he was driving out here to meet you and Leighton. When he said your name, I was ready to go.”
I frown. “Leighton’s got a long way to go, and I hope you all can help her.”
“I hope we can, too,” he leans down, kissing me softly before straightening up. His gaze is locked where the ambulance is parked, which lets me know the two of them are probably exiting.
I turn, seeing them walking our way.
“Is there anything you can give her for pain?” Holden holds onto her side as they slowly walk across the parking lot.
“I can’t, but I can place a call to Doc Miller, if you give me a few minutes. She can get you some pain meds and some antibiotics. I don’t think you’d develop an infection from those cuts, but some of them were dirty. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“I’d appreciate it,” he directs her to the back of the squad car, putting her stuff in the trunk.
“Will do, I’ll text you the pickup time Doc Miller gives, if that’s okay with you.”
Trevor leans down, kissing me, before he lets me go, smacking me on the ass. “I’ll see ya at home?”
“You most definitely will.”
As I watch the car full of people take off, I realize I still haven’t had lunch, and I realize exactly how worried I am about Leighton. I hope she can be helped, and I really hope her family doesn’t screw it up for her.