Page 13 of Rough Ride

“You’re a nosy one, aren’t you?” Jez asked as she reentered the room. In one hand, she had a first aid kit and in the other, she had a black bag that was sealed with a zipper.

“Hazard of being a lawyer,” Eliana admitted. Jez once again instructed her to sit, and this time Eliana took a seat on the couch after returning the photo. “Is that your son?”

“Yes,” Jez replied shortly as she opened the kit and took out a cotton swab she doused with disinfectant. It stung when she pressed it to the cut on the corner of Eliana’s mouth. “He’s in Texas with his father,” Jez said before Eliana could ask the question. “I haven’t seen him since he was four. He’ll be sixteen in September.”

“Why so long?” Eliana questioned.

“Why do you care?” Jez asked flatly and turned to clean the cut under Eliana’s left eye. “Bastard Max always has to wear that damn ring, doesn’t he?” she asked rhetorically.

“How did you know Max did this?”

“I’ve been around a long time, baby girl, cleaned up a lot of faces. You start to recognize a man’s handy work. Believe it or not, you’re one of the lucky ones.”

“What kind of hell hole is this?” Eliana asked, feeling resentment rise in her. If she had the choice, she’d burn the whole place down and roast a marshmallow over the coals.

“The worst kind and don’t you forget it,” Jez advised. “You wanna know why I haven’t seen my son? Because I don’t want him anywhere near this place and if that means he is nowhere near me, then so be it.”

“Why don’t you just leave?” Eliana asked and Jez paused to look her straight in the eye.

“You’ve no idea what this place really is, do you?” Eliana couldn’t answer and Jez chuckled bitterly. “That’s good, baby, that means there’s hope for you. The less you know the better. Just don’t go mistaking Max’s restraint for mercy. He likes to toy with his Hell Kats.”

“I’m not a…”

“Sure, you are,” Jez interrupted. “You may not look the part, but he owns you now. Consider this your brand,” she said tapping the cut on her cheek. “So, take my advice, do what he asks, don’t talk back and always try to be useful. The second you’re not, you disappear.” Eliana wanted to ask a million more questions, beg for help even, but her anxiety and dread had overtaken her again. “Now, let me show you how to apply makeup to cover those bruises.” Jez unzipped the black bag that held several different shades of concealer for all skin tones. At that moment Eliana knew Jez was right. She’d done this hundreds of times.

“Thank you,” she said softly when Jez was finished. Her face hurt terribly and Eliana was even more grateful when the older woman handed her two pain killers and a shot of vodka to wash it down.

“You’re welcome,” Jez said sincerely. “Can I give you one more piece of advice?” she asked and Eliana shrugged. “Be nicer to that kid out there.”

“Kye? Why?”

“You aren’t the only one who’s gotten wrapped up in this mess. It’s a hell of a lot easier to get pulled in than to climb your way out. That boy would die for the people he loves and something tells me he’s got it bad for you.”

“Did Ebony tell you that?” Eliana asked sarcastically.

“Jealousy makes any woman look ugly,” Jez said, pouring her own glass. “You give him a reason, baby, and he’ll take good care of you. KD isn’t like the rest of the dogs out there. He’s managed to hold on to something good inside. Something pure. Something strong. You give him a reason, and he’ll fight for you.”

Eliana sat silent for a long moment cradling her glass. When the glass was empty, she handed it back to Jez and slowly made her way back outside where she saw Kye anxiously waiting. “Take me home,” she asked softly, and he took her hand in his to lead her away.

Kye had opted for his motorcycle instead of the SUV when he’d taken them back to the house. Something in him had needed the release of an adrenaline rush, and the way he tore through town like hell on wheels had given him that. Eliana had clung to him in terror as he’d reached maximum speed on the straight roads. The wind had whipped around her and the spray of water that still lingered on the road sprayed like a muddy shower.

When they reached her old neighborhood, he slowed and pulled his bike to a stop in the driveway. Although still shaken, Eliana was grateful to be back to the familiar location. Her legs had cramped from how firmly she had been gripping them. She noticed the mud splattered on the helmet she wore when she handed it back to Kye. He practically slammed it onto the handlebar of his bike.

Eliana was first inside. The light in the kitchen was still on from earlier, so she headed that direction. The paperwork from the old cases was still littering the table so, with nothing else to occupy her, she began picking them up and shoving them back into boxes. The door slammed startling her and Kye threw his keys onto the kitchen counter. She had every intention of ignoring him but he walked straight up to her and took her by the chin.

“Stop,” she protested and pushed his hand away.

“Let me see,” he insisted in an agitated tone. She let him hold her chin again while he looked her slightly swollen face over. “Does it hurt?”

“No,” she lied and turned away from him. The image of him standing idly by while Max had nearly choked her to death still bothered her.

“You’re lying, I’ll get you some ice,” Kye said and paced to the freezer where he pulled out a white tray. He grabbed the towel from the handle of the oven and began plopping the cubes in the folds.

“Good idea, grab some ice. Put it on your conscience,” Eliana suggested. “Hopefully it hurts worse than my face.” Kye slammed his fist on the counter and let out two forceful breaths through his nose.

“I didn’t know he was going to hit you,” Kye said through gritted teeth.

“Now who’s lying?” Eliana asked rhetorically as she continued stacking the papers. “You know what Max is like. You knew he was going to retaliate somehow. You said you were going to keep me safe. For all I knew, he was going to kill me!”