Dirty South Drug Wars (21 page)

“What?”

“Are you okay alone for a while?” I felt slightly guilty for abandoning my high little sister. “I’m meeting Tanner by the volleyball area. I’m texting Josie now to let her know where I’m going, okay?”

“Whatever.” She shoved herself up in a sitting position and yawned.

Flip-flops in hand, the hot sand burned the soles of my feet but I paid little attention to the pain. I passed the same group of rough-looking guys who’d called out to Josie, who called out to me now as well. As my feet hit the sidewalk running the length of the beach and ending near the volleyball pit, I tossed my flip-flops on the ground and slid my feet into them. I trudged up a steep hill and passed the volleyball net where a game was in full swing.

The forest awaited me and I happily darted past the tree line. Bracken slipped between my flip-flops and bare feet as I entered the wooded area. The only sounds in the forest were the snap of twigs beneath my feet, the distant laughter and shouting of excited teenagers, and the occasional birdsong. The sensation of being watched washed over me, sending goose bumps along my skin.

“I know you’re out here,” I said.

A low, familiar chuckle sounded nearby, and I turned. Stepping past a large, black gum tree, I looked for him but only saw trees. My fingers trailed against the ridged bark as I crept by.

Suddenly, a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped themselves smooth and sweet around my waist. A short, surprised gasp escaped my lips. Tanner pulled me behind the tree, leaning his back against it with my body pressed fluidly to his. I pretended to pout over his sneak attack, but the lazy grin and haphazard, windblown hair did me in. I gave up my pathetic attempt of being angry and lost myself in a sweet kiss.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered against my lips.

A ridiculous, emotional lump formed inside my throat. “I’ve missed you too.”

Fisting one hand in his white tee and the other in his hair, I drew his head closer, deepening the kiss. Tanner moaned against my mouth, cupping my cheeks in each hand. The kiss became frantic and desperate before slowing down, languid and lazy, teasing and promising, ending sooner than I hoped.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said, smiling.

Guilt burrowed inside my chest. The thought of ruining his good mood by bringing up Levi made me breathless. “What is it?”

Tanner smirked. “Well, it’s more of a surprise for Josie than anyone else, but we’re all gonna benefit from my cousin’s idiocy. Bryce brought his pontoon. He’s convinced he’ll win Josie over with his Party Barge.”

Thoughts of Levi were momentarily forgotten. I burst into laughter at Bryce’s vain assumption about my cousin. He thought he’d capture Josie’s heart with a floating piece of metal, wood, and green AstroTurf. The funny thing about his idea was that it just might work.

Tanner’s smirk softened into a thoughtful grin. “I like seeing you smile. And hearing you laugh. I love it when you laugh. Your eyes light up and you have a tiny little dimple that shows.”

“I don’t have a dimple.”

He brushed his thumb near the right corner of my mouth. “Yes, you do. It’s small, but it’s there. I love that little dimple. I love everything about you.”

I kissed him in response, desiring nothing but to tell him I loved him as well. I wanted to tell him so terribly bad, but the words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. They screamed over and over in my brain, but never made it past my lips.

We stayed in the woods for a while, kissing and touching one another behind that old gum tree. Tanner’s cell vibrated constantly in the deep pocket of his red board shorts.

“Whoever it is, they’re persistent,” I said.

Tanner groaned and pulled the cell from his shorts. Bryce’s face lit the screen. He answered with a gruff greeting, his voice going quiet and his body going rigid. Only a few words were spoken. By the end of the conversation, I knew I was in trouble.

“Why haven’t you told me about Levi Bridges?” he asked, eerily calm. “Why didn’t you call me? You should have called me the minute, no, the
second
he pulled you over.”

“I couldn’t call you.” Dread balled up inside my chest. “He jerked me from the car before I had the chance to do anything. I didn’t know what to do after that. I just knew that I had to get here and see you without giving away too much to my sister and Josie. They woulda never agreed to come here if they knew my true intentions. Besides, I wanted to tell you face to face. I could just imagine you getting pissed off and jumping in your car to hunt him down. That’s all I need on top of everything else going on in my life is for you to get hurt, arrested, or whatever.”

“I’ll kill him,” he said. “Josie told Bryce he threw you against the hood of the car and put his hands on you. Then he pulled a gun on her. Is that true?”

Tanner didn’t wait for me to respond. He removed my arms from his chest and flipped them over. Two long, red streaks ran up the inside of both my arms where the heat of the Jeep hood had scalded my tender skin. I tried pulling my arms away in a feeble attempt to calm him, but he held firm. Strong resolution played on his features, as though he had the calendar marked for the date and exact time Levi would die.

“You’re going to tell me everything that happened today. Then we’re leaving these woods.”

“And after that?”

“After that?” A slow, curling smile twisted on his face. “After that, I’m going to kill Levi Bridges.”

I took a deep breath and released it before telling Tanner about what happened on our way to the beach. Tanner stared past me in the distance.

“Two things in this life are untouchable,” Tanner said. “Me and my family.”

Confused by his statement, I said, “I’m neither.”

“You’re both.” He grabbed my hands again, giving them an adamant squeeze. “You’re a part of me, and one day I hope you’ll become part of my family as well.”

The meaning behind his heartfelt words made my heart swell.

Images of Tanner murdering Levi played through my mind. Would he really do something like that? I was warned he wasn’t the man I thought he was, but I couldn’t imagine he would really commit such a heinous act as murder.

“You’re not really planning to kill him, are you? Maybe there’s some other way … someone we can tell about us, Levi, and Amos.”

“Who do we tell?” He shook his head with a dry chuckle. “Go to the police station and file a formal complaint against Levi? Wait, I’ve got an idea. We’ll call the FBI, because I’m sure they’ll believe anything we tell them.”

I sighed, agitated with his dry humor and the situation. “I’m just weighing any options.”

“Let me do the worrying for the both of us,” he said. “Why am I wasting the day worried about Levi Bridges when I’m alone in the woods with a gorgeous girl who’s wearing a little blue bikini?”

Tanner’s voice swept over me. His breath was minty and spicy all at once, tantalizing my skin, my heart. He drew me in closer against him, and all thoughts of Levi evaporated from my mind with his words and his touch.

Reaching up, I draped my sore arms over his shoulders and melded my lips against his. My fingers drifted from the back of his neck into his messy mop of hair. Tanner moaned as I gently tugged at the strands. The tip of his tongue teased my mouth, and I gingerly parted my lips.

“I want you.” His smooth, seductive voice washed over me like warm honey. “I want to show you how I feel inside every time I look at you, how crazy you make me feel. I want to possess every part of you like you possess my soul. I want to lay you down and worship you from the top of your head to your cute little toes.”

“You think my toes are cute?” I wiggled my toes, my heart hammering in the aftermath of his words.

“They’re perfect,” he said. “Just like you.”

I was far from perfect, but I could no longer argue. I was breathless. My face was pressed against his chest, the strum of his heartbeat singing a song I wished would never end.

Eventually we slipped out of the woods—me first, followed minutes later by Tanner. No one seemed to notice a lone girl wandering from the forest. The group of kids playing volleyball had long gone and a new group had taken their place. The beach was still crowded, yet slightly less than it had been earlier. There was no sign of the sadistic sheriff lurking anywhere around.

Josie and Bryce were nowhere to be found, but shockingly enough, I spotted my little sister sitting on the water’s edge with none other than Chance Hayes.

The two were in some sort of deep conversation. Lucy stared at her feet emerged in the water in front of her, arms wrapped around her legs. She’d turn her head occasionally, resting it on her knees while Chance spoke. Lucy continued to hold an expression of wariness and distrust, but I was happy she wasn’t attacking him.

I said Lucy’s name three times before she noticed me. The sight of her dilated pupils reminded me that she remained high. It was possibly the only reason she was giving Chance the time of day.

Chance greeted me with a lopsided grin. His presence continued to make me somewhat uneasy, but I brushed the feeling aside.

“Hey, Rue,” he greeted in a friendly tone.

“Hey, Chance. Tanner wants us to meet at the boat ramp down the highway. Where’s Josie?”

“The last time I saw them, they were sneaking off to Bryce’s truck,” Chance replied.

“Great.” Our belongings lay scattered about, abandoned for me to collect while Josie snuck around with Bryce and Lucy stared blankly at me in her weed-induced trance.

Chance surprised me by joining me in gathering our belongings, working silently by my side. He smiled at me, shaking the sand from Lucy’s towel, folding it perfectly, and slipping it inside her beach bag.

Lucy crawled over to where we worked. Chance pulled a cold bottle of water from our cooler and offered it to my sister. He twisted the cap for her when she had trouble, and she gave him a small, hesitant smile. It was odd witnessing a stranger being so kind to my sister. Hell, it was strange seeing anyone be so thoughtful to her.

Levi’s words continued to haunt me as Chance helped me lug all our belongings, and Lucy as well, to the Jeep. There were no familiar faces among the throng of adults, teens, and children, and I relaxed somewhat, hoping we wouldn’t run into anyone we knew.

“Tanner doesn’t care.” Chance helped hoist my sister into the Jeep. I bunched my brow at his remark. “He doesn’t care if we get caught,” he added, closing the door behind Lucy. “He’s just looking for an excuse to kick someone’s ass over you. That’s just Tanner. It’s his nature.”

“He doesn’t seem anything like that.”

“You only know one side of Tanner.” Chance smirked, annoying me by ruffling my Tanner-mussed hair. “Bryce and Josie told me about Levi. It’s just a matter of time now before you see the Tanner Montgomery we’ve known all these years.”

*

Once we arrived at the dock, I got my first good look at Bryce’s pontoon. I found myself staring in awe at the monstrosity of a brand-spanking-new twenty-two-foot Party Barge.

The sight of Bryce offering Josie his assistance onto the boat, and Josie responding with a smack to the back of his head, brought me out of my stupor. The two fussed and squabbled, and I shook my head with a smirk. Tanner offered me his hand and I took it without hesitation, allowing him to help me up onto the boat.

We left the dock and the boat glided through the dark water with Bryce manning the steering wheel. Josie hesitantly allowed him to pull her onto his lap. Bryce gave her the infamous Montgomery grin, snickering at her scowl.

My sister was sitting at the stern of the boat with her bare feet dangling over the edge. The sloppy bun on the top of her head was no longer there. Instead, her long, auburn locks danced in the humid breeze. Chance approached her with his hands deep in the pockets of his green swim trunks and eased down beside her. Lucy turned her head away from him as we passed limestone cliffs. Chance dropped his feet off the edge as well. He spoke, and Lucy appraised him with a blank expression until I finally saw her lips moving.

It killed me, not hearing the conversation they were engaged in. I wondered if Chance would win her trust, as he’d already won her heart.

Tanner brushed his lips against my temple. “What are you thinking so hard about?”

We were lounging on a beige leather chair surrounding a large round table. My body was pressed flush against his. The breeze stroked our hot skin, and I found myself playing with the soft hair on his legs. His thumbs were pressed in the top of my shorts on both sides of my waist.

I chuckled. “Just wondering if our stubborn relatives will cave in after this expedition or if they’ll kill each other first.”

Tanner laughed lightly, gripping my waist and pulling me closer to him. We were silent for a long while, nothing but the wind, the soft murmur of the others, and the occasional passing engine breaking the quiet. Then, out of the blue, Tanner asked me about my happiest childhood memory.

“Hmmm … probably the time Daddy took us to Disney World.” Lost in the nostalgia, I stared at the puffy white clouds drifting in the startlingly blue sky. “Lucy was so excited. She dreamed about Cinderella’s Castle for months. I’ll never forget the smile on her face as the castle lit up in the night, fireworks exploding in the sky around it. I haven’t seen that expression on her face since then. It was pure joy, magic, and wonder, like all her fantasies came through in that exact moment.”

Tanner studied my face. “So your happiest memory is your sister’s happiness?”

I shrugged, slightly saddened by the fact. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Worst memory?” he asked.

“That’s tricky. Lucy has been sick so many times. If I had to choose a memory that didn’t involve her, or the moment I found out my father was dead, I’d say it was more of a bundle of memories.

“My life hasn’t always been trips to Cinderella’s castle. There were many times in my childhood when we were so broke we couldn’t keep the power on. Lucy and I would sleep together, clinging to one another to stay warm. Daddy was too proud to ask anyone for money, and it seemed like it took forever for him and my uncles to get their construction business up and running. We put on a good show though. People didn’t realize how destitute we were back then.”

“People think drug trafficking is a high-dollar way of life, don’t they?” he asked. “They don’t realize it’s like the stock market. It goes up, it goes down. That’s why you need to have a fallback plan.”

“Like owning a factory or becoming a doctor?” I asked. “Are you leaving for college in the fall?”

“No.” He raised an eyebrow at my disappointed frown. “I’m staying here, making sure you’re safe. When you graduate I’m taking you with me.”

“Is that so?” I quirked an eyebrow at his no-nonsense tone and stubborn audacity. “I don’t see how that’s going to happen. My family will kill me. Even if that wasn’t the case, I have Lucy, Nana, and the cake shop to take care of.”

“It’ll all work out,” he said, smooth and confident. “Maybe Lucy just needs someone else to take care of her for once.”

Lucy faced Chance, and I drew in a deep breath as she reached out, her fingers trailing up his scarred arm.

“Best memory?” I asked.

“Nothing like yours, that’s for sure.” He laughed, skimming his nose along the twist of my ear. “I’d say it’d have to be the look of pride on my father’s face when he took me on a drug run once. We stopped at his friend’s house. He left me in the truck and told me he’d be right back. When he got back to the truck his pocket was bulging out. My father reached in his pocket and handed me a stack of money wrapped up in a rubber band. He said, ‘How does that feel in your hands, boy?’ I told him it felt good, and it did. That’s not why he did it though, sold drugs I mean.

“I told you my father had epilepsy. Watching him have seizures … those are some of my worst memories. I was just a kid, but I felt so guilty with my inability to help him. Smoking marijuana relaxed him and it helped reduce the daily seizures. Before long, they were practically non-existent. One day he realized he could make a business out of it. He began selling it to other people suffering from seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, cancer patients in pain. Marijuana distribution didn’t begin or end as a way to make ends meet, but before long his business blew up. My father began raking in the money. He hired Graham to help him. It became an empire. And with empires come allies. With allies come enemies.”

“My family,” I said. “Except for my father.”

He nodded. “For a long while Graham believed Jeb murdered my father. But the pieces didn’t fit. Jeb was a trusted ally. Graham believes Jeb found something out, something that tied our families together, something Amos didn’t want revealed.”

“No Amos talk,” I said. “Not today. Tell me more about your father. He helped sick people feel better. That’s admirable.”

“He wasn’t a saint, Rue. He enjoyed the money and the power,” Tanner replied. “Power is a treacherous thing. It overshadows everything, making everything else in life seem meaningless. Frivolous. It becomes addictive like the money. Money is the root of all evil.”

“The
love
of money is the root of all evil.” I smirked. “Get your Bible verses right, Cash.”

“Who doesn’t love money?” he asked with an innocent grin. “Why do you think
your
father started selling drugs? It was love of money. He probably grew up just as poor and country as my father did.”

“Do you smoke weed?” I asked. “Do you sell it?”

Tanner raised an eyebrow. “I smoke occasionally. As for the selling part, there’re some things you just don’t need to know.”

I snickered. “Which means yes.”

“I know
you
smoke. You were high the night at the train station. You were high the night of that party.” His hands ghosted over my abdomen, his fingers creeping in the direction of my bikini top. “You were sitting on that bar with wide eyes, big pupils, and juicy pink lips begging to be kissed. Some loser was drooling all over you. It took everything within me not to pull you from that bar, throw you over my shoulder, and cut out running.”

I bit my lip, smiling around the sinking of my teeth into my flesh. “Caveman.”

“You make me animalistic.” His breath was hot, whispering in my ear, nipping the tender flesh. “You don’t know me, Rue. I’ve done things. I’ve done bad things to people. Levi Bridges made a horrible mistake today. He should never have touched what’s mine, what’s always been mine, and what will always be mine.”

Tanner’s voice was poison and pain. I should have been afraid of him, but I wasn’t. I was his, no matter what path he chose in life and no matter who he had to kill to claim that path. I’d told Graham I was in it for life, and I meant what I’d said.