I tell Les and Taz to go to the skatepark and check up on Peg Leg Mikey. I just want everything normal to be covered while the rest of this stuff is going on.
Mostly I just want them to stay busy while I figure out a plan.
There really isn’t much of a plan though.
The only choice is to just show up and see what Violet does.
I’m not sure what she knows or doesn’t know. Or better yet… what she thinks she knows.
As of right now, the word about Jolie’s kidnapping hasn’t spread too far.
That’s because of her father using his contacts to keep things quiet.
That guy is wildly corrupt.
And what I need to know is if he’s in control or just someone else’s puppet.
I ride my motorcycle to the warehouse to get my car.
I drive fast.
Way too fast.
Somewhere in my head I can hear Jolie telling me to slow down a little. Because she wants me to come home to her safe and sound.
That’s where everything keeps leading me to now.
The life of wild and free now has a destination.
Jolie.
She’s the destination.
I’m not talking about the future or anything like that.
I’m talking about the mere fact that I have somewhere to go at the end of the day. I have something to look forward to. When I’m doing stupid or dangerous shit, I have someone to think about. It keeps me focused.
But it also drives me a little crazy.
I speed over to Violet’s neighborhood.
I’m still thinking about what to do and how to do it.
This is a huge risk.
Exposing the truth to Violet…
I have no clue what she’ll do though.
And that can cost her her life.
As I take one of the bends, I can’t believe my eyes when I see Violet running.
She’s out for a run on the side of the road.
Coming toward me.
I speed and fly right by her.
I’m not sure she even notices me.
I slam on the brakes, cut the wheel, and turn my car around.
The sound of that… I know I have her attention now.
I speed up again and Violet looks back at me.
Then she tries running faster.
Like she’s going to outrun my car.
I catch up to her in two seconds.
I have to slow down and let her catch up to me… only she doesn’t.
She stops running.
She reaches for her phone.
“Fuck,” I yell.
I throw open my door and get out of the car.
“Violet!” I yell.
“Mac?” she asks. “What are you…”
She gasping for breaths.
“Get in the car,” I say to her.
“Why?”
“Because I fucking said so,” I say.
“No,” Violet says. She starts to blink fast. “No…”
I grit my teeth and growl. “Do you want to ever see Jolie again?”
Violet approaches my car.
She has her phone clutched tight in her right hand.
“Look, Violet, I get it,” I say. “You have a phone. But I have a gun. Who’s going to win here?”
“Please, don’t hurt me,” Violet says.
I don’t respond.
I’m not the one who’s going to make that final decision.
4
JOLIE
I hear the sound of glass shattering and I sit up in bed.
My heart leaps into my throat.
I hurry from the bed to the bedroom door.
I open it and listen.
Mama Dae is pissed.
“This is out of control!” her voice yells.
I inch from the bedroom to the top of the steps.
“You need to trust me.”
It’s Mac’s voice.
“I do trust you, Mac, but this is too much…”
I start to walk down the stairs.
When Mac is at the house, I feel a little invincible.
Meaning I don’t mind walking in on their conversation to see what’s happening.
I work my way through the dining room and when Mac sees me, he points.
“Go back upstairs,” he says to me.
“No,” I say. “What’s going on here?”
I look and see Mama Dae holding her hand.
“Are you cut?” I ask her.
I run to her side and touch her hands.
“You have guts, Jolie,” she whispers to me. “Sending Mac to do this for you. You’re lucky you’re alive.”
Chills move up and down my back.
“What did I do?” I ask.
Mama Dae pulls away from me.
She grabs a towel from the sink and wraps it around her hand. “Here’s how this goes. Today. Tonight. That’s it.” She looks at Mac. “If you fuck around with this, Mac, I will make everyone pay. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Mama,” Mac says.
“I’m going to spend the rest of the day and night in my room. Order food if you want. I’m not cooking. I’m too mad to cook.”
“Mama Dae,” I say.
“It’s okay, Jolie,” Mac says.
Mama Dae storms out of the kitchen.
I look at Mac. “What did I do now? I was up in bed, right where I was supposed to be…”
I felt my words catching in my throat.
I want to cry.
Mac touched my shoulders. “Listen, sweetie. Go up to our room. Just wait there for a minute. Trust me.”
He kisses my forehead.
I really don’t have a choice, do I?
I turn and walk through the house and back upstairs.
Mama Dae’s house isn’t big… but each day it feels smaller.
I go to the bedroom and sit on the corner of the bed and wait.
My eyes never leave the open door.
I’m kind of mad at Mac.
I don’t know what he’s done, but whatever it is, Mama Dae is mad at me for it.
I’m the one who has to live in this house with her.
There’s no escape. No break.
There’s no…
I stand up from the bed.
Mac is walking someone toward the bedroom.
It’s…
“Violet,” I whisper.
I start to smile.
Then I see she’s wearing a blindfold.
Mac shuts the door. “Violet, we’re here. You’re safe.”
He tells her to take the blindfold off.
When she does and sees me standing there, she covers her face and falls to her knees.
She cries uncontrollably.
I jump at her and fall to the floor.
We grab at each other and start to hug.
Her hands grab so tight it starts to hurt.
I can’t find any words to say to her.
I look up at Mac.
He nods to me.
This is what he’s done for me.
All I wanted to do was call Violet.
What does Mac do?
He goes to find her. He brings her to me.
When we break the hug, I hold her at her shoulders.
She’s gasping for breaths.
“I can’t breathe,” she says. “I can’t calm down… they said… you were…”
“Mac,” I say. “Can you help?”
Mac walks across the room and comes back a few seconds later with something to drink for Violet.