Bottom Feeder (22 page)

“
No one noticed the
injuries?”

“
I started taking boxing
lessons and Krav Maga to explain the injuries that clothes could
not cover. I grappled in class and ran into punches on purpose.
That way, if anyone inquired about the visible injuries, no one
would know where they came from. I could explain the first few
black eyes or injuries as accidents. I learned quickly that people
ask too many questions. I fixed it before it became an
issue.”

“
Dixon must have
noticed.”

“
Dixon noticed because
he’s Dixon and Dixon notices everything. He never told anyone
because he’s Dixon and Dixon is trustworthy. Besides, this is my
battle to fight. Not his or anyone else’s.” She sighs heavily.
“Larry threatened the people I love the most. I would rather die
than have other people hurt—or worse—
because
of me. All I have to do is
keep my mouth shut and take a few kicks and punches. I have to
protect them. You are a soldier, Jackson. I hope you can understand
the need to protect.”

“
The people you love?
Cordell and Dixon can take care of themselves.”

“
Daddy?” She laughs
without humor. “I’m not even sure I like him very much.”

The sinking feeling bottoms out around
my feet. “Who?”

Silence speaks measure sometimes,
doesn’t it?

I pull to the shoulder. “That bastard
raped you, beat you, and told you to keep your mouth shut or he
would kill Dixon. And Mama. Am I right?”

“
I swear I never told
anyone. I didn’t mean to get her mixed up in this. Dixon figured it
out, but I never told him details. I beg Violet to triple lock
everything, to be vigilant. She thinks I’m paranoid. Larry is a
jealous sociopath. He did not like the time I spent with her. When
her name was mentioned in his threats, it was just another way to
intimidate me. But there was no need because I
never told
. Please understand that I
didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“
Will he hurt her?” Maddy
slumps in the seat and looks away. “Look at me,” I
plead.

“
I talked her into taking
self-defense classes. A few months ago she added deadbolts and an
alarm system. I ordered a Taser for her birthday.”

Mama with a Taser? She doesn’t even
kill spiders.

“
I had to take every
precaution,” Maddy says in response to my raised brow. “I went to
her house before school to make sure the doors were locked. Some
nights I slept over.”

“
I know.”

“
What?”

“
Your
stuff
is in my duffel
bag.”

Maddy closes her eyes. “So
embarrassing.”

“
It’s not that serious.
I’ve seen plenty.”

“
Not mine.”

I shrug. “Now I have.” Yes, I’m an
asshole.

She kicks off her flip flops and pulls
her feet onto the seat, touching her head to her knees. With a
heavy sigh, I pull back onto I-95. The next half hour is spent in
silence. I am angry and starving. Not a good
combination.

Maddy disappears into the bathroom of
a truck stop while I grab a Dr. Pepper, Doritos, Skittles and three
Little Debbie’s. I pull out my cell phone.

“
Jeremiah needs a job,” I
say when Lamont answers.

“
Huh?”

“
Tell your little brother
he wants to work for Mama. And to walk her home at
night.”

“
All right, J. I’ll tell
him today.” No questions asked.

The Doritos and Skittles are a distant
memory when Maddy approaches the cashier. I stand beside her in
order to pay for the water, package of baby carrots and pre-sliced
apples she places on the counter.

Three guys, dressed in construction
gear walk through the door, coming to a halt when they spot Maddy.
My defenses are instantly on alert.

I pull out my wallet as one of the
guys, let’s name him Tall and Scruffy, reaches over to hand the
cashier a ten. He jerks his head toward me. “Since her brother here
doesn’t want to be a gentleman.”

Brother?

“
That’s sweet,” Maddy
smiles. “Thank you.”

He looks at her like she’s his next
meal; a look in which Maddy is oblivious.

I remain beside her with my mouth
pressed in a hard line. I’m not her brother. He saved me five
dollars and eighty-six cents.

Why am I so
angry?

Maddy thanks him again before exiting
the store. Tall and Scruffy follows, introducing himself as
Junior.

Of course
his name is Junior.

In his South Carolina drawl Junior
says, “Lehmehtaykyewtasuppah.”

Translation: Let me take you to
supper.

“
If it’s okay with your
brother,” he smirks.

“
Oh, he’s not my brother,”
Maddy replies. “He’s a friend. Thank you for the invite, Junior,
but we’re only passing through.” Regret and hurt flash across his
face.

Ha! Take that, you scruffy
bastard.

“
Look, Jackson,” Maddy
says when we settle in the car. “I’ve done what I can to make sure
nothing happens to Violet. Someone is looking out for her. I can’t
tell you who, but he’s . . . official.”

“
Does this have something
to do with the black sedan?”

Her eyes lock with mine, distracting
me from the road. My eyes shift to her mouth. I quickly look away.
She kicks off her flip flops and props her feet on the dash with
one leg bent, the other straightened. I cut my eyes to her again.
My gaze travels from her thighs to her calves to her feet—where her
toes are painted in a rainbow of colors—and back up
again.

A familiar stirring beings in my
stomach and works its way south.

Eyes back on the road. Time for a
change of subject. “Favorite book?”

“
Staying Fat for Sarah
Byrnes
.”

“
A Crutcher fan, huh?” I
ask. “Mine is
Whale Talk.”

She smiles. “A guy after my own
heart.”

“
First kiss?”

She looks as if I should
know the answer. “Dixon. But it’s not like
that
, you know? I think of it as
practice for something greater.”

“
Like me?” Smooth,
Monroe.

She shakes her head and mimics good
‘ol boy, Junior. “Can’t kiss my brother.”

“
Funny.
Birthday?”

Maddy’s eighteenth birthday is Friday.
I promise her we will celebrate together. I instantly regret the
promise, unsure as to why I made it in the first place.

“
You should take the car,”
she offers once we arrive in Fayetteville.

“
Taxi service sucks here.
Buses are practically nonexistent. You can’t sit in the room all
week.”

Although it would be nice
to have this car for the next week, I’m not
that
selfish. Private Dominguez or
his roommate, Private Beraz, usually drives me where I need to go.
It’s a pain in the ass, but most of what I need is on the army base
anyway. If my roommate had given me the keys to his car when he
deployed a week ago, I would have something to drive. Instead he
gave them to Beraz. I guess he thought my mental instability was
too much to handle something on four wheels.

At Maddy’s insistence, I check her
into a hotel that is practically sitting in the mall parking
lot.

“
If you need anything,
call me,” I remind her for the eighth time. The room isn’t exactly
luxury, but it’s clean and the area is safe.

Maddy wraps her arms around my
waist.

I hesitantly return the hug. Her hair
smells good. Wow. Random.

Maddy pulls back and looks into my
eyes. “You really are beautiful,” she whispers absently. “Um, you
know, no weirdo.”

I laugh. Before I am ready to let go,
she drops her arms. I lean back. Yep, flushed cheeks.

I do like that.

Maddy

Monday

Is it possible for cabin fever to set
in within the first twenty-four hours?

After sending an email to
Dixon and responding to a short one from Chris, I read
through
Staying Fat for Sarah
Byrnes
for the 28
^th
time. The binding is worn
from overuse and pages are falling out. I relate with Sarah on so
many levels. Namely, our Daddy Issues.

But stories like
Stotan!
and
Deadline
help me cope
through tough days. I used to wonder if Mr. Crutcher would consider
adopting me.

Sad, I know.

I work out to an online CrossFit
program. I sprawl on the floor afterwards, wondering why I would
choose a CrossFit program.

Jackson calls to check on me at five
thirty, says he will call again tomorrow.

I prop the desk chair beneath the
doorknob and double-check that the windows do not raise before
crawling beneath the sheets.

I do not sleep.

Tuesday

I peek out the window at five a.m.
Beneath the streetlamps I notice two joggers circling the mall,
followed by several others a few seconds later.

I throw on my running gear and head
outside.

By the fifth lap my pace
is quick, my breathing steady. My legs feel as if they could run
forever. I wish they could. I wish
I
could. I return to the room on a
runner’s high, sad there is no one to share it with. Maybe I should
make friendly with one of the housekeepers.

After stretching and showering, I walk
to the coffee shop next door for breakfast. It’s nice to sit in
public for hours without worrying about creepsters watching your
every move and fathers telling you whom you should talk to and what
you should eat and wear.

I buy a chocolate chip cookie to prove
my independence.

Back in the room, I go
through the same routine as yesterday, except this time I begin
reading an early birthday gifts from Dixon,
Spanking Shakespeare.
By page three,
I cannot stop laughing long enough to read any faster. It feels
good to laugh without being chastised.

I read through the first three pages
again to prove it.

Jackson calls at five
thirty.

Again, just checking in.

Wednesday

Deciding to change up my
exciting schedule, I bought random crap at the mall I didn’t need.
The salesgirl suckered me in with, “That color looks
sooooo
good on you!” and
“Oh, honey, I wish I had your hourglass figure!”

I blame it on the boredom.

I replied to an email from Dixon. He
loves Paris already. Good. He deserves to be happy. I wrote him
back with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.

Jackson calls at five thirty and blah
blah blah.

Thursday

There are approximately 1,434 speckles
in the old spackled-over holes in the ceiling at the far left
corner of the room.

You’re welcome.

Jackson

Tonight
should
consist of
resting for the trip to New York City tomorrow. Instead I’m going
to Club Pacific with Vanessa, a girl I met at Lackey’s nightclub on
Wednesday.

And let me tell you, she
is
hot
.

Private Dominguez came up with a
brilliant plan so I can stay out late. If I bring Maddy to my room,
I don’t have to wake up early. Sneaking her past the barracks’
sign-in desk without anyone else seeing should not be a
problem.

Our Staff Sergeant—Sergeant
Wotley—plans to keep us late after work again today.

This is a problem.

I’m meeting Vanessa as soon as I can
get out of here, and that very well needs to be sooner than later.
My goal is to slide out quietly and quickly with some made-up
bullshit assignment before Wotley comes back to the work
site.

I scan the large open
field for possible candidates to retrieve Maddy’s luggage. If I
cannot find someone, I will have to leave Vanessa early. And she
is
not
the type
of girl one leaves early.

Hmmmm . . .

Dominguez? No. I respect
her enough to spare any interaction with him. Plus, he has a big
mouth and I don’t want anyone to think I’m
with
her.

Morris? No. He’s . . . well, Morris.
Wynan? No. She’s a little scary, even for me.

Private Beraz saunters into view with
an armload of Burger King and Taco Bell bags. As the youngest
Private in our Company, he usually gets stuck with the food runs
and the crap weekend jobs, like picking weeds from cracks in the
sidewalks and painting parking space lines. We like to call this
type of cheap labor “character building”.