Bobby
June 23, 2013
“How many times have they called you?” Chief nods towards my cell phone as I silence it, throwing it back in the duffel bag at my side. It’s going to be an awesome day today and as Chad and I sit on the metal bench on the sideline of his old high school’s football field making sure our sneakers are tied tight, I give him a laugh.
“A couple of times,” I say standing and making sure my shorts drawstring it tied and the belt with the red flags around my waist is straight. We are waiting on the guys from our SEAL Team, well our old SEAL Team, and we are going to have a nice, rowdy game of flag football.
The callers Chad is questioning me about are private contractors, mercenaries, who have been calling me night and day bidding for my attention. Private ‘security’ companies who are hired by the government to help them out overseas.
They know I still got it. Taking my leg doesn’t take my shooting capability away and all of my doctors say I’m healing faster than they thought I would, which is awesome. With every message these soldiers of fortune leave me, they raise the stakes, offering me more and more money; more perks. One has even gone so far as to offer me a brand new car in return for my four year agreement to employment with undeterminable deployment times.
It’s something I’m thinking about due to the fact that I can’t rely on this countries government to take care of me as they don’t take care of the Veterans now. It’s a shame and it pisses me off, but I won’t let it dampen my mood right now. The day is too promising for that.
Looking down the sideline, I spot my Ellie looking all cute in her shorts and tank top with the blue flags tied at her waist. She’s laughing and joking with Rhea, Rosa and Kendall; all of them playing and cooing over Marisol and Charlie who are crawling around in the grass.
God I love her. I can’t help but stare at her, a goofy smile caressing my face when she bursts out in laughter to something Kendall says.
“Hey! Romeo,” Reno yells, slapping the back of my head and I turn on him, shoving him with both hands and watching him fall over from his precarious position of one leg on the bench tying his shoe, to lying on the ground swearing. Bursting out in laughter my rant is short lived as he gets up, the look on his face causing me to jump up and sprint in the other direction, this angry man on my heels.
“Come on Reno,” I laugh, keeping ahead of him and swerving around the field, dodging his hands and feet as he attempts to tackle or kick me. “What’s wrong? NCIS make ya soft?”
“You have an unfair advantage,” he huffs and over my shoulder I see him stop and throw his hands up. I jog to a stop about ten yards away, turning and winking at him. “You have a robot leg. It’s unfair.” He breathes and I throw my head back, letting out a good chuckle as I throw my arm around him.
“You always got an excuse Reno,” I say, slapping him in the chest and he flinches. In the blink of an eye his arms tighten around my waist and I’m flat on my back, staring up at the sky; a victim of a hip toss with Reno’s smiling face peering down at me.
“Never let your guard down kid,” he says with a smile and a wink, his dark eyebrows waggling. “Especially when you’re around me and the Chief.”
I’m still in a state of minor shock as he walks away and I can hear Chad’s distinctive laugh echoing through the early afternoon air. I’ll always be the ‘kid’ to those two and I laugh to myself, recounting my miscalculations of Reno’s attitude and the moment I knew he was going to retaliate. Next time I’ll get his ass, he just won’t see it coming.
Sitting up and lazily wrapping my arms around my bent knees, I squint in the sun to see my SEAL Team mates getting out of their trucks and Jeeps in the parking lot. Today will be the first day since waking up in the base hospital that I will see any of my brothers. Uclid was the last one I saw as they wheeled me out to a chopper, bound for yet another hospital and that had been only hours after I had woken up and been told what had happened. We have a lot to catch up on and the thought of joking and carousing with them brings me jumping to my feet and jogging across the grass.
“Timmons,” my old LT, Austin French, smiles throwing his hand out and grasping mine tightly, pulling me in for a one armed hug as is the usual greeting. I hug him tight. It’s good to see his dumbass smile and scruffy un-kept beard. “You’re lookin’ good brother.”
“Thanks French. You too,” I say genuinely as his blue eyes roll and he lets out that loud, annoying laugh he’s famous for, making everyone around us laugh as well.
I shake hands and hug Black, Benson and Talbot, joking and laughing with them all, leaving my spotter and best friend, Uclid, for last. His shorter, stockier build is standing here before me with a dumb smile on his face, shaking his head at me.
“Well you mother fucker,” he laughs, taking my hand and pulling me into a hug. His smile is a great thing to see and I laugh as he pats my back extremely hard as his usual style. “Lookin’ good bro,” he smiles, releasing me.
“Shut the hell up,” I scoff, slapping my hand on his cheek and squeezing his face. “I’ve missed ya bro. It’s good to see ya.”
“Yeah you don’t call, don’t write,” he says in a fake girly voice, putting his finger to his chin and I push him back, chuckling at him. “Oh wait. I was in fucking hell so you couldn’t write or call, my bad!”
As we settle into conversation, we circle up with Chad and Reno, all of us joking and laughing and I know nuns would be saying a million prayers for us with all of the curse words flowing through the wind right now. Harlan, Garth and Brad join us, flawlessly mingling with the conversation and adding their own quips and jokes and I’m speechlessly happy right now. I’m surrounded by my friends, my Team, essentially my family. Chad had been right; this is something that I need.
“Are we gonna play football or are ya’all just gonna sit there and shoot the shit?” I turn from my conversation with Elliot to see Ellie standing just a few feet away, her blue-green eyes trained on me as her hand finds her cocked hip.
Damn, she is sexy as hell and her presence makes me go from bullshitting with the boys to thinking naughty thoughts about her in a split second. Knowing there is a mischievous look displayed on my face, I stand and make a lunge for her, scooping her up in my arms as she squeals and wraps her legs around my waist.
Just the feel of her close to me brings a smile to my face and makes my heart race, her giggling in my ear making me want to run off and have my way with her in the back seat of my truck and I laugh lightly. Her lips on my cheek and some rousing from behind me make me turn, shifting her in my arms and settling them underneath her butt, cradling her to me and in this second I don’t want to ever let her go.
“I see you finally did it,” Elliot says, smiling from ear to ear and I shake my head, knowing the jokes that are about to follow throughout the day now.
Looking to Ellie she gives me a questioning look with a smile and I laugh, pulling her face to me with one hand while crushing her body along my torso with the other as her legs squeeze my waist tight. As I release her lips she asks, “What is Uclid talkin’ about?”
“You sweetheart,” I grin, kissing her lips one more time, then her nose and then setting her down, immediately missing her weight and presence once her feet are on the grass. “He’s sayin’ how I finally got you.”
“Yeah, after all the belly achin’ and day dreamin’,” French chimes in and all the guys laugh in my expense. Flipping them all off I grab the football off of the bench and throw it as hard as I can at French, causing him to stop laughing and huff as it hits him in the gut and he wraps his arms around the ball to keep from dropping it.
“Is that all you’re gonna do is run your mouth, or are we gonna play some ball?” I taunt, giving the LT my cocky attitude that I know he hates. The commander in him likes his guys to be complaisant and I was never one to reform to that too much. His blue eyes turn into slits as he glares at me.
“Oh, you’re gonna get it boy,” he says, giving me an evil grin as he tosses the ball over to Chad.
All I can do is laugh, adrenaline coursing through my veins at the anticipation of a good game. Jogging backwards out onto the field I watch as my SEAL brothers pull on their flag belts, French purposely picking blue to be on the opposite team from me and I grin, yelling for them to hurry up as Chad and I make it out to the fifty yard line.
Chad hands the ball off to Reno, nodding for him to kick it down the field to the blue team who are congregating and mingling. I can tell French is running his mouth about me as Ellie giggles, telling him to be quiet and I smile. “Oh just wait French,” I think to myself, nodding to Chad when he asks if I’m ready.
“Are you guys ready yet?” he yells down the field as he straightens Rhea’s flag belt, kissing her nose and patting her butt as she walks away and joins Rosa on the far end from me. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks about his displays of affection and hell, neither do I. Let the guys make fun of me; at least I have a woman when I go home.
“Yeah,” French shouts and I see Black and Benson nod along with him. “Bring it.”
“Oh hell yeah,” Elliot shouts beside me and Garth slaps him on the back. We are all ready for a little fun and I know my SEAL brothers are going to use this time to get some stress out but I’m ready.
Reno kicks the ball down field and we’re off after it, my focus in on the balls path in the sky. Hearing Ellie yell out that she’s got it I laugh to myself, zoning in on her location and I wave to Uclid to fan out to my right, planning on him circling around beside her in case one of the guys gets in my way.
Now we have a loose rule for flag football. If the girls weren’t here it would be full on tackle, but with the girls we can’t do that so for them we’ll pull the flags. As for us guys, we’re fair game to tackle and that’s perfectly fine with me. I played ball all through high school and we use to play pickup games when we could overseas.
I see Ellie catch and cradle the ball and I’m only a few yards away, smiling when she looks up to see me. She squeals, taking off to her left as Harlan tries blocking for her and takes out Uclid. It was a good, clean hit and as I hurdle over them lying on the ground Ellie is running full out towards the end zone.
“You better run faster Ellie Mae,” I tease as I catch up to her, tapping her on the shoulder.
“Oh no you don’t Timmons,” I hear from my right and am hit with what feels like a train, pushing me to the ground and my breath leaves my chest, hearing French’s deep chuckle from on top of me. Looking up I see his blue eyes peering down at me, a smile plastered wide on his hairy face as he gets up from the grass.
“Told ya you were gonna get it,” he laughs, jogging off as I sit up, seeing Ellie doing a touchdown dance down in the end zone. Her scoring doesn’t make me mad because hell, any guy would love to see his girl shaking it like she is right now, but I grip the grass in anger anyways, mad at myself for being tackled.
A group of motorcycles roar in the not so far off distance and as I get to my feet I see Ellie’s smiling face looking right at me. She sticks her tongue out and shakes her butt some more and all I can do is laugh, enjoying the moment.
“Shoulda snatched my flag when you had the chance,” she taunts as my team joins me, ready for the blues to kick off.
“Just wait sweetheart,” I yell back, waving my hand up in the air when Black asks if we’re ready. Oh just wait.
When the football hits the sky, Uclid and I split from our side by side position making it so that Rhea or Rosa can catch the ball and run with it. It ends up landing in Rhea’s arms and with her right beside me and Chad on the other; we make our way down the field. I pull one of Kendall’s flags, halting her path for Rhea and she yells at me but I laugh it off waiting for the next.
French’s laugh gives him away before I see him break from behind Black, whom Uclid takes down flawlessly, and I zero in on him. Just like if I was looking through my scope at a high value target, I see nothing but French. I’m adjusting my movements for his and as Rhea scoots off to my right, dodging French’s attempt, I take him out at the waist, wrapping my arms around his back and driving him down into the warm grass hearing his wind gush out.
Bouncing up onto my knees I see my team gathering up and Chad helping Reno to his feet, the ball on the ground and ready to be hiked. I look down at French, smiling my ass off as he flips me off.
“Better get up ol’ man,” I laugh, jumping to my feet and offering him my hand which he slaps his into, grasping my fingers tighter than needed and rising to stand right up in my face.
“I’m glad you’re yourself Timmons,” he smiles, patting me on my back as we turn to join the others. I smile at his words, letting them sink in. I still have my moments, but I’m doing better.
“Yeah I’m glad too,” I say pushing him lightly as we reach the others and rejoin our teams. I’m happy to be feeling better about my life now, being an amputee. I know that I wouldn’t be able to do this without Chad, Reno, Rhea, Rosa and their friendship.
Ellie, well Ellie is my clear sky and as I look over to her roaming my eyes over her dark hair and pretty smile I can’t help but let my heart race to a new beat, ignoring the adrenaline from the game and running on her love alone.
Huddling up with Chad telling us he’s going to throw to Elliot for a possible touchdown, we all spread out on the line of scrimmage. Brad lines up with me, being about the same build and height, and I talk a little smack which he dishes right back, making me laugh.
Reno snaps the ball to Chad and it’s on. I drop my shoulder, throwing the advancing Brad up and over. Out of the corner of my eye I can see him drop to the grass on his back rolling and getting to his knees, swearing loudly at me and I leave him behind, watching as the ball sails right for Uclid, heading for the end zone.
Just as I think the ball is going to land in Elliot’s arms, Ellie pops up out of nowhere and snatches the ball from its path and then sprints in the opposite direction. I stop in my tracks, as do most of the guys and for a split second I’m not really sure what to think. I can hear her laugh as Rhea and Rosa go chasing after her and we just watch her with our mouths open.
“Well hot damn,” I mutter to myself and take off after her. I must have spurred the other guys out of their state of shock and as I run by, they all join in, tackling one another as I try and catch up. I pass Rosa just as Kendall rips one of her flags out and I return the favor, tossing Kendall’s flag up in the air as I sprint past.
Rhea is right on Ellie’s tail, both of the girls laughing as I catch up. Rhea sees me and stops running, throwing her hands up in defeat. We’re only yards away from the end zone as I wrap my arms around her waist, hearing her scream in shock as I try to pull her up but lose my footing.
Trying to cushion her fall, I twist onto my back so that when I connect with the ground she’s pressed against my chest, her head bouncing off my shoulder. Holding her tight I see the ball rolling off, out of her arms and I can’t help but laugh, squeezing my arms around her as she tries to squirm free.
“Dang it Bobby,” she says, turning to face me as I feel her legs slip to either side of my waist, “I almost had another touchdown.”
Her fingers find my chin and shake my face as I laugh some more, not letting her get up as I try and sear her skin to mine by squeezing her even tighter. Her knees tighten on my sides and I pull her face to mine, running my nose along hers because I know it teases her.
“I could punch you right now,” she mumbles with a smile, kissing me with such force that she pushes me back against the grass, her fingers raking through my hair but I’m not complaining. I freaking love it. She has the best kiss that I’ve ever experienced and as her soft lips glide over mine I feel that ever present need for her rising within. I know we better quit before I have a very evident giveaway in my thin gym shorts to how she’s making me feel right now.
“Oh well isn’t that cute,” a condescending, deep voice comes from behind me and Ellie acts like she’s been struck by lightning, separating our lips and sitting up. I see a painful fear cross her expression and get up on my elbows, peering over my shoulder to see a group of guys standing just inside the end zone with our football in a blonde man’s hand.
Easing Ellie off of me and flipping over to my knees, I get a good look at the blonde man standing before me, tossing the football from hand to hand with a fast spiral. His hair is tied in a ponytail at the base of his skull and his green eyes are intent on Ellie, his bearded face displaying a nasty little smile.
As my breathing from the sprint to catch Ellie slows, I look over to her to see her eyes on the grass with her shoulders slumped and it dawns on me. I know this guy. Looking back to him I stand quickly, my muscles tensing as his eyes meet mine.
“Jake,” I say not trying to hold in the cool, deadly meaning behind it. What the hell is he doing here?
As I help Ellie to her feet that smile returns to his lips, causing my gut to twist, my fist clenching on my free side and I pull Ellie into me, cradling her into my left side as I see Chad and the others come up and join us.
“Navy boy,” Jake says in a thick Southern boy accent, spitting on the ground and tossing the football to one of his buddies behind him. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you. How is my wife treatin’ you?”
Just the tone behind his words make me grind my teeth and feel the need to bust his teeth, but as I make my move to step forward Chad places a hand on my arm, shaking his head as I look at him. Looking from Chief to Ellie, I see the hurt and fear playing openly across her features, her lips quivering as she holds one of her hands up to them.
Suddenly she bursts out and says, “What the hell are you doin’ here? What the fuck could you possibly want?” She pushes past me and I can tell she’s running on adrenaline from the fear, her arms shaking as she clenches her fists at her sides, stopping just feet in front of her ex and his leather clad friends. They must have been the motorcycles I heard not too long ago.
“Oh Ellie,” he laughs as I come up behind her ready to knock out anybody who comes close. “Your little mouth is gonna get you in trouble.”
“You can’t touch me,” she screams as I see her scan his group of buddies, settling on the man who had staked out Chad’s road in the patrol car. “None of you can because I’m not gonna take it anymore. I’m not afraid of you.”
“Oh yeah,” he says, his eyebrow quirking up and I just want to body slam his ass, choking him out till he cries for his momma. As he reaches into his leather vest, I step in front of Ellie, ready to shield her from a possible gun shot as Chad and the guys join me. Jake is a cop, he has the right to carry a gun so I don’t know what he’s reaching for and as a wide smile plays across his face, he laughs, pulling out an envelope.
“Whoa boys,” he laughs and his friends join in. If they only knew how many buttons they were pushing with all of us they’d wipe those dumbass smiles off their shitty faces and quit playing games. “No need to jump. I jus’ wanna show lover boy here what his little sweetie has been hiding from him.”
Hiding from me? What the hell is he talking about?
Looking down into Ellie’s eyes I see the fear come to life again and it makes my heart hurt. She can’t be hiding anything from me, can she?
~~~~~~~~
Ellie
Oh no, no, no.
This can’t be happening right now. Seeing the question in Bobby’s eyes I have to look away, shifting my gaze back to my son of a bitch ex and his shit eating grin. He winks and I look to the envelope in his hand, looking like it has something like papers or pictures within it.
“I haven’t been hiding anything,” I grind out, trying to call his bluff and maybe he’ll back off but he just smiles, reaching his hand into the manila envelope and pulling out a stack of photos. My heart stops and I know my face is displaying the horror of the situation.
“I beg to differ,” he grins, dropping the envelope and thumbing through the pictures, showing them to his Trooper friends and they laugh.
“Hey Navy boy,” he yells picking out a few pictures and tossing them out towards us. They land only inches from Bobby’s feet. I should bend over and pick them up before he does but I’m so nervous that I can’t move. I’m frozen. “Take a look at those.”
Jake nods to the pictures and from the corner of my eye I can see Bobby look at me before he bends over and picks them up. My heart feels as if it might explode from my body as he straightens slowly, his eyes trained on the pictures.
“Did my wife tell you that she strips at that club she works at?” I can’t help but gasp a little as Jake’s words hang between us like a thick fog. Everyone is silent except for him, his little chuckles of delight and victory acting like knives to my heart. “God only knows what else she does with the scum that goes in and out of there.”
“Ellie?” Bobby’s soft whisper rips through that fog like a missile aimed for my heart and as I look at him, the disbelief on his face brings the tears to my lashes. He’s shaking his head slowly as he looks back at the pictures and I can just imagine what they have on them, I don’t need to see them.
One of me up on the pole. One of me doing a split provocatively. One of me shaking it and rubbing my chest on some guys face. Yeah I’m not proud of it, but I had to pay my bills and Jake had made it impossible for me to work anywhere else except for the temping at the attorneys, but that was few and far between.
“I’m sorry Bobby, I meant to tell you. It just,” I try to explain but the hurt on his face makes the tears flow freely down my cheeks and Jake interrupts me.
“Oh shut up slut,” he says harshly, throwing some more pictures out and they scatter on the grass. “Explain those.” He nods to one that landed closest to me and hesitantly I pick it up, flipping it over and flinching at the image.
It’s the night in Virginia Beach. He must have followed me, why didn’t I think of this? Why was I so stupid? As I stare down at the image shot through the hotel window of me sitting on Garth’s lap, naked, with Brad kissing my neck from behind I feel like throwing up. Crumpling the paper in my hand, I toss it to the ground and look up at Jake, anger flowing through my chest making it hurt with tension.
“What the fuck?” I hear Bobby exclaim and I see him toss the photos to the ground.
“Hey man, don’t over react,” I see Garth throw up his hands in defense as Chad and Reno grab Bobby’s arms, stopping him from advancing. It’s not his fault. It’s not Brad’s fault either. I slept with them, it was my decision and I can’t take it back. Now it might ruin everything.
This can’t be happening. Everything is falling apart. My hands come to my chest as Bobby continues to yell at Garth and Brad, swearing and calling them names as Jake just stands there smiling. He’s smiling.
“One more thing Navy boy,” he says and Bobby spins around, his face red from anger. His chest is heaving in and out and to me, it looks like he might explode.
“I don’t want to hear one more fuckin’ word from your god damn mouth,” he grinds out and shakes Chad and Reno off, giving me a hard look that breaks me down, causing my legs to tremble.
“Oh no, you see, you want to hear this one, it’s the most important.” Jake’s attitude changes from happy and gloating to hatred as he looks at me and I know what’s coming, but I can’t get the words out to try and protest, to try and stop him. “Ellie is a baby killer.”
“What?” the first reaction comes from Rhea, somewhere behind me but I can’t face her. “Ellie, what is he sayin’?” she asks. I’m still frozen in place, my body shaking from the combination of anger, fear and devastation as my life falls apart at the seams.
“What I’m sayin’ bitch,” Jake chimes in, no doubt pissing Chad off, “is that your cousin is a baby killer. She killed our baby. She had an abortion, not caring what I wanted.”
Silence surrounds me as I continue to try and hold in the massive sobs that want to break out. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me and it makes my skin crawl.
“I hate you,” I whisper, looking at him slightly as he stands there in his leather with his security blanket of goons. “I hate you. You will never deserve to be a father.” My voice rises as I raise my head, looking this green eyed devil straight in the face and coming within a foot of him.
“Yes, I stripped. But only because you took every other opportunity of employment away from me by threatening the employers.” I yell right in his face, not caring that the tears are streaming down and I poke him in the chest. “Yes. I had the abortion but only because I didn’t want you to expose an innocent child to the life you had given me. I didn’t want you to get mad because they didn’t wipe the table right and continuously whip them with your belt for three hours, or punch them in the face breaking their nose when they drop the salt shaker and get salt on the counter.” He’s smiling at me again as I recount only two of the numerous times he beat me.
Spinning around I face Bobby, Rhea and my friends, their faces still displaying mild shock and the sobs creep from my chest. I bunch my shirt between my fingers as those hazel eyes roam over me, displaying anger and disgust where they, only minutes ago, had shown love and want.
“I’m sorry I lied,” I choke out, feeling the need to run away just like I had the last night in West Virginia. “Everything is true and I’m sorry. That’s all I can say.” Bobby is shaking his head, not meeting my gaze as everyone else is looking to each other, no doubt trying to make sense of the scene they just witnessed.
“Ellie, I don’t know,” Bobby starts to say as Jake’s hands find my waist, his lips brushing my earlobe.
“He doesn’t love you anymore slut,” he says harshly as I try to squirm from his grasp, digging my nails into his arms and hearing him swear. I feel his boot meet my knee and I cry out as I hit the grass. “He doesn’t want some damaged slut. Get up bitch.”
I don’t turn around. I don’t look over my shoulder. I just get to my knees and then to my feet, running towards home. Running and crying, not paying attention to the sound of my name being called behind me. Everything is ruined.
I ruined it all. I am so fucking stupid. I mucked it all up and now I don’t know if I can fix it. Jake is right. Bobby won’t want me now so I run, turning out of the parking lot and heading for the trailer park at a break neck pace.
I’m not stopping at any of the stop signs or crossroads and as I sprint into the trailer park driveway, I’m falling apart from the inside out. The sobs are wracking my body as I reach my steps, but I don’t care if any of my neighbors see me. Let them look and gawk, wondering what the hell I’m doing as I throw open the door and then slam it shut, shaking the walls and knocking some of my frames to the floor.
“How could I be so stupid,” I scream dragging my arm across my counter and pushing everything to the floor. I can’t do this. Sinking to the kitchen floor with my back against the cabinets I shove my face into my knees.
I should have just told him right out. I should have told him everything, leaving no rock unturned and this little episode wouldn’t matter. But no, I didn’t do that because I’m weak. I’m weak and stupid and now look at my life; I’ve ruined everything with Bobby and probably with Rhea.
My cell phone rings but I just yank it from my pocket and throw it across the room, hearing it shatter at the same moment I hear the distinctive rumble of a Harley engine. I should have known he would come here. It isn’t like him to leave business unfinished.
The screen door opens and slams shut, his motorcycle boots clicking on the linoleum floor and I can feel him looming over me. Wiping my cheeks with my hands I look up at him, seeing a smile across his lips the same way he would before I’d be blamed for something I didn’t do.
“Hello Ellie Mae,” he says, smooth as whiskey, unbuckling his belt and slowly pulling it from the loops. The leather makes a loud, ear piercing snap as he stretches is between his hands, warming it up.
“Hello Jake,” I say getting to my feet with help of the counter. This is going to end. This is going to end with me standing my ground.
~~~~~~~
Bobby
What the hell just happened?
As I watch Ellie run off, crying, not yielding to Rhea’s screams for her to come back I’m in shock. Is this a fucking nightmare? It must be. French must have knocked me out on accident when he tackled me and I’m dreaming, that’s all.
“What do ya think about her now, Navy boy?” the deep voice meets my ears again and I turn my face away from Ellie’s disappearing form to face this blonde son of a bitch. He’s smiling and laughing, elbowing his buddies as if he just did something smart and it irks me beyond belief.
Without thinking, with those pictures of Ellie up on the stripper pole half naked and having sex with Garth and Brad flowing through my mind I stalk right up to this laughing son of a bitch, wind back and plow my fist right into his mouth, loving the feel of the pain as it shoots up my arm and he stumbles back.
“What the fuck?” I hear murmured from one of the goons as Jake spits blood onto the ground and it’s on. I’m bombarded by two or three of them, blocking and throwing punches, wrapping my arms around one of their waists and tossing them to the ground as another asshole kicks at my back. I don’t feel it. I’m too angry to feel right now.
I can see Chad and the others join in the rumble, tossing guys and punching them, Reno knocking one out with a single punch, but my vision is zoned in on Jake and his goddamn smile. I’m going to break that smirk off of his face if I get to him.
“Come here boy and let me give you some of your own medicine,” I yell, blocking a haymaker from a burly man and returning the favor, nailing him right on the bridge of the nose; shattering his sunglasses as the blood gushes out and he falls to his knees.
Looking back up I see Jake and his little shadow, Walden, hightailing it towards the parking lot and I’m immediately sprinting off after them. There is no way they are getting away.
“What are ya runnin’ for?” I yell, catching up with Walden and Jake as they just hit the black top. I reach out and yank on Walden’s leather vest, pulling him to the ground but I turn to get Jake and see him getting on his motorcycle.
“Maybe next time Navy boy,” he laughs as his bike roars to life and he speeds off as I chase him a short distance, the adrenaline and anger rolling through me like water over a waterfall.
My chest is heaving and hurting with everything that has been thrown at me and I turn back towards the field, spotting Walden trying to get up from where I had tossed him down. I’m going to make someone pay for all of this pain I’m feeling right now; for pulling down the perfect picture of a life I was starting to build.
“Oh no you don’t,” I growl running over and planting my right foot in his gut, loving the sound as the wind rushes out and he falls to his side. “You think you can just come over here an’ throw shit in my face then run? I’m no pussy,” I yell kicking him again before dropping down to my knees, trapping him and I drive my fist into his face, hearing the crack and pop of bones.
I don’t stop, I hit and strike him seeing the blood flow down onto the black top. I can’t stop. I’m not only hitting this man for me; for my anger but I’m hitting him for Ellie too. For all she went through at the hands of this man’s friend. The nights she cried herself to sleep with welts and bruises. For the moment she had to decide to have the abortion to keep a child from having a hellish life and maybe turning out like their father.
“Timmons,” I hear in the fog of my anger but I keep hitting, hearing a gurgle travel up from the man beneath me and then I feel hands wrapping around my arms, stopping their movement and I’m yanked to my feet. “Bobby!”
I hadn’t noticed that my breathing was heavy but as I turn to face Elliot, my mouth is open and I’m struggling for breath. The anger is still raging through me and my arms are shaking as I look down to my hands, seeing them cut and covered in blood. As I look around my brothers surround me, all of them breathing hard from the fight and a couple with bloody lips.
Brad is kneeling next to Walden, calling 911 as I see Jake’s other men limp to their bikes, getting on and roaring off in the opposite direction that Jake went. Then it hits me. Where the hell is Ellie? Shucking the hold on my arms I swing around, my anger dissipating a little replaced by some fear.
“Where’s Ellie?” I yell, looking to Chad and seeing him comforting Rhea and the crying Charlie. Rhea has tears running down her cheeks and they pull at my heart. Ellie is probably crying right now too. She needs me.
But she lied. How could she lie to me like that?
Looking over to Harlan and Kendall I ask again, “Where’s Ellie?” my breathing hard and heavy, my chest rising and falling in rapid succession.
“She ran off,” Harlan points off in the distance and I can’t believe that I let her run off. I should have acted differently. I should have listened to her when she was saying she was sorry.
“I need to go after her,” I say, pushing past Chad and he reaches out and grabs my arm, his blue eyes locking onto mine with a hard look.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he says quietly. “Give her a little time.”
“Ha,” a gurgle of a laugh comes from Walden still lying on the ground and he grabs for his face, groaning in pain. “You’re too late Navy boy. Jake’s prolly already got her.”
“What did you say ya piece of shit?” I stalk over to him, squatting down to hover over his face and he looks up at me, trying to smile. He tries to laugh and ends in a cough, groaning some more and I’m not going to lie, it makes me smile that he’s in so much pain physically. It matches what I’m feeling inside.
“You think we came here just to piss you off?” he grumbles and I can hear the ambulances off in the not-to-far off distance. “He came here for her. And he’s prolly at her dump of a trailer now, teachin’ her a lesson. Givin’ her what she deserves.”
No, I can’t let him hurt her. Jumping to my feet I’m across the field and at the drivers’ door of my truck when see I Uclid at the passenger door. I shake my head at him as he opens it up and jumps in. “No man, get out.”
“Hell no,” he yells. “I’m not lettin’ ya face this alone.”
He’s giving me that ‘you better get the fuck in here now’ look and I slam my door shut, cranking my truck to life. Whipping it around I step on it, leaving a patch of rubber and a cloud of smoke, spitting the gravel of the road out as I head towards the parking lot. The fear, it’s creeping in slowly more and more, making my hands shake as I grip the steering wheel.
I only hesitate slightly at the stop signs and light, making heads turn as I pass the locals all going about their lazy hot day afternoons. Right now the lies can wait to be explained, I just want to make sure she’s okay.
“What’s the plan,” Uclid says smoothly, his warrior mode kicking in. We never went anywhere without a plan and I bet he’s grooming his new partner for the same tactic. Turning down the road connecting the trailer park to town and I let out a ragged breath.
“Make sure she’s okay and kick some ass.” It’s true and in that order. I’ll kill him if he’s laid a finger on her, hell if he even breathed on her, I’ll break his arms.
Whipping into the driveway of the park, the back end of my truck fishtails, kicking up the gravel with dust as I see a Harley parked right up against Ellie’s porch. I slap my hand on the steering wheel, kicking myself for not making it here sooner. Slamming my foot down on the break, the truck slides and I slam it into park, Uclid being the first to hit the gravel.
“No! Stop!” I hear screamed from inside and it rips me apart as I recognize the sound of a belt striking flesh. Elliot is up the stairs before me and I’m on his heels, wanting to get in there and stop this.
Just as I see Elliot’s hand land on the door handle a gunshot rings out, the distinctive pop of a .22 and my heart stops. Covering Uclid’s hand I yank open the door and rush in, unable to say anything.
“You fuckin’ bitch,” I hear grumbled and turn my face to see Jake, down on his back cradling his leg to his chest with blood running between his fingers. His face is distorted in pain and anger, his pants unbuttoned and his belt lying beside him on the carpet. He turns his eyes towards us and says, “She shot me.”
“Good,” Uclid offers, making a small smile creep to my lips but it quickly vanishes as my eyes scan the room falling on Ellie, standing on the linoleum with the gun still pointed at Jake, her arms shaking and her face bruising and bleeding.
Her shirt is torn and I can see the welts rising on her skin through the tears. She’s breathing heavy and fast. It looks like she put up a struggle as I spy contents of the kitchen strewn all over the floor.
She’s crying, the tears mixing with the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth and it causes me to move towards her. I stop, instinctively throwing my hands up in front of me in a placating measure when Ellie turns towards me, pointing the gun at me.
“Ellie, it’s me.” I say softly, trying to break through that barrier of fear and her eye that isn’t swelling meets mine.
“Bobby?”
~~~~~~~~
Ellie
“Yeah, it’s me,” he says, but the fear, it doesn’t fade. The pain is radiating down through my face, seemingly connecting to the welts rising on my back, thighs and butt; caused by Jake’s belt.
I don’t want to live like this, being the liar, the slut. I don’t want to be me any longer.
“Bobby, I’m so sorry,” I sob, trying to look at him but my damn eye is almost swollen shut, a victim from the butt of this gun I hold in my hand. He thought he could own me like he had for so many years, but I taught him. Who’s the bitch now?
“I know sweetheart,” his calming voice makes the shaking ease a little but I don’t lower the gun. I said this is going to end. “Now come on, put the gun down and let me help you.”
“Don’t help that bitch,” Jake screams and I turn on him again, pointing the gun at his face this time instead of his leg. He thought it would be a good idea to pull a gun on me when I was down, but then again he must not have been paying attention when I was taking self-defense classes at the YMCA for the last four months.
“Shut him up,” Bobby yells to Elliot, who stalks over, calling Jake names and grabs his shirt collar, dragging him out through the screen door as Jake screams in protest and pain. I follow their path with the gun, my arms trembling with the thought of Jake bouncing to his feet and coming after me again.
I can’t let him come after me again. I’d rather die.
“Alright sweetheart, it’s just me and you,” Bobby gives me a smile, easing towards me and I just shake my head. It’ll never be the same. Jake has made sure of that. He made sure he broke me of the chance of finding love again the first time he hit me and I’ve been stupid enough to think I could overcome it.
“I can’t Bobby,” I cry, the realization of what I have to do to be really free of Jake pulling down on me like a ton of bricks. He straightens, giving me a questioning look.
“Can’t do what sweetheart?” he asks, reaching out to me and motioning for me to come to him, but I stay where I am. I can’t be near him when I do this.
“Live like this,” I say calmly, dropping my one hand from the gun and moving the muzzle up to rest against my temple. The fear playing across his face pulls at my heart, but this is how it has to be. I need to be free of Jake, free of this fear.
“No,” he yells taking a wide step towards me and I move back, holding my hand out to stop him from getting any closer. “No Ellie, put the gun down. Please,” the pleading in his voice kills me.
“I love you Bobby,” I sob, leaning my free shoulder against the wall. “I’m sorry I lied, but I was afraid. I can’t be afraid any longer.”
‘It’s okay sweetheart, he won’t hurt you anymore. He’s going to go to jail; I’ll make sure of that. Please, just put the gun down. I’ll save you from all this.” He motions his hand down, wanting me to set it down but I can’t. I can tell he’s going to try and lunge for me, his stance giving him away.
“I never asked you to save me,” I sob. My head is shaking on its own, the barrel cold against my skin.
This is going to end.
“I’m sorry Bobby. I love you,” and I pull the trigger.
########