Blood and Sympathy Read online

  "Fuck off, Alistair," I said evenly. I began walking again, and thankfully, he didn't follow. Once I was in the driver's seat of the car, I locked the doors, turned the key in the ignition, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when the engine fired up on the first crank.

  I hadn't driven very far when I noticed headlights in my rearview mirror. At first, I didn't think anything of it, as there was bound to be a lot of traffic going this way to reach Trevor's house. The twin beams gained on me in a hurry, and when the truck was riding my back bumper, I realized it was Alistair. "Fucking asshole," I muttered.

  His four cylinders would never be able to keep up with the SHO--I knew I could outrun him--but we were on a curvy gravel road that had just been graded. If my wheels got into that loose gravel, I would be in trouble. I pressed the gas pedal and pulled away from him for a few seconds.

  I didn't dare take these curves any faster. My hands gripped the steering wheel, and I leaned forward as though that would give me a better view of where I was going. He was right on my ass, and I couldn't shake him. It was a dangerous game of cat and mouse, and my heart was threatening to explode out of my ribcage.

  The car fishtailed, and I had to ease off the gas to get her righted. Once I did that, Alistair rammed his pickup into the back end of the Taurus, sending me spinning out of control toward a steep embankment.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for impact. Luckily, I went straight in and not at an angle, so the car didn't roll. It was a rough, bumpy ride, and I vaguely remembered being airborne for a second or two. It felt like it lasted forever, when in reality it was over in a matter of seconds when I came to an abrupt stop on a cement culvert.

  When I came to, there was steam rising from the front of the car. "Olivia is going to fucking kill me," I said groaning. I leaned back against the leather seat and wiggled my extremities, making sure nothing was broken. My right ankle didn't feel so hot, and when I wiped the tears from my cheek, my hand came away bloody.

  I was pretty sure the car wouldn't be visible from the road, and I would have to climb up and out of the ditch. The strong, acrid smell of gas burned my nose, and I knew I needed to get away from the car. I had my cell phone sitting in the center cup holder, but who knew where it landed. I groped around and found it beneath the passenger seat. I clutched it and climbed out of the car.

  There was no way I could put any weight on my ankle. I didn't think it was broken, but it sure as shit didn't feel good enough to carry my ass out of that ditch. I crawled up the hill on my hands and knees.

  I was crying, I was pissed, and I wanted to kill that motherfucking Alistair for doing this to me. Of course, the selfish prick hadn't bothered to stop to see if I was okay. I sat on the side of the road. Who the fuck was I going to call?

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Claire Copeland

  While I sat along the side of the road trying to get my shit together, Kim drove by. I wasn't sure she'd seen me, tiny and insignificant in the dark. The first sigh of relief came when I saw her brake lights come on, the second happened when her reverse lights lit up the night. Maybe there was someone watching out for me after all. Not that I was drunk, not by my standards, anyway. But I'd been drinking, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to blow under the legal limit if the cops came.

  She stopped the car and the door swung open. She leaned out to get a better look. "Claire?"

  "Hey, Kim." I stood and tried putting weight on my ankle. Yeah, that wasn't happening. "Thanks for stopping."

  "What the heck happened? Where's your car?"

  I thumbed over my shoulder toward the ravine where Olivia's car was wedged. "Alistair Anderson ran me off the road."

  She parked her car and hopped out. Her eyes widened when she got closer. "Crap, you're bleeding! Can you walk?"

  Searing heat shot up my leg when I tried to take a step. "That would be a no. My ankle is fucked."

  "Here, lean on me," she ordered. I put my arm over her shoulder, and she gripped my waist. "I'll go slow."

  Sweat, blood, and tears covered my face by the time she got me into the front seat of her car. My dad was going to kill me for crashing Olivia's car, no matter the cause. There was no way for me to prove that I'd been forced off the road, and it was just my word against Alistair's. If my father didn't kill me, Olivia would.

  Kim must've felt bad for me. She didn't take me straight home, and she didn't dump me off at the emergency room. Instead, she drove me around while I chewed on my options. My head throbbed, but the bleeding had diminished to a trickle. My ankle had swelled to the size of a cantaloupe, and with each tiny shift in the seat, I discovered something else that was banged up or bruised.

  The dried blood on my hands flaked off easily with a fingernail. I stared zombie-like out the window of her car into the blackness surrounding us.

  "You need to have that looked at," she said, sticking a cigarette between her lips.

  "Can I have one of those?" I didn't wait for an answer and pulled it from her mouth, frowning at the pink lip gloss coating the filter. "I lost mine somewhere."

  I lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply as I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the headrest, wishing I had something a little stronger to light up instead. I felt the weight of her stare on me and exhaled, the smoke thickening the awkward tension hanging in the air.

  "You could have a concussion. You probably need stitches," she said. She cleared her throat, trying to get my attention, but I remained silent. "Home or the hospital? Which one?"

  I chewed on the inside of my mouth so hard that the coppery taste of blood coated my tongue. Dammit, this sucked. "Hospital." Maybe if they thought I was mortally wounded, their pissed off reaction would be delayed. At least temporarily.

  She did a u-turn and headed in the direction of the hospital. There was no hospital in Hensteeth, so she drove to the next town over. She parked under the awning of the emergency room entrance and ran to grab a nearby wheelchair. It was crowded and smelled like vomit and sweat. My stomach gurgled, and if I could have, I would have run out of there so fast I would have been just a blur.

  I filled out the paperwork, and we found two empty seats together and waited.

  "You should probably call your dad."

  My nose scrunched at the thought. "I'll try Olivia first." It wouldn't do any good. She couldn't get here without telling Dad since her car was out of commission at the moment, thanks to me. She'd have to borrow his car to drive here, and he let us drive his car ...never.

  It was after midnight. Fuck, where had the time gone? I should have been enjoying myself with a pretty serious buzz instead of sitting in a germ-infested hospital waiting for some overworked, overtired person to glare at me with judgmental eyes and pseudo concern over my non-life-threatening injuries.

  I dialed Olivia's number and she answered on the third ring. "Claire? What the hell?"

  Anxiety made the blood pound in my ears, and I didn't even know what to say to her, so I blurted out. "I'm at the hospital."

  "Oh my God, are you hurt?"

  "No, I just thought coming to the emergency room would be a lot more exciting than, you know, hanging out and getting sloshed with my classmates." I stood, and the pain from my leg shot through me like an explosion of nerve endings, making me lightheaded. My knees buckled and I collapsed back into the chair.

  Kim pried the phone from my fingers and relayed the details to Olivia. Anyway you looked at things, they sucked. The conversation was brief and she handed my cell back to me. "She's going to wake your dad, they'll be here soon." Kim tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. I knew she wanted to get the hell out of dodge before my dad and sister arrived. I didn't blame her.

  I flicked my fingers at her. "Go on. If you hurry, you might still be able to get some partying done before daylight." I tried to smile, but it was hard with tears and dirt streaking down my face.

  "I'm not going to the party now," she said, twisting her rings around on her fingers. She gathered her th
ick blonde hair into a ponytail. "It's not that. I just really don't want to be here when they get here. This is a private, family matter."

  I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Private. Right. Because we both know it won't be all over town before Sunday services."

  She giggled. "Probably won't take that long. You may even make Saturday's paper."

  I scowled. "No doubt."

  Saturday. June first. Braden was getting out of juvie. I promised him I'd be there. I was supposed to be riding with Jeb to pick him up. No way was that going to happen.

  They wheeled me back for an x-ray, and Kim skated before Dad and Olivia got there. Thankfully, I wasn't sitting in the waiting room in front of God and everybody when they arrived. My dad would never make a scene. He'd keep calm until we were home, and then there would be hell to pay. His punishments were more the silent but deadly type. When I was younger, one of his looks would have me peeing in my pants.

  In a matter of a few hours, I'd managed to fuck things up royally. I had wrecked Olivia's car, I wouldn't be going to bring Braden home, and I was probably going to be grounded for the entire summer.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Brogan Sayer

  Braden is a smug motherfucker. He thinks he's better than me just because he's managed to fool everyone all these years by kissing ass. I've got news for him. He's in for a rude awakening if he plans on walking out of here and being a model citizen. Yeah, right. I don't know whose dick he had to suck to get out early, but I've got a little surprise planned for him and that fucking uncle of mine.

  It's bad enough the pussy lied to everybody, making me out to be the bad guy in all of this. He hated our stepdad as much as I did, and just because he didn't actually set the fire didn't mean he wasn't thinking about doing it. I only did what we both wanted to do. It still makes my fucking blood boil whenever I think of him bawling like a baby in front of the judge. Boo-fucking-hoo.

  I got me a plan. I'm not sticking around this joint for another six months until they decide my fate. They can kiss my lily white ass if they think that's going to happen. I didn't sign up to do that volunteer shit for fun. The joke's going to be on them when I wander off.

  My bro ain't the only one that's been talking to a chick on the outside. I got me one, too. My girl Aja will be waiting for me a couple blocks from where we're going to be working. By the time these friggin' idiots figure out I'm missing, I'll be long gone. Aja's got a car and she rents a place near Devil's Fork Lake.

  First thing I'm going to do is make Aja wrap her little mouth around my shaft so I can come all over that pretty wide-eyed face of hers. It makes me hard just thinking about it.

  I think Braden might have pissed his pants when he saw me this morning. Little does that the fucker know, it's release day for both of us, and I'm going to be watching that little wus. I'll take him down; hit him where it hurts the most. The preacher's daughter. I'll be their worst fucking nightmare.

  They led us outside, single file, like a bunch of cattle heading down the chute to slaughter. We're chained together at the ankles and our hands are cuffed behind us. They can't keep us under lock and key the whole time; they've got to remove them so we can work. It's a precautionary measure to prevent us from slitting the van driver's throat and turning it into an out of control riot on wheels.

  The thought made me giggle like a girl, earning me a look from the guy in the seat next to me. I narrowed my eyes at him but kept my comments to myself. He's lucky I was in a good mood. Otherwise, I'd have bitch-slapped the dumb fuck.

  When we got to the park, I made a quick scan. Aja had told me all about the place. She instructed me to find the corner of Cypress and Magnolia and said I should try to stick close to that area because it's the busiest intersection. We agreed that I'd make my move as soon as the noon whistle blew. The people on the streets and sidewalks would be busy grabbing their lunch and heading to the park to take in the weather if it was a nice day.

  Luck was on my side. That's how I knew things were meant to be, when shit just fell into place without a hitch. The weather couldn't have been any better if I'd ordered it up special myself. The best part? I was put to work right in the exact spot I needed to be. If that wasn’t the universe giving me the green light, I didn't know what was.

  By the time noon rolled around, I had gravy balls. Sweat was running down the crack of my ass, and there wasn't a dry stitch of clothing on my body, but I was too pumped up to care. The whistle blew and I waited two minutes, long enough for people to start scattering like ants at a frickin' picnic.

  My eyes darted around to find the guards. No one was paying attention to me. I was able to slip across the street undetected. As soon as I turned the corner, I spotted Aja's beat-up Buick, and sprinted toward the door.

  She had a change of clothes waiting for me and as soon as we were out of the city limits, I peeled off the jumpsuit I had on and got into some real fucking jeans. Aja grinned and licked her lips when I shucked my skivvies. "Keep looking at me like that, woman, I'm gonna make you pull over and give me a little road head."

  She smiled, her eyes shifting to the rearview mirror. "I thought you'd never ask, baby." She signaled and pulled off onto a side road. When her tiny hand cupped my balls, I thought I was going to bust a nut right there. She quickly wrapped her ruby red lips around me and began sucking like a damn Hoover. My hands fisted and my toes curled, and I lasted all of thirty seconds before blasting her tonsils.

  I threaded my fingers through her thick mop of hair and tugged her away from me so I could finish getting dressed. "That was the best blowjob I've ever had."

  She rolled her eyes at me. "Fucker. That better be the only blowjob you've had."

  I laughed. "Yeah, baby. Trust me, your lips are the only thing, other than my hand, that have ever been wrapped around my dick."

  Satisfied with my answer, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and eased back onto the road.

  Life was good, and it was about to get a whole lot better.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Braden Sayer

  Breakfast consisted of nothing on my last day inside. Anxiety had my stomach tied up in knots the size of my fist and there was no way I could eat. Was I ready to get the hell out of here and go live with my Uncle Jeb? Part of me was anxious to leave, while another part of me wanted to stay with the familiar. Jesus, was I going crazy?

  I'd met with all my former teachers and counselors. Everyone had high hopes for me, and that instilled in me the silent need not to let them down. They had taken a chance on me; they were the ones to recommend my early release.

  They kept the personal belongings I walked in with at the age of twelve in a small box and handed them to me after I signed my release papers. I sat the items on the floor beside my feet and took a seat to wait for Uncle Jeb to arrive. Since I was still a minor, I had to be released into his custody, and there were forms for him to fill out before they'd let me leave.

  Was he late, or was I just overly anxious to get the fuck out? Maybe I was extra jittery because Claire was joining us for the ride back to Hensteeth. I crossed and uncrossed my legs, wiped my hands down the front of my pants, and picked up the box. I pulled out the pair of blue jeans I'd worn that day. Had I ever been that small?

  While I waited, I watched the group of boys who signed up for volunteer work line up by the exit. A plain white passenger van sat idling just outside the door. My brother shot me a look, his expression unreadable. He narrowed his eyes and nodded once before shuffling out with the others. A strange sense of dread coursed through me and lifted the hairs on the back of my neck. I couldn't put my finger on anything out of the ordinary, but had a gut feeling that something just wasn't right. I shook it off and breathed a sigh of relief as the van left, chalking my discomfort up to nerves.

  The buzzer sounded, the door from out front slid open, and Uncle Jeb was escorted inside. He grinned at me before they led him to the office to sign whatever he needed to sign to get me out.

  I
paced restlessly. The only sound in the room came from the second hand on a huge wall clock. Tick-tock, tick-tock. I scrubbed my hands down my face and waited. I assumed Claire was waiting for us in the pickup. I was a complete mess, and had there been anything in my stomach, I would have puked.

  Uncle Jeb returned and glanced down at the box on the floor. "Doubt you'll be able to wear any of that now, but grab it, and let's get the hell out of here. What do you say?"

  He didn't have to tell me twice. I nodded and asked, "Claire waiting in the truck?" I scanned the parking lot, looking for her beautiful face.

  Uncle Jeb put his big hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "I'm sorry, son, but she didn't show up. I waited until the last possible minute for her to get there, but I couldn't wait no more. I had to get on the road."

  I felt as if I'd just taken a work boot to the stomach. She probably figured out what a stupid idea it was to get involved with a fucking felon and changed her mind about coming. Man up, don't be such a fucking pussy. "Sure, she probably just overslept."

  "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Graduation was last night. I'm sure she hit a party or three," he said. He stopped walking and gave me a long look. "Get over here and give your old Uncle Jeb a hug, dammit."

  I chuckled and obliged him. "Easy, don't go breaking my ribs before we even get out of the parking lot."

  His shoulders shook with laughter. "Boy, you need some meat on them bones. Feels like I'm trying to hug my shadow." He rarely called me by my given name. I wondered if he was afraid he'd slip up and call me Brogan by mistake. He unlocked the beat-up Ford Ranger, and I stowed my stuff behind the passenger seat before climbing in beside him.

  Memories of my first day in juvie clawed at my brain, ignoring my desire to leave them locked inside the walls my body was now free of. A tangle of emotions filled me to capacity. Though anxious to leave the cold, cinder block prison walls, with its guard towers, and the fifteen-foot-high razor wire fence, I was uneasy. Fearful of what was before me in a world I hadn't seen since I was twelve years old.