Motherfucker.
She doesn’t give me time to answer before she speaks again.
“I’ve also invested in a property I want you to consider moving into. I’ll stay there too, if you’ll have me?”
Is she for real?
“I’ve missed you, Mom.”
Tears fill her eyes.
“I’ve missed you too, so much. I know you thought I was being harsh on you leaving like I did, and I don’t blame you for not wanting to see me, but—”
“Wait,” I blurt, cutting her off.
“You thought I didn’t want to see you?”
She plays with her napkin, tearing it into tiny pieces. “Your father said you were angry that I left.”
“That piece of shit,” I growl. “He told me you weren’t ready to see me!”
My mother turns white as a sheet. “You’re my son. I wouldn’t never not want to see you.”
Reaching across the table, she grabs my hand. “I love you, Rhett. More than anything in this world.”
Emotion clogs my throat. I didn’t know how bad I needed to hear that from her until she said it. My own tears build in my eyes, and I squeeze them closed to will away the salty drops.
“You wouldn’t believe what I went through to try to get out of Dad paying for my school.” I chuckle, but it’s strained.
Her body stiffens, and she takes a sip of her wine.
“I do, actually. Your father informed me about The Elite. I’m not going to lie, Rhett, it breaks my heart you’re involved with them.”
That makes me sit back in my chair.
“You know about The Elite?”
Laughing nervously, she holds up her hand to flag down the waiter.
“The Elite have been around long before you were even a dream of mine.” She smiles over at me. The waiter fills her glass, and she thanks him before continuing.
“They’ve always wanted to recruit one of us. Our family owns businesses in this town. They’ve wanted to relieve us of them since your grandfather owned them.”
Old memories must flit in her mind because a reminiscent smile touches her lips.
“I was offered a place in The Elite, them knowing I’d inherit my father’s legacy.”
She snorts, then takes another sip of her wine, swirling the red liquid around her glass.
“I wasn’t interested. My father had informed me all I needed to know about them then. They’re bad news. You will always be in their grasp and god forbid their debt, Rhett.”
She exhales before continuing.
“Paying for your school fees, and with everything that happened with Robbie, I thought they wouldn’t attempt…” She sighs. “Just be careful, Rhett. You’re all I have left in this world.”
I wish we had this conversation months ago.
“I thought they could help me with me going into law. I want to go into law so asshole drunk drivers don’t get off with fines when they kill kids,” I growl.
Sighing, she shakes her head, closing her eyes briefly.
“Rhett, he got off because of The Elite. He’s Elite.”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Jumping from my seat, I race to the toilet and vomit.
This whole damn time. Those motherfuckers. That’s the service you get with The Elite. They get you a fine when you kill a kid. What have I done?
Swilling my mouth with water, I spit and compose myself. I’m sick of drama in my life, the happy always being over shadowed by darkness. I need to live in the sunshine for a while. Flourish instead of wilting.
Getting back to the table, I collapse into my seat.
“You okay?” my mother asks.
“I have someone in my life,” I say, squirming a little. “Someone I want you to meet,” I add.
She beams at me, her smile reaching her eyes and becoming infectious. Before she can control herself, she squeals a little and claps her hands. “Rhett, oh god, that makes me so happy.”
“Me too, Mom.”
Pushing into Lillian’s office she doesn’t even get to her feet when I storm in like a hurricane landing on shore.
I slap the paper I had mom write out for me onto her table and gesture to her pen.
“Sign this.”
Squinting her eyes at me she picks the paper up.
“What is it?”
“It’s a letter signing me off from your services. No more meetings. Ever.”
I grate out.
“And I should sign this because?”
“Because if you don’t I’m going to fucking ruin you, or kill you, I’ve not decided yet.”
She cackles like a fucking witch.
“Amusing as your threats are, I have no reason for you to continue our sessions. There’s nothing I can do for someone with your issues.” She snorts picking up the pen and scribbling her signature on the dotted line.
“Close the door on your way out.” She seethes handing me the paper.
Snatching it from her hand I waltz out leaving the door open.
After filing the letter with the office so it’s on my file, I exit the college and breathe in the fresh air. I’m about to head for the car lot when I see Sloth coming towards me. I’ve never known anyone as laid back as him, even his movements are slow like he has all the time in the world.
“Hey.” I reach my fist out and he bumps it with his own.
“What’s up, man?” I encourage him into conversation.
“I’ve actually been looking for you, God said you were on campus.”
“You found me.” I grin, shoving my bag up my shoulder and starting a slow walk. He falls in line, his heavy boots scraping the concrete as he does.
“I have something for you.” He hands me a brown, large envelope.
Intrigued I stop to open it, pulling out a picture.
“His father owns nightclubs, he’s the youngest of six brother’s and has bouts of depression. It started when he found out he’d raised two sons then found out they weren’t his, his wife had been having a nine year affair with his oldest brother.”
I don’t need to hear all this. It doesn’t matter.
“One day he came home to an empty house. She left him and was divorcing him so she could marry his brother. To make matters worse the family sided with the eldest and expected him to just accept this.”
It’s no excuse. I don’t fucking care.
“He became dependent on alcohol to ease the pain of it all.” He says through a cloud of smoke.
Is that fucking weed on campus? God’s rubbing off on him. They think the rules don’t’ apply to them.
“One evening he’s drinking shots feeling sorry for himself when he gets a call from one of the kids he raised, they want to come home.”
I. DON’T. CARE.
“The only thing on his mind is his kid needs him.”
More puffs.
“He gets in his truck and the weather turns nasty, he drank too much, he shouldn’t be driving but..”
“But he fucking chose to get in that truck knowing he was over the limit.” I bark. “How the hell do you even know this shit, where did you get his name and picture?” I query.
Shrugging his shoulders he flicks his lighter open and shut. “He goes to my father’s church, I like to get baked and sit in the confessional booth.”
Frowning at him I shake my head. “He can never repent for this. Nothing will ever be enough.”
“I know, and so did he, they found him dead this morning. He hung himself.”
I blanche at his words. There’s no relief or pleasure filling the crater sized hole left by Robbie’s death.
“He hated that his family ties got him off.”
“The Elite got him off.” I correct.
“The Elite aren’t what you thought they were, Rhett.”
“Yeah I’m working that out, the question is, if you already knew that then why did you want in?”
Smirking he backs away. “Who says I wanted in, maybe they wanted me in.”
Well that’s cryptic as fuck.
Nodding my head I fold my arms over my chest trying to feel anything about the mans death, but its weird. I hated him for what he took from us, I wished for his death a million times over, but this isn’t how I wanted it to be. He was a victim himself. And he handed out his own justice, taking that from us too.
Tossing the photo in the trash I gulp down air to fill my lungs and leave the thoughts of the man there with it.
It’s over. At least it’s over.
I’m part of The Elite now, and I hate that they recruit people who are so willing to allow things like Robbie’s death be swept under the rug.
And that they recruit vile women like Lillian into the fold. But maybe being part of the society doesn’t have to be a bad thing. We can make changes from within. I know Rush has more to say on the matter and we’ll get into it at some point, right now though I need to take the good and run with it. Give my mind some peace.
Throwing my keys on the table, I offer my old man a middle finger and take the last box out to the moving truck.
“Good riddance to that house of lies,” I tell Chastity.
“You’re not going to miss the place?”
Tapping my head, I grin. “I have all the memories I need up here. Everything else I need is coming with me.”
Scooping her up, I carry her upfront and place her ass into the passenger seat, then push her cute ass over so I can climb in next to her.
“Ready?” the moving guy asks.
Leaning my arm out the window, I tap the side of the door. “Let’s go make new memories.”
I’m happy, and it feels damn good.
These violent delights have violent ends.
Not this time. This isn’t a tragedy. We’re not Romeo and Juliet. We’re Rhett Masters and Chastity Griffin.
The bad boy and his good girl…who likes to get a little bad.
Pushing into her warm heat, I fuck her slow against the window where I now know I first fell in love with Chastity Griffin.
“The glass will break,” she pants, and I chuckle. Lifting her, I move her to the bed. It’s a twin, and covered in fluffy toys, including the giant pink bear I won at the carnival. His head has been stitched back on after she tore it off during our small breakup.